University Gold Medal
Brenna Morton
B.A. Honours (Psychology)

The University Gold Medal is an opportunity to honour the best in the undergraduate graduating class of each faculty. A gold medal is awarded to the undergraduate student in the Faculty of Arts who has achieved the highest standing. This year’s recipient is Brenna Morton, who is graduating with a B.A. Honours degree with a major in psychology. This fall, she will begin the Master of Social Work program at the University of Manitoba.

Throughout her degree, Morton worked on several exciting research projects through student research assistant positions and two Undergraduate Research Awards. “These opportunities have given me skills and experiences which are applicable to the work I hope to do as a future social worker,” said Morton. She is especially grateful for her experiences with the Family and Developmental Psychopathology Lab, led by Dr. Jen Theule, through which she contributed to several research projects and presented at conferences. “I am so grateful to have received mentorship and guidance from Dr. Theule and the graduate students in her lab,” she shared.

“One of my favourite courses was an upper-level Psychology seminar called Social Justice Research with Dr. Katherine Starzyk,” shared Morton. “This course highlighted how psychological theories and concepts can be applied to real-world social issues. I hope to apply what I learned in this course about working towards social justice in my future work.”

Her message to current and future students is to be kind to yourselves when it comes to mistakes. “It’s easy to want to succeed in everything you do, but it’s important to recognize that mistakes are a part of learning and growing.”

Faculty of Arts Honours Medal
Elbethel Masresha
B.A. Honours (Political Studies and Sociology)

Elbethel Masresha is this year’s recipient of the Faculty of Arts Honours Medal awarded to the student with the highest standing in a Bachelor of Arts four-year Honours Degree Program. Masresha graduated in October 2024 with a double major in political studies and sociology. This fall, she will be attending the JD program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

Strongly committed to fighting oppression, Masresha’s studies gave her the tools to also combat hopelessness toward injustices oppressed people face around the world. “The crucial lessons and insights I have gained throughout my studies have allowed me to develop a pragmatic optimism,” she said. “There is no fruitful or just alternative to hope.”

One of her most memorable moments during her time at UM was presenting her thesis project at the Undergraduate Research Showcase. Despite initially feeling hesitant to take on this challenge, Masresha found great value in the opportunity. “Having others engage with my findings through questions and discussion allowed me to creatively expand upon the analysis,” she said. She is especially grateful for the empowering guidance of Dr. Mara Fridell, her honours thesis advisor.

Faculty of Arts Advanced Medal
Kaidyn Brasch
B.A. Advanced (Psychology)

The award for the highest standing in a Bachelor of Arts four-year Advanced Degree Program goes to Kaidyn Brasch. During her undergraduate degree, she majored in psychology and minored in linguistics. She will soon be entering the Master of Occupational Therapy program at UM.

The main thing that stood out to Brasch in her UM experience was professors such as Dr. Tamara Taillieu (Tammy), Dr. Barbara Borges, and Ms. Diana Milner, who expanded their teaching to include experiences and applications outside of the classroom. “Real-life stories and passion were a big driver for me as I navigated my degree,” said Brasch. “With my goal of becoming an OT and working with people, I valued seeing how the knowledge could be applied.”

Brasch shared that scholarships and bursaries were incredibly instrumental as she worked through her degree. “Working hard to keep my grades up definitely benefited me, as my academic achievements were rewarded with scholarships,” she said. Growing up in a small rural town, another aspect that helped her in her studies was the welcoming environment at the Faculty of Arts. “Being a part of the Faculty of Arts means being a part of a warm, welcoming community of students and staff,” shared Brasch.

She advises current and future students to “not be afraid to wander from the path you initially thought was right for you. It took experience in courses to secure the right path for me. Have a goal, but don’t be afraid to explore all of your possible paths. You truly don’t know until you try!” 

Faculty of Arts General Medal
Melissa Schwartz
B.A. (French)

Melissa Schwartz is the 2025 recipient of the Faculty of Arts General Medal, awarded for highest standing in a Bachelor of Arts three-year General Degree Program. Schwartz completed a major in French and a minor in music. After graduation, she will be pursuing a Bachelor of Education at Université de Saint-Boniface.

Schwartz’s journey had its twists and turns – she started studying music with the plans of heading towards a musical career but then built a career with the military. During her time in the military, she learned French and loved it, and so when it was time for a career change she decided to return to university and become a French teacher. “A degree doesn’t necessarily lead where you’d expect,” she said. “You might not end up doing what you planned, but it doesn’t mean that you’ve given up on a dream. The opportunities that you embrace can lead to something even better.”

She advises students to be aware of the many types of student support that are available to them on campus. “Try as many of them as you can,” said Schwartz. “You never know what might speak to you.”

Congratulations to the Faculty of Arts medal winners.

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UM Bisons are at the centre of it all, making a difference here in Manitoba and around the world. 3058 degrees are being awarded at Spring Convocation 2025 (over 620 are from the Faculty of Arts), bringing the total number of UM graduates to 4200 so far this year. Many of these new alumni will stay in Manitoba, supplying high-demand skills to the labour market and contributing to UM’s $7.3 billion economic impact on our community.

Visit the UM Student Instagram  and Faculty of Arts Instagram to learn more about some of the students graduating in 2025. You’ll find congratulations messages from fellow graduates and professors, stories about fellow graduates, more information about convocation and tips for new alumni. You can also join the ‘Convocation conversation’ on social media by following #convocation2025.

