UVic Convocation Medals: Class of 2007's Expertise Covers Galaxies to Genetics
The University of Victoria has announced its list of academic medalists in advance of eight spring convocation ceremonies scheduled from June 5 to 8 in the University Centre Farquhar Auditorium.
This year’s medalists, in graduate and undergraduate studies, possess exemplary grade point averages and many of them display remarkable promise in their chosen areas of research. In all, the university will confer 3,143 degrees, diplomas and certificates next week.
Here are brief introductions to the Class of 2007 medalists:
Governor General’s Gold Medal (outstanding graduate level GPA and dissertation/thesis): Greg Poole achieved a perfect 9.00 GPA while contributing to key research on galaxy clusters and their relationship to the mysterious role of dark matter in the universe.
Greg Poole, PhD (Physics and Astronomy)
Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal (outstanding academic achievement and master’s thesis): Agnes Zay’s research into a rare single gene disorder that causes fatal brain damage in infants may help to simplify the diagnosis of the disease and build the foundation for investigations into the genetics of more complicated diseases like cancer.
Agnes Zay, MSc (Biology)
Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal (outstanding academic achievement and master’s project): By embracing the role of wonder in the learning process, Connie Morey has shown how it is a natural catalyst for discovery in young people—especially from a non-Western point of view.
Connie Morey, MEd (Art Education)
Governor General’s Silver Medal (outstanding undergraduate GPA, all faculties): Along the way to completing his honours degree, Kyle Mathewson helped conduct research on the brain’s learning processes, with implications for understanding brain injuries and other disorders.
Kyle Mathewson, BA (Psychology)
Jubilee Medal (Faculty of Humanities): Living in France and working as an au pair for a year helped propel Jennifer Hyde’s French studies, and the jewelry designs that she’s created since the age of 10 helped put her through school.
Jennifer Hyde, BA (French)
Jubilee Medal (Faculty of Science): This is the second convocation medal for the Victoria-raised musician/mathematician. Philip Rempel earned the Victoria Medal from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 2005. His latest is for achieving an 8.90 GPA in math.
Philip Rempel, BSc (Mathematics)
Jubilee Medal (Faculty of Social Sciences): Kevin Daley’s interests in social justice and the sociology of law led him to honours research comparing crime control, punishment and rehabilitation in three countries including Canada.
Kevin Daley, BA (Sociology)
Maxwell Cameron Medal in Education (Elementary): A natural teacher and leader, Leigh Pharis earned top marks and impressed her mentors with a bewildering array of teaching methods while setting high standards for her students.
Leigh Pharis, Bed
Maxwell Cameron Medal in Education (Secondary): Instilled with the value of education from an early age, Sarah West (who also holds a chemistry degree) now hopes to pass that passion along to young people, particularly in the field of science.
Sarah West, BEd
Law Society Gold Medal: After an “amazing” educational experience in the UVic Faculty of Law, Christine Joseph will move to Ottawa next year to serve as clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin.
Christine Joseph, LLB
Victoria Medal in Fine Arts: For her honours project, Jocelyn Beyak travelled to a small town in Manitoba to photograph self-portraits at the dilapidated settlement built by her great-grandparents after they emigrated from Ukraine and Poland.
Jocelyn Beyak, BFA (Visual Arts)
Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering Medal: Apart from excellent grades and an ability to quickly absorb new ideas, Michal Osusky—born in Czechoslovakia—helped design assistive technology, including a signal system for the hearing impaired.
Michal Osusky, BEng
Department of Computer Science Graduation Medal: Since coming to UVic from China at 18,
Terry Gao has learned English, excelled in computer science, and now works for Research in Motion developing Blackberry software.
Terry Gao, BSc
IEEE Victoria Section Gold Medal in Electrical Engineering and Andreas Antoniou Medal in Digital Signal Processing: After earning top GPA (8.10) among electrical engineering graduates, Geoffrey Shew is now working for Schneider Electric in Victoria as a hardware/firmware engineer.
