CBS students to receive several awards at convocation, including Gold and Silver Governor General's Medals
At this year’s spring convocation ceremonies, held between June 9-13, several graduating College of Biological Science students will be granted awards in recognition of their achievements, including Gold and Silver Governor General’s Medals.
Governor General’s Gold Medal: Dr. Heather Petrick, PhD in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences
As a graduate student at U of G, Dr. Heather Petrick has shown exceptional academic performance, leadership and service. Her research, on nutritional approaches to modulating mitochondrial bioenergetics, was completed through a collaboration between the U of G and Maastricht University in the Netherlands, where it received the “cum laude” distinction, the Netherlands’ highest recognition. Throughout her graduate studies, she has received some of the most competitive scholarships available, including the Brock Doctoral Scholarship and an NSERC CGS-D and CGS-M. She has published 34 papers to date in top-tier journals, including 13 as first author. 20 of her papers are based on research conducted during her PhD program, but she has also published research across a wider range of disciplines, from cellular biology to physiology. She has also excelled as a teacher at U of G, Guelph-Humber and Maastricht U, as a course tutor, teaching assistant, course coordinator, research supervisor, and guest lecturer. Alongside her commitment to academics, she has taken on several volunteer and leadership roles with both universities and is an accomplished athlete in both track and field and cycling. Petrick is now a postdoctoral researcher at Maastricht University.
Governor General’s Silver Medal: Leo Li, B.Sc., Bio-Medical Science
Leo Li is has demonstrated outstanding academic excellence, graduating with a cumulative average of 97%. He has been recognized with several scholarships, including the Lincoln Alexander Chancellor’s Scholarship, the Hasnul Abdollah Writing Peer Helper of the Year, and the CBS Dean’s Scholarship. Throughout his time at U of G, Li has proven himself a committed leader. As a statistics tutor and writing peer helper, he has supported students navigating difficult subjects. He has also acted as a first responder and supervisor with the U of G First Response Team, which responds to on-campus medical and mental health emergencies. For the Human Anatomy program, Li volunteered as a pianist for the annual Celebration of Life and Learning event. Li also contributed to research on the effects of chronic pain on cardiovascular function through Dr. Tami Martino’s lab and helped develop educational materials to facilitate a training program for rural emergency department physicians. Li plans to pursue a career in medicine.
Governor General’s Silver Medal: Andra Popa, B.Sc., Bio-Medical Science
Andra Popa has demonstrated outstanding academic excellence, graduating with a cumulative average of 97.56%. She has been recognized with several scholarships, including the Stephanie Betts Memorial Scholarship, the CBS Dean’s Scholarship, as well as the Van Stralen and Van Der Hoeven Memorial Scholarship. Popa has shown her commitment to supporting student learning and wellness through her role as an academic cluster leader, supporting up to 160 first-year students in navigating difficult academic subjects. She also taught human anatomy labs to more than 60 students through the Human Anatomy Research and Laboratory Mentorship. She has made important contributions to research by investigating the potential of cannflavins, from the cannabis plant, to attack glioblastoma cells, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Popa is continuing her research as she starts her M.Sc. in Molecular and Cellular Biology at U of G this fall.
D.F. Forster Medal: Dr. Danielle Nowosad, PhD, Integrative Biology
Dr. Danielle Nowosad is an exceptional scholar, leader and teacher, who puts community engagement, reconciliation and decolonization at the heart of her work. Her research, which uses DNA barcoding to support biodiversity monitoring in the Arctic, will better inform climate change research and insect vector-borne disease risk assessments in the North. Her work uses participatory research methods, weaves Indigenous and Western knowledges, and honours Indigenous data sovereignty. Nowosad has been a teacher and mentor to learners of all ages, from mentoring high school students and undergraduates interested in research, to leading environmental education workshops, and delivering 20 guest lectures on a variety of topics. She has also served on a variety of committees and councils, with U of G, as well as science and community associations, and supported research projects with several governmental and not-for-profit organizations. Nowosad’s research has been supported by a wide variety of scholarships, grants and awards, including an NSERC PGS-D and Indigenous Graduate Scholarship, among many others. She is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Calgary.
