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 11-14, several graduating College of Biological Science students will be granted awards in recognition of their achievements, including Gold and Silver Governor General’s Medals.
Two retired CBS faculty members will also be honoured at the ceremonies. Dr. Terry Graham, Professor Emeritus in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, is being awarded a Medal of Merit and Dr. Michael Emes from Molecular and Cellular Biology will be granted the distinction of Professor Emeritus.
Governor General’s Gold Medal: Massimo Nardone, PhD in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences
Dr. Massimo Nardone’s innovative research has shifted our understanding of how blood pressure is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system in healthy humans, as well as the changes that occur with heart failure. As a result, his work impacts both fundamental human physiology, as well as clinical pathologies. Massimo has published 37 scientific papers to date, including 20 as first author, all in highly prestigious journals, and has collaborated with leading scientists around the globe. He has received numerous recognitions, including a Canadian Institute for Health Research doctoral scholarship and a research award from the American Physiological Society. Massimo recently began a highly prestigious Banting and Best Diabetes Centre post-doctoral fellowship at Toronto General Hospital.
Governor General’s Silver Medal and CBS Gold Medal Winner: Katherine Meng-Di Yu, Bachelor of Science Honours, Bio-Medical Science
Katherine Yu has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and is graduating with a cumulative average of 98%. Along with these two awards, the Governor General’s Silver Medal and CBS Gold Medal, she has also been recognized with the CBS Dean’s Scholarship and the Hagen Undergraduate Scholarship, among others, for her academic, leadership and volunteer achievements both on- and off-campus. She has volunteered with the Biomedical Science Student Connections Mentorship Program and Peer Helper initiatives for first- and second-year students, volunteered for the First Response Team, and supported health care professionals and clients at the Health and Performance Centre on campus. She also founded the Pipeline to Success initiative, which helps connect students with real-world experiences in clinical and research settings, and is working to transform the initiative into a national non-profit organization. Katherine will be pursuing her Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine.
Governor General’s Silver Medal: Karli Elizabeth Chalmers, Bachelor of Science Honours, Bio-Medical Science
Karli Chalmers has demonstrated outstanding academic excellence in all four years of her degree and is graduating with a cumulative average of almost 97%. She has been recognized for her achievements through the Hagen Undergraduate Scholarship, the CBS ACCESS Scholarship and the CBS Dean’s Scholarship. She has also been awarded the Janet Angela Rinaldi Tribute Scholarship for her community involvement and leadership, which includes supporting seniors in the community. She has contributed to research both on and off campus, including through the Lawson Health Research Institute in London, Ont. She will be pursuing a MSc in Health and Aging at Western University.
Governor General’s Silver Medal: Rachel Anne Manios, Bachelor of Science Honours, Bio-Medical Science
Rachel Manios has demonstrated outstanding academic excellence in all four years of her degree, graduating with a cumulative average of almost 97%, and has been recognized by the CBS Dean’s Scholarship. Throughout her time at university, she has been an active member and leader in the community, providing tutoring lessons in mathematics and leading a team of volunteers to organize fundraisers in support of those experiencing poverty and food insecurity. She also contributed to academic research both on and off campus, including at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. She will begin pursuing her Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Toronto this fall.
Walter Vaughan Medal: Harsimran Kaur Kalra, Bachelor of Science Honours, Bio-Medical Science
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. In the Senate, Simran Kalra is known for her meticulous preparation and thoughtful insights and she has become a crucial member of the Senate Honours and Awards Committee, the Board of Governors and the Board of Governors Finance Committee. In her role, she has championed numerous student initiatives and played a key role in mobilizing support to enhance degree certifications and ensure a personalized recognition for all graduates. She is also the Director of the Central Student Association and an executive with Guelph Young Liberals and TEDx Guelph.
Bruce Sells Medal of Academic Excellence: Noah Ghomeshi, Bachelor of Science Honours, Biological Sciences
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 Sciences program. This year, Noah Ghomeshi, Biological Sciences grad, is receiving this honour.
CBS Distinguished Graduate Prize: Jade Marrow, PhD in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, and Reece Long, MSc in Integrative Biology
This prize is given to graduating College of Biological Science students who are nominees for the D.F. Forster Medal.
Dr. Jade Marrow is graduating with a PhD in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, having investigated the cardiac effects of erythropoietin (EPO), a small glycoprotein best known for its role in stimulating red blood production to increase the oxygen carrying capacity within the blood. Her research has led to a first-author paper, and several others in the works, with a total of nine publications either published or in revision. She has also produced 24 conference abstracts or presentations. Besides her academic success, Jade has served as president of the Guelph Science to Business Network from 2018-2022, receiving the Farah Elawar S2BN Leadership Award, volunteered for two mentorship programs, served on several committees and advisory groups for student wellness and EDI, and coached skating for Skate Canada through much of her PhD program.
Reese Long is graduating with a MSc in Integrative Biology, where they studied the molecular pathways that promote and impair heart regeneration in geckos and zebrafish. This work has advanced our understanding of vertebrate cardiac regeneration and helped inform the development of new approaches to mitigate cardiac damage due to illness or injury in humans. They have submitted a first-author paper on this work, with another in preparation, and have presented on the topic both locally and nationally. Besides their academic success, Reese has also been an active member of the Graduate Student Association’s Board of Directors, representing Integrative Biology, and a longtime volunteer at Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia. Reese will be pursuing a Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of British Columbia.
CBS Excellence Graduate Prize: Amanda Meuser, MSc in Bioinformatics
This prize is given to graduating College of Biological Science graduate students who are nominees for the Governor General Medal.
Amanda Meuser is graduating with a MSc in Bioinformatics, where she studied hybridization among 10 leuciscid minnow species in more than 20 disturbed environments, under the direction of Dr. Elizabeth Mandeville from Integrative Biology. Her work is being prepared for publication and was presented at the Society of Molecular Biology and Genetics annual meeting in Italy in 2023. She also took on a significant side project, leading to a co-first-authored paper about the genome of the common creek chub. Amanda has served as a teaching assistant four times, helping with assignment writing, teaching weekly seminars and guest-lecturing in two senior courses. Amanda was on the planning committee of the CBS Graduate Student Symposium, a representative on her department’s Health and Safety committee, and a member of CBS’s CoBUMP mentoring program. Amanda will be pursuing a PhD at the University of Stockholm to study the evolution of large, North American mammals during the Pleistoscene using ancient DNA.