Siem, a political studies major who will graduate with a B.A. Honours degree in 2025, worked at Narratives Inc.—a Winnipeg-based consulting agency specializing in supporting Indigenous communities. This paid work experience was possible thanks to the Faculty of Arts Co-op Program, which invites students to alternate regular academic terms with paid, full-time employment.

Advice and support

“When I first decided to join the Co-op Program, it was because I had just switched from another degree into the Faculty of Arts,” said Siem. “I had no idea what type of jobs there were that you could get with an Arts degree. I talked with the wonderful Co-op advisors, and they explained to me that becoming a Co-op student could actually help me decide what type of career I wanted and explore what my options were.” After going through the process of creating a resume, applying for jobs and attending interviews, Siem accepted an offer to join Narratives as a planning intern.

Skill building and work experience

Narratives’ unique portfolio includes impact assessment, traditional land relations, as well as conflict transformation—a proactive approach that addresses the root causes of disputes. Siem got to work on a diverse range of projects while collaborating with a wide array of professionals. “I worked with many folks from environmental and technical research,” she shared “I have been able to expand upon my writing skills, learning how to analyze policies within the environmental world, and understanding the financial management side of things with writing funding applications.” She also participated in multiple professional training sessions – including software research coding and mapping and Trauma Awareness.

Siem’s advice to other co-op students is to not be afraid to ask questions during meetings, “As a student, this is your time to ask questions to help you learn. As an employee, this is your time to show your managers you are interested in the work and ready to contribute ideas!” According to Siem, co-workers and team leaders can also become meaningful mentors, providing useful advice on further education and career paths. 

Faculty of Arts Co-op Program

The Faculty of Arts Co-op Program is offered in several areas of study, including: anthropology, central and east European studies, criminology, economics, English, film studies, German, history, labour studies, linguistics, political studies, psychology, sociology, religion and theatre. The program supports students in the job search process as well as during the work experience terms, and allows students to develop professional and technical skills, network and even travel – all of this can help students with creating a smooth transition from university to the job market.

Réal Carrière, assistant professor and Royce Koop, professor of the Department of Political Studies in the Faculty of Arts received the award at the Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA) annual conference held at McGill University, Montréal, Québec.

As colleagues, Carrière and Koop were looking to combine their interests – Carrière’s in Indigenous politics and Koop’s in representation – and realized there was a large gap on the question of Indigenous representation. “We wanted to allow Indigenous politicians to speak through their own voices, and the research was designed to allow that to happen,” said Koop. The article is the result of three years of work analysing past research, interviewing current and former politicians from six provinces and then sharing their findings on an original conceptualization of Indigenous representation.

The researchers found that “other studies have explored how representatives work on behalf of racialized peoples, women or LGBTQ+ Canadians. But, Indigenous representatives are unique because they exist in two worlds: (1) the colonial democratic institutions they are elected to serve in and (2) the Indigenous nations that are engaged in ongoing struggles for their own sovereignty. Reconciling their roles with these two worlds is at the heart of Indigenous political representation for these elected officials.”

“As you walk into this place, there’s potential to make a difference. But also, a sadness at what that place did to our people. So, you almost have a stronger obligation to right the wrongs of the past, to move forward in a different way, in a better way, in a stronger way, that’s inclusive of Indigenous peoples.” – Interviewee 8

“I went into this project thinking that representation is representation,” said Carrière. “However, now I feel this project has just opened the door to our understanding of Indigenous representation.” In Canada, there is a growing interest in topics related to Indigenous peoples in political science. The researchers sought to conduct their study in a different way, by engaging directly with the individuals and then seeing and describing the findings through their eyes. “Our discipline is still learning how to interact with Indigenous peoples and scholarship,” added Carrière. “This project provides a path forward for other scholars. The way Royce and I worked together shows meaningful and successful partnership.”

Carrière and Koop’s research in this area continues. They plan to take what they’ve learned from speaking with MPs and MLAs and apply it to a wider study of Indigenous politicians in First Nations and advocacy organizations such as the AFN. They also hope that other academics will take the framework they’ve developed and employ it in their own studies.

In the general Canadian political landscape, Carrière and Koop feel that “the ongoing processes of reconciliation and decolonization could be aided by more Indigenous representatives in both federal and provincial politics.” Even with the realistic challenges the Indigenous representatives face, the research shows the benefits of this approach. However, Koop clarifies that there are still “significant obstacles to this within Canada’s colonial institutions, including electing more Indigenous representatives and giving them the freedom to actually advocate for and advance the interests of Indigenous peoples.” Carrière adds that before we can expect future change, we must also recognize that there are “many layers to Indigenous representation. While Canada has preferred to create relationships with central figures, Indigenous peoples are diverse and so is Indigenous representation.”

The award provides recognition that the research they are pursuing is helping to advance the discipline and bring attention to the topic. “So much work goes into every article and every publication that, of course, any recognition is very special,” shared Koop. “It meant a lot to me as well because of the partnership between Réal and I that led to it. It was a unique combination of skills and interests that produced something that neither of us would likely have produced on our own, and so having the product of that collaboration recognized is very special.”

Open access of “Indigenous Political Representation in Canada,” CJPS Vol 56:2, 257- 278, June 2023.

The Honourable Bob Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York and this year’s guest speaker at the Paul Buteux Memorial Lecture, opened the conference to an audience of over 400 at