This year’s program focused on innovative and sustainable transportation solutions to meet the needs of Canadians. Each group of students received training in entrepreneurial and creative problem-solving, as well as pitching their ideas. They collaborated on projects to examine the realities of public transportation in Manitoba and design game-changing solutions to address the challenges they identified.

Daniel Heschuk and Shad students at a coaching session.

“Coaching the Shad participants has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. In just one month, I’ve had the opportunity to see an exceptional amount of growth in these students as they work in teams to solve a complex problem,” said Daniel Heschuk, program development specialist at the Science Innovation Hub, Faculty of Science.

The highlight of this program, hosted by several faculties at UM, is the unique opportunity for students to travel to Churchill. This year, the journey took on a new dimension through the lens of transportation, where the very act of reaching Churchill turned into an educational experience: a nine-hour bus ride to Thompson, followed by 16 hours on the train through the boreal forest and tundra.

Shad students at Churchill.

“The Shad students’ journey to Churchill offered a profound lesson in what it means to truly understand and appreciate life in a remote northern community. The distance alone underscores both the remoteness and the resilience that define life in these communities,” said Associate Dean (Administrative) Krystyna Koczanski.

Immersed in this journey, students experienced firsthand both the stark beauty and the daily challenges of life in the region.

Shad students at Churchill with Danielle Pahud.

“Once there, we toured the Churchill Marine Observatory and discussed how the proposed shipping port—and climate change in general—might affect the quality of the waters and ice, as well as the living beings that depend on them,” said Dr. Danielle Pahud, program director of Shad Manitoba and instructor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “For example, we visited Polar Bears International to learn about how polar bears live and depend on Arctic sea ice. We also spent time on the water learning about and interacting with the beluga whales. It was a memorable, wonder-filled experience that I am grateful we were able to provide to the Shads. I hope they have returned to their homes and are sharing how special Churchill is with their friends and family all across the country.”

Krystyna Koczanski and Janine Carmichael at Shad students’ presentations, 2024.

Koczanski also emphasizes that these experiences serve as a reminder of why young people need adventure and courage to embrace uncertainty and risk: “This experience nurtures deeper empathy, respect, and awareness of what it means to live where geography and climate shape resources and opportunities.”

To see the students in action, please visit the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel.

The program is made possible through strong collaboration across the university, working closely with Laurie Schnarr, Vice-Provost (Students), and supported by the office of Dr. Diane Hiebert-Murphy, Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

Wawatay’s summer orientation offers an enriching experience from engaging campus tours to exciting icebreakers and social events. Students will have plenty of opportunities to connect with their peers while enjoying a variety of food options. Throughout orientation, they explore key campus landmarks like research labs, Buller Greenhouse, libraries, Lockhart Planetarium and the Indigenous Student Centre. They develop essential skills in writing and oral presentation and learn about all of the resources available to them on campus.

Melanie Lalonde, Carrie Selin

“Wawatay orientation is about coming together as a community and creating community for students. It is a chance for students to connect with one another, meet the Indigenous community at the UM, and meet mentors. They also have the opportunity to take part in activities that root us in both culture and science. We hope students leave orientation knowing that they have a strong circle of support around them and feeling ready to begin their academic journey with confidence”, Melanie Lalonde, Wawatay Program Development Specialist.

“Orientation is one of the best parts of my job – every summer we get to grow our Wawatay family and welcome a new group of amazing students. It’s the time when we help each of the students begin building their own Indigenous community here at UM, where First Nations, Métis, and Inuit identities are honored and we celebrate who we are together”, Carrie Selin, Wawatay Academic Program Lead.

To learn more about Wawatay and the summer orientation 2025, you can visit the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel.

“This is an extremely popular field of study at the moment, as changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiome have been shown to be associated with all sorts of diseases”, says McGregor.

The size and the atypical probability distribution of microbiome data are the two main challenges that scientists face in this field. McGregor’s work is novel in developing methodologies for data dimension reduction. His PhD student, Saurabh Panchasara, has developed a method that addresses this.

To learn more about McGregor’s work and his vision for the future, please visit the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel.

With the fast growth of computer science and its applications in almost every field, the undergraduate programs offered by the department are an amazing opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge needed to feel confident in your career choices.

From Machine Learning (ML) to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and data security, the department offers a wide range of research groups you can join. Whether you’re an undergraduate student looking for valuable lab experience or a graduate student looking to engage in cutting-edge research, the department has many research experts who lead the way.

The Department of Computer Science is also strongly committed to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA), making sure everyone is supported while recognizing and addressing the inherent systemic biases.

To learn more about the department and hear from the community that makes it an amazing place to work and study, please visit the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel.

The award recognizes Pistorius’s contributions to strengthening the Canadian physics community, enhancing the profession of physical scientists, communicating physics to the public and making physics more attractive as a career. All of which Pistorius has accomplished through over 30 years of service in various roles.

