Today, the Faculty of Science celebrated its first virtual convocation. More than 980 graduands will receive recognition for their undergraduate and graduate degrees, diplomas, and certificates. The Faculty of Science will welcome 875 undergraduate students, 65 Master's and 41 PhD candidates into the Science alumni family.
Each graduand will receive an email from President Feridun Hamdullahpur with a personalized video featuring senior University leaders that marks this exceptional moment in the lives of each graduating student and their families.
Family and friends of graduates, along with the entire UWaterloo community, are being asked to share their congratulatory messages online with stories, videos and social posts. Faculty, staff, graduands and their families also have celebratory lawn signs to commemorate the momentous event.
"As scientists we are trained to deal with unexpected changes and new circumstances, and to adapt accordingly," said Bob Lemieux, Dean of Science. "I am confident that you are able to see past this situation to focus on what is truly important: You did it."
Lemieux recorded a special message for the Faculty of Science Class of 2020.
"Now more than ever, the world recognizes the need for science, and for Waterloo scientists." said Lemieux. "The world is ready to hear your voices, ready to learn from you and benefit from the contributions you will make to address societal needs and make the world a better place. The world is ready for you."
University of Waterloo President Feridun Hamdullahpur also recorded a message for graduating students this week.
Although safety precautions due to COVID-19 keep us apart, the faculty and staff from various departments, programs and units in Science also wish to extend their sincerest congratulations to our newest alumni!
Recognzing outstanding doctoral and masters graduates
Every year, top graduate students from the Faculty of Science are nominated for one of two awards - W.B Pearson Medal and the Dean of Science Award.
The W.B. Pearson Medal is given to a Doctoral student from each department in recognition of their creative research. The award was established in honour of Professor W.B. Pearson and his contributions as a University of Waterloo research scientist and teacher. This year's recipients are:
- Mike Mansfield (Biology)
- Tijana Vasiljevic (Chemistry)
- Mohana Kuppuswamy Parthasarathy (Optometry and Vision Science)
- Alanna McEneny-King (Pharmacy)
- Marika Kieferovao (Physics and Astronomy)
The Dean of Science Award is given to a master’s student in recognition of outstanding performance. This year's recipients are:
- Sarah Barwell (Biology)
- David Beriashvili (Chemistry)
- Mohammad Roostaie (Earth and Environmental Sciences)
- Jill Wood (Optometry and Vision Science)
- Haein Huh (Pharmacy)
- Patrick Daley (Physics and Astronomy)
Congratulations to all of our graduates! We look forward to celebrating with you in-person as soon as we can.
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