Two nursing professors will be honoured by Mohawk College with special recognition awards during the college’s Spring 2014 Human Services Convocation ceremony on Thursday, June 12.

Maureen Markle-Reid and Jenny Ploeg, co-scientific directors of McMaster’s new Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU) will be conferred as Distinguished Fellows–Adjunct Professors for their contributions to Mohawk College’s faculty, students and staff as active members of research teams affiliated with the ACHRU.

They feel the award ‘acknowledges and supports the importance of collaboration between McMaster University and Mohawk College’ and is only the beginning of a long relationship.

“The nomination speaks to their excellent contribution…and the impact it has had,” says Catherine Tompkins, associate dean, Health Sciences and director of McMaster’s School of Nursing.

Ploeg will also deliver the convocation address to 350 graduating students.

Markle-Reid, associate professor, and Ploeg, professor, in the School of Nursing are leading ground-breaking research that is building a Canadian perspective on how to make life better for those living at home with multiple chronic health problems, such as diabetes, dementia and stroke – and their caregivers. With over 60 researchers, staff, trainees, and collaborators across Canada, their research is expected to directly influence future policies and practices related to older adults.

In seven interrelated studies, their five-year program of research is supported by $2.5million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Signature Initiative in Community Based Primary Healthcare and $3.3 million from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC).

Markle-Reid’s research has focused on developing and evaluating different inter-professional clinical interventions for community living older adults with chronic conditions and their family caregivers. The focus of these interventions, which are carried out in collaboration with numerous community agencies, is on chronic disease prevention and management, health promotion and disease prevention.

Ploeg’s research has focused on two key areas: Evaluation of health services for high risk older adults and their family caregivers living in the community and evaluation of best practice guideline implementation, sustainability and spread. She is passionate about mentoring students and junior faculty members.

Their research has appeared in hundreds of peer reviewed journals and they both provide on-going support to young researchers who are developing their future careers.

McMaster’s nursing students will earn their degrees, along with those in medical radiation sciences, at Hamilton Place June 10 at 9:30 a.m.