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Dr. Allen Pensick, Provost of St. George’s University, was awarded the Order of the Mace on Wednesday October 26, 2011. The award was presented by the previous Mace recipient, Mr. Andy Belford, at a ceremony held at Bourne Lecture Hall and the DES courtyard attended by about 200 joyful and congratulatory faculty, administration and staff. In the 27 years he has been with SGU, Dr. Pensick has made many significant contributions to the University, including instituting the very award that he was being given. Dr. Pensick, the fifth recipient of this symbolic award which is the University’s highest honor, joins Mr. Andy Belford, Chancellor Charles R. Modica, Sir Kenneth Stuart and Sir Paul Scoon.
Fittingly, a second honor was bestowed on Dr. Pensick that evening: Bell Hall is now named Allen H. Pensick Hall, a surprise to Dr. Pensick closely guarded until the unveiling. Margaret Lambert, Dean of Enrolment Planning commented: “Bell Hall embodies the spirit of Al’s value as a builder of today’s St. George’s University.”
Chancellor Charles R. Modica congratulated Dr. Pensick on the award, extolling his virtues and providing delightful anecdotes of working with him over the years. He spoke of Dr. Pensick’s dedication and praised him for his habit of rising to challenges and always seeing room for hope in situations others might have seen as impossible. A very moved Dr. Pensick graciously accepted the award, expressing his thanks and appreciation of the profound gesture.
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Dean Lambert also commented: “It is fitting that Al Pensick should receive this Order of the Mace as it was originally his idea to bring it into being… One of his passions is creating the accoutrements and symbols of tradition. Al has very effectively created a visual symbol for the gravitas of this University – and the Mace as a visual foundation for St. George’s University has permeated almost the whole of the University’s ethos. It has become a true symbol: When the Mace appears, the University is signaling importance and gravitas.”
Dean Lambert went on to highlight several of Dr. Pensick’s accomplishments at and for the University which included facilitating the birth of several key departments like Department of Educational Services and the Office of Institutional Advancement. He has also been instrumental in developing the Faculty Senate and in recruiting and developing excellent faculty over the years, and has strongly supported the development of the departments of Communications and Public Health, among many others. Dr. Pensick is also credited with being the person to put structures in place to support the growing university. Dean Lambert expressed: “It is his incredible, relentless idealism fueled by his indefatigable pragmatism that has allowed us to grow into the untouchable University that we are today.” SGU is very proud to have Dr. Pensick on its team and is truly grateful for his dedication and his invaluable contributions.
St. George’s University created the Order of the Mace in 2007 coinciding with its 30th Anniversary. This award is symbolic of the unique spirit of our University and is granted to those rare individuals who embody and drive that spirit forward into the community, the region and the world.
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