Impact that lasts: Celebrating students and student societies making a difference

Congratulations to all the 2021 Impact Award winners

- April 30, 2021

An IMPACT award.
An IMPACT award.

The in-person gala may have been cancelled for the second year in a row but, for the winners of the 2021 IMPACT Awards, being celebrated via video comes with the territory of being community-minded student leaders.

For this 10th edition of the awards program, a total of 30 individual students and seven student societies were recognized for their leadership on and off campus and their contributions to academic life, student life, residence life, and community service. Five students were also celebrated as the recipients of the Board of Governors’ Awards.

“I am always impressed by the recipients of the Impact Awards and the Board of Governors’ Awards,” says Verity Turpin, acting vice-provost, Student Affairs. “They are dedicated to improving the student experience at Dal, but they are also passionate about serving the greater community and making genuinely positive impacts on the world. I find that admirable during a ‘normal’ school year but continuing to do that with our campuses largely closed due to the pandemic is truly heartening and inspiring.”

A video series celebrating this year’s award winners kicked off last Friday with a welcome message from Dalhousie President Deep Saini and DSU President Madeleine Stinson. Additional videos were released this week for Individual Awards, Society Awards, Faculty Leadership Awards, and the Board of Governors’ Awards. The YouTube playlist can be found here and the full list of award winners is below.

See also: Passion and purpose: Meet this year's Board of Governors' Award winner

Residence Life Leadership Awards

Awarded to current residence students in positions of leadership (such as a Resident Assistant) who have best demonstrated an exceptional level of maturity and professionalism. They encourage and empower students to engage in student life, they lead by example and work to improve the life of the residence hall.

Ainhoa Boyle
Marine Biology and Oceanography, Faculty of Science
Kemptville, ON

Cody Roy
Psychology, Faculty of Science
Saint John, NB

Residence Life Impact Award

Presented to current members of each residence hall community who have made outstanding contributions to the life of their residence community, led by example by encouraging and empowering residents to get involved, promote respect and create opportunities for their peers.

Emma Fennessy

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Science
Strafford, NH, USA

Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Awarded to a student who has demonstrated excellence in generating an innovative idea, concept, or business. The student uses their leadership, vision, and focus to make their ideas come to fruition.

Eric Poon
Doctor of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
Toronto

Dal Off-Campus Award

This award recognizes an outstanding off campus student leader who has demonstrated significant leadership, commitment and service aimed at improving the community they live in.

Clayton Murphy
Special Undergraduate in Science, Faculty of Science
Mulgrave, NS

Student Activist Award

Awarded to a student who demonstrates passion and commitment to social justice and action, and who leads by example, organizes students in an inclusive way, acts with integrity, raises awareness, and inspires others to create change.

Lydia Muyingo
PhD in Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Science
Ottawa, ON

Green Award

Awarded to a student who has made a significant contribution to improving awareness on sustainability issues at Dalhousie. This person's actions reflect their passion for the environment and inspire others to make positive change.

Emma McDermott
Doctor of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
Spring Valley, PEI

International Student of the Year Award

Awarded to an International Student who has demonstrated excellence in leadership, shown engagement in the community, inspired others and is a respected voice for international students at Dalhousie.

Claudia Torres
Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Lima, Peru

Rising Star Awards

Awarded to first, second, and third year students who have demonstrated an outstanding level of commitment, leadership, creativity, and initiative to the DSU, as well as to the campus and community at large.

Aisha Qureshi

Nursing, Faculty of Health
Timberlea, NS

Aline Maybank
Medical Sciences, Faculty of Science
Toronto

Anika Daclan
Nursing, Faculty of Health
Vancouver, BC

Ernest Ng
Neuroscience, Faculty of Science
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Varsity Athlete Award

Awarded to a Dalhousie varsity student-athlete who demonstrates significant contribution to the community, has increased awareness at Dalhousie of a given charity or cause and demonstrates positive leadership and inspires others to get involved.

Shamar Burrows
(men’s varsity basketball)
Economics with a Minor in Commerce, Faculty of Science
Nassau, Bahamas

Intramurals & Sports Club Award

Awarded to a Dalhousie intramural or sports club participant who demonstrates significant commitment to Dalhousie's intramural or sports club programs, exemplifies the role of intramurals and/or sports clubs in developing and promoting student engagement and fun on campus and demonstrates positive leadership and inspires others to get involved.

Keegan O’Shea (men’s rugby)
Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine
Miramichi, NB

Student Wellness Award

The Student Wellness Award is presented to the student who best demonstrates leadership in promoting and contributing to a healthy campus. The recipient of this award is a role model for health and wellness both in practice and by impacting others to lead a healthy lifestyle.  This impact may be evidenced through peer-to-peer education, volunteering, service learning, global outreach or any activity that enhances quality of life and development.

