Faculty of Science

Luca maintained academic excellence throughout his four years at McMaster graduating Summa Cum Laude and achieving Provost Honour Roll in his final year. While academics have been a focal point, Luca’s most significant impact to McMaster was by serving as the McMaster Science Society (MSS) President for the past two years. His passion for student leadership, creating equitable experiences for students, and advocating for their needs have driven his dedication to the role. He worked alongside his team to build a vision that promoted interdisciplinary collaboration while developing strategic plans to increase digital and in-person engagement, which have now risen beyond pre-pandemic levels. Other priorities of sustainability and mental health advocacy are highlighted by Luca’s role as the co-director of ReCoat, and involvement with Jack.org. Luca is now entering into McMaster’s Master’s Program in Global Health (M.Sc.) to apply his passions in leadership to the subject of global healthcare.

Throughout her undergraduate journey, Julia Tikhonov consistently demonstrated a dedication to leadership, mentorship, volunteerism, and community engagement. Within the Faculty of Science, she served as a Science Student Ambassador, Student Mentor, Welcome Week Representative Executive, and Teaching Assistant. Through these positions, she profoundly impacted many incoming and current science students, offering them invaluable guidance and support.

Beyond her faculty commitments, Julia volunteered at the Student Health Education Centre, providing essential health resources and peer support to many students. Additionally, she served as a Student Volunteer at the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence, where she played a pivotal role in aiding individuals with disabilities on their rehabilitation journeys.

Her passion for community service extended to her role as Co-Chair of the McMaster Child Health Conference, where she played a crucial role in organizing an impactful discussion on children’s mental health and media. Engaging further with the Hamilton community, Julia participated in community-engaged learning through the McMaster Child & Youth University, where she had the opportunity to create and facilitate a children’s workshop on financial literacy for elementary school students.

Alyssa Ciampa, a graduating student from McMaster Life Science (B.Sc), is grateful and honored to be named as a recipient of this award. She is looking forward to entering the next chapter of her academic journey at the University of Toronto for her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree (DDS). Alyssa extends deep thanks to her mom, dad, brother, and the friends who have supported her along this journey, including one who is on stage with her today and another who deserves to be there just as much.

The field of Life Sciences is incredibly exciting and dynamic, offering endless opportunities to explore the fundamental processes that govern the world. Alyssa is captivated by its profound impact on human health and its potential to drive medical advancements. Her studies have allowed her to delve into the intricate mechanisms of biology, from the molecular level to entire ecosystems. She particularly enjoys studying human physiology and chemistry, as these areas provide critical insights into how our bodies function and how we can combat diseases. The interdisciplinary nature of Life Sciences fosters collaboration across various domains, integrating knowledge from genetics, biochemistry, and environmental science. This comprehensive understanding is essential for developing innovative treatments and improving healthcare outcomes. As Alyssa prepares to enter the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry, she is excited to apply her Life Sciences background to clinical practice, directly contributing to enhancing patient care and advancing dental health.

Alyssa Ciampa, a graduating student from McMaster Life Science (B.Sc), is grateful and honored to be named as a recipient of this award. She is looking forward to entering the next chapter of her academic journey at the University of Toronto for her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree (DDS). Alyssa extends deep thanks to her mom, dad, brother, and the friends who have supported her along this journey, including one who is on stage with her today and another who deserves to be there just as much.

The field of Life Sciences is incredibly exciting and dynamic, offering endless opportunities to explore the fundamental processes that govern the world. Alyssa is captivated by its profound impact on human health and its potential to drive medical advancements. Her studies have allowed her to delve into the intricate mechanisms of biology, from the molecular level to entire ecosystems. She particularly enjoys studying human physiology and chemistry, as these areas provide critical insights into how our bodies function and how we can combat diseases. The interdisciplinary nature of Life Sciences fosters collaboration across various domains, integrating knowledge from genetics, biochemistry, and environmental science. This comprehensive understanding is essential for developing innovative treatments and improving healthcare outcomes. As Alyssa prepares to enter the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry, she is excited to apply her Life Sciences background to clinical practice, directly contributing to enhancing patient care and advancing dental health.

Angela Bilic has made it her mission to amplify student voices and increase means of accessibility within the McMaster community. She is passionate about integrating student needs within all aspects of wellness and academics.

