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News Release

University of Regina celebrates Spring 2024 Convocation

Release Date: June 12, 2024 10:00 AM

The University of Regina is celebrating 2,529 graduating students who will be receiving 2,672 degrees, diplomas, and certificates at Spring 2024 Convocation June 12, 13, and 14.

“Spring Convocation is a joyous occasion and, just as we anticipate and celebrate the arrival of spring each year, we look forward to Convocation as the end of one season in our students’ lives and the beginning of another,” said Dr. Jeff Keshen, U of R President and Vice-Chancellor. “To our graduating students: whether you are continuing your academic pursuits with us, attending another institution of higher learning, entering the workforce, or continuing your career, the University is very proud to be a part of your growth and we look forward to your future successes.”

“It is my great pleasure to preside over convocation and observe students being presented with the credentials they have earned, growing our alumni family to more than 90,000,” said University of Regina Chancellor Pam Klein. “As it should be, Convocation is a formal occasion, steeped in ceremony and history, pomp and circumstance. It is a celebration recognizing these students' achievements in reaching this milestone. I congratulate you all!” 

Several graduates are also being recognized for their outstanding academic accomplishments, volunteer service and involvement in the community. They include: 

The Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal is awarded to Elyssa Jeanne Tromp Loewen who has earned her Master of Science in Biology. The award recognizes the outstanding academic performance of a graduate student. Loewen’s thesis describes the first insects found in amber deposits in Saskatchewan and the evolutionary and ecological significance of insects preserved a million years before dinosaurs became extinct. The first chapter of her thesis became an article in the high-impact journal Current Biology. She has presented at national conferences and delivered a regular Radio Canada segment on fossils. 

The Governor General’s Academic Silver Medal, which recognizes the most distinguished undergraduate student receiving a first degree over the past academic year, is awarded to Saeid Hooshyar. He is also the recipient of the University Prize in Science, which is awarded to the most distinguished student graduating with a first degree from the Faculty of Science. Saeid is graduating with a cumulative grade point average of 96.62% and was on the Dean’s Honour List every term. Saeid’s honours research examined problems across the fields of operator theory, matrix analysis, and complex analysis.

The President’s Medal is awarded to Mitchell John Brough who is earning a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electronic Systems Engineering with Great Distinction. The University of Regina President’s Medal is awarded at each Convocation to a student receiving a first undergraduate degree who has shown academic excellence, as well as major leadership in and commitment to extra-curricular activities. Brough is also awarded the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Dean’s Medal which recognizes the achievements of an outstanding student in the faculty. 

The University Medal is awarded to Vanna Hung who is currently a student in the Faculty of Science. The University Medal is presented annually at Spring Convocation to the most distinguished student who has demonstrated academic excellence in all courses completed during the previous 12 months with a minimum of 30 credit hours in two terms. Hung is working towards a Bachelor of Science in Biology. 

Other academic award recipients include: 

Lindsay Demchuk - W.A. Riddell Award in Media, Art, and Performance, and Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance Dean's Medal
Heather Foy - Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies Dean's Medal
Amelia Gripton - Bachelor of Education After Degree Convocation Prize
Justin Gwilliam - Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan Gold Medal in Engineering
Thomas Haidl - Faculty of Science Dean’s Medal
McKenna Halonen – College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan Gold Medal for Excellence in Clinical Practice
Mattea Hamilton – Faculty of Nursing and School of Nursing Dean’s Medal
Andrea Johnston - University Prize in Social Work and Faculty of Social Work Dean’s Medal
Jenna Kazeil – S.E. Stewart Award in Arts
Jadyn Kushniruk - University Prize in Kinesiology and Health Studies
Robert Guy Lane – Leon Goldman Scholarship Faculty of Business Administration
Jenna Elizabeth Meili - Faculty of Business Administration Dean’s Medal
Ada Bran Roque - Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation Award
Shalaine Sackman - Faculty of Arts Dean’s Medal 

Honorary degrees will also be awarded during convocation to Joseph Naytowhow, June 12, Dr. Bhanu Prasad, June 13, and Dr. Marlene Smadu, June 14. Separate media releases on each recipient will be issued.

The ceremonies begin each day at 2 p.m. in the main Gymnasium in the Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport on the University’s main campus. A live stream of each day’s ceremony will be available on the University’s Facebook page, and a recording of the proceedings will be posted to allow those unable to attend in person, to view the celebration online.

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Contact

Everett Dorma
University Advancement & Communications
Everett.Dorma@uregina.ca
Phone: 306-337-8451

About the University of Regina

2024 marks our 50th anniversary as an independent University (although our roots as Regina College date back more than a century!). As we celebrate our past, we work towards a future that is as limitless as the prairie horizon. We support the health and well-being of our 16,700 students and provide them with hands-on learning opportunities to develop career-ready graduates – more than 88,000 alumni enrich communities in Saskatchewan and around the globe. Our research enterprise has grown to include 21 research centres and 12 Canada Research Chairs. Our campuses are on Treaties 4 and 6 – the territories of the nêhiyawak, Anihšināpēk, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda peoples, and the homeland of the Michif/Métis nation. We seek to grow our relationships with Indigenous communities to build a more inclusive future.

Let’s go far, together.