Congratulations, #GuelphGrad! We might not be able to celebrate together in the usual way but that won’t stop us from celebrating and sharing an important moment together. We’ve created an experience that will commemorate your achievement and connect you with your peers and alumni from around the world. There are even a couple of surprises!
Online celebrations premiered on November 4, 2021 at 7:00 PM.
These awards are conferred by Senate and recognize academic, leadership and contributions to university and community life.
Julianah Oguntala
College of Biological Science
Recipient:
W.C. Winegard Medal
The Winegard Medal is the University of Guelph’s top convocation award to an undergraduate student. Named for former University of Guelph president Dr. William Winegard, the medal is awarded in recognition of both academic achievement and contributions to university and community life.
Audio recording of Julianah Oguntala's Citation
The William C. Winegard Medal is the University of Guelph’s most prestigious undergraduate student convocation award and is named in honour of Dr. William C. Winegard, a former University of Guelph president.
The 2021 recipient of the W.C. Winegard Medal is:
Julianah Oguntala
Julianah Oguntala receives the W.C. Winegard Medal for her outstanding academic achievements, extensive participation in health research and many leadership and volunteer contributions to University and community life.
While studying biological science, Julianah received top academic ranking among more than 1,000 graduates in the College of Biological Science and received several awards, on and off campus, for her academic achievement. An advocate for increasing campus accessibility for people with disabilities, she served as a peer helper and educational assistant with U of G’s Student Accessibility Services. Off-campus, she was a volunteer mentor with Big Brothers and Big Sisters and served as a math and science tutor for high school students.
As an executive member of Students Facing Noma at Guelph, Julianah organized fundraising for Facing Africa, which works to treat Noma diseases.
Committed to advancement of students, especially underrepresented groups, she served as executive member of both U of G’s pre-med club and the Guelph chapter of Health Occupations Students of America.
Over four successive summers, her academic and clinical research experience has included stints at Toronto research institutions as well as well as various U of G labs, where she has studied topics ranging from vitamin D supplements in pregnancy to effects of beans on heart health.
Julianah Oguntala’s leadership qualities, character, and compassion make her a worthy recipient of the W. C. Winegard Medal.
Manpreet Dhaliwal
College of Arts
Magisteriate Recipient:
D.F. Forster Medal
These medals are awarded annually to one convocating master’s student and one convocating PhD student who excel both academically and in extracurricular activities. Named for the late Donald Forster, a former president of the University, the awards recognize academic achievement, motivation, leadership and citizenship.
Audio recording of Manpreet (Preeti) Kaur Dhaliwal's Citation
The magisteriate D. F. Forster Medal is one of this University’s most prestigious graduate student convocation awards and is named in honour of Professor Donald F. Forster, a former president of the University of Guelph. This annual medal for a master’s student recognizes academic achievement, motivation, leadership and citizenship.
The 2021 recipient of the magisteriate D. F. Forster Medal is:
Manpreet (Preeti) Kaur Dhaliwal
A committed leader, artist and scholar, Preeti Kaur Dhaliwal receives the magisteriate D.F. Forster Medal, the University’s most prestigious graduate convocation award for
academic achievement, motivation, leadership and citizenship.
While completing her MFA in creative writing, Preeti demonstrated academic strengths, writing talents and a commitment to social justice as a “writer in community.” Attentive to decolonial approaches to narrative, she has worked on a mixed-genre literary project examining issues of female South Asian identity through thematics of touch.
A community builder, she served as MFA social media coordinator to help publicize the program and its alumni accomplishments and advocated for transgender and racialized students. Her extensive teaching experience includes leading a creative writing course at the University of Guelph-Humber and running a workshop as part of the MFA program’s community-engaged creative writing teaching practice at Parkdale Collegiate Institute in Toronto.
Preeti was part of a winning MFA team in the Toronto International Festival of Authors’ Lit Jam storytelling improv contest and has been a featured reader and co-host for Speakeasy, a regular student-run reading series. Her work has appeared in publications such as Theatre Research in Canada and the literary magazine Prism International.