Francesca Sivilotti
Law, Justice & Society and Economics, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
Kingston, ON

Student Employee Award

Presented to a student employee who has demonstrated leadership and fostered community spirit in their work on campus. This student will be employed in any capacity on campus and through their work, contribute to the Dalhousie student experience.

Maxxim Vigneau
Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Dartmouth, NS

Dalhousie Student Union Gold D

Awarded to Dalhousie students to recognize an elite level of involvement and achievement in campus life over the course of their university career. These students have shown outstanding extracurricular contributions in the community.

Bakhmala Khan
Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Science
Halifax

Outstanding Student of Distinction Award

Awarded to a student for an elite level of involvement and achievement in campus life over the course of a university career. This student has shown an elite level of consistent campus involvement over the course of their university career and has made outstanding and impactful extracurricular contributions in the community, be that through student advocacy, academic justice, leadership or other student involvement. The award was based off of the academic and community accomplishments of Dalhousie alumni Level Chan, Malcolm Honour, and Lilli Ju.

Aparna Mohan
Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Manilla, Philippines & Coimbatore, India

Most Impactful Emerging Society

Awarded to a society, which is relatively new or was revived after inactivity. The society has demonstrated positive impacts through their programming, education, student engagement and/or community building. This award also recognizes initiatives taken by a group of students to adapt to ensure the safety of the student body on and off campus.

Atlantic Lighthouse Society

Most Impactful Charitable/Community Based Society

Awarded to a student society ratified with the DSU that has made a significant contribution to a charitable cause, within the Dalhousie community or beyond. The society has demonstrated consistency in planning and delivery of programming or events, high student participation and attendance of its membership, and sets an example for other student societies.

Greater Love

Most Impactful Faculty/Departmental Society

Awarded to a faculty or departmental society ratified with the DSU that has best demonstrated consistency in planning and delivery of programming or events, high student participation and attendance of its membership, and sets an example for other student societies.

Dalhousie Science Society (DSS)

Most Impactful Cultural/Spiritual Society

Presented to a student society ratified with the DSU that has raised awareness, engaged students, and increased representation of a culture, religion, or spirituality on campus. It demonstrates consistency in event planning and delivery, high participation and attendance of its membership, and sets an example for other student societies.

Dalhousie South East Asian Nations Society (DSEANS)

Most Impactful Sports Society

Awarded to a student sports society, club, or intramural league. The society must demonstrate the ability to encourage students to engage in physical health and lead in new and innovative ways to keep the student body engaged in a safe way.

Dalhousie Rugby Football Club

Most Impactful General/Special Interest Society

Awarded to a Student Society ratified with the Dalhousie Student Union that caters to the general or niche interests of students, and has demonstrated consistency in planning and delivery of programming or events, high student participation and attendance of their membership and sets an example for other student societies.

Dalhousie Women in Engineering Society

Most Impactful Social/Environmental Justice Society

Awarded to a society that demonstrated positive impacts on social justice and sustainability issues through raising awareness, programming, education, advocacy, and student engagement.

Your Environmental Sustainability Society (YESS)

FACULTY LEADERSHIP AWARDS
 

Agriculture

Codie O’Neil
Animal Science with a Minor in Environmental Science
Antigonish, NS

Architecture & Planning

Stephani McPhee
Environmental Planning
Halifa

Arts & Social Sciences

Zainab Syed
Classics
Toronto

Computer Science

Olivia Handspiker
Computer Science
Halifax

Dentistry

Rebecca Marr
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
Kingston, NB

Engineering

Amir Aali
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dartmouth, NS

Health

Alex LeBlanc
Health and Human Performance, Kinesiology
Dartmouth, NS

Law

Graham Headley
Law
Calgary, AB

Management

Victoria King
Finance, Bachelor of Commerce
Calgary, AB

Medicine

Bright Huo
Doctor of Medicine
Dartmouth, NS

Brett Ells
Doctor of Medicine
Lower Sackville, NS

Science

Alexandra Oprea
Neuroscience
Halifax

BOARD OF GOVERNORS’ AWARDS

Awarded to up to five individuals each year for their exceptional contributions or leadership in the extracurricular realm. This is Dalhousie's top award for achievement in student life.

Selam Abdella
International Development Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Fatima Beydoun
Environmental, Sustainability & Society, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Halifax

Sarah Meng Li
Computer Science, Faculty of Computer Science
Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China

Sierra Sparks
Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Dartmouth, NS

Emma Stirling Cameron
Health Promotion, Faculty of Health
Halifax