Tuesday, August 4, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. – The faculty athletic representative for Simon Fraser University’s entire tenure as an NCAA Division II member, Dr. Peter Ruben has been selected to receive the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s (SAAC) 2019-20 Faculty Mentor Award.

A member of the Simon Fraser faculty since 2006, Ruben is a professor in the university’s department of biomedical physiology and kinesiology and an associate member of the departments of molecular biology and biochemistry and biological sciences. He is also an associate member of the Department of Cell and Physiological Science faculty at the University of British Columbia.

Ruben was recognized for his longtime advocacy for Simon Fraser’s student-athletes and the work he does to accommodate the needs of student-athletes in his classes.

“Dr. Peter Ruben is one of the most approachable faculty members we have,” said Laura Jones, a Simon Fraser women’s golfer who graduated in May. “He makes himself available to help athletes in any way he can, be it resolving exam conflicts, offering advice or supporting us in achieving our academic goals.

“Every year, Peter introduces himself to the freshmen as our faculty athletic representative and offers to be a resource. I remember feeling that his invitation seemed very genuine and decided to send him an email asking for advice on getting involved in research. Despite knowing very little about electrophysiology, I was welcomed into Peter’s lab and he has kindly mentored me for the past three years. He has supported me in athletics and academics through my undergraduate career and played an instrumental role in my medical school application.”

“Peter has been a friend and supporter for athletics my entire time at SFU and many years before,” said sophomore men’s golfer Ryan Stolys. “He constantly provides support for student-athletes and actively works to improve our experience through connecting with us through SAAC. Being a student-athlete presents many challenges, many of them academic, and Peter helps our student-athletes navigate those challenges to help us be successful. For that we are thankful and extremely pleased that he is the deserving recipient of this award.”

In addition to his work with student-athletes in the classroom, Ruben helped the Simon Fraser SAAC become involved with Hope Happens Here, which looks to expand mental health initiatives on campus. He also helped in securing Dr. Lydia Bell, the associate director of research for academic performance for the NCAA, for a campus seminar that had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with his involvement as the university’s faculty athletic representative, Ruben is also a past member of Simon Fraser’s Faculty Senate.

Presented annually by the GNAC SAAC, the Faculty Mentor Award honors faculty members at member institutions that demonstrate exemplary support to student-athletes both on and off the field of competition while representing the NCAA Division II core values of learning, passion, service, resourcefulness, sportsmanship and balance. Award recipients should have a strong commitment to preparing student-athletes to excel in their endeavors after their athletic careers have ended.

Past recipients of the GNAC SAAC Faculty Mentor Award include Laura Reid of Simon Fraser University, Amy Cooper of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Kevin Bartlett of Seattle Pacific University, Emily Vela-Haynes of Western Oregon University and Scott Harris of Montana State University Billings.