The 2025-2026 University of Waterloo Department of English Language and Literature Awards Ceremony was held on Friday, March 27, 2026. Congratulations to all our award winners!
Undergraduate
Albert Shaw Annual Poetry Award: Steve Wood
Andrew James Dugan Prize in Literature Award: Jared He
Andrew James Dugan Prize in Rhetoric and Professional Writing: Amaya Kodituwakku
Award in American Literature and Culture: Devin Carless
Canadian Literature Prize: Hajer Elghamudi, Honourable Mention: Zoe Achim
Co-op Reflective Report Award: Isabela Souza Cefrin da Silva
Diaspora and Transnational Studies Prize: Amaya Kodituwakku
Donald R. and Mary E. Snider Literary Award for Excellence in Non-Fiction Writing: Maya Tannenbaum-Lipton and Aviana Reid
Emerging English Scholar Award: Orlando Zhou
English Society Creative Writing Award for Poetry: Theo Patterson
English Society Creative Writing Award for Prose : Deanna Adera Bangine
Fourth Year Grade Average Award: Amaya Kodituwakku
G.R. Hibbard Shakespeare Prize: Bavithra Amuthalakan
Janice Del Matto Memorial Award in Creative Writing: Jiho Mercer
Masternak Scholarship: Tiffany Wen
Masternak Scholarship: Jacqueline Cardoso
Olive Carrick Scholarship in English: Parima Mohammadpour
Rhetoric and Digital Design Award: Arriana Edralin, Megan Storozuk, and Sabrina Tam
Rhetoric and Professional Writing Award: Nykin Leskiw
Second Year Grade Average Award (Fall): Annika Nehaniv-Dautenhahn
Second Year Grade Average Award (Spring): Maya Ley
Third Year Grade Average Award: Tiffany Wen
Walter R. Martin English 251 Award: Bavithra Amuthalakan
Graduate
David Beltz Memorial Prize MA: Sophia Heidebrecht
David Beltz Memorial Prize PhD: Colleen Foster
David Nimmo English Graduate Scholarship: Colleen Foster
Doctor of Philosophy Grade Average Award: Fiona Thompson
English Rhetoric Essay Award MA: Zoya Randhawa
English Rhetoric Essay Award PhD: Laila Emara
Gladys Srivastava Graduate Award (F25): Kasturi Ghosh (F25, W26) and Humaira Shoaib (S25)
Graduate Co-op Work Report Award: Joleen Awad
Graduate Creative Writing Award Prose/Poetry: Kellie Chouinard
Independent Graduate Instructor Award for Excellence in Teaching: Humaira Shoaib
Jack Gray Graduate Fellowship: Michael Veenstra
Lea Vogel-Nimmo English Graduate Professionalization Award: Blaze Welling, Coleen Foster, and Kasturi Ghosh
Master of Arts Grade Average Award: Jenna Dobbelsteyn
Masternak Scholarship: Sarah Casey
TA Award for Excellence in Teaching: Kem-Laurin Lubin
W.K. Thomas Graduate Scholarship: Laila Emara and Leith Bulford
Award Ceremony Image Gallery
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English Chair Dr. Jay Dolmage presents opening remarks.
Dr. Megan Selinger presents Steve Wood with the Albert Shaw Annual Poetry Award.
Steve Wood reads from his winning poetry collection.
Dr. Carol Acton presents Jared He with the Andrew James Dugan Prize in Literature.
Dr. George Lamont presents Amaya Kodituwakku with the Andrew James Dugan Prize in Rhetoric and Professional Writing.
Dr. Carter Neal presents Devin Carless with the Award in American Literature and Culture.
Dr. Heather Smyth presents Isabela Souza Cefrin da Silva with the Co-op Reflective Report Award.
Donor Sara Kannan introduces the Diaspora and Transnational Studies Prize.
Donor Sara Kannan and Dr. Andrew McMurry present Amaya Kodituwakku with the Diaspora and Transnational Studies Prize.
Dr. Andrew McMurry presents Maya Tannenbaum-Lipton and Aviana Reid with the Donald R. and Mary E. Snider Literary Award for Excellence in Non-Fiction Writing.
Dr. Carter Neal presents Orlando Zhou with the Emerging English Scholar Award.
Dr. Carter Neal presents Theo Patterson with the English Society Creative Writing Award for Poetry.
Theo Patterson reads from his award-winning submission.
Dr. John Savarese presents Deanna Adera Bangine with the English Society Creative Writing Award for Prose .
Dr. Megan Selinger presents Bavithra Amuthalakan with the G.R. Hibbard Shakespeare Prize.
Dr. Bruce Dadey presents grade point awards to Amaya Kodituwakku (fourth year), Tiffany Wen (third year), Annika Nehaniv-Dautenhahn (second year) and Maya Ley (second year).
Dr. Tristanne Connolly presents Jiho Mercer with the Janice Del Matto Memorial Award in Creative Writing.
Jiho Mercer reads from his winning submission.
Dr. Tristanne Connolly presents Jacqueline Cardoso and Tiffany Wen with the Masternak Scholarship.
Donor Nancy Mattes introduces the Olive Carrick Scholarship in English.
Dr. Donor Nancy Mattes and Bruce Dadey present Parima Mohammadpour with the Olive Carrick Scholarship in English.
Dr. Carter Neal presents Sabrina Tam, Arriana Edralin, and Megan Storozuk with the Rhetoric and Digital Design Award.
Dr. Dorothy Hadfield presents Bavithra Amuthalakan with the Walter R. Martin English 251 Award.
Dr. Kate Lawson presents Sophia Heidebrecht with the David Beltz Memorial Prize MA.
Dr. Kate Lawson presents Colleen Foster with the David Beltz Memorial Prize PhD.
Dr. Carter Neal presents Colleen Foster with the David Nimmo English Graduate Scholarship.
Dr. Carol Acton presents Fiona Thompson with the Doctor of Philosophy Grade Average Award.
Dr. Marcel O'Gorman presents Zoya Randhawa with the English Rhetoric Essay Award MA.
Dr. Marcel O'Gorman presents Laila Emara with the English Rhetoric Essay Award PhD.
Dr. Bruce Dadey presents Humaira Shoaib with the Gladys Srivastava Graduate Award.
Dr. Jess Van De Kemp presents Kellie Chouinard with the Graduate Creative Writing Award.
Kellie Chouinard reads from her winning submission.
Dr. Carter Neal presents Humaira Shoaib with the Independent Graduate Instructor Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Dr. John Savarese presents Blaze Welling and Colleen Foster with the Lea Vogel-Nimmo English Graduate Professionalization Award.
Dr. Carter Neal presents Sarah Casey with the Masternak Scholarship.
Dr. Carter Neal presents Kem-Laurin Lubin with the TA Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Dr. Bruce Dadey presents Laila Emara with the W.K. Thomas Graduate Scholarship.
The winners of the 2025-2026 English Awards.
