Award Nominations

Graduate students and members of faculty, please consider nominating individuals for the following awards.

  1. Advising Excellence
  2. Excellence in Community Service
  3. Mark Kroeker Exceptional Student Leadership Award
  4. Professional Excellence
  5. Research Excellence in Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, Law or Education
  6. Research Excellence in Indigenous Studies
  7. Research Excellence in Interdisciplinary Studies
  8. Research Excellence in STEM
    1. STEM Medical Science and Public Health
    2. STEM Natural Sciences
    3. STEM Technology and Engineering

The purpose of the GSA Awards is to celebrate graduate students as well as honour faculty that have generously supported graduate students in research, scholarly and artistic pursuits. 

Note: Those awarded previously with a GSA Award are ineligible to be nominated. Candidates cannot nominate themselves for an award. 

Purpose
The GSA Annual Award shall be held towards the end of the GSA Fiscal Year (on April 27, 2024) at Hotel Delta Bessborough and is intended to celebrate graduate students, as well as honour faculty that have generously supported graduate students in research, scholarly and artistic pursuits.
 
Nomination Process
  1. Those awarded at a previous GSA Awards Gala, for one of the GSA Annual Awards as described below, are ineligible to be nominated. A list of previous Award winners shall be maintained on the Association's website.
  2. Candidates can nominate themselves for an award except for the advisory excellence category.
  3. The nomination period is from Jan 31, 2024, to March 10, 2024.
  4. Applications will only be accepted in electronic form through SurveyMonkeyNeither physical nor email applications will be considered.
  5. Applications must include:
    1. A cover page with the name of the award and contact information (email addresses) for the nominee, nominator(s) and all referees.
    2. A nomination letter (maximum two (2) pages).
    3. Two (2) reference letters (maximum two (2) pages each).
    4. A maximum of three (3) pages of supporting documents, to provide further evidence of why the candidate is deserving of the award. Supporting documents cannot include further letters of reference. Examples include an updated CV (Maximum 5 pages) a teaching philosophy statement etc.
    5. Letter of Enrolment (Except for Advising Excellence)
    6. REMARKS:Depending on the application form and criteria, you need to upload some specific documents. Please check each category's criteria before submission.

You can download the full Nomination Package HERE

 
If you have any inquiries, please contact the VP-External Affairs at gsa.external@usask.ca 
Abbas Fazel Anvari-Yazdi
Vice President of External Affairs (GSA)
Awards Selection Committee Chair

Please contact the VP External Affairs at gsa.external@usask.ca if you have any questions or concerns.

Award Categories and Terms of Reference

This award shall honor a graduate student advisor who has shown excellent supervisory and mentoring skills as well as exceptional support for their advisees’ ideas, scholarly work, and financial needs. The honored advisor shall embody the capacity to stimulate graduate students to think critically and creatively, while enhancing their graduate student learning experience.

Nominations shall be accepted from any graduate student enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan or an alumni graduate student of the University of Saskatchewan.

Eligibility: A current University of Saskatchewan faculty member that is advising a graduate student enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan during the corresponding Fiscal Year.

This award shall honor a graduate student who has made significant impacts and positive contributions to the local community in Saskatoon and beyond. This shall be awarded to a student who has shown extensive initiative and significant achievements in serving the community in addition to excelling in their academic studies. This shall be awarded to a student who has contributed a minimum of seventy-five (75) hours of volunteer work during the corresponding Fiscal Year.

Nominations shall be accepted from any graduate student enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan, any current faculty or staff member at the University of Saskatchewan or alumni of the University of Saskatchewan.

We encourage letters of reference for this category from community organizations in which the nominee has volunteered with.

Eligibility: Any graduate student enrolled, during the corresponding Fiscal Year, in a graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan.

This award honors a graduate student who has shown strong leadership and exceptional initiatives at the University of Saskatchewan, going above and beyond their call of duty, whilst carrying out the mission of the GSA. This student shall have shown outstanding involvement and collaboration with graduate students in their unit of study, as part of an Academic Council, or the GSA Council.

This award does not involve community service in the local community and places greater emphasis on leadership within the University campus. Candidates should show readiness to take charge, an apt for creating new initiatives, and opportunities for their graduate student peers.

Nominations shall be accepted from any graduate student enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan, any current faculty or staff member at the University of Saskatchewan or alumni of the University of Saskatchewan.

Eligibility: Any graduate student, enrolled during the corresponding Fiscal Year, in a graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan.

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Mark Kroeker was born in Loma Linda, California on September 21, 1989 with a fatal condition known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome and underwent a cardiac transplant when he was just one week old. After recovering from transplant surgery in California for eleven months, Mark moved with his family to British Columbia where he insisted on living a completely normal life.

