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The Faculty of Arts and Science hosted the Dean’s Awards event, a social gathering designed to celebrate this year’s winners of the Dean’s Awards for Graduate Students, and for Excellence in teaching and mentorship. The awards support and advance priorities of the Faculty, including equity, diversity, Indigeneity, international mobility, graduate education, and teaching. They are also designed to encourage students, faculty, and staff to bring forward creative ideas to move the Faculty and the university forward in these areas.

“It was wonderful to get a chance to meet this impressive cohort of graduate students and hear about their plans for research and teaching,” says James Fraser, Associate Dean (Grad). “These awards recognize their significant achievements prior to joining our community, and we are thrilled they have chosen Queen's to continue their academic journey.”

The Dean’s Awards for Graduate Students are based on academic merit and are intended to support graduate students in making contributions to their field of study. The maximum value of the award is $3,000. This year’s winners are:

• Jade Guan (Department of Art History/Art Conservation) - Women in Science
• Siena Wong (Department of Art History/Art Conservation) - Women in Technology
• Claire Dobbie (Department of Art History/Art Conservation) - Creativity and Community
• Akosua Adasi (Department of Art History/Art Conservation) - Creativity and Community
• Annie Grigg (Department of Biology) - Women in Science Award
• Julia (Yanggaolan) Yang (Department of Biology) - Women in Science Award
• Danica Levesque (Department of Chemistry) - Women in Science Award
• Rachel Klotz (Department of Chemistry) - Women in Science Award
• Anna Smythe (Department of Classics) - Creativity and Community
• Hailey Swift (Department of Classics) - Creativity and Community
• Ella Taylor (Department of Cultural Studies) - Creativity and Community
• Mark Wheeler (Department of Cultural Studies) - Creativity and Community
• Hanna Pringle (Department of Global Development Studies) - Social Justice
• Sheneeza Khan (Department of Global Development Studies) - Environmental Justice
• Chun Leung  Chan (Queen’s Economics Department) - Creativity and Community
• Grant Richard (Queen’s Economics Department) - Global Sustainability
• April McInnes (Department of English) - Social Justice
• M.Nghi (Nancy) La (Department of English) - Creativity and Community  
• Madeline Hart (Department of Environmental Studies) - Global Sustainability
• Sienna Gerhart (Department of Environmental Studies) - Global Sustainability
• Hanna Jalal (Department of Gender Studies) - Social Justice
• Emily Johnston (Department of Gender Studies) - Social Justice
• Erin Rendell (Department of Geography and Planning) - Global Sustainability
• Nicole Johnson (Department of Geography and Planning) - Women in Science
• Bailey Rostek (Department of History) - Social Justice  
• Michaela Sapielak (Department of History) - Social Justice  
• Alexandra Bresnahan (Department of Math and Statistics) - Women in Mathematics
• Ceilidh MacDonald (Department of Math and Statistics) - Women in Mathematics
• Megha Vinod (Industrial Relations) - Women in Science
• Samuel Kerr (Department of Political Studies) - Global Sustainability
• Kimberley Fawcett-Smith (Department of Political Studies) - Social Justice
• Antonella Feeny (Department of Psychology) - Women in Science
• Trent Atkinson (School of Religion) - Social Justice
• Al Eslami (School of Religion) - Social Justice
• Isabella Shih (School of Kinesiology and Health Studies) - Women in Science
• Kate Wessel (School of Kinesiology and Health Studies) - Social Justice
• Vanee  Kachroo (Department of Sociology) - Social Justice
• Peyton Twardochleb (Department of Sociology) - Social Justice

Also presented at the event were the Dean’s Teaching and Learning Awards and the Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentorship. Earning the honours were:

• Vicki Freisen (Department of Biology) - Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentorship
• Rachel Friars (Department of English) - Teaching Fellow Award
• David MacDonald (Department of Global Development Studies, Department of Geography and Planning) - Teaching and Learning Excellence Award

Dr. Freisen talked about her experience in grad school and how things were different then.

“You need to figure out what you do best and do it,” she told the assembled graduate students. “We aren’t all good at everything so find what you do well and go for it. You should step outside your comfort zone and learn things, but it’s very important to not try to be someone you aren’t. Make time for friends, for family and take care of yourself. And, most importantly, don’t stress about job prospects. You will land on your feet.”

To learn more about the awards, visit the webpage.