Most-read student stories of 2020

Each year, we round up the most-read student stories based on Google analytics. Here are the most-read student stories of 2020.

'Massive talent shortage' lures UCalgary grad into career as machine learning engineer

When Tim Cruz started his undergraduate studies at the Haskayne School of Business, he planned to pursue a career in finance. However, with Calgary’s economy and job market changing, Cruz wound up using his natural curiosity and passion for innovation to create a niche for himself in Calgary’s growing tech economy. Read more

Class of 2020: UCalgary’s President’s Award winners

This year's recipients of the President’s Award for Excellence in Student Leadership showed us the meaning of determination and perseverance in fields ranging from health sciences to electrical engineering. The award was established in 2008 to recognize exceptional graduating students who have a record of academic achievement, consistently demonstrate leadership, and make significant contributions to our community. Read more

Class of 2020: Increasing diversity among physicians benefits all communities

Increasing the number of Black medical students in order to graduate and sustain more Black physicians is one of the critical steps toward improving care for our communities, says graduating Cumming School of Medicine student Dr. Fartoon Siad, MD. “Racism is a public health crisis,” says Siad, co-founder of UCalgary’s Black Medical Students’ Association. “It thrives in medicine, in both covert and overt forms. We need to acknowledge the systemic and institutional practices in place that perpetuate it.” Read more

Introducing UCalgary’s 2020 Schulich Leaders

Created in 2012 by Canadian businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich, the Schulich Leader Scholarship encourages promising high school graduates to embrace STEM in their future careers. Fifty students in 20 partner universities across Canada receive the scholarship every year. Read more

Recipients of 2020 Students’ Union Teaching Excellence Awards announced

The Students’ Union (SU) paid tribute to 37 faculty members, instructors, and teaching assistants for their commitment to student success from a safe distance this year. The annual Teaching Excellence Awards (TEA) is the SU’s campus-wide recognition program which gives undergraduate students the chance to decide which instructors and teaching assistants have made a lasting, positive impression in the classroom. Student feedback is the basis on which all nominees and winners are determined. Read more

Student nurses reflect on adapting to 'new normal' during pandemic

Teaching fantastic hand hygiene to billions of people around the world is one good thing to have come out of COVID-19. On the other hand, immense grief, worries, and difficulties have arisen as a result of COVID-19, which continues to spread around the world. Typically, every nursing student has a plan for their academic career but no one would even imagine their plans being disrupted by a pandemic. Read more

Christian Farrier becomes UCalgary’s 19th Rhodes Scholar

Dr. Christian Farrier, MD’20, has spent much of his life interacting with our health system as either a patient, family support person or student. Since he started as a student at the University of Calgary, he has immersed himself in the field of health care and has constantly looked for ways to impact health systems to improve patient outcomes. He served as a patient adviser to promote patient- and family-centred care, informed clinical ethics education regarding medical assistance in dying, and became the youngest Canadian Certified Patient Experience Professional in Canada. His dedication and commitment to patients and their families is the primary reason he was awarded a 2021 Rhodes Scholarship. Read more

Engineering prof aims to increase participation of women in STEM

Success, for Dr. Laleh Behjat, PhD, would mean working her way straight out of her new job. For the University of Calgary’s newly named NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering (Prairies), making the prestigious position obsolete would be the pinnacle of achievement, as that would mean the goal of diversity and equity in STEM careers had finally been met. “The ultimate accomplishment would be making it so this chair is not required anymore, when we have a system and culture that’s truly inclusive,” explains Behjat, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Schulich School of Engineering. Read more

Capstone engineering student project leads to germ-fighting duffel bag

It was 2015 when Aram Razouki, BSc (Eng)'15, led his Capstone Design Fair team at the University of Calgary in building the first DRESSFRESH, an appliance with the goal of using “ionic refreshment” to quickly clean dirty clothes without the need for the usual water and detergent. The engineering students' novel answer to having no clean shirt for class even caught the attention of local media, with Razouki telling the Calgary Herald, “There should be something that makes it easy for you to have your clothing be fresh and ready to go.” Read more

New UCeed Haskayne Student Fund one of first private equity funds managed by students, for students in Western Canada

The UCeed Haskayne Student Fund — one of the first university-based private equity funds managed by students, for students, in Western Canada — marks another important first as UCalgary moves forward in its Growth Through Focus strategy, serving as a critical bridge between students and Calgary’s local startup/venture capitalist communities. The new student fund integrates with UCalgary’s world-class Haskayne School of Business curriculum, bringing together theory and practice through a personalized educational experience. Graduate students and third-, fourth- and fifth-year undergraduate students across all faculties can apply to the program. Read more