W.N. Vaughan Medal: William Coleman, Bachelor of One Health
The Walter Vaughan Medal recognizes a student Senator who has achieved high academic standing and who has made a substantial contribution to student life and to the university particularly through involvement in and commitment to Senate activities. William Coleman is a third-year Bachelor of One Health student and Senate representative.
College of Biological Science Gold Medal: Michael Wang, B.Sc., Bio-Medical Science
Michael Wang has been an exemplary student, for his academic achievements, contributions to research, and community engagement. Academically, Wang is among the top 95th percentile of graduates in the college, and has been recognized with the Hagen Undergraduate Scholarship, awarded to students with the highest averages in CBS, and the Bernice and Bruce Sells Scholarship, for his leadership in extracurricular activities. He has been involved in oncology research, both on campus and with University Health Network researchers. In his extracurriculars, as a Bio-Medical Sciences Student Mentor, Safewalk Volunteer, and Orientation Week volunteer, Wang is driven by his commitment to creating welcoming and supportive spaces for his peers. He also co-founded Health Journalists at Guelph, aimed at making complex health research more accessible to laypeople. Off-campus, he has been a dedicated volunteer with Campfire Circle and Camp Quality, providing support and companionship for children affected by cancer and their families. On top of his busy academic, research and extracurricular schedule, Wang has also found time for varsity swimming, dedicating more than 20 hours a week to training and competitions.
Bruce Sells Medal of Academic Excellence: Ashlyn Stuart, B.Sc., Biological Science
The Bruce Sells Medal of Academic Excellence is presented annually to a student who has graduated with the highest cumulative average in the Honours Biological Science program. This year, the award goes to Ashlyn Stuart, who is graduating with a cumulative average of 94.3%.
Beyond her academic achievements, for which she has previously been awarded a Board of Governors entrance scholarship and a Dean’s Scholarship, Stuart has been an active member of the U of G community. For five semesters, she worked as Supported Learning Group Leader through the Peer Helper Program and was awarded the Mary Wilson Award, which recognizes a commitment to student learning, as well as an engaged, innovative and reflective approach to leading group study sessions. She was a member of the Guelph Gryphons Dragon Boat Club for two years, joining the team in many regattas, and earning the Most Improved Player Award for the 2023-24 season. She also participated in a semester-long exchange to La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia and, while there, helped develop a translocation plan for the southern brown bandicoot that was sent to the campus wildlife sanctuary. In her final year, Stuart was a volunteer writer for the Ontarian, covering a mix of science and campus news. Stuart is interested in pursuing a career in science communications, public health, or epidemiology and plans to apply for graduate programs next year. In the meantime, she is continuing her role providing youth outreach for the City of Hamilton, a position she’s held for three years.
CBS Excellence Graduate Prize: Eric Bonk, M.Sc., Integrative Biology
This prize is given to graduating College of Biological Science graduate students who are nominees for the Governor General Medal.
In an impressively short timeframe of only four semesters, Erik Bonk completed all degree requirements for his M.Sc. in Integrative Biology, graduating with a GPA of 89%. His research, which investigated the use of environmental DNA to assess fish communities in habitats impacted by agriculture, has made a substantial impact in a growing field of study and led to three first-author papers, with an additional five under review. One of his papers was nominated for the CBS Best Paper Prize, for the original contribution it makes in the fields of environmental monitoring and molecular ecology. Bonk has also proven himself an effective teaching and mentor. He has been a teaching assistant in two undergraduate courses and a mentor to both undergraduate and graduate students in the lab. Beyond academics, he has been involved in numerous events and activities related to fish biology and conservation, including organizing “fish lifts,” where volunteers help migratory fish bypass human barriers, such as dams. Bonk has begun his PhD at U of G building on his interests using genomic tools, including eDNA, for aquatic ecology research.