Mark loved school. He was always a strong student leader, and was highly involved with his community. During his final year he was a student representative on the Vancouver School Board. In high school he was very involved with the drama club and won several awards from his school and a city-wide annual event known as Vancouver Drama-Rama.

After graduating from high school, Mark went to study at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B. where he completed a B.A. in Geography.  Mark served as VP External on the Mount Allison Students’ Advisory Council for three years, and was well respected by the community as a leader.

Mark enrolled in a Masters program at the University of Saskatchewan in the department of Geography and Planning, exploring urban Aboriginal attitudes regarding city planning in Saskatoon under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Walker. As per usual, he immediately became engaged in his community, serving as President of the Geography and Planning Students’ Association, and Chair of Course Council for the GSA.

Many of us who knew Mark personally are still struggling to come to terms with the enormous void in our hearts and lives left by his sudden and unexpected death in May, 2014. The award in his name to acknowledge exceptional student leadership is a very fitting and meaningful tribute to the Mark Kroeker we all remember.

This award shall honor a non-thesis based graduate student who has made significant academic achievements in their field of study and who has made outstanding non-academic contributions to their department of studies. The awarded graduate student shall be a favorable member exemplifying scholarly achievements and community involvement.

Nominations shall be accepted from any current University of Saskatchewan faculty member.

Eligibility: Any graduate student enrolled, during the corresponding Fiscal Year, in a course-based/project-based graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan.

This award shall honor a graduate student who has made significant impacts in the field of humanities, arts, social sciences, law or education and who has produced outstanding research results throughout their course of study. The awarded graduate student shall be a favorable member in the research community, shall exemplify scholarly achievements and shall have contributed to positive collaborations amongst researchers and the community.

Nominations shall be accepted from any current University of Saskatchewan faculty member.

Eligibility: Any graduate student enrolled, during the corresponding Fiscal Year, in a thesis-based graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan.

This award shall honor an Indigenous graduate student who has made significant impacts in Indigenous study and research while positively contributing to the Indigenous community. The awarded graduate student shall be held in high regard by the Indigenous and research community, shall exemplify scholarly achievements, and shall have participated in positive collaboration between researchers and the Indigenous community.

Nominations shall be accepted from any current University of Saskatchewan faculty member.

Eligibility: An Indigenous graduate student enrolled, during the corresponding Fiscal Year, in a thesis-based graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan.

This award shall honor a graduate student who has made significant impacts in two or more separate, but related, fields of study and who has produced outstanding research results throughout their course of study. The awarded graduate student shall be a favorable member in the research community, shall exemplify scholarly achievements and shall have contributed to positive collaborations amongst researchers and the community.

Nominations shall be accepted from any current University of Saskatchewan faculty member.

Eligibility: Any graduate student enrolled, during the corresponding Fiscal Year, in a thesis-based graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan.

Please note the graduate student does not have to be enrolled in Interdisciplinary Studies to be considered for this award.

This award shall honor a graduate student who has made significant impacts in the field of science, technology, engineering or math and who has produced outstanding research results throughout their course of study. The awarded graduate student shall be a favorable member in the research community, shall exemplify scholarly achievements and shall have contributed to positive collaborations amongst researchers and the community.

Nominations shall be accepted from any current University of Saskatchewan faculty member.

Eligibility: Any graduate student enrolled, during the corresponding Fiscal Year, in a thesis-based graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan.

Past Winners

Advising Excellence Award - Dr. Lori Bradford
Excellence in Community Service Award - Maryellen Gibson
Mark Kroeker Exceptional Student Leadership Award - Debasish Chakroborti
Research Excellence in Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, Law, or Education - Kayla Arisman
Research Excellence in Interdisciplinary Studies Award - Harini Aiyer
Research Excellence in STEM Award Technology and Engineering - Shahabodin Afrasiabi
Research Excellence in STEM Award Natural Sciences - Bernd Steiger
Research Excellence in STEM Award Medical Science and Public Health - Paras Ahmed

Advising Excellence: Dr. Jane Alcorn

Excellence in Community Service: Mahesh Rachamalla

Mark Kroeker Exceptional Student Leadership Award: Shahab Minaei

Professional Excellence: Zoher Rafid-Hamed

Research Excellence in Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, Law or Education: Emma Chen

Research Excellence in STEM: Saikat Mondal

To view the program, please click here.

