The Faculty for Social Wellbeing has once again organised the Dean’s Awards Ceremony. The event was held at the UM Valletta Campus under the auspices of HE President Emeritus Ugo Mifsud Bonnici and in the presence of the Dean of the Faculty Prof. Andrew Azzopardi, the Pro-Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Joe Cacciottlo and Ms. Veronica Grech, Registrar. The event included performances by Choir EnKor, singer Odelsie and Carol (students reading a BA in Social Work and Social Policy) and a number of features including a new promotional video. The event also remembered Jerome Frendo and Sarah Lee Borg (the former a current student and the latter an alumni of the Faculty) who passed away during this academic year. Over 250 people attended this event; academics, administrators, collaborators, sponsors, stakeholders and friends of the Faculty. The compere for this event was Valeriya Bonkova, an MA student reading Gerontology and Geriatrics.
Apart from the Post-Grad and Under Grad students who were awarded a place on the Dean’s List there were two other Awards.
The first was the ‘Social Commitment Award’ with the following student/student organisations nominated by their fellow students; Malcolm Lee Attard, Gretel J. Bartolo, Betapsi, Shanice Borg, Jake Anthony Boyle, Raoul Briffa, Clayton Micallef, Joanna Muscat, Mary Louise Scicluna, Studenti Harsien Socjali. The Winner was Marchita Mangiafico, a student reading a Masters in Disability Studies. Her story is more than outstanding. She is the mother of Sebi a physically disabled person. However, even though Marchita has had to face many challenges in her life yet she remained positive and enthusiastic and supported other parents faced with similar challenges. She has been engaged in parent activism for a long number of years and is currently the President of the National Parents’ Society for Persons’ with Disability, works as the Secretary for the Access Disability Support Committee at the University apart from pursuing her studies. Marchita has shown exceptional commitment to the disability sector in Malta.
Another award during this year’s Dean’s Awards Ceremony was the ‘Dr Jacqueline Azzopardi Social Engagement Award'. The nominees all coming from the social sector stand out for their commitment towars society. They were chosen by each of the nine Departments. This year’s nominees were; Sr Adele Baldacchino, Lino Barbara, Isabel Bonello, André Callus, Elaine Compagno, Daniel Grima, Dr Anna Vella, and the winner this year was Mons. Victor Grech. Mons. Grech is the former Director at Caritas Malta. He served as Vice-Rector at the Seminary and later on as Rector. At the time he was also the Director of Vocations and later occupied the post of Visiting Lecturer at the University of Malta and at the Teachers’ Training College. In 1977 he was appointed Archbishop’s delegate and shortly after Director of Caritas where he introduced professional social services and encouraged the involvement of volunteers. Mons. Grech’s top priority was that of fighting poverty. He was a catalyst in dealing with the issue of drug addiction and in fact set up a number of projects for the prevention and rehabilitation of drug addiction. He established the first therapeutic community for those who abuse of drugs and opened a home for the rehabilitation of prisoners. He was also a renowned broadcaster.
The organisation of these Awards was done by the Dean’s Awards Committee and the Awards Selection Committee of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, Chaired by the Dean.