As the Service Coordinator of MSU Macademics, Angela has highlighted a commitment to the recognition of excellence in education by spearheading initiatives which include the annual Student Recognition Awards and the Teaching Awards Ceremony.

Angela’s dedication to strong advocacy for inclusive practice was at a forefront throughout her role as president of the McMaster Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic Nursing Society where she has worked to dismantle the persisting societal stigmas within the field. Angela has also been an avid member of McMaster Women in STEM, undertaking the role of mentor for incoming McMaster students.

Aside from multiple published research papers in the field of Rehabilitation Science, Angela has also volunteered as a journalist for the McMaster Tackling MisInformation club where she has promoted awareness upon, often misunderstood, scientific topics of interest.

Angela holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree and will be pursuing a Master’s degree within the Medical Science program at McMaster University. This summer, Angela is working at the Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute where she is dedicated to forwarding the field of sepsis research.

The Honourable Catherine McKenna grew up in Hamilton, completed her BA in international relations and French at the University of Toronto and earned a graduate degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science followed by a law degree at McGill University. She joined the law firm Stikeman Elliott where she became senior counsel in competition and trade law. She left private practice in 2005 to co-found and serve as executive director of Level Justice, a charitable organization that empowered Indigenous youth and provides law students with internships in social justice fields. She was also executive director of the Banff Forum, taught at the Munk School of Global Affairs, served on the board of the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies and was a legal adviser for the United Nations in East Timor and Indonesia.

In 2015, Ms. McKenna was elected in Ottawa-Centre, becoming the riding’s first female Member of Parliament. She was re-elected in 2019 and also created the Run Like A Girl campaign to support girls and young women with aspirations in politics. She became Minister of Environment and Climate Change in 2015. During her four years in that post, she was a lead negotiator of the Paris Agreement, was instrumental in amending the Montréal Protocol, guided the adoption of the Kigali Amendment, helped double the number of protected natural areas in Canada and launched the Indigenous Guardians Pilot Program. In recognition of these achievements and others, Ms. McKenna was the Climate & Clean Air Coalition’s Climate and Clean Air Awards Honoree in 2018.

Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain is a Founder, Director and the Vice-Chair of the McCall MacBain Foundation. Originally from Huron County, Ontario, Dr. McCall MacBain earned a BKin (Hons) from McMaster University. She worked as a rehabilitation specialist in acquired brain injuries before completing an MSc in International Health Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She then went on to complete her DPhil in Evidence-Based Health Care at the University of Oxford, where she retains an academic affiliation with the Centre for Evidence-based Medicine and the Department of Primary Care Health Sciences.

In 2007, Dr. McCall MacBain, together with her husband, Mr. John McCall MacBain, established the McCall MacBain Foundation. The Foundation focuses on initiatives in education, climate change, youth wellbeing and mental health. Marcy and the Foundation make it a priority to provide opportunities for Canadians and students abroad to develop stronger intercultural competencies, for them to take meaningful risks, and to provide programming that accelerates positive leadership. At McMaster, they launched the McCall MacBain International Fellowships in 2018 and the McCall MacBain Postdoctoral Fellows Teaching and Leadership Program in 2019.

Also In 2019, the Foundation created the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill, Canada’s first comprehensive, leadership-driven scholarships for master’s and professional degree studies. Dr. McCall MacBain is a founder and the Chair of this scholarship program. Her previous honours include an honorary doctorate from the University of Melbourne Australia, the Bynum Tudor Fellowship at Kellogg College Oxford, and the McMaster Alumni Gallery Award.

Louise Burke is a sports dietitian with 40 years of experience educating and counselling elite athletes. Educated at Deakin University in Australia, Dr. Burke established her international reputation during her three-decade career at the legendary Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) where she was head of sports nutrition and then chief of nutrition strategy. She was the head team dietitian for the Australian Olympic teams at the Summer Olympic Games from 1996 to 2012.

As a researcher, Dr. Burke, who is an editor of the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, has published more than 350 papers in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters while also authoring or editing several textbooks on sports nutrition. Fourteen of her papers have been cited more than 500 times each, making her the most-published sports nutrition dietitian ever.