2023‑24 Impact Award Winners
On Thursday, March 28, Dalhousie students, faculty, staff, and other community members and supporters gathered together for the 13th annual Impact Awards, celebrating the efforts and achievements that Dal students and student groups make outside of the classroom. Congrats to all the winners!
Residence Life Leadership Awards
Awarded to current residence students in positions of leadership 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 they work to improve the life of the residence hall.
Samantha Xia Cooke
Civil Engineering
Austin, Texas
Kaitlin McNeil
Law, Justice and Society
Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
Residence Life Impact Award
Presented to a current member of a residence hall community who has made outstanding contributions to the life of their residence community, led by example by encouraging and empowering residents to get involved, promoted respect, and created opportunities for their peers.
Puru Arora
Computer Science
Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India
Ishraque Kibria
Industrial Engineering
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Impactful Residence Council
Awarded to the residence council that has demonstrated consistency in event planning and delivery, has high participation and attendance from their membership, and sets an example for other councils. This council also acts as a strong advocate for the individuals it serves.
B for Kai
Community Service Award
This award recognizes an outstanding off-campus student leader who has demonstrated significant leadership, commitment, and service aimed at improving the community in which they live.
Mallory Chislett
Accounting
Westville, Nova Scotia
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 or programming or events, high student participation, and attendance of their membership, and sets an example for other student societies.
Dalhousie Egyptian Society
Most Impactful Sports Society
Awarded to a student society, club, or intramural league. The recipient must demonstrate 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 Football Club
Intramural & 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.
Emily Andrews
Microbiology
Paradise, Newfoundland
Varsity Athlete Award
Awarded to a varsity student athlete who demonstrates significant contributions to the community, has increased awareness at Dalhousie of a given charity or cause, demonstrates positive leadership, and inspires others to get involved.
Aaliyah Arab-Smith
Medical Sciences
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Student Wellness Award
Awarded to a student who best demonstrates leadership in promoting and contributing to a healthy campus, and is a role model for health and wellness both in practice and by impacting others to lead a healthy lifestyle (demonstrated through peer-to-peer education, volunteering, service learning, global outreach, or any activity that enhances quality of life and development).
Ankana Boruah
Psychology
Guwahati, India
Rising Star Award
Awarded to first-, second-, and third-year students who have demonstrated an outstanding level of commitment, leadership, creativity, and initiative to the Dalhousie Student Union, as well as the campus and community at large.
Nathan Tesfazion
Immunology
Halifax, Nova Scotia
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.
Dalhousie Building Smiles Society
Sustainability 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.
Arunima Verma
Environmental Engineering
Delhi, India
Student Activist Award
Awarded to a student who demonstrates passion and commitment to social justice and action, leads by example, organizes students in an inclusive way, acts with integrity, raises awareness, and inspires others to create change.
Katarzyna Farrell
Medical Sciences
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Most Impactful Sustainability-Oriented Society
Awarded to a society that demonstrated positive impacts on sustainability issues through raising awareness, programming, education, advocacy, and student engagement. Aspects of sustainability can include but are not limited to environmental, social, and/or economic impacts.
Dal/King's Bike Society
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.
Sahil Chawla
Computer Science
Mumbai, India
Most Impactful Emerging Society
Awarded to a society that is relatively new or was revived after inactivity. This 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 ensure the safety of the student body on- and off-campus.
Dalhousie Friends of Doctors Without Borders
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.
Molly Kohn
Commerce
Toronto, Ontario
Most Impactful Cultural/Spiritual Society
Presented to a student society ratified with the Dalhousie Student Union 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 Muslim Students Association
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, contributes to the Dalhousie student experience.
Jibran Hagalwadi
Neuroscience
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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 Undergraduate Engineering Society (DUES)
Dalhousie Student Union Gold D’s
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.
Henry Amin
Economics
Beirut, Lebanon
Jastina Mahendrarajah
Pharmacy
Guysborough, Nova Scotia
Mayank Ramchandani
Computer Science and Neuroscience
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dalhousie Student Council Member Award
Awarded by the Dalhousie Student Union to the Councillor who has demonstrated a commitment to collaborative problem solving, active representation of their constituency, and initiative in the pursuit of innovation.
Mariam Knakriah
Environmental Science & Sustainability
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Most Impactful Social Justice Award
Awarded to a society that upholds social justice principles by its actions. With equitable practices, the society has demonstrated transformative impacts on the community on- and/or off-campus through raising awareness, programming, education, advocacy, student engagement and/or student action.
Dalhousie Black Law Students' Association (DBLSA)
Faculty Leadership Awards
Awarded to undergraduate or graduate students in good academic standing for each Dalhousie faculty. Part-time students are eligible for this award. These students exemplify the highest level of passion for their discipline, take initiative in creating new opportunities, and encourage their peers to engage in faculty initiatives. Faculty Leadership Impact Award winners positively impact other students in their faculty and the reputation of their faculty at Dalhousie outside of the classroom.
Agriculture: Harichandana Valisakkgari, Hyderabad, India
Architecture & Planning: Treno Morton, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Arts & Social Sciences: Reagan Lindsay-Kereluik, Oakville, Ontario
Computer Science (Undergraduate): Manar Elgamil, Cairo, Egypt
Computer Science (Graduate): Noppadol Theerakul, Roi-Et, Thailand
Dentistry: Mohammed (Mo) Alabdoulsalam, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Engineering: Ahmed Ramadan, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Health: Sowon Suh, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Law: Essie Mehina, Calgary, Alberta
Management: Lara Issa, Bedford, Nova Scotia and Ellie Fisher, Lower Cloverdale, New Brunswick
Medicine (Medical Student): Roxaneh Zaminpeyma, Bedford, Nova Scotia
Medicine (Graduate Student): Gracious Daniel Kasheke, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Science: Carmen Minnis, Mt. Stewart, Prince Edward Island
Dal-King’s Impact Award
Awarded to the University of King’s College student who is most highly engaged and takes on a leadership role at Dalhousie. This is the sister award to the KSU Community Engagement Award for Dalhousie students at King’s, which acknowledges the contribution of a Dalhousie student to the community at King’s College.
Eleanor Friddell
Mathematics
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Outstanding Graduate Student Award
Awarded to a graduate student in either a professional or research program. These students exemplify the highest level of passion for their discipline and are engaged in initiatives that improve the quality of the graduate student experience at Dalhousie. Outstanding Graduate Student Award winners positively impact other graduate students with activities that extend beyond their academic programs.
Patricia Porto de Barros Ayaz
Political Science
Rio de Janeiro ‚ Brazil
Outstanding Student of Distinction Award
Awarded to a student that 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 either through student advocacy, academic justice, leadership, or other student involvement. This award is based on the academic and community accomplishments of Dalhousie alumni Lillu Ju, Level Chan, and Malcolm Honour.
Mobina Ali
Psychology
Tehran, Iran
President’s Awards for the Advancement of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA)
This award recognizes the outstanding efforts of Dalhousie students or student groups that work consistently to promote an inclusive campus community at Dal and demonstrate an understanding that a commitment to EDIA means focusing on dismantling the unjust structures that systematically marginalize or exclude some while privileging and advantaging others.
Eshan Arora
Medical Sciences
Halifax, Nova Scotia