The University of Lethbridge is excited to celebrate the achievements of its 2023 graduating class this week at Spring 2023 Convocation.

Distinguishing themselves among the 1,358 graduates are the ULethbridge medal winners for 2023. They are as follows: 

Gold Medal of the Governor General — Leonard Garth Brooks (Ceremony II)
(Awarded to the student with the highest academic standing at the graduate level)

Silver Medal of the Governor General — Jonathan Michael Le May (Ceremony I)
(Awarded to the student with the highest academic standing at the undergraduate level)

Undergraduate Academic Medals

Faculty of Arts & Science Gold Medal (Arts) — Amy Cran (Ceremony II)
An anthropology major with a passion for community-engaged research, Amy Cran is a Fellow of the Community Bridge Lab who has deftly combined her academic and volunteer interests. For example, volunteer work with the Lethbridge Overdose Prevention Society led to research that resulted in a published paper and conference presentation. Similarly, her honours thesis examining the work of the SAGE Clan included volunteering with this group. The results of this study will be presented at an upcoming meeting of the American Anthropological Association. Her extensive extracurricular involvement includes acting as a leader in many organizations both within the University and in the broader community. Read more

Faculty of Arts & Science Gold Medal (Science) — Emily Hagens (Ceremony I)
Emily Hagens is a neuroscience major with a minor in mathematics who completed independent studies and an honours thesis in optogenetics at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN). She was the recipient of both an Alberta Innovates grant and NSERC USRA. During these research projects she became the only undergraduate student at CCBN certified in rodent surgery. Emily’s passion is the iGEM competition where she has participated as a team member and volunteered to mentor high school teams. Emily will pursue an MSc in Genomic Medicine at Oxford University before pursuing a PhD in bioengineering at Stanford University in 2024. Read more

Faculty of Education Gold Medal — Brooklynne Agnew (Ceremony III)
Brooklynne Agnew completed her Bachelor of Education with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. A mathematics major, Agnew has excelled in her course work on campus and in her practicum experiences. Her final internship was at Wilson Middle School in Lethbridge and her work ethic was showcased the first week of her teaching. Having read through comprehensive student articulations and studied the previous classroom culture, she took these insights to foster an unparalleled classroom environment. She was noted for greeting her students at her classroom door every morning, often having conversations that centred around learning and her students’ hobbies and interests outside of school. She is regarded as someone who cares deeply for her students and strives diligently to provide a safe, caring and engaging learning environment.

Alberta Teacher’s Association William Aberhart Gold Medal in Education — Mahaliah Peddle (Ceremony III)
Mahaliah Peddle came to the Faculty of Education as a modern languages major with a French/Spanish degree and linguistics minor. An outstanding student, she achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average and authored very impactful work. One of her greatest accomplishments was the work she did on the Blackfoot Language Resources project. Her internship at Gilbert Paterson Middle School included teaching in a Grade 6 French Immersion class, assisting with coaching club volleyball and club basketball. She was also a part of the team that planned the Remembrance Day ceremony and was a regular volunteer for school events like sports tournaments and band/choir concerts. She was noted as a teacher who will be able to identify and meet the needs of all of her students. Read more

Faculty of Fine Arts Gold Medal — Hana Hubley (Ceremony III)
Hana Hubley is a music student whose artistic success has reached the national stage. While maintaining the highest standard of academic excellence, she has worked tirelessly as an exemplar and advocate for the music program and has become a recognizable face in the larger Lethbridge music community. This leadership is on display at convocation as the conductor of the U of L Wind Ensemble. She will begin her professional career in the ULethbridge recruitment office in Calgary. Read more

Faculty of Health Sciences Gold Medal — Christine Green (Ceremony II)
Christine Green is graduating from the Bachelor of Therapeutics Recreation program with an exemplary academic record. Her instructors describe her as an insightful, intelligent and caring student who is passionate about enhancing therapeutic recreation. Green has exceptional knowledge about several aspects of the field, including best practices. She is receptive to new information and strives for a deeper understanding of novel topics and ideas. Read more

Dhillon School of Business Gold Medal — Makayla Koshuta (Ceremony IV)
Makayla Koshuta has completed a combined Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Management and achieved Great Distinction honors. Noted as curious, bright, humble and unafraid of challenges, she distinguished herself in many extracurricular and supplementary academic efforts. Her ability to write a strong literature review is far beyond what one would expect of an undergraduate student. She represented the Dhillon School of Business at the 2021 Society for Marketing Advances conference in Tampa, FL, and her presentation was so well done that audience members could not believe she was an undergraduate student. Koshuta is continuing as a master’s student in Fall 2023. Read more

Graduate Academic Medals

School of Graduate Studies Medal of Merit, Master of Arts — Leonard Garth Brooks (Ceremony II)
Leonard Brooks’ project, Whacky Wizards: Designing and Assessing an Online Interactive Program for Elementary Music Education, is highly impactful to music education, and involved developing an innovative computer program to facilitate children's learning of music concepts through a gaming format. This project was successfully implemented, in collaboration with elementary schools in southern Alberta, for which he also won a Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur grant.

School of Graduate Studies Medal of Merit, Doctor of Philosophy — Dilini Abeyrama (Ceremony I)
Dilini Abeyrama is an accomplished young scientist working with Dr. Theresa Burg in the Department of Biological Sciences. Her thesis, Population Differentiation of Southern Ocean Seabirds, has profound implications for seabird conservation and management policies. Read more

School of Graduate Studies Medal of Merit, Master of Education — Taylor Molstad (Ceremony III)
Taylor Molstad, who majors in counselling psychology, completed her program with a stellar 3.97 grade point average, displaying great persistence in completing her program during the pandemic. She plans to publish the findings of her thesis, Academic Outcomes Following Sexual Assault: The Function of Post-traumatic Stress, as well as become a registered psychologist and pursue PhD studies. Read more

School of Graduate Studies Medal of Merit, Master of Science — Haley Dennis (Ceremony I)
Kinesiology major Haley Dennis examined the growing understanding of the negative health impacts of excessive leisure sedentary time. Her thesis, Sedentary Behaviour and Health Risk: Is Excessive Screen Time the Real Culprit, confirms previous speculation that screen time may be more detrimental to health than total sedentary time, which includes occupational sitting time. Importantly, she has developed a new measurement approach for assessing sedentary behaviour that is poised to make a significant impact on the field. Read more

University of Lethbridge Spring 2023 Convocation ceremonies take place Thursday, June 1 and Friday, June 2 at the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. each day.

For complete information on Spring 2023 Convocation, visit the convocation web page.