PTS Instructor Honoured as FSA DAA Recipient
May 29, 2018
Since 2014 the BCIT Faculty & Staff Association have partnered with BCIT and the BCIT Alumni Association for the Distinguished Alumni Awards (DAA) by honouring a BCIT alumnus who returned to the Institute as an FSA member. In January we put a call out to our members for nominations and received submissions from a number of departments. The FSA board deliberated over the nominees and we are thrilled to officially announce our selection for 2018.
The members that the FSA serves represent a wide variety of individuals and draw upon a breadth of knowledge and experience that continues to amaze us every day. The work that our members do to advance the educational outcomes of students and to contribute to their professional sectors is admirable, inspiring, and distinguished. This year’s FSA DAA recipient is no exception.
Tara Wilkie – a Part-Time Studies (PTS) Instructor in BCIT Forensics and a practicing Forensic Nurse – was nominated for her knowledge, expertise, and education in the human trafficking component of forensic nursing in addition to the criteria for the award. Tara’s knowledge has contributed to the work of Fraser Health Authority through the development of a human trafficking awareness module for BC and the CBC has spoken to her about the ‘epidemic’ of human trafficking.
Sheila Early, Tara’s nominator, had this to say:
Tara’s qualities include responsibility for her ethical professional practice, integrity to uphold the standards of her profession, strong work ethic to support her colleagues as well as her community, her province, her country. She is also globally aware of the devastating effects of violence in our global world.
Tara has taken a small segment of health care (human trafficking) and made an enormous and unique contribution the knowledge base of health care providers, law enforcement, justice system not only in the Lower Mainland but provincially and nationally. She is a recognized expert in this area. She has educated many individuals in the Forensic Health Sciences course on human trafficking making all her colleagues aware of the dangers and effects of human trafficking.
“BCIT has been my foundation for 17 years, and it’s here I am encouraged to create change to help those most in need. My growth is attributed to the incredible BCIT instructors and faculty, and my Forensic colleagues who have mentored me along the way. My strength and perseverance comes from my patients, who inspire me daily to be a better person. Thank you for this recognition.”
FSA Members had a chance to hear Tara speak at our Oct 2017 General Meeting on a member panel. We had a chance to hear about the importance of her work – not only in industry but within the educational environment here at BCIT.
In my time as FSA president I have attempted to shine a spotlight on all our members – including those working in (PTS) and it is a great honour to join the FSA board in honouring Tara for her accomplishments, her dedication to education and practice, and her commitment to a better world. We look forward to presenting the award to Tara in October at the BCIT DAA event. We encourage members to watch for an opportunity to nominate their co-members next year for the 2019 BCITFSA Distinguished Alumni Award.