不良研究所

The University of 不良研究所 is pleased to announce the spring 2023 recipients of the President鈥檚 Award for Excellence in Student Leadership. The award was established in 2008 to recognize exceptional graduating students who have a record of outstanding academic achievement and leadership, and who have made significant contributions to our community.

Mathieu Chin

Doctor of Medicine

During his time at the University of 不良研究所, Mathieu Chin has demonstrated that he is a gifted student and a natural leader who thrives while supporting his fellow students and the broader community.

Dr. Chin dedicated a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and time to student government in both the and the Faculty of Medicine. He was president of the MD Class of 2023 and the 不良研究所 Medical Students鈥� Association. In these roles, he represented the provincially and nationally, and led multiple advocacy initiatives. For example, he enhanced student education and accessibility by obtaining $225,000 of funding for various projects, the most recent being UpToDate subscriptions for medical students. In addition, he served as the chair for the Ice Bowl, an ice hockey tournament for medical students in Western Canada.

He also volunteered for various U不良研究所 organizations and programs including the Peer Assisted Student Session program (PASS) and at the , Faculty of Kinesiology. He was a mentor to high school and undergraduate students through the 不良研究所 Medical Students鈥� Association and the Pathways to Medicine program. Chin also provided vaccinations to the public throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chin has received many awards throughout his academic career including the prestigious and a CFMS-MD Financial Leadership Award. His academic achievements include a first-authored peer-reviewed publication analyzing the biomechanics of an ankle injury, multiple abstracts in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, and poster presentations given in Canada and internationally. Additionally, he has participated in 12 research projects exploring diverse topics from wearable technology to cannabis legalization.

He is excited to give back to the 不良研究所 community as an incoming internal medicine resident physician beginning this July.

Caroline Dawoud

Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering

Caroline Dawoud is a mobilizer, community builder and innovator. She has shown excellence in academics, while finding ways to support her fellow students and create opportunities for them to impact the world.

While at U不良研究所, Dawoud developed, led, and grew three (Go Baby Go, ENOVA and the Senior Wellness Association), each encompassing a distinct theme of caring for our wider communities. Under her direction, Go Baby Go grew from 20 to 60 dedicated volunteer engineering students who design and manufacture affordable power wheelchairs and ride-on toy cars for toddlers with disabilities. As the president of ENOVA (Emulating Nature in Innovations), she recruited 30 new passionate members, won the SU Club Award for sustainability, won accolades in the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge, and tripled the number of annual outreach events. In 2018, Dawoud founded and developed the Senior Wellness Association after she heard candid stories from seniors about feelings of isolation and medical deterioration. In a few short years, she built a diverse executive team and recruited 250-plus student volunteers.

Dawoud was a mentor for the Schulich Scholars and the , in addition to being an orientation leader. She also volunteered and lent her voice to the Schulich Dean鈥檚 Office in many roles, often championing sustainability in engineering and equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives, and speaking to thousands of audience members during presentations at the Girl Guides鈥� STEM days, Women in Engineering events, and You at U不良研究所. Dawoud also served as the undergraduate student representative on the Sustainability Transformation Task Force that developed and launched the new Sustainable Systems Engineering major.

Her strong academics and community contributions have been recognized by awards such as the Jason Lang Scholarship and the Women in STEM Scholarship. She also achieved the maximum renewal for the Seymour Schulich Community Service/Entrepreneurial Entrance Award.

Dawoud will be travelling in the summer before joining as a field safety engineer-in-training.

Pamela Farrell

Doctor of Education

In addition to her exceptionally strong academic achievements, Dr. Pamela Farrell, EdD, has demonstrated outstanding co-curricular contributions to the university and the community at large, particularly in the areas of social justice and wellness.

Inspired by her doctoral research at U不良研究所, she started the in Niagara Falls, Ont., which is Canada鈥檚 first community food literacy centre. As executive director, she collaborated with all levels of government to raise more than $1 million in funding and donations to turn an abandoned building into a vibrant good-food centre. The centre, which offers a low-cost/subsidized market and food literacy programs, has been accessed more than 20,000 times.

At U不良研究所, Farrell continues to co-chair the Nourish to Flourish working group, a role that enhances food security for students. She also held several roles with the and was elected student representative for the Language and Literacy Specialization Area.

During her studies, Farrell taught two undergraduate courses and was a research assistant in the . As a research assistant, she created a series of custom seminars on topics relevant to graduate students. She also presented to community groups on many occasions and was a guest lecturer at U不良研究所 and the Toronto Metropolitan University. In the past year, she has provided more than 18 food literacy and food security presentations and published two peer-reviewed articles.

Currently, Farrell is a sessional instructor at the Werklund School of Education and is working on an entry for The Elgar Encyclopedia of Food and Society. She has also recently been appointed by Global Affairs Canada as the Swiss Honorary Consul for Alberta where she promotes educational, scientific, social, cultural, and economic trade between Alberta and Switzerland.

Melody N. Grohs

Doctor of Philosophy (Neuroscience), Doctor of Medicine

Dr. Melody Grohs, PhD, MD, demonstrated excellent academic achievement alongside leading change within the university and greater community. Her efforts improved the academic, professional, and social experiences of graduate students at U不良研究所. She strengthened the university鈥檚 teaching and research capabilities while also improving the quality of life for children and their families in and around 不良研究所.

Grohs was a student representative on various university committees throughout her studies. Notably she was chair of the Leaders in Medicine Program (LiM). She served as a member of the LiM Symposium and social committees. Grohs developed a LiM Mentorship Program, as well as being a member of the P4 Medicine Course Committee, leading the development of a course on predictive, personalized, preventive, and participatory medicine. More recently she joined the 鈥檚 Student Advocacy and Wellness Hub (SAWH) Mental Health and Wellness Committee to help enhance supports for graduate students.

Grohs achieved a 4.0 GPA during her PhD and has carried impressive grades throughout her academic career. She has received many notable academic awards, including a Leaders in Medicine CIHR Award. She has 15 peer-reviewed publications to her credit, including six as first author and has presented her findings locally, nationally, and internationally. Grohs鈥檚 research focused on child neurodevelopment, including identifying therapies for children with neurodiversity. Some of her other work included prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), which provided the first evidence that prenatal exposure affects children鈥檚 brains and behaviour.

Grohs has a long history of community leadership and volunteerism. She established a mentorship program for students with disabilities and was an active volunteer with the , , and the Alberta Children鈥檚 Hospital Clinical Ethics Committee.

Grohs has been matched to the family medicine residency program at the University of 不良研究所, with the goal of becoming a clinician-scientist in the field of palliative medicine.