Graduate Students' Association announces 2019-20 awards recipients and honourable mentions

Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) had to cancel its annual awards gala event that was to be hosted in early April. However, the GSA would still like to celebrate the excellence of our volunteers, graduate students, research associates, support staff, and administrators over the internet this year, as the health and safety of the community and members are the GSA’s top priority.

The GSA greatly appreciates the effort and time our community members have contributed toward the graduate student experience at UCalgary this past academic year. The GSA extends our gratitude to the entire university community for another successful academic year and especially to those who took the time to nominate outstanding graduate students and community supporters, those who were nominated, and award recipients. The GSA would like to thank the members of the awards committee, Board of Directors, and the external adjudicators for their difficult work in selecting the winners from a pool of outstanding individuals.

Please join the GSA to celebrate the excellence of the following 2019-20 GSA Awards recipients and honourable mentions.

Excellence in Research Award (Graduate Student) 

• Negin Saheb Javaher, Department of Sociology
• Honourable mentions: Marwa Atwa, Department of Chemistry and Isabel Fandino, Department of Sociology

Excellence in Teaching Award (Graduate Student)

• Janet Aucoin, Department of Community Health Sciences
• Honourable mentions: Chelsea Klinke, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology and Mohammad Noaeen, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Excellence in Supervision Award

• Dr. Darren Derksen, PhD, associate professor, Department of Chemistry
• Honourable Mentions: Dr. Pallavi Banerjee, PhD, Department of Sociology and Dr. Barrie Nault, PhD, Haskayne School of Business

Leadership Award

• Rachel Kratofil, Department of Immunology
• Honourable Mentions: Dion Kelly, Department of Neuroscience and Julia Teresa Daun, Department of Exercise and Health Psychology

Emerging Leader Award

• Kelsey Pennanen, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology
• Honourable Mentions: Anthonia Anowai, Department of Chemistry and Dana Louise Cramer, Department of Communication, Media and Film

GSA Champion Award

• Dr. Robin Yates, UCalgary’s dean and vice-provost (graduate studies)

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Claudia Ladisa, Department of Biological Sciences

Volunteer Excellence Award

• Ali Mohammadi, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
• Dinu Attalage, Department of Civil Engineering
• Jacob Lamb, Department of Civil Engineering
• Michelle Elizabeth Love, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
• Kaylee Rich, Department of Ecosystem and Public Health

Graduate Representative Council Distinguished Service Award

• Andrew Kemle, Department of Political Science

Graduate Representative Council Initiative Awards

• Spanish Classes Initiative by Chelsea Klinke
• Candidacy Workshops 2019 by Megha Murali, Christopher McCoy, Dustin Pearson, Jasper Greysson-Wong
• Mental Health Workshop Series by Leah Chadwick, Nisha Vashi, Alex Choy, Jessy Cooke, Lorraine Reggin, Danielle Lefebvre
• Coding Workshop for Engineers by Maithree Kurukulasuriya, Hasini Rathnayake
• PHAS Graduate Assistant Orientation by Pamela Freeman, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anna Ordog, Ayush Mandwal, Davor Curic, Omid Khajehdehi, Carlton Osakwe
• Sustainable Fashion: Clothing Swap Shop by Nouran Habib, Kiana Hampton, Eryl David, Alexa Alleyne