The Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy is proud to announce that Sandra Sokoloff has received the Temerty Faculty of Medicine Staff Impact Award for Administrative Excellence. 

This award recognizes Sandra’s commitment to excellence in her role as the Executive Assistant to the Chair & Academic Appointments Coordinator in our department. 

Sandra began working at the University of Toronto in 2008 at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and was later hired by Angela Colantonio in 2009 to work in her research lab. She eventually joined our department in her current role in 2016. 

“Receiving this Staff Impact Award in Administrative Excellence is really special to me, not only that my contributions are deemed worthy of this recognition within Temerty Medicine, but that my colleagues in the department saw fit to nominate me,” says Sandra. 

While she spends most of her time on administrative support, she is known to go above and beyond to support our department – she is involved with several departmental and extra-departmental committees, helps with event planning and is our go-to person for updating our website. You may even spot her behind the camera at our next event as she acts as our unofficial department photographer! 

Christie Welch nominated Sandra for the award after watching her step in and take on additional roles in the past year. “Sandra is hard working, professional, and supportive. Her dedication to excellence and attention to detail benefit the department on a daily basis, and while she would be a contender for this award in any year, last year our department was in need of an Interim Program Manager and Sandra rose to the occasion. She took on many new tasks and responsibilities and carried our department through a challenging time,” she says. 

While Sandra admits that taking on this new role was a bit overwhelming, she is grateful to have received help from colleagues who answered questions and were there to support her along the way. She notes, “It was a great experience to learn more about this role, and get to know our students more.”

“I am constantly rewarded in the work I do. Supporting faculty members as they succeed in their academic milestones gives me great pleasure and a great sense of accomplishment. Other moments of pride include supporting my administrative colleagues in the department and being considered a credible resource to my counterparts across the Rehabilitation Sciences Sector and in Temerty Medicine,” says Sandra. “I can’t imagine working with a better, more fun, kind and generous group of people.” 

The Award in Administrative Excellence is given out each year to honour an employee who has consistently shown exemplary dedication, exceptional performance, responsiveness and empathy, and have also made a significant impact on the success and growth of their department.