Manpreet (Preeti) Kaur Dhaliwal’s exceptional motivation and leadership, and her commitment to service and citizenship, make her a worthy recipient of the magisteriate D.F. Forster Medal.
Manpreet's photo by Ella Cooper
Mohsen Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi
Ontario Agricultural College
Doctoral Recipient:
D.F. Forster Medal
These medals are awarded annually to one convocating master’s student and one convocating PhD student who excel both academically and in extracurricular activities. Named for the late Donald Forster, a former president of the University, the awards recognize academic achievement, motivation, leadership and citizenship.
Audio recording of Mohsen Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi's Citation
The doctoral D.F. Forster Medal is one of this University’s most prestigious graduate student convocation awards and is named in honour of Professor Donald F. Forster, a former president of the University of Guelph. This annual medal for a PhD student recognizes academic achievement, motivation, leadership and citizenship.
The 2021 recipient of the doctoral D.F. Forster Medal is:
Mohsen Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi
For his outstanding academics, research calibre and contributions to U of G governance, Mohsen Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi receives the D.F. Forster Medal (doctoral), the University’s most prestigious graduate convocation award for academic achievement, motivation, leadership and citizenship.
An advocate for advancing the academic and social goals of graduate students on campus, Mohsen served as vice-president internal of the Graduate Students’ Association. He has been a valued member of many influential committees, including groups governing University judicial matters, academic policies and procedures, and graduate studies admissions and progress.
Dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion, Mohsen advanced the academic and social goals of graduate students from varied backgrounds. Recognizing the need to ensure that diverse voices are heard and reflected in University decision-making, he advocated for opening two seats for Black graduate students on the GSA board – a first in the organization’s history.
For his PhD, Mohsen has used plant breeding and genetics as well as big data in studies intended to increase soybean yields for industry. He has published peer-reviewed articles in leading journals and presented his work at scientific conferences. Blending academic and leadership skills, he served as science adviser for an international genetics research conference in 2020.
His research skills and accomplishments and his dedication to the betterment of University governance make Mohsen Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi an ideal recipient of the doctoral D.F. Forster Medal.
Anthony Incognito
College of Biological Science
Gold Medal Recipient:
Governor General’s Academic Medals
Lord Dufferin, Canada’s third Governor General after Confederation, created these Academic Medals in 1873 to encourage academic excellence across the nation. Over the years, they have become the most prestigious award that students in Canadian schools can receive. The Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded to the student graduating with the highest average from a high school, as well as from approved college or university programs. Pierre Trudeau, Tommy Douglas, Kim Campbell, Robert Bourassa, Robert Stanfield and Gabrielle Roy are among the more than 50,000 people who have received the Governor General’s Academic Medal as the start of a lifetime of accomplishment. Today, the Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded as Gold at the graduate level, Silver at the undergraduate level and Collegiate Bronze at the diploma level. Medals are presented on behalf of the Governor General by participating educational institutions.
Audio recording of Anthony Incognito's Citation
The University of Guelph awards two Governor General’s Gold Medals each year for outstanding academic excellence by a graduate student. This year, one of the recipients of this award is a graduate of the College of Biological Science.
Anthony Incognito
Anthony completed his PhD in cardiovascular physiology in 2020 in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences under the supervision of Professor Philip Millar.
Anthony’s doctoral research has made several important contributions to his field and champions a paradigm shift in our understanding of sympathetic control in humans. His work has broad applications for elucidating the organization of the sympathetic nervous system and for identifying mechanisms responsible for homeostatic control of blood pressure at rest and during perturbations such as postural stress and exercise.
A remarkably productive researcher, Anthony has 33 scientific publications to date, and he is first author on 17 of these papers. His work has been cited more than 300 times (Google Scholar) and has been published in top-ranked journals such as the Journal of Physiology, Journal of Neurophysiology and the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology; he is also co-author on a recent paper in Nature.
