Congratulations, class of 2025!

Cindy Qiu

Renison Gold Medal Award for Academic Achievement

Cindy is graduating with an Social Development Studies (SDS) degree specializing in Social Policy and Social Work, and a minor in Human Resource Management. Cindy has received a number of other awards during her university career, including the SDS Distinguished Academic Achievement Award and the University of Waterloo President’s Scholarship, among several others. During her undergraduate degree, Cindy volunteered with Socratica, The Waterloo Climate Institute, MATES Peer Support, The Center for Positive Sexuality, Youth Mental Health Canada,  and served as President of the UW Human Resource Society for two terms and a Residence Life Don for four semesters. Inspired by her volunteer role with Crafts for Charity, Cindy also launched a handmade jewelry business, donating all profits to charitable causes. 

Cindy plans to combine her passion for people and the planet by working on sustainability projects, including research on how to motivate businesses to take meaningful climate action. She also hopes to contribute to consent education initiatives—an area she became passionate about during her undergraduate experience.

“My time at Renison University College has equipped me with the skill set to approach complex challenges with systems thinking and an interdisciplinary lens, and I look forward to using these tools to make a meaningful difference in the problems I care deeply about.” – Cindy Qiu, SDS ‘25

Daneka Miller

President's Merit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Life at Renison

Daneka is graduating with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Development Studies, with a minor in Psychology and specializing in Education and Social Work. During her undergraduate degree, Daneka also received the Judy McCrae Warrior Impact award from UW, and the Renison Peer Leader Award in 2024. She has held a number of student leadership positions at Renison, including: Renison Ambassador, Open House Volunteer, and SDS Buddy. Daneka spent time volunteering as a golf coach at Cambridge Golf Club, Volunteer Marshall on the Tee It Up Jr. Golf Tour, and has been a student volunteer in a kindergarten class for over a year. Additionally, she helped to raise over $60,000 for Stedman Community Hospice in Brantford after her Mom passed away in 2017.

In the fall, Daneka is heading to Brock University to pursue a Bachelor of Education in Primary/Junior education, following in her Mom’s footsteps.

Anna Moreau

Social Development Studies Book Prize for Academic Achievement

Anna is graduating with an Honours Social Development Studies (SDS) degree with specializations in Diversity and Equity and Individual Well-Being and Development. In addition to this award, she has also received the Yuen-Mei Cheung Chan Scholarship. Anna was also involved in the community as an SDS Buddy in her third year, and worked with Strong Start in the Get Ready for School Program as part of an SDS placement. She intends to take a year off to work and volunteer before going into Library and Information Science.

Dr. Christine Logel

Renison Faculty Teaching Award

Dr. Logel has consistently received exceptional evaluations across various courses, ranging from large introductory lectures to smaller, more advanced seminars. Her teaching is characterized by clarity, compassion, and intellectual rigor, demonstrating excellence at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Students often describe her as deeply engaging and supportive, highlighting her ability to create inclusive and thought-provoking learning environments, regardless of class size. Dr. Logel integrates evidence-based teaching strategies into her pedagogy, employing innovative methods such as active learning, reflective writing, and scaffolded assignments to support student success. She continually updates her course materials to reflect current research and designs her courses to foster student agency and meaningful engagement. Her commitment to inclusive education is evident in her thoughtfully designed syllabus, based on equity work in teaching and the multiple modes of participation she provides to accommodate diverse learners. Dr. Logel is a generous and respected mentor to her colleagues, frequently sharing teaching strategies and resources, co-developing curriculum, and offering feedback on course design through her Equity Accelerator initiative. She has facilitated workshops and mentored junior faculty and sessional instructors, contributing significantly to a culture of pedagogical excellence at Renison.

Dr. Sharon Roberts

Renison Faculty Research Award

Dr. Roberts is a highly productive researcher with numerous publications. Her effective teamwork and collaboration with other scholars have resulted in a substantial number of publications, including 63 peer-reviewed articles, 3 books, 19 chapters, and 2 government reports. Dr. Roberts has secured an impressive amount of grant funding from a diverse range of sources, including several SSHRC and CIHR grants, indicating that her research is recognized by a wide array of funders. Her research focuses on identity formation (education-to-work transitions, anthropomorphic identities, and fandoms) and program evaluation (diabetes, eating disorders, and neurology). Throughout her career thus far, she has completed 81 conference presentations and 58 community research talks. Dr. Roberts co-founded the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, which includes some of the world’s leading scholars in the field of anthropomorphic identities. She developed the Furscience website, launched in 2016, to forge connections between academia and the public. Dr. Roberts’ work has been disseminated in traditional academic circles and in publicly accessible venues through open-access books and websites. She has conducted extensive media coverage of her research topics and has been featured on several TV and radio programs as well as a PBS documentary.