6/1/2001 11:11:39 AM
IT Heroes
CIPS Members Honoured

As part of Canada's IT Week celebrations, the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC), in conjunction with Industry Canada, created the Community IT Hero Award to recognize individuals who have assisted their communities in a significant way through the use or application of information technology (IT).

This awards program had the grassroots objective of getting communities involved in IT Week, by identifying and selecting heroes who have made a significant difference in the lives of people in their communities. The selection committee consisted of people from communities all across Canada.

Award recipients range from teachers and students to businesses and community volunteers. All have contributed countless hours, expertise, knowledge and dedication, in promoting the use of IT.

Two of these heroes are CIPS volunteers. Regular News from National contributor Stephen Ibaraki, I.S.P., and Computer Science Accreditation Council participant Jane Fritz, I.S.P.

Stephen Ibaraki, I.S.P. is the Head of Research at Capilano College, British Columbia. He has spent his entire career in the IT Industry and worked consistently on the leading edge of technology. He received the World Computer All Star award early on and has continued winning awards since, including the CIPS Gary Hadford Award for Professional Achievement this past May. He could easily ride his talent and expertise to fame and fortune, yet the majority of his time, effort and resources go to his students. An instructor at Capilano College in North Vancouver, Stephen has consistently received the highest teaching evaluation scores. He has also earned the Top Teacher Award. He has freely shared his research with Capilano College, enabling it to become a world leader in technology education. Throughout his career Stephen has excelled. Yet what is so unique about him is the amount of time and effort he freely gives to help others. Whether it is in the classroom or on a consulting assignment he never misses an opportunity to help others understand how things work in the world of technology.

Dr. Jane Fritz, I.S.P. is a Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Computer Science, UNB Fredericton Campus, New Brunswick. She won the award for her extraordinary effort in the pursuit of elevating IT within the province of NB, especially through the establishment of the Information Systems Professional (I.S.P.)legislation in the province. New Brunswick will be the fourth prince to successfully register the CIPS designation.

The IT industry is still young. There are many roads into the profession and there are many other professions that have a claim to IT, such as the engineers, project managers, and chartered accounts. These are all established professions with certifications of their own. These professions, however, are not focussed on the business of IT and so cannot competently protect the public interest when it comes to technology. It is the role of the IT professional to protect the public interest and it is the role of CIPS to protect the IT professional. CIPS will be there working for IT professionals whenever an issue of IT-related public concern arises.

Jane had the following to say about the role of the I.S.P. designation in the future of the profession: "The CIPS-led process of acquiring provincial recognition of the I.S.P. designation will allow us to maintain control of our own domain – the software industry."

For more information about the I.S.P. designation, please visit the CIPS web site at http://www.cips.ca/standards/ispcert

For more information about IT Week and the IT Hero Awards, visit http://www.itweek.ca/