Meet 20 people who made a huge difference to UCalgary grad students over the past year

On April 21, the Graduate Students’ Association hosted its Awards Gala, the GSA's first in-person event of its kind since the beginning of the pandemic.

The GSA announced and honoured the 20 recipients of 2021-2022 GSA Awards for those who have gone above and beyond to support UCalgary graduate students. These individuals have shown their strong leadership and dedication to the success of graduate students through various initiatives and programs that support graduate students including financial support programs, sustainability projects, and knowledge translation.

• Photo above, left to right, top to bottom: Crystal Ellis, Chantal Rytz, De. Stefan Lenz, Dr. Raafat El-Hacha, Christine Daly, Joel May, Dr. Adam McCrimmon, Sangwook Ahn, Ainsley Smith, Ali Ebrahimi Emamieh, John Gabriel Cabayao, Dr. Mary Ghantham O’Brien, Suzie Lee, Anastasiia Gushchina, Pamela Farrell, Daniel Sadler, Zoya Punjwani, Danica Chang, Saaka Sulemana Saaka, and Kristina Miller.

Alex Paquette, GSA vice-president (academic), shared his appreciation of the graduate student community. “I feel honoured to be in the presence of so many individuals who have made a difference in our university community.

“This is an occasion of joy for all of us as we have come together to celebrate all of you in the room today, on Zoom, and those who cannot join us today. This goes without saying that this award ceremony is amongst the most treasured occasions of the GSA as it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the preceding year, address the whole community and share the achievements, and success of our community.” 

View the recording of the GSA Awards Gala here. Please join the GSA in honouring the recipients of the 2021-2022 GSA Awards:

Excellence in Administrative Support – Support Staff

• Crystal Ellis, GSA governance and services manager

Excellence in Research – Graduate Students

• Chantal Rytz, PhD student, Department of Medical Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine

Excellence in Research – Research Affiliate

• Dr. Stefan Lenz, postdoctoral fellow, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Excellence in Supervision

• Dr. Raafat El-Hacha, Department of Civil Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering

Excellence in Teaching – Graduate Student

• Christine Daly, PhD student, School of Architecture, Landscape and Planning

Excellence in Administrative Support – Senior Administrator

• Joel May, Office of the Registrar

Excellence in Teaching – Senior Instructor

• Dr. Adam McCrimmon, Werklund School of Education

Leadership Award

• Sangwook Ahn, PhD student, Veterinary Medical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Emerging Leader Award

• John Gabriel Cabayao, master’s student, Department of Political Sciences, Faculty of Arts

GSA Champion Award

• Dr. Mary Grantham O’Brien, associate dean (policy and program development), Faculty of Graduate Studies 

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Suzie Lee, master’s student, Department of Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine

Graduate Representative Council Distinguished Service Award

• Anastasiia Gushchina, PhD student, Department of Communication, Media, and Film, Faculty of Arts

Volunteer Excellence Awards

• Danica Chang, chair of the GSA Gender and Sexuality Alliance Subcommittee or GSA^2
• Ainsley Smith, chair of the GSA Mental Health and Wellness Subcommittee
• Ali Ebrahimi Emamieh, vice-chair of the GSA Governance Committee
• Saaka Sulemana Saaka, chair of the GSA Governance Committee
• Kristina Miller, chief returning officer 

Graduate Student Sustainability Award

• Pamela Farrell, Werklund School of Education

Graduate Representative Council Initiative Awards

• Knowledge Translation Club by Daniel Sadler, Zoya Punjwani
• Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine