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Graduate Studies

Graduate Student Recognition Awards

What are Graduate Student Recognition Awards?

The annual Graduate Student Recognition Awards are a way to celebrate the achievements, accomplishments and contributions of our grad community members beyond their personal academic successes. This is about the graduate community and acknowledging those amazing individuals who have helped to create a wonderful space for living and learning.


What awards are available?

Presented by the School of Graduate Studies

Presented by the McMaster Graduate Students Association (Please note that nominations for GSA awards closed on Dec. 20, 2023)

  • GSA Keith Leppmann Teaching Assistant Excellence Award (Awarded by the GSA, up to 3 awards of $375 each.)
  • GSA Award for Contributions by Non-Academic Staff (Awarded by the GSA, up to 2 awards of $200 each)
  • Therese Quigley Award of Excellence for Graduate Student Leadership in Athletics (Awarded by the GSA, up to 2 awards of $200 each.)
  • Mary Keyes Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to McMaster (Awarded by the GSA, up to 2 awards of $200 each.)

All but one are nomination/application-based awards; the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Graduate Research is presented to the winner and two runners-up for our GradFlix video competition, held in March 2023.

Who can nominate an individual for an award?

Members of the graduate community, as well as undergraduate students, have an opportunity to nominate individuals, although each award may have more specific requirements. Once they are available, please review the nomination packages for more information.

How do I nominate someone for an award?

For those awards funded/coordinated by the School of Graduate Studies, nominations and applications will be completed through our online awards platform — please use the links above and choose the award for which you are nominating.

Please ensure that you upload all supporting documentation and hit “Submit” by the deadline.

For more information and details about the GSA awards, visit the GSA website.

Who presents these awards?

These awards are administered by the School of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Students Association.


Past Recipients

President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision

  • Katherine Bujold, Chemistry/Chemical Biology
  • Kathryn Grandfield, Materials Science and Engineering
  • Elkafi Hassini, Operations Management
  • Victor Kuperman, Linguistics and Language
  • Alina Sajed, Political Science
  • Meredith Vanstone, Health Policy, Health Sciences Education, and Health Research Methodology

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Graduate Research

  • Erica Dao
  • Rachael Finnerty
  • Calvin Zhu

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Leadership & Contributions to the International Graduate Student Community

  • Ahmed Abdelmaksoud
  • Moyosore Sogaolu
  • Yasaman Torabi

Millennium Award for Community Service

  • Vibhu Bhargava
  • Brittany Davy

Keith Leppmann Teaching Assistant Excellence Award

  • Lauren Dessureault
  • Sulayman Lyons
  • Matthew Nero
  • Sureka Selvakumaran
  • Ahmed Teamah
  • Yasaman Torabi

GSA Award for Contributions by Non-Academic Staff

  • Lindsay Godard
  • Cindy Ma

Mary Keyes Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to McMaster

  • Amandeep Saini
  • Caroline Seiler

Therese Quigley Award of Excellence for Graduate Student Leadership in Athletics

  • Kenneth Noguchi
  • Nicole Rakowski

President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision

  • Jason Busse, Health Research Methodology
  • Amber Dean, English and Cultural Studies
  • Jamal Deen, Biomedical Engineering
  • Martin Gibala, Kinesiology
  • Michel Grignon, Health, Aging & Society and Economics

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Graduate Research

  • Erica Dao
  • Rachael Finnerty
  • Calvin Zhu

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Leadership & Contributions to the International Graduate Student Community

  • Tamina Angel Jose
  • Avijit Mallick
  • Garima Sarkar

Millennium Award for Community Service

  • Abiram Chandiramohan
  • Nicole Rakowski

Keith Leppmann Teaching Assistant Excellence Award

  • Ahmed Belal
  • Gaoyin He
  • Samuel Lee
  • Abdul-Rehman (“Abdul”) Qureshi
  • Ahmed Teamah

GSA Award for Contributions by Non-Academic Staff

  • Brian Alcock
  • Kristine Espiritu

Mary Keyes Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to McMaster

  • Maddie Brockbank
  • Allison Leanage
  • Ana Portillo
  • Hasan Siddiqui

Therese Quigley Award of Excellence for Graduate Student Leadership in Athletics

  • Nicole Rakowski
  • Yordan Stoyanov
  • Evan Ubene

President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision

Recipients

  • Khaled Hassanein, Business
  • Alison Holloway, Health Sciences
  • Marie Elliot, Science

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Contributions to the International Graduate Student Community

Recipients

  • Anthony Quarshie
  • Pallavi Mukherjee

GSA Award for Contributions by Non-Academic Staff

Recipient

  • Carla Dawson

Mary Keyes Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to McMaster

Recipient

  • Shawn Hercules

GSA Millennium Award for Community Service
Nominees

Recipients

  • Ajantha Nadarajah
  • Ashley Adile

Therese Quigley Award of Excellence for Graduate Student Leadership in Athletics

Recipient

  • Daniella Lato

President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision

Recipients

  • Maureen Dobbins, Health Sciences
  • Carolyn Eyles, Science
  • L. Arthur Sweetman, Social Sciences

Nominees

  • M. Constantine Samaan, Health Sciences
  • Julie Richardson, Health Sciences
  • Juliet Daniel, Science
  • Kari Dalnoki-Veress, Science

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Graduate Research

  • Matthew Campea
  • Erica Dao
  • Shawn Hercules
  • Indranil Sarkar
  • Julian Yabut

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Contributions to the International Graduate Student Community

Recipients

  • Sebastian Himbert
  • Jean-Christophe Ono-dit-Biot

GSA Keith Leppmann Teaching Assistant Excellence Award

Recipients

  • Ahmednur Ali
  • Khaled Al-Kassimi

Nominees

  • Bahar Amani
  • Ahmed Belal
  • Alanna Bodo
  • Eric Desjardins
  • Ahmed Elsayed
  • Nicole Greisman
  • Hanna Haponenko
  • Shawn Hercules
  • Laura Jin
  • Bijendra Khadka
  • Sachin Kotecha
  • Gautham Krishnaraj
  • Bichoy Labib
  • Samuel Kwangho Lee
  • Vanessa Liegghio
  • Sulayman Lyons
  • Sumit Majumder
  • Avijit Mallick
  • Joshua Racette
  • Emily Scherzinger
  • Kanwaldeep Singh
  • Celeste Suart
  • Anthony Tan
  • Dana Thacher
  • Robert Ungard
  • Devan Wagner
  • Yan Qiao Wang
  • Jo Werba
  • Christina Wiendels
  • Noah Xiao

GSA Award for Contributions by Non-Academic Staff

Recipient

  • Terry Martens

Nominees

  • Jackie Hudson
  • Marg Leyland
  • Barb Reuter
  • Nora Roberge
  • John Silva

Mary Keyes Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to McMaster

Recipients

  • Shawn Hercules
  • Jodie Lobana

Nominees

  • Valentina Antonipillai
  • Amanda Giancola
  • Lucas Greville
  • Maxwell Lightstone
  • Michael Liut
  • Pritpal (Pip) Matharu
  • Rodrigo Narro Perez
  • Shane Simon
  • Robert Ungard
  • Aisha Wilks

GSA Millennium Award for Community Service

Recipients

  • Hunster Yang

Therese Quigley Award of Excellence for Graduate Student Leadership in Athletics

Recipients

  • Daniella Lato

Nominees

  • Eric Desjardins
  • Lucas Greville
  • Kenneth Noguchi

President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision

Recipients

  • Zainab (Zena) Samaan, Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences
  • Mo Elbestawi, W. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
  • Narayanaswamy Balakrishnan, Mathematics and Statistics
  • Aaron C.H. Schat, DeGroote School of Business
  • Aubrey Cannon, Anthropology
  • Mary Silcox, English and Cultural Studies

Nominees

  • Giusueppe Melacini, Chemistry and Chemical Biology
  • Jose Moran Mirabal, Chemistry and Chemical Biology
  • Karen Mossman, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
  • Wael El-Dakhakhni, Civil Engineering
  • Sarah Dickson-Anderson, Civil Engineering
  • Lesley MacNeil, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
  • Jeremiah Hurley, Economics
  • Christina Sinding, Social Work
  • Jemila S. Hamid, Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Graduate Research

  • Matthew Berry
  • Kaitlin East
  • Shawn Hercules
  • Steven Mancini
  • Jasprit Pannag

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Contributions to the International Graduate Student Community

Recipients

Mai Yamamoto
Shawn Hercules
Vi Dang

Nominees

  • Sultana al Sabahi
  • Tsz Wing Cheung

GSA Keith Leppmann Teaching Assistant Excellence Award

Recipients

  • Khaled Al-Kassimi
  • Stephanie Hatzifilalithis

Nominees

  • Ahmad Firas Khalid
  • Ahmed Belal
  • Ahmed Elsayed
  • Ahmednur Ali
  • Allison Leanage
  • Avijit Mallick
  • Bijendra Khadka
  • Cameron Oud
  • Carin Yegiazarian
  • Haleh Shahzad
  • Jiarun (Jeffery) Wei
  • John Debackere
  • Katherine Kennedy
  • Kyle Ansilio
  • Lindsey Carfrae
  • Maleeha Qazi
  • Marcus Evans
  • Michelle Ogrodnik
  • Robert Ungard
  • Shawn Hercules
  • Sulayman A Lyons
  • Sumit Majumder
  • Thomas Francescutti
  • Valentina Antonipillai

GSA Award for Contributions by Non-Academic Staff

Recipient

  • Todd Prior, Kinesiology

Nominees

  • David Hill, Global Health
  • Doreen Drew, Religious Studies
  • Jennie Kirby, Geography and Earth Sciences
  • John Silva, Anthropology
  • Kristine Espiritu, Health and Aging
  • Lydia Garland, Health Policy
  • Olga Cannon, Sociology
  • Sandra Murphy, Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour

Mary Keyes Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to McMaster

Recipients

  • Emily Belita

Nominees

  • Carmina Angelica Perez Romero
  • Harman Sandhu
  • Jodie Lobana
  • Puja Bagri
  • Zoha Anjum
  • Jade Goodman

GSA Millennium Award for Community Service

Recipients

  • Elene Lam
  • Tanya Miladinovic

Nominees

  • Ahmad Firas Khalid
  • Grace Maria Terry

Therese Quigley Award of Excellence for Graduate Student Leadership in Athletics

Recipient

  • Daniella Lato

Nominee

  • Meghan Rothenbroker

President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision

Recipients

  • Bruce Gaulin, Physics and Astronomy
  • Dr. John N. Lavis, Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI)
  • Tony Porter, Political Science
  • Wilfrid Waluchow, Philosophy

Nominees

  • David J. D. Earn, Mathematics and Statistics
  • Paul W. Ayers, Chemistry and Chemical Biology
  • Jonathon R. Stone, Biology

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Graduate Research

  • Tsz Wing Cheung
  • Gautham Krishnaraj
  • Sophie Wilkinson
  • Matthew Berry
  • Nourhan Shalaby

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Contributions to the International Graduate Student Community

  • Wei Zhao

GSA Keith Leppmann Teaching Assistant Excellence Award

Recipients

  • Danial Qureshi
  • Tarushika Vasanthan

Nominees

  • Khaled Al-Kassimi
  • Taylor Brooks
  • Monica De Paoli
  • Sarah Duignan
  • Salma El-Zamel
  • Mahdi Eskandari
  • Sumeet Farwaha
  • Ahmad Firas Khalid
  • Farzad Foroutan
  • Nicole Go
  • Vanessa Ha
  • Hi Huihui
  • Eric Johnston
  • Bijendra Khadka
  • Chi Longxing
  • Michael Liut
  • Sulayman Lyons
  • Craig MacNair
  • Avijit Mallick
  • Victoria Miller
  • Josh Nederveen
  • Ahmed Negm
  • Michelle Ogrodnik
  • Angela Orasch
  • Shaiya Robinson
  • Nourhan Shalaby
  • Lana Shaya
  • Taylor Steele
  • Robert Ungard
  • Alyssa Vito

GSA Award for Contributions by Non-Academic Staff

Recipient

  • Manuela Dozzi, Political Science

Nominees

  • Laurie Kennedy, Aging, Community and Health
  • Tina Macala, Computing and Software

Mary Keyes Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to McMaster

Recipients

  • Maryam Badv
  • Ahmad Firas Khalid

Nominees

  • Natalie D’Silva
  • Michael Liut
  • Alan Santinele Martino
  • Kathleen Steeves
  • Michael Wong

GSA Millennium Award for Community Service

Recipients

  • Alan Santinele Martino
  • Gerald Mak

Nominees

  • Hassan Ali Al Saleh
  • Madison Beatty
  • Michelle Ferderbar
  • Joshua P Nederveen
  • Shaun Shepherd

President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision

  • Samir Ziada, Mechanical Engineering
  • Sharon Kaasalainen, School of Nursing
  • Lehana Thabane, Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  • Ivona Kucerova, Cognitive Science of Language

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Graduate Research

  • Ana Kovacevic, Kinesiology
  • Paul Ricciuti, Mechanical Engineering
  • Rachel Ho, Rehabilitation Science
  • Laura Cirelli, Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour
  • Elizabeth Perez, Medical Science

GSA Keith Leppmann Teaching Assistant Excellence Award

  • Ahmad Firas Khalid, Health Policy
  • Craig MacNair, Biochemistry
  • Meryl Acker, Biology
  • Omar Bourasalie, Biomedical Engineering
  • Tarushika Vasanthan, Biology
  • Tommaso D’ovidio, Health Research Methodology