“Stephen Pistorius is, first and foremost, a dedicated and inspirational leader, a creative and efficient administrator, and simultaneously, an excellent and innovative researcher”, says Dr. Robert Stamps, the head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manitoba.

When asked what drives him to serve his community through leadership, Pistorius says, “That’s sort of come naturally. People ask people for help, and I tend to have a difficulty in saying no,” he continues, “But while it’s a lot of work, I enjoy it. And I enjoy making a difference.”

To learn more about Pistorius’s contributions and service to Canadian physics and medical physics, please watch the full interview on the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel.

At the heart of the evening celebration was the recognition of the perseverance of Indigenous students pursuing science degrees at the University of Manitoba. The event marked an important milestone for Wawatay and its growing community, with heartfelt acknowledgements of student accomplishments and a feast shared in unity.

The evening honoured three exceptional graduates:

• Taylor MacLeod [BSc/22]
• Brandon Wozniak [BSc/25]
• Jenessa Martel [BSc/25]

Each graduate was celebrated for their hard work, determination and contributions to the Wawatay community. As part of the celebration, they were gifted handmade graduation medallions to honour their achievement and the significance of their academic journey. Their stories reflect the essence of what Wawatay stands for: academic achievement, cultural identity and supporting one another as a community.

In the weeks leading up to the celebration, students were invited to reflect on their experiences in Wawatay and the connections they’ve built over the past year.

“I loved that I got to meet so many wonderful people, both students and staff, throughout the Wawatay school year,” shared one student.

Another added, “The best part of being in Wawatay is that it’s like being in a family.”

The dinner served as a recognition of individual accomplishments, a celebration of community, and collective resilience. It brought everyone together in a space of reconnection, reflection and shared joy.

Wawatay was created as a space where Indigenous students could thrive. It was created to be a space where many Nations, languages, teachings and life experiences are welcomed and celebrated. From students raised in ceremony and language to those reconnecting with their heritage, Wawatay affirms that all these stories matter, and all these stories belong.

While rooted in science education, the Wawatay student community is inclusive of Indigenous students pursuing science-related degrees across other faculties. The program also ensures students are aware of and connected to other Indigenous-led programs on campus. Many Wawatay Scholars are active in the Indigenous Circle of Empowerment, Bison Spirit and other cultural and leadership opportunities.

Together, Wawatay Scholars are building a space where Indigenous excellence shines in many forms. A space where students can bring their whole selves into their learning, supported by a community that honours their strengths, identity and potential.

As the program continues to grow, events like the Annual Wawatay Celebration Dinner reflect the core values of Wawatay: love, support, academic success, and a deep commitment to Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.

From left to right, Andrea Ladouceur, Rana Ahmed, Paula Pineda Sanchez, Ghosoun Alomari

Ahmed is part of a team of three, with two other members being Ghosoun Alomari and Paula Pineda Sanchez. Alomari and Sanchez are two undergraduate students in the Faculty of Science. When Ahmed pitched their idea, she was competing against seven more teams. All of which had innovative ideas to tackle real-world problems and positively impact communities.

Selecting the winner was not an easy task for the judges. All the teams had brilliant ideas and worked relentlessly on their pitch. However, one could see how everyone was moved by Ahmed’s pitch. At the end, “A Smarter Way to Stop Cholera Outbreaks – No Antibiotics Needed” won first place. 

“We were over the moon… I didn’t expect that because all the finalists were excellent”, said Ahmed in her interview with the Faculty of Science. She mentioned their team has heard from the Bioscience Association of Manitoba to see how they can advance the project. For the future, Ahmed and her team would like to apply to the Lab2Market program at UM. They hope to get funds, proceed with the idea, and see it come to fruition in real-world applications.

To learn more about the project, watch the full interview on the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel. 

Jerry Lu, PhD Student; Jiguang Yao, PhD Student; both from the Department of Physics and Astronomy

You might think controlling the speed of light directionally is a far-fetched idea. But what seems like science fiction is very much the reality of two PhD students’ work. Jiguang Yao and Jerry Lu are PhD students at the UM Faculty of Science. They are both members of Dr. Can-Ming Hu’s lab at the Department of Physics and Astronomy. They also collaborate with Dr. Greg E. Bridges from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 

The Physical Review Letters recently published their work as an Editor’s Suggestion. Their work was also Featured in Physics via a Viewpoint article. In their paper, the team advances the pursuit of controlling the speed of light by achieving both slow and fast light within a single system. 

They precisely control the group velocity of a microwave pulse through the power of magnetism to realise nonreciprocal propagation. This is one of the oldest disciplines in physics. This means, while the pulse is delayed in one direction, it advances in the other direction. It creates the possibility of one side seeing the pulse in slow motion, while the other sees it in fast motion. 

