Engineering Now .: Volume 4 - Edition 8 .: May and June 2008

Sharon A. Ling Award of Achievement by a Staff Member

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Western Engineering was honoured to welcome some very special guests to the faculty and staff awards celebration this year. The family of Sharon Ling, a staff member who sadly passed away this past January, joined the Western Engineering community on June 4 to be present for the awarding of the Sharon A. Ling Award of Excellence for Outstanding Achievement by a Staff Member.

Sharon’s husband Bevan, her father Jack Atkins, and her two sons Ethan and Matthew, were in attendance to see Sandra Vilovski receive the award, which was just renamed this year in Sharon’s honour. Sandra, who is the Graduate Affairs Coordinator with the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, is a good friend of the Ling family. Sandra felt that having Sharon’s family on hand was very important.

“I am so grateful that Sharon’s family was at the banquet,” she said. “The bond between Sharon and this award was strengthened by their presence and that means so much to me and all who knew and loved Sharon.”

The Award of Excellence for Outstanding Achievement by a Staff Member award was renamed for Sharon after the motion was put forward in meetings held by faculty and staff in the early part of 2008. The motion was supported unanimously in both meetings. Sandra said that being the first recipient of this award is very meaningful to her.

“I feel deeply honored to be the first recipient of the Sharon A. Ling award. Sharon was my colleague and my dear friend. Whenever advice was needed Sharon would have some for me. Whenever I needed a smile Sharon knew exactly what to do. One of the students once said that Sharon was his Mom away from home, and that is exactly what Sharon meant to me. With this said I am deeply touched and proud to hold this Award.”

Sandra hopes that the Sharon A. Ling award will not only keep her alive in the memories of the people who knew her, but also give her a presence with future faculty, staff and students in Western Engineering.

“We who knew Sharon will remember her forever. She was a very special and amazing person. This award will help those that were not that fortunate to have known her know that a person like Sharon existed, a person who touched all and was loved by all who knew her. It only took a second to never forget Sharon and this award will keep her memory alive for generations to come.

In memory of Sharon, the Faculty of Engineering has also planted five Rose of Sharon bushes on the property, and placed a new bench outside of Thompson Engineering Building, dedicated to Sharon with a memorial plaque.

Read more about the 2008 Western Engineering Awards Celebration.

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Contact

.: Becky Blue
Spencer Engineering Building, Room 2074
Telephone: (519) 850-2917 Fax: (519) 661-3808
contactwe@eng.uwo.ca