Kwantlen Polytechnic University nursing instructor Dr. Balbir Gurm has received the Community Crusader Award at the Darpan Extraordinary Achievement Awards, hosted by Darpan Magazine.
Gurm, who is the founder of the Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships (NEVR), is also a Fellow at the Canadian Academy of Nursing.
“Darpan Magazine’s Community Crusader Award is an extreme honour and privilege. I see awards as a way to show the next generation that they can achieve their goals and that there are supportive people and organizations out there to aid them in making their communities better.”
According to Darpan, the award honours the achievement of a person of South Asian descent in their respective field.
“The Community Crusader Award is given to someone who has been a voice for the community in relation to various issues and initiatives. Dr.Gurm has been at the forefront of bringing about change to better the life of community members,” says Ish Sharma from Darpan Magazine.
“She has clearly demonstrated this in her years of outstanding work in the community as well as in her professional sphere.”
Gurm says for more than a decade she has continually strived to meet KPU’s slogan, “Where Thought Meets Action”, by working with the community of Surrey on health and social issues through her NEVR organization.
“NEVR partners with KPU and involves students to help create resources and organize events for us,” adds Gurm.
“This award represents the significant work Dr. Balbir Gurm has performed not only within the community, but also at KPU. We are proud to have such a leader in our nursing faculty, and for our students to have the opportunity to learn from her,” says Sharmen Lee, dean of the Faculty of Health at KPU.