Advising Excellence - Dr. Chanchal Roy & Dr. Debbie Pushor

Excellence in Community Service - Amara Zuhaib

Mark Kroeker Exceptional Student Leadership Award - Khaled Zoroufchi Benis

Research Excellence in Interdisciplinary Studies - Henry K. Agbovi

Research Excellence in STEM - Dr. Scott Adams

To view the program please click here.

Advising Excellence Award - Dr. Punam Pahwa

Excellence in Community Service Award - Ajaypal Kahlon

Mark Kroeker Exceptional Student Leadership Award - Mostofa Kamal

Professional Excellence Award - Yazmin Ramos

Professional Excellence Award - Allap Judge

Research Excellence in Interdisciplinary Studies Award - Saman Naghieh

Research Excellence in STEM Award - Asghar Dolatkhah

Research Excellence in Humanities, Arts, Social Science, Law or Education - Britanie Thomas

Leadership Excellence Award (Executive Choice) - Naheda Sahtout (For her dedication and commitment towards the GSA.) 

To view the program, please click here

Advising Excellence Award - Dr. Catherine Trask

Advising Excellence Award - Dr. Nathaniel Osgood

Excellence in Community Service Award Reggie Nyamekye

Mark Kroeker Exceptional Student Leadership Award - Mona Hamada

Professional Excellence Award: Palash R. Sanyal 

Research Excellence in Interdisciplinary Studies Award - Joelena Leader

Research Excellence in STEM Award - Gurcharn S. Brar

To view the program, please click here.

Advising Excellence Award - Dr. Regan Mandryk

Excellence in Community Service Award - Abigail Zita Seshie

Mark Kroeker Exceptional Student Leadership Award - Jillian Kusch

Research Excellence in Interdisciplinary Studies Award - Thilina Bandara

Research Excellence in STEM Award - Adesola Oluwasijibomi Olufade

Leadership Excellence Award (Executive Choice) - Ziad Ghaith (For his dedication and commitment towards the GSA). 

To view the program, please click here.

Advising Excellence Award - Dr. Bev Brenna

Excellence in Community Service Award - Jebunessa Chopola

Excellence in Indigenous Research Award - Mylan Tootoosis

Innovative Research Award - Inimfon Abner Udoetok

Interdisciplinary Research Excellence Award - Arnjay Banerjee

Mark Kroeker Exceptional Student Leadership Award - Jaylene Murray

Professional Excellence Award - Arathi Arun

Research Excellence in the Sciences Award - Adam Crane

Teaching Excellence Award - Dr. Carey Simonson

5-year Service Award (Executive Choice) - Sherri-Lynn Rohovich

To view the program, please click here.

Advising Excellence Award -Dr. M. Louise Humbert

Excellence in Aboriginal Research Award -Ranjan Datta

Excellence in Community Service Award -Kayla Madder

Interdisciplinary Research Excellence Award -Farhad Fathieh

Mark Kroeker Exceptional Student Leadership Award -Isaac Pratt

Research Excellence in Social Sciences Award -Jan M. Gelesh

Research Excellence in Sciences Award -Max V. Birk

To view the program, please click here.

Advising Excellence Award - Dr. Alexander Moewes

Exceptional Academic Councillor Award - Annie Battiste

Excellence in Aboriginal Research Award - Belinda C. Daniels

Interdisciplinary Research Excellence Award - Zohreh Izadifar

Professional Excellence Award - Keshini Madara Marasinghe

Outstanding GSA Partner Award - studentcare.net/works

Outstanding Past GSA Executive Award - Omeasoo Butt

Research Excellence in the Sciences Award - Ahmed Abdel-Salam

To view the program, please click here.

Advising Excellence Award – Dr. Nazmi Sari 

Excellence in Aboriginal Research Award - Janna Schurer     

Exceptional Course Councillor Award - Cinnati Loi

Excellence in Community Service Award - Sarah Crawford 

Interdisciplinary Research Excellence Award - Albert Ifeanyi Ugochukwu 

Outstanding GSA Partner Award - Alumni Association

Outstanding Past GSA Executive Award - Nicole Callihoo 

Professional Excellence Award - Mengna Lu 

Research Excellence in the Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, Law or Education Award - Rim Lassoued

Research Excellence in the Sciences Award - Abdallah Karoyo  

To view the program, please click here.

Advising Excellence Award – Dr. Julita Vassileva

Excellence in Aboriginal Research Award - Maya Basdeo 

Exceptional Course Councillor Award - Sarah Purdy 

Excellence in Community Service Award - Tracy MacDonald

Outstanding GSA Partner Award - Student Employment and Career Centre 

Research Excellence in the Humanities Award - Adam Pottle

Research Excellence in the Sciences Award - Rita Orji

GSA Champion Award - Dr. Jay Kalra

To view the program, please click here.