Anthony’s academic achievements have been recognized by several awards, including NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarships at both the master’s and doctoral levels (the latter was ranked first in his discipline nationally) and an Ontario Graduate Scholarship. He received two awards from the American Physiological Society (the Michael J. Brody Young Investigator Award, and the Neural Control and Autonomic Regulation Research Recognition Award) as well as the University of Guelph’s most prestigious convocation honour at the M.Sc. level, the D.F. Forster Medal.
Anthony Incognito is an outstanding scholar and fully deserving of the Governor General’s Gold Medal.
Cristine Reitz
Ontario Veterinary College
Gold Medal Recipient:
Audio recording of Cristine Reitz's Citation
The University of Guelph awards two Governor General’s Gold Medals each year for outstanding academic excellence by a graduate student. This year, one of the recipients of this award is a graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College.
Cristine Reitz
An outstanding doctoral student in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cristine received a prestigious Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Award as well as Ontario Graduate Scholarships, the Betty Goldhart Scholarship, OVC/Biomedical Sciences scholarships and U of G entrance scholarships. She also received the M.Sc. CIHR Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship. Overall, Cristine received a remarkable 24 fellowships and awards as a student at U of G.
A highly talented researcher, she investigated the role of the circadian mechanism in cardiovascular health and disease. Her doctoral research helps translate circadian biology to clinical cardiology, leading to longer and healthier lives.
Cristine helped lead the establishment of the Centre for Cardiovascular Investigations (CCVI) comprising hundreds of faculty and students in cardiovascular and health sciences research across U of G. As a student executive chair for four years, she was a key student liaison, ran the CCVI website and helped run the Distinguished Scientist Seminars and Cardiovascular Research Days.
Cristine has published 15 manuscripts in leading science journals and was first author on four of these papers. Her paper in Nature’s Communications Biology was accompanied by a Nature Reviews Cardiology editorial, was ranked first of all tracked articles of a similar age and garnered worldwide media coverage. Cristine gave 18 invited national and international research talks for which she won many society presentation awards.
Cristine Reitz is an exemplary student and fully deserving of the Governor General’s Gold Medal.
Governor General’s Academic Medals
Lord Dufferin, Canada’s third Governor General after Confederation, created these Academic Medals in 1873 to encourage academic excellence across the nation. Over the years, they have become the most prestigious award that students in Canadian schools can receive. The Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded to the student graduating with the highest average from a high school, as well as from approved college or university programs. Pierre Trudeau, Tommy Douglas, Kim Campbell, Robert Bourassa, Robert Stanfield and Gabrielle Roy are among the more than 50,000 people who have received the Governor General’s Academic Medal as the start of a lifetime of accomplishment. Today, the Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded as Gold at the graduate level, Silver at the undergraduate level and Collegiate Bronze at the diploma level. Medals are presented on behalf of the Governor General by participating educational institutions.
Joelle Dori Chandler
College of Social and Applied Human Sciences
Silver Medal Recipient:
Governor General’s Academic Medals
Lord Dufferin, Canada’s third Governor General after Confederation, created these Academic Medals in 1873 to encourage academic excellence across the nation. Over the years, they have become the most prestigious award that students in Canadian schools can receive. The Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded to the student graduating with the highest average from a high school, as well as from approved college or university programs. Pierre Trudeau, Tommy Douglas, Kim Campbell, Robert Bourassa, Robert Stanfield and Gabrielle Roy are among the more than 50,000 people who have received the Governor General’s Academic Medal as the start of a lifetime of accomplishment. Today, the Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded as Gold at the graduate level, Silver at the undergraduate level and Collegiate Bronze at the diploma level. Medals are presented on behalf of the Governor General by participating educational institutions.
Audio recording of Joelle Dori Chandler's Citation
The University of Guelph awards two Governor General’s Silver Medals each year to the graduating students with the highest cumulative average in any undergraduate degree program.
