Students Instructors

Awards and accolades: Spring 2025

Join us in celebrating some of the recent achievements of our students, faculty and community.

9 April 2025

STUDENT SUCCESS

Two finalists in the U of A Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) competition were ALES students:

  • Laura Lopez (AFNS): Umami:
  • Ifedayo Bello (AFNS), Winner of People’s Choice Award: 

Congratulations to the winners of the annual MacGregor Smith student speaking competition:

  1. Jessy Primero
  2. Paidarufaro Chivanga
  3. Anna Kennedy
  • Honourable mentions: Katie Tamsett and Grace MacDonald

A number of our students were recently recognized with awards and accolades:

  • Jo Ann Chew (AFNS) in the Student Innovation Challenge hosted by Egg Farmers of Canada.
  • Flavio T. Vieira (AFNS) received the Canadian Nutrition Society Postdoctoral Award from the Canadian Nutrition Society.
  • The recognized graduate students Emilee Storfie and Bohan Wei (both AFNS).
  • NU FS undergraduate student Laetitia Satam received the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

We applaud everyone who took part in the annual hosted by the ALES Graduate Student Association. Congratulations to the following winners:

Oral presentations (MSc)
  • 1st place: Tharangani Somarathna
  • 2nd place: Brennon Kirk
  • 3rd place: Kirsten Chamberlin
 Oral presentation (PhD)
  • 1st place: Chathuranga De Silva
  • 2nd place: Elias Rietzschel
  • 3rd place: Iram Afzal
Poster presentations (MSc)
  • 1st place: Oshadhi Athukorala Arachchige
  • 2nd place: Sydney Goncalves Lopez
  • 3rd place: Sonika Pariyar
 Poster presentations (PhD)
  • 1st place: Dayani Withanage
  • 2nd place: Shivani Sonkar
  • 3rd place: Adityasukumar Pasagadi

Best undergraduate poster: Sam Bennett
People’s choice of poster: Umair Zahid

 

The undergraduate ALES Range Team competed for top honours against university teams from the U.S.A, Mexico and Canada at the Society for Range Management Annual Meeting held in Spokane, Washington in February. Congratulations to Aidan Dachuk, Haley Lacza, Madison Jackson, Sarah Johnson, Grace Stephens and Sarah Williamson who collectively won third place on the Plant Identification Exam and fourth place on the Undergraduate Range Management Exam (URME). Individually, Sarah Johnson won second on the combined award for her performance on both exams, and Haley Lacza won first on the combined award and fourth on the URME.

 

Students pose in front of a Society for Range Management banner

Range Team members (pictured L-R): Aidan Dachuk, Haley Lacza, Sarah Williamson, Society for Range Management president Dr. Karen Hickman, Grace Stephens, Sarah Johnson and Madison Jackson.

 

FACULTY EXCELLENCE

Congratulations to this year’s, and thank you to the faculty awards committee for their work to make selections from many worthy nominations. 

  • Research and Innovation Award: Linda Gorim (AFNS)
  • Distinguished Service Award: Douglas Mugabe (REES)
  • Friends of the Faculty Award: Clinton Dobson
Rickey and Marleny pose with an award certificate in the ALES atrium

Graduate Mentorship Award: Marleny Saldaña (AFNS)

Rickey and Bruno pose with an award certificate in the ALES atrium

Faculty Teaching Award: Bruno Wichmann (REES)

Rickey and Roopesh pose with an award certificate in the ALES atrium

International Engagement: Roopesh Syamaladevi (AFNS)

Rickey and Xiaoli pose with an award certificate in the ALES atrium

NACTA Teaching Award of Merit: Xiaoli Fan (REES)

 

We are proud of our award-winning faculty members who were recognized in recent months, including:

  • Stephen Strelkov (AFNS) received the 2025 Canola Award of Excellence.
  • Marleny Saldaña (AFNS) was recognized as a 2025 Class of Institute of Food Technologists Fellow.
  • Jen Beverly (RENR) is a U of A Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) recipient.
  • Rhonda Breitkreuz (HE) was appointed to the board of the Vanier Institute.

Administrator extraordinaire Christie Nohos received the U of A GSA Awards: Non-Academic Staff Award.

 

Outstanding Alumni

Susan Schafers ('96 BSc Ag/Food Bus Mgmt) and chair of FRYA to the Agricultural Products Marketing Council.

Blair Roth ('76 BSc Ag) into the Agriculture Hall of Fame.

If you would like to submit information about an award for yourself or on behalf of a friend, colleague or peer, please complete and submit .