“It’s mainly important for information technology that uses light as the medium. In these kinds of technologies, the information is carried by the light pulse. So, our technology allows you to control the pulse speed to regulate the information. It also has the potential to enable a completely new type of logical devices”, says Yao. 

Watch the full video on the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel to learn more.

Students shared powerful reflections on the impact their chosen teachers had on their lives, highlighting the dedication, compassion, and humour these educators brought to the classroom. For some, the most influential teachers were also the toughest—those who held them to high standards because they genuinely believed in their ability to succeed.

“My mom went to a parent-teacher conference. I had an excellent report card—except for all the classes I had with one teacher, Ms. Margaret Wiens. My grades in her class were thirty percent lower than every other class,” shared Christine Hay, the outstanding student selected from the Faculty of Education. “The rural school I attended was a Grade 4 to 12 school, with no high school art programming at all. Margaret Wiens was a teacher who saw the value of art in education. So, when I decided in Grade 12, four years later, that I wanted to apply to the School of Art at UM with no arts training at all, it was Ms. Wiens who learned how to build an entrance portfolio and mentored me through the entire process—during her lunches, her preps, and after school. I did end up getting direct entry into the School of Art. It is with deep gratitude that I stand here today and thank you, 23 years later, for showing up every day with grit, for showing me grace, and for being an example of how I hope to show up for my future students.”

Left image from left to right, Yvonne Fenner, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding student, Ms. Margaret Hart, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding teacher. Right image from left to right, Mr.  Ron Constant, Joe A. Ross School, outstanding teacher, Yvonne Fenner, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding student

This year’s Students’ Teacher Recognition Reception was held on May 5 bringing together students, their selected teachers, faculty representatives, and invited guests for an afternoon of meaningful celebration. The event was hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and emceed by the Centre’s Director, Dr. Erica Jung.

Dr. Diane Hiebert-Murphy, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) brought greetings and shared her own reflections on the educators who made a lasting impact in her life. “I think back to my high school teachers’ who encouraged me to recognize potential that I didn’t fully see in myself, and some University Professors who helped shape the direction of my academic life, and ultimately my professional life. These individuals will never fully appreciate or know the impact that they had on me, but I certainly think about them every year when I come to this reception.”

Throughout the afternoon, students spoke not only about the academic guidance they received but also the personal support their teachers offered—support that extended beyond the classroom. Many shared stories of educators who cared deeply, often becoming mentors, role models, and even friends.

Yvonne Fenner, the outstanding student from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, spoke with heartfelt appreciation about the many ways her selected teachers supported her. “It wasn’t only the educational part of this journey that she helped me with. Ms. Margaret Hart was there for me on a personal note, as I have called on her many times in the last two years.” Ms. Margaret Hart, a First Nations Indigenous educator in the health sciences, shared that the presence of Indigenous students carries deep personal significance. “I’m there to nurture the students’ learning, but also, I’m there to nurture their identities too”—a sentiment that reflects a commitment not only to academic growth but to personal and cultural growth as well.

Following the ceremony, attendees had a chance to mingle, take photos, and reflect on the meaningful connections that helped shape their journeys.

Faculty of Law student Alessandro Potenza put it best: “I know that we were not uniquely smart, but instead, that we had a uniquely exceptional teacher.” A sentiment echoed by many—while talent may open the door, it’s great educators who help students walk through it.

For a full list of award recipients, please visit our webpage.

This year, we talked with Riya Timpog, our wonderful co-op coordinator for Life Sciences programs at the Faculty of Science. Timpog comes from a background in the arts and psychology with expertise and experience in career development and community building. She is a proud Filipino Canadian who implements the concept of “bayanihan” into her work with the students.

Co-op Works! event, November 2024, from top left, Ivy Mannil (Computational Sciences Co-op Coordinator), followed by senior Co-op student presenters: Gulnaaz, Dadiso, Owen; bottom left to right: Riya Timpog, Louis, Miao Yi, Eldrec; virtual presenters Randi and Vincent.

“One thing that I also hold really dearly as a Filipino Canadian and that I try to incorporate in my position here in the Faculty of Science in an academic Canadian environment, are the values of hard work, resilience, positivity, and the concept of “bayanihan”, which is the spirit of community, belonging to a community, helping one another without expecting anything in return”, says Timpog.

Summer 2024 site visit at the St Boniface General Hospital with Witta (Genetics student, far left), Princess (Co-op alum and current employee, 2nd from right), and Dr. Wenjing He (Co-op supervisor, far right)

Timpog tells us that she sees her position in the Faculty of Science as an opportunity to represent her community in academia and the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and show that Filipino Canadians belong in various capacities in science and make meaningful contributions in different ways.

Watch the full interview on the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel to be inspired by Timpog and her work at the University of Manitoba.