Joelle Dori Chandler
Joelle has reached remarkable academic heights since arriving at the University of Guelph in fall 2017. She graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Sciences Honours degree in Adult Development with a cumulative average of 97.3 per cent, having maintained semester averages of 95.5 to 99.0 per cent throughout her program. She earned 100 per cent in four courses and more than 95 per cent in the vast majority of her remaining courses. She found one of the highlights of her student experience to be her practicum placement at St. Joseph’s Health Centre Guelph, in their Acquired Brain Injury adult day program.
For these academic achievements, Joelle has been recognized with several awards, including the Dorothy Britton Undergraduate Memorial Scholarship and the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences Dean’s Scholarship. In her final year of studies, Joelle worked closely with a faculty member on research examining bisexual older adults’ conceptualization of healthy aging. She clearly made an impression on her instructor who said, “In all my years of teaching I have rarely come across a student with as much initiative, drive, and determination as Joelle.”
All the more remarkable, is that Joelle earned these academic achievements while contributing to the broader community in several ways. She volunteered with older adults with cognitive impairments and with children and youth with developmental disabilities. She also served as Guelph Hillel’s co-chair of Holocaust Education where she helped create and implement programs to increase students’ awareness and remembrance of the Holocaust.
Joelle Dori Chandler is an exemplary student and fully deserving of the Governor General’s Silver Medal.
Sebastian Patrick Karpinski
College of Biological Science
Silver Medal Recipient:
Governor General’s Academic Medals
Lord Dufferin, Canada’s third Governor General after Confederation, created these Academic Medals in 1873 to encourage academic excellence across the nation. Over the years, they have become the most prestigious award that students in Canadian schools can receive. The Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded to the student graduating with the highest average from a high school, as well as from approved college or university programs. Pierre Trudeau, Tommy Douglas, Kim Campbell, Robert Bourassa, Robert Stanfield and Gabrielle Roy are among the more than 50,000 people who have received the Governor General’s Academic Medal as the start of a lifetime of accomplishment. Today, the Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded as Gold at the graduate level, Silver at the undergraduate level and Collegiate Bronze at the diploma level. Medals are presented on behalf of the Governor General by participating educational institutions.
Audio recording of Sebastian Patrick Karpinski's Citation
The University of Guelph awards two Governor General’s Silver Medals each year to the graduating students with the highest cumulative average in any undergraduate degree program. One of the 2021 recipients of the Governor General’s Silver Medal is:
Sebastian Patrick Karpinski
Throughout his four years at the University of Guelph, Sebastian Karpinski has reached remarkable academic heights. He graduates with a bachelor of science honours degree in biomedical science with a cumulative average of 96.93 per cent, having maintained semester averages of 94 to 98 per cent throughout his program. He earned more than 90 per cent in 37 of his 38 courses, at least 95 per cent in 33 courses and 100 per cent in six courses.
Particularly rewarding were his courses in human physiology, biomedical histology, epidemiology, and immunology.
For these academic achievements, Sebastian received many awards, including a Board of Governors’ Entrance Scholarship, the Chair’s Prize in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences for highest academic standing in biomedical science, the Dr. Ken Fisher Prize for Histology and Embryology, and the Lionel Bradley Pett Scholarship from the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences. He received the CBS Dean’s Scholarship and remained on the CBS Dean’s Honour List throughout his program.
In addition to his many academic achievements, Sebastian has been actively involved in independent research, including a meta-analysis of cardiovascular stem cell clinical trials and genetic screening of stress-related genes in swine. He has contributed to his Guelph and University communities as a volunteer in an emergency food home delivery program and a hospital emergency department, and as a medical assistant in impoverished communities in Guatemala.
Sebastian Karpinski is an exemplary student and fully deserving of the Governor General’s Silver Medal.
