Next-Gen
students & faculty
Achievements
Student accomplishments
Four Concordia students were awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Youth Medal. The distinction honours students whose involvement, dedication and leadership positively impact the community. The 2024 winners were Hannah McGregor-Pelletier, Rudyard Pejo, Catherine Starr-Prénovost and Jessica Winton.
From left: Hannah McGregor-Pelletier, Rudyard Pejo, Catherine Starr-Prenovost and Jessica Winton. Credit: Kyla Alexis Palanca
Simon Randy, an undergraduate student in mechanical engineering, was recruited for an internship by aeronautics company SpaceX. Randy interned on the Starship Components Research and Development Manufacturing team, where they performed design reviews to assess manufacturing ability and to provide advice on faster or more cost-effective manufacturing. “Since high school, my one and only goal has been getting to work for this company,” says Randy.
Three PhD researchers — Francesco MacAllister-Caruso, Lauren Laframboise and Jiami Yang — were each awarded Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships. The three-year awards, valued at $50,000 annually, recognize PhD researchers from around the world for their contributions to the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences or health. MacAllister-Caruso, Laframboise and Yang were selected for their work in political representation, history and sustainable design, respectively.
Belen Blizzard, an artist and women’s studies student, is Concordia’s first-ever 2SLGBTQIA+ student coordinator. Funded by the Equity Office, and situated within the Simone de Beauvoir Institute, Blizzard has already begun offering support, services and organizing events for trans and queer students at the university. Part of their mandate includes mobilizing undergraduate students to organize a conference slated for 2025.
Sustainable Studios — a student-led group from Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts — earned a top environmental prize from Forces AVENIR. The initiative supports a circular economy by using recycled materials to reduce waste and is primarily focused on waste management in ceramics. Since its inception, Sustainable Studios has decreased water consumption by 80 per cent, saving more than 22,000 litres of water.
PhD candidate Scott DeJong received a Fulbright Award for his groundbreaking work on combatting disinformation through educational games. His project aims to bridge the gap between how disinformation is encountered and how it is taught in the classroom. “Games can offer a unique space for tough conversations, helping players navigate these challenging topics through play,” says DeJong.
The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team was crowned U Sports National Champions after a 3-1 win over the University of Toronto in March 2024. The title capped a perfect 25-0 regular season and a Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) championship win, with head coach Julie Chu named U Sports Fox40 Coach of the Year.
Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team
John Molson marketing student Michael Lecchino was one of 10 Canadian undergraduate students to win a 3M National Student Fellowship from the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Lecchino has held several leadership roles in the broader community and at Concordia, including through the Concordia Student Union, Library Services Fund Committee and John Molson Competition Committee.
Three Concordia students took home top prizes after competing in the university’s annual Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT®) in March 2024. The event challenges students to distil complex research into a clear, jargon-free presentation that engages a non-specialist audience — all in under three minutes. Emma Hsiaowen Chen, Angelika Gnanapragasam and Monali Patel won the doctoral, master’s and People’s Choice competitions, respectively.
From left to right: Emma Hsiaowen Chen, Angelika Gnanapragasam and Monali Patel
Recent graduate Harley Martin was one of 20 Canadian students named a 2024 McCall MacBain Scholar. Founded in 2019, the highly competitive scholarship is awarded to individuals with the potential to make a positive impact in the world and who will be enrolling in master’s or professional degrees at McGill University. Martin, who majored in history and was part of the Concordia Student Union executive team, began his graduate studies in public policy at McGill in the fall.
Selma Herrero Lepers won two prizes — the only contestant to do so — at the 2024 Délie ta langue! public-speaking competition. The political science and economics undergrad was awarded fourth prize by the jury and won the Prix du public for her speech on the French expression Apprendre par coeur (learning by heart). Concordia is the only English-language institution to take part in the competition. “This extraordinary experience allowed me to celebrate the richness of the French language and to participate in an event that enriched me enormously,” says Herrero Lepers.
Faculty honours
Concordia celebrated a record year at the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). Ann English, distinguished professor emerita in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, David Howes, professor of Sociology and Anthropology, and Muthukumaran Packirisamy, professor of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering, were inducted as fellows. Catherine Mulligan, professor of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering won the Miroslaw Romanowski Medal for her work in sustainable environmental engineering, while Steven High, founding member of Concordia’s Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling, was honoured with the J.B. Tyrrell Medal for his contributions to Canadian history. Xia Li, associate professor of Chemical and Materials Engineering, was inducted into the RSC’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, for her development of next-generation energy storage devices.
Alice Ming Wai Jim, professor of art history and Concordia University Research Chair in Critical Curatorial Studies and Decolonizing Art Institutions (Tier 1), was named member of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec. Jim is also founder and co-editor of the Journal of Asian Diasporic Visual Cultures and the Americas. The Ordre celebrates outstanding support of the advancement and excellence of arts and letters in Quebec and beyond. “I am honoured by this recognition of my work to deepen the understanding of the contributions by artists of colour. I am extremely grateful to everyone who has been part of my ongoing journey,” says Jim.
Alice Ming Wai Jim, professor in the Department of Art History
Emad Shihab, a software engineering professor at the Gina Cody School, received the 2024 Most Influential Paper Award at the International Conference on Software Maintenance and Evolution. His paper, “An Exploratory Study on Self-Admitted Technical Debt,” examines how developers knowingly introduce temporary shortcuts into their code — known as “technical debt” — that can later compromise software quality. Like financial debt, delaying repayment often comes at a higher cost. The award underscores the impact of Shihab’s research on improving software maintenance.
Four Faculty of Fine Arts instructors — Jessica Bleuer, Michael Pinsonneault, Sandra Huber and Molly-Claire Gillet — were awarded Distinguished Teaching Awards for their contributions to education. “What stands out about this year’s winners is their embodiment of the values that are core to our mission,” says faculty dean Annie Gérin. “They are committed to addressing sustainability and fostering inclusive and equitable learning environments to support our students’ academic and personal growth.”
Marketing professor Jordan LeBel was named a member of the Order of Excellence in Education by the province of Quebec. Honoured at the Quebec National Assembly in May 2024, LeBel was recognized for his innovative approaches to teaching and his commitment to incorporating the latest developments and trends into his courses. “This award really belongs to my students,” says LeBel. “They’re the ones who fuelled my curiosity and desire to deliver a quality educational experience.”
Jordan LeBel, professor in the Department of Marketing
Rosemary Reilly, chair and professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, was awarded the 2024 3M National Teaching Fellowship. Awarded by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, the fellowship recognizes outstanding university and college teachers. Reilly employs non-traditional pedagogies and approaches, using performance, collective arts and other artistic tools to reach learning objectives and deepen active student learning.
