Home / Awards And Scholarships
Recognizing the impact and value our members provide our association through formal recognition.
In order to recognize outstanding contributions to Residence Life, the Residence Life Professional Association is pleased to recognize and reward professionals that are new to Residence Life or the RLPA. The award has an added benefit of encouraging new professionals to stay in residence life and the RLPA. All members of the RLPA are encouraged to nominate deserving individuals. Nominations can be forwarded to any member of the executive.
The executive will evaluate and select the award recipient. The award will be presented during the RLPA Annual General Meeting. The criteria upon which nominations will be evaluated are as follows:
| 2008 | Tim Siemens | Red Deer College |
| 2009 | Brett Phillips | University of Alberta |
| 2010 | Jim Fowler | Grant MacEwan University |
| 2011 | Judy Eyben | Lakeland College |
| 2012 | Laura Huxley | MacEwan University |
| 2013 | Angela Chappell | Augustana (U of A) |
| 2014 | Nicky Renault | MacEwan University |
| 2015 | Alana Turner Alena Boczek | University of Alberta Mount Royal University |
| 2016 | Kristin Davick | Mount Royal University |
| 2017 | Meghan Reiser Dillon Andrus | University of Alberta Red Deer College |
| 2018 | Christine Zapisocki | University of the Fraser Valley |
| 2019 |
Sarah McCrae Jesara Nichol |
Augustana (U of A) University of Lethbridge |
| 2020 | Auburn Phillips | University of Lethbridge |
| 2021 | Zac Young | University of Alberta |
| 2022 | Dini van Eck | University of Alberta |
| 2023 | Tess Bickley | Mount Royal University |
| 2024 | Katherine Li | Mount Royal University |
| 2025 | Svati Balaji | Mount Royal University |
This Honour, originally termed the Outstanding Professionals Service Award, is given to a professional staff member within the RLPA for their outstanding contributions to student service.
In order to recognize outstanding contributions to Residence Life, the Residence Life Professional Association is pleased to continue giving an Outstanding Service Award. The award is named after Josie Lamothe, who made a significant contribution to Residence Life in Western Canada. All members of the RLPA are encouraged to nominate deserving individuals.
2022Dillon AndrusRed Deer Polytechnic2022Dillon AndrusRed Deer Polytechnic
| 1997 | Lorne Williams | University of Lethbridge |
| 1998 | Jan Finney | University of Calgary |
| 1999 | Glenice Grover | Red Deer College |
| 2000 | Margot Bell | University of Alberta |
| 2001 | Tracey Mason | University of Alberta |
| 2002 | Dima Utgoff | University of Alberta |
| 2003 | Mark Chytracek | Augustana University College |
| 2006 | Sylvia Cholodniuk | University of Saskatchewan |
| 2007 | Randy Fines | Lakeland College |
| 2008 | Dima Utgoff | University of Alberta |
| 2009 | Janet Athenasiou | University of Alberta – Augustana |
| 2010 | Not Awarded | N/A |
| 2011 | Nanci Krushelnicki | College of New Caledonia |
| 2012 | Brianna McElroy | Mount Royal University |
| 2013 | Chris Fukushima | University of Alberta |
| 2014 | Craig Whitton | University of Alberta |
| 2015 | Glenda Staples | Medicine Hat College |
| 2016 | Not Awarded | N/A |
| 2017 | Tim Siemens | Red Deer College |
| 2018 | Judy Eyben | Lakeland College |
| 2019 | Natasha Reynolds | Mount Royal University |
| 2020 | Robert Ford | University of Alberta – Augustana |
| 2021 | Not Awarded | N/A |
| 2022 | Bob Lambert | Mount Royal University |
| 2022 | Dillon Andrus | Red Deer Polytechnic |
| 2023 | Not Awarded | N/A |
| 2024 | Tyron Thomas | University of Calgary |
This Honour is given to individuals deemed to have provided outstanding service related to Residence Life within the RLPA region. Typically given to individuals who are retiring, moving into a different area of work or moving out of our region, this award recognizes professionals who have dedicated significant time to our field and in doing so, positively impacted the lives of both students and colleagues.
The Executive Board determines each year if any professionals are deserving of this award and announce recipients at the Annual General Meeting. Those selected are given a lifetime membership to the RLPA, including complimentary registration at all future meetings they would like to attend.
| 2008 | Dima Utgoff | University of Alberta |
| 2023 | Tracey Mason-Innes | Simon Fraser University |
The Residence Life Professional Association acknowledges the important and significant contributions that student leaders make to the residence environment. Each year, the RLPA honours outstanding student leaders and inducts them into our own Residence Hall of Fame. The individuals listed here have made a difference in residence by displaying leadership skills and commitment within the campus community. Each of them in their own way has demonstrated superior leadership within residence and has made campus life better for the residents.
In order to be considered for admittance into the RLPA Leadership Society, candidates must:
Superior Leadership shall be discerned at the discretion of the member institution’s residence life professional or housing manager. Demonstrated qualities of leadership may include, but are not limited to, the following traits, skills or behaviors:
ACUHO-I STARS College is designed for students who have at least one year of undergraduate study remaining or anticipate having one year before entering graduate school or a full time role after August of 2023. They must also demonstrate significant interest in campus housing, residence life, and student affairs through their involvement or work experience during their time as an undergraduate.
The Residence Life Professional Association (RLPA) will provide scholarships to cover the full cost of registering for student staff from member institutions to attend STARS College.
Should an applicant fail to meet all of the criteria but feels that they warrant consideration, we encourage applicants to apply anyway, stating the criteria they do meet, and why a special consideration should be made. The selection committee will consider these applications on merit, and on a case-by-case basis.
For more information on STARS College, please visit www.acuho-i.org/stars.
We will be opening applications for our STARS College Scholarship soon. Please check back again soon.