Geoffrey Shew, BEng
This year’s medalists, in graduate and undergraduate studies, possess exemplary grade point averages and many of them display remarkable promise in their chosen areas of research. In all, the university will confer 3,143 degrees, diplomas and certificates next week.
Here are brief introductions to the Class of 2007 medalists:
Governor General’s Gold Medal (outstanding graduate level GPA and dissertation/thesis): Greg Poole achieved a perfect 9.00 GPA while contributing to key research on galaxy clusters and their relationship to the mysterious role of dark matter in the universe.
Greg Poole, PhD (Physics and Astronomy)
Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal (outstanding academic achievement and master’s thesis): Agnes Zay’s research into a rare single gene disorder that causes fatal brain damage in infants may help to simplify the diagnosis of the disease and build the foundation for investigations into the genetics of more complicated diseases like cancer.
Agnes Zay, MSc (Biology)
Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal (outstanding academic achievement and master’s project): By embracing the role of wonder in the learning process, Connie Morey has shown how it is a natural catalyst for discovery in young people—especially from a non-Western point of view.
Connie Morey, MEd (Art Education)
Governor General’s Silver Medal (outstanding undergraduate GPA, all faculties): Along the way to completing his honours degree, Kyle Mathewson helped conduct research on the brain’s learning processes, with implications for understanding brain injuries and other disorders.
Kyle Mathewson, BA (Psychology)
Jubilee Medal (Faculty of Humanities): Living in France and working as an au pair for a year helped propel Jennifer Hyde’s French studies, and the jewelry designs that she’s created since the age of 10 helped put her through school.
Jennifer Hyde, BA (French)
Jubilee Medal (Faculty of Science): This is the second convocation medal for the Victoria-raised musician/mathematician. Philip Rempel earned the Victoria Medal from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 2005. His latest is for achieving an 8.90 GPA in math.
Philip Rempel, BSc (Mathematics)
Jubilee Medal (Faculty of Social Sciences): Kevin Daley’s interests in social justice and the sociology of law led him to honours research comparing crime control, punishment and rehabilitation in three countries including Canada.
Kevin Daley, BA (Sociology)
Maxwell Cameron Medal in Education (Elementary): A natural teacher and leader, Leigh Pharis earned top marks and impressed her mentors with a bewildering array of teaching methods while setting high standards for her students.
Leigh Pharis, Bed
Maxwell Cameron Medal in Education (Secondary): Instilled with the value of education from an early age, Sarah West (who also holds a chemistry degree) now hopes to pass that passion along to young people, particularly in the field of science.
Sarah West, BEd
Law Society Gold Medal: After an “amazing” educational experience in the UVic Faculty of Law, Christine Joseph will move to Ottawa next year to serve as clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin.
Christine Joseph, LLB
Victoria Medal in Fine Arts: For her honours project, Jocelyn Beyak travelled to a small town in Manitoba to photograph self-portraits at the dilapidated settlement built by her great-grandparents after they emigrated from Ukraine and Poland.
Jocelyn Beyak, BFA (Visual Arts)
Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering Medal: Apart from excellent grades and an ability to quickly absorb new ideas, Michal Osusky—born in Czechoslovakia—helped design assistive technology, including a signal system for the hearing impaired.
Michal Osusky, BEng
Department of Computer Science Graduation Medal: Since coming to UVic from China at 18,
Terry Gao has learned English, excelled in computer science, and now works for Research in Motion developing Blackberry software.
Terry Gao, BSc
IEEE Victoria Section Gold Medal in Electrical Engineering and Andreas Antoniou Medal in Digital Signal Processing: After earning top GPA (8.10) among electrical engineering graduates, Geoffrey Shew is now working for Schneider Electric in Victoria as a hardware/firmware engineer.
Geoffrey Shew, BEng
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Media contacts
Mike McNeney (Alumni Communications) at 250-721-7642 or mmcneney@uvic.ca
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Keywords: uvic, convocation, medals, class, 2007s, expertise, covers, galaxies, genetics
