Alumnus Jillian Anderson

Alumni Gold Medal Award nominee

Knowledge Integration Top Academic Achiever 2017

With an outstanding overall average of 90.4% and an impressive thesis about the application of computer science to the challenges in agriculture, it is clear that Jillian Anderson, Knowledge Integration's top academic achiever this year, is a remarkable student with a striking intellect.   

Dean Jean and Gold Medal Award nominee Jillian Anderson

Jillian’s long time professor and thesis supervisor Dr. John McLevey explains his sincere admiration for her: “Shortly after we began working together, I stopped treating Jillian like a bright undergraduate and started treating her like an advanced PhD student.” For her thesis, she developed unique software tailored to the needs of farmers and agricultural statisticians that is sure to be an important contribution to the field. “Her thesis is, without a doubt, the strongest I have seen since arriving at UW in 2013. I don’t expect to see a thesis like hers anytime soon,” McLevey expresses.

Jillian’s persistent strive to break convention and challenge herself has been evident throughout her undergraduate experience - from jumping into honours level math, computer science, and physics courses during her first term, to pouring her heart and soul into her electives and extra-curricular activities. The Faculty of Environment wishes Jillian all the best as she continues her success in an MSc in Data Science at Simon Fraser University this fall.