Kenneth Robert George Malcolmson
Ontario Veterinary College
Bronze Medal Recipient:
Governor General’s Academic Medals
Lord Dufferin, Canada’s third Governor General after Confederation, created these Academic Medals in 1873 to encourage academic excellence across the nation. Over the years, they have become the most prestigious award that students in Canadian schools can receive. The Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded to the student graduating with the highest average from a high school, as well as from approved college or university programs. Pierre Trudeau, Tommy Douglas, Kim Campbell, Robert Bourassa, Robert Stanfield and Gabrielle Roy are among the more than 50,000 people who have received the Governor General’s Academic Medal as the start of a lifetime of accomplishment. Today, the Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded as Gold at the graduate level, Silver at the undergraduate level and Collegiate Bronze at the diploma level. Medals are presented on behalf of the Governor General by participating educational institutions.
Audio recording of Kenneth Malcolmson's Citation
The Governor General’s Academic Bronze Medal is awarded to the graduating student with the highest cumulative average in all University of Guelph diploma programs.
On the recommendation of the Senate of the University of Guelph, I have the honour and privilege of announcing the 2021 recipient:
Kenneth Malcolmson
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Ken Malcolmson followed his love of golf and grounds curation to enrol in the University of Guelph’s associate diploma in turfgrass management (DTM) program in 2019.
A standout student, Ken has been continuously recognized by his peers and our program instructors as a quiet yet diligent leader who aspires to excel in his studies. His keen participation in class discussions, willingness to help and support other students and overall passion for the turfgrass industry have made him a student who is respected socially and academically.
An active member of the U of G Turf Club, Ken has taken part in many of the DTM program’s extracurricular activities and has attended turfgrass industry conferences and events as an ambassador of the Ontario Agricultural College and the University of Guelph.
With the additional learning challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, his personal drive and commitment to academic excellence are an especially extraordinary achievement. We wish Ken the best of luck in his future endeavours and look forward to his continued involvement with the DTM program and the University of Guelph as an exemplary alumnus.
Ken Malcolmson is a very deserving recipient of the Governor General’s Academic Bronze Medal.
Sooraj Modi
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Recipient:
W.N. Vaughan Medal
Named for a former secretary of Senate, the Walter Vaughan Medal recognizes the contributions of a student member of Senate who has high academic standing and who has made a substantial contribution to the University, particularly through involvement in, and commitment to Senate activities.
Audio recording of Sooraj Modi's Citation
The Walter N. Vaughan Medal was established in honour of the late Walter Vaughan, a former secretary of the University of Guelph Senate who was committed to student involvement in University governance. This award is presented to a student with high academic standing who has made a substantial contribution to student life and to the University, particularly through involvement in and commitment to Senate activities.
The 2021 recipient of the Walter N. Vaughan Medal is:
Sooraj Modi
Dedicated leadership and student advocacy on campus have earned Sooraj Modi the Walter N. Vaughan Medal, named for a former secretary of the University Senate who was committed to student involvement in University governance.c
A computer science student who also completed a history minor, Sooraj made outstanding contributions to the life of U of G and the University Senate.
As a dedicated and well-informed Senate member, he served on the Senate Research Board, the Planning and Priorities Committee and the Senate Governance Review Working Group. As co-chair of the student Senate caucus, he brought a vital student voice to Senate deliberations during the pandemic.
Sooraj served on the Board of Undergraduate Studies, where his well-considered comments helped improve curriculum proposals.
He was a director of the Central Student Association and served on many of its committees. Within the School of Computer Science, he was president of the Society of Computing and Information Sciences. In that role, Sooraj helped bring alumni and local business to well-attended campus events, reinvigorated the Guelph coding community and organized Roboticon among other engagement and recruitment activities.
A model student who exemplifies U of G vision and pride as well as commitment to service, Sooraj Modi is a worthy recipient of the Walter M. Vaughan Medal.
Honorary Doctorate Ceremonies
In conferring honorary degrees, the University seeks to honour individuals whose accomplishments demonstrate a standard of excellence that U of G hopes will inspire its graduates. The committee considers candidates from a broad range of categories, including the arts and sciences, business, public service, professions, and the voluntary sector, including long-standing or exceptional service to the University. The committee, from time to time, may recommend those whose outstanding contributions to their fields or to society have not yet been widely recognized.
