For the first time since 2019, Dalhousie’s Impact Awards were held in person to celebrate students and student groups who make an outstanding impact on our community. Students, faculty, staff, families, and friends gathered on Thursday evening (March 23) for the 12th annual event, which had been held virtually since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In addition to the dinner and performances by PhD student Shanglun Li and the DalDance Society, 37 awards were handed out to students and student groups to recognize their contributions and impacts both within the Dalhousie community and beyond. The university’s Board of Governors’ Awards were also handed out during the ceremony.

“Student leadership is the lifeblood of a rich, engaged, and caring university community. The students we celebrated tonight are exemplary of the principles we strive for as a community. They have made meaningful contributions to our campus, regional, and even international communities,” said Dr. Rick Ezekiel, vice-provost, student affairs. “I’d like to both thank and congratulate all the winners tonight on their many accomplishments, service to the Dalhousie community and our broader society, and demonstration of the caliber of excellence within our student community at Dal.”

The full list of award winners is below and can also be found on the Impact Awards website.

Information about the Excellence in Student Leadership Awards, which are handed out to Dalhousie’s Agricultural Campus students, can be found on the campus’ website.

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.  

·       Seif ELBayomi, Computer Science, Cairo, Egypt 

·       Evangelina Hambly, Science, Victoria, British Columbia 

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.

·       Sarah MacCallum, Science, Miramichi, New Brunswick  

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. 

·       Mikayla Boucher, Science, Dartmouth, 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 Outdoors 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 & King’s Bike Society  

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.   

·       Hannah Trites, Health, Fredericton, New Brunswick  

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).   

·       Linh Phuong Tran, Science, Hanoi, Vietnam  

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 Dalhousie Student Union, as well as the campus and community at large.   

·       Janani Venkat, Science, Bedford, 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 Medical Campus Response Team  

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. 

·       Samantha Howard, Management, Toronto, Ontario  

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.   

·       George Mitchell, Arts & Social Sciences, Toronto, Ontario  

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. 

·       Your Environmental Sustainability Society (YESS) 

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.   

·       Emilia Cordova, Science, Guayaquil, Ecuador  

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 University Hidden Curriculum

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.   

·       David Hodgson, Medicine, Halifax, Nova Scotia  

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.   

·       Ashley Francis, Medicine, Bedford, Nova Scotia

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 Commerce Society  

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.   

·       Jack Killeen, Science, Halifax, Nova Scotia  

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. 

·       Meredith Brison-Brown, Science, 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. 

·       DalOUT  

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: Gabby Schenkels, Whitney, New Brunswick

·      Architecture & Planning: Tim Jacobs, Calgary, Alberta

·      Arts & Social Sciences: Keiren McClelland, Ottawa, Ontario 

·      Computer Science: Bhavya Kapoor, Delhi, India 

·      Dentistry: Sierra Lovell, Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador

·      Engineering: Jesse Shengji Li, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

·      Health: Mohamed Nashnoush, Tripoli, Libya

·      Law: Jason Stephanian, Toronto, Ontario

·      Management: Owen Berry, Guelph, Ontario

·      Medicine (Medical Student): Gaurav Arora, Amherst, Nova Scotia

·      Medicine (Graduate Student): Jasmine Mah, Brampton, Ontario

·      Science: Aaron Judah, Toronto, Ontario

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. 

·       Mitch Archibald, Graduate Studies, Porters Lake, Nova Scotia 

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. 

·       Sam Cutcliffe, Science, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island  

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.   

·       Dr. Jennifer Lane, Nursing, Bedford, Nova Scotia (2021-2022 Award Recipient) 

·       Dalhousie Black Medical Students' Association (2022-2023 Award Recipient)