Angelo Marmolejo
Angelo Marmolejo is graduating with an Honours Bachelors of Arts Degree in Social Psychology. For four years, Angelo has worked within McMaster University, the McMaster Social Sciences Society, the McMaster Student Union and St. Joseph’s Hamilton Healthcare (SJHH). He volunteers for the SJHH Mood Disorders and Forensic Psychiatry research clinics and is a youth council member for the SJHH Youth Wellness Centre. He has advocated for mental health and community support for marginalized communities at SJHH. Angelo has worked within the Student Success Centre and the Faculty of Science Strategic Planning team, allocating resources for equity-seeking students for career and development. In fourth year, Angelo and his colleagues have conducted their thesis examining the Self-Perceived Changes of Personality and Identity due to the COVID-19 pandemic under the supervision of Dr. Sarah Clancy. Angelo would like to thank his friends, family and his colleagues for their constant support throughout his time at McMaster University.
President’s Award of Excellence in Student Leadership
Sage Hartmann
Sage Hartmann, Manitoba Métis, is a passionate advocate for social justice and amplifying Indigenous communities, knowledge and histories. As the Director of Cooperative Indigenous Studies Students and Alumni (CISSA), Hartmann has been instrumental in fostering student voices and raising awareness for programs and Indigenous efforts across campus and beyond. Hartmann took a leadership role in the development of the Community Agreement, a tool developed to maintain positive and respectful relations and spaces. Because of her leadership, Hartmann has helped shape and facilitate conversations so various organizations can meaningfully and respectfully center Indigenous voices, integrate Indigenous Ways of Knowing and celebrate Indigenous successes.
President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning
Vanessa Watts
Dr. Watts is Mohawk and Anishinaabe Bear Clan, Six Nations of the Grand River. She is an assistant professor of Indigenous Studies and Sociology at McMaster University and holds the Paul R. MacPherson Chair in Indigenous Studies. Her research examines Indigenist epistemological and ontological interventions on place-based, material knowledge production. Vanessa is particularly interested in Indigenous feminisms, the sociology of knowledge, Indigenous governance, and other-than-human relations as forms of Indigenous ways of knowing.
Dr. Watts approaches teaching with the understanding that theories about the world are not stagnant or entrenched, but alive, accessible, and ever transforming. She centres Indigenous theories as modes of expertise, while also drawing on community-engaged pedagogies within and outside the classroom. Dr. Watts’ course designs are intended to challenge hegemonic assumptions, spark critical dialogue, facilitate diverse modes of knowledge exchange and encourage ownership and accountability of ideas in peer-to-peer activities. She has provided training for institutional leadership on reconciliation, organized teach-ins and fundraisers, and takes great pride in mentoring students throughout their learning journey. Dr. Watts was also recently recognized for her education impacts in her nomination for the 2022 YWCA Woman of Distinction for Community Leadership.
| Award | Recipient |
|---|---|
| The Audrey Evelyn Mepham Award | Briana Rose Nudo |
| The Bert MacKinnon Memorial Scholarship | Sage Hartmann |
| The CFUW-Hamilton Memorial Prize in Political Science | Alexandria Peacock |
| The Dr. Jean Jones Memorial Scholarship | Emunah Woolf |
| The Frank E. Jones Prize | Katherine Cooper |
| The Harry L. Penny Prize | Emunah Woolf |
| The Harry Waisglass Book Prize | Amelia Latour |
| The Hurd Medal | Zachary Vrhovsek |
| The Karl Kinanen Alumni Prize in Gerontology | Muna Jama |
| The McMaster University Retirees Association Prize | Sabrije Mitrovica |
| The Pioneer Energy LP Gerontology Prizes | Muna Jama |
| The Political Science Honours Essay Prize | Fiza Ahmed |
| The R. C. McIvor Medal | Arianna Davids |
| The Richard Slobodin Prize | Marissa Destro |
| The Ruth Landes Prize | Marguerite Ward |
| The University Scholarships | Marguerite Ward |
Pamela Appelt
Appelt is a retired judge and community volunteer who has spent her life working to improve the lives of children and families. Born in Jamaica, Appelt came to Canada in 1966 and worked as a researcher in medical biochemistry at McGill University for several years. Appelt, who holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy, later became the first female Afro-Canadian to serve as a judge of the Court of Canadian Citizenship. She has spent her life working with numerous community and national organizations, including helping found the Black-Jewish dialogue of B’Nai Brith Canada. Appelt played an instrumental role in bringing the archives of iconic Jamaican-Canadian poet Louise Bennett Coverley to the McMaster University Library.