SoCS Alumni Awards & Honours Gala

Last Thursday, the School of Computer Science held the inaugural Alumni Awards & Honours Gala. The event was a chance to bring together students, staff, faculty, alumni, and industry partners to celebrate the success of some remarkable individuals who have spent their undergraduate or graduate training in the School of Computer Science. 

Dr. Jason Ernst, Devin Gauthier, Mark George, and Dr. Deb Stacey.

Three awards were handed out, including the Young Alumnus Award, the Award of Excellence, and the Medal of Achievement. The awards were presented by Keefer Rourke (undergraduate student), Kate McRoberts & Laura Gatto (co-op coordinators for the School of Computer Science), and Liz Sandals (former MPP and faculty member in the School of Computer Science). 

Dr. Jason Ernst, Chief Technology Officer of RightMesh and adjunct faculty member in the School of Computer Science, received the Young Alumnus Award. Jason graduated from the School of Computer Science with both a Master's and PhD. He completed his MSc research in 2009, and his PhD in 2015. Since then, he has been named to Forbes Technology Council and was a member of the Canadian Association of the Advancement of Science. In addition to this, he has been recently nominated for the 2019 list of Canada’s top 40 under 40. 

Devin Gauthier and Mark George accepted the Award of Excellence on behalf of Sandbox Software Solutions. Both Devin and Mark graduated from the School in 2005. Despite their active lives as co-founders of Sandbox Software Solutions, they have remained deeply connected to the School of Computer Science - supporting outreach events, sponsoring hackathons, and creating the undergraduate Sandbox Software Solutions Scholarship to support outstanding women in computer science. Both were named to Guelph's 40 Under 40 list in 2012. 

The Medal of Achievement - the School's highest honour - was presented to Dr. Deb Stacey for her lifetime and continued commitment to computer science, the School, and in particular, young women in STEM. Deb received her BSc from the Department of Computing & Information Sciences in 1978, then completed her MSc and PhD at the University of Waterloo. She started her faculty position in 1989, immediately after finishing her PhD. Deb is one of the co-founders of SharcNet and remains actively involved and connected to numerous departments and colleges on campus. 

Congratulations once again to all of the winners.