GSA Award for Contributions by Non-Academic Staff

  • Doreen Drew, Religious Studies

Mary Keyes Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to McMaster

  • Talena Rambarran, Chemistry

GSA Millennium Award for Community Service

  • Sara Kilmury, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
  • Richard Alsop, Physics

President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision

  • Thomas Adams, Chemical Engineering
  • Mirna Carranza, School of Social Work
  • Rick Hackett, Management of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources
  • Karin Humphreys, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
  • Peter Rosenbaum, Rehabilitation Science
  • Lorraine York, English and Cultural Studies

The Dean’s Award for Graduate Student Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation

  • Melissa Tanti

GSA Keith Leppmann Teaching Assistant Excellence Award

  • Khaled Al-Kassimi
  • Saranya Amirthamanoharan
  • Hadi Eslami
  • Madeleine Mant
  • Nick Randazzo
  • Natashya Wall

GSA Award for Contributions by Non-Academic Staff

  • Elaine Whiskin

Mary Keyes Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to McMaster

  • Elyse Rosa

GSA Millennium Award for Community Service

  • Pei Yu
  • A-Rum Choi

Therese Quigley Award of Excellence for Graduate Student Leadership in Athletics

  • Aaron Bailey

President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision

  • Tina Fetner, Sociology
  • Joey Kish, Materials Science & Engineering
  • Alba Guarne, Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Graduate Research

  • Cody Dey
  • Matthew Stork
  • Kaelan Moat

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Knowledge Mobilization & Innovation

  • Kathleen Einarson, Psychology
  • Tram Nguyen, Rehabilitation Science
  • Irena Radisevic, Cognitive Science of Language

GSA Keith Leppmann Teaching Assistant Excellence Award

  • D’Andra Parker
  • Mustafa Ahmadzai
  • Vanessa Lovisa

GSA Award for Contributions by Non-Academic Staff

  • Natalie Illingworth

Mary Keyes Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to McMaster

  • Frances Lasowski
  • Lauren Salci

GSA Millennium Award for Community Service

  • David Nairn
  • Kevin Browne

Therese Quigley Award of Excellence for Graduate Student Leadership in Athletics

  • Jillian Wyman

President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision

  • James Benn, Social Sciences
  • Kari Dalnoki-Veress, Science
  • Donald Goellnicht, Humanities
  • Geoffrey R. Norman, Health Sciences
  • Michael D. Noseworthy, Engineering
  • Mahmut Parlar, Business

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Graduate Research

  • Kathleen Einarson, Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
  • Mark Embrett, Health Policy
  • Tram Nguyen, Rehabilitation Science
  • Lisa Rivard, Rehabilitation Science
  • Jennifer Tomasone, Kinesiology
  • Rachel Ward, Physics & Astronomy

The Dean’s Award for Graduate Student Knowledge Mobilization & Innovation

  • Lisa Kabesh, English & Cultural Studies
  • Tram Nguyen, Rehabilitation Science

GSA Keith Leppmann Teaching Assistant Excellence Award

  • Diana Glennie, Medical Physics
  • Jennifer Tomasone, Kinesiology
  • Douglas Wong, Political Science

GSA Award for Contributions by Non-Academic Staff

  • Marianne Chew, Pathology and Molecular Medicine

Therese Quigley Award of Excellence for Graduate Student Leadership in Athletics

  • Matt Stork, Kinesiology

Mary Keyes Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to McMaster

  • D’Andra Parker, Medical Sciences
  • Rebecca Seymour, Nursing

GSA Millennium Award for Community Service

  • Frances Lasowski, Chemical Engineering
  • Anupa Jyoti Prashad, Health Sciences

Three of the Graduate Student Recognition Awards have been named in honour of individuals who made a difference at McMaster University.

About Keith Leppmann

The Keith Leppmann Teaching Assistant Excellence Award was established by the family and friends of Keith Leppmann, following his tragic death in a car accident in 1989.

A graduate student in Engineering Physics, Keith was a teaching assistant for a demanding course in digital logic and computer systems. His honours thesis project was the deisgn of a software package which allowed students in this course to simulate and troubleshoot their use of the NOVA lab computer on their own PC’s at home.

The Keith Leppmann Teaching Awards were established to honour Keith’s commitment to the role of teaching assistants in McMaster’s learning enviornment. They are awarded to TA’s who have been recognized by their students and peers for their similiar commitment to teaching.