UCOL’s strength in sports and exercise science was at the forefront when the inaugural recipients of the Quality Recognition Awards were announced.
Each of the inaugural awards recipients came from within the sports and exercise field, showing UCOL’s expertise in this growing industry. ExerciseNZ statistics show that New Zealand's exercise industry has grown by 6.5 per cent on average each year since 2010, boosted by the rise of services such as 24-hour gyms, boot camps, and CrossFit. In 2016, 15.6 per cent of the population (approximately 717,000 people) belonged to a gym.
Exercise and Sport Performance Lecturer Janell Kiriona, received UCOL’s Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award for her enthusiasm for teaching and learning, evidenced by her willingness to try new things with her students.
“Janell always goes the extra mile to make sure her students succeed, frequently running one-to-one and small group sessions to help them with their work. Janell continues to reflect on her teaching practice so that she is regularly updating her programme’s assessments. Her students really like her enthusiasm and energy in the classroom and in the practical activities she does with them” says UCOL Chief Executive Leeza Boyce.
The Excellence in Research, Knowledge Transfer and Scholarly Activity Award went to Sport Science Lecturer Hayden Pritchard for his research capability. After only three and a half years in the Sport Science teaching team, Hayden has produced an astounding amount of high quality research which has informed his teaching and developed the courses he teaches. Hayden has had seven articles published in international journals, and has contributed research to a further six international conferences. Hayden has collaborated with colleagues at Massey University and AUT over the past few years, which contributes to his steady flow of research outputs. His work is regularly cited in others’ research.
U-Kinetics, UCOL’s exercise and rehabilitation centre, received the Excellence in Business Enterprise and/or Innovation Award. U-Kinetics has proven to be a service committed to quality and improving clients’ health. The staff are known for their effective working relationships with stakeholders, and providing a quality feedback loop which reflects a safe, considered and professional framework. They have produced some incredible results along the way. As a specialist department, stakeholders have been very impressed by the collaborative approach the U-Kinetics team takes in order to deliver their core business.
The Excellence in Service Provision Award was awarded to Jill Jonasen, Exercise & Wellness Administration Assistant, for her quality administration support. Jill has given tremendous support to all of the lecturers, is excellent at building relationships with staff and students, cares for everyone in her team, and takes the time to create a good working atmosphere.
Each award recipient received a certificate and a professional development grant of up to $5,000.
“To receive an Award is recognition of an outstanding level of achievement, dedication and commitment. The bar is set very high and these new Awards recognise the excellence within the UCOL staff community” said Mrs Boyce.
Pictured above: Exercise and Sport Performance Lecturer Janell Kiriona.