Prof wins Marley award

By Tanya Mok

A Ryerson professor won the Bob Marley Day award for her work in diversity and community leadership.

Prof. Wendy Cukier, the associate dean of the Ted Rogers School of management, was presented the award at the Bob Marley Day award ceremony on Feb. 3.

“Her name is synonymous with diversity in Canada,” said Courtney Betty chair of the Bob Marley Day committee.

Mayor Rob Ford has declared February 6, 2011 Bob Marley Day in the city of Toronto.

Cukier has been a long-time advocate of gun control and is the founder of the Diversity Institute at Ryerson, which focuses on under-represented groups in the workplace.

The Globe and Mail recently named her as one of 25 Transformational Canadians alongside names such as David Suzuki and Craig and Marc Kielburger.

But despite the recognition she has already received for her work, Cukier says she is especially thrilled about winning the Bob Marley Award.

“I’ve received many awards over time but for me what’s significant about this is its recognition in the grassroots community,” she said.

In her acceptance speech, Cukier stressed the importance of teamwork, thanking her colleagues at Ryerson for their support.

“Diversity is a core value at Ryerson,” she said.

But many students at Ryerson don’t seem to know much about Bob Marley.

Kiefer Yu, a radio and television arts student, said all he knows about Bob Marley is that he was pro-marijuana, and his music is “easy listening”.

Even fewer seem to know that there is a Bob Marley Day at all.

“There’s a Bob Marley Day?” said Deanna Lopez, a chemical engineering student. “Since when?”