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Excellence in Arts & Science: 2015 Dean's Distinguished Staff Awards

Ronda Duke (left) and Lana Elias. Photo credit: David Stobbe

Ronda Duke and Lana Elias are the recipients of the 2015 College of Arts & Science Dean’s Distinguished Staff Award.

Every year, the college recognizes two employees who have made a significant contribution to their workplace through excellence in work performance and quality of service. Ronda Duke (secretary to the head of the Department of Chemistry) and Lana Elias (director of science outreach) were selected this year from among six nominees.

Ronda Duke

Ronda Duke has been with the U of S since 1979 and has worked as secretary to the head of the Department of Chemistry for 15 years.

In this role, she not only assists the department head but also acts as the major non-academic liaison for all department faculty and staff along with hundreds of students each year. She is known for personally going the extra mile to have every student’s question answered.

Duke is described as the bedrock of her department: modest, cheerful, dedicated and dependable, as well as endlessly knowledgeable about the department’s history and processes. Her experience, professionalism and upbeat attitude make for an easy transition for students, faculty and staff who join the department.

Lana Elias

As the college’s director of science outreach, Lana Elias oversees programs that provide hands-on scientific education in classrooms within Saskatoon and surrounding communities.

Her nominators describe her as dedicated, hardworking and a model of excellence in education leadership.

Elias took on the PotashCorp Kamskénow program—which offers weekly math and science activities to Saskatoon classrooms—and expanded it from a single classroom pilot project to an in-demand program reaching 40 schools in the last academic year. The program received two international awards last fall.

Elias is involved in the development of new science outreach initiatives as well as the expansion of existing programs. She has created an environment of collaboration and cooperation to deliver the best possible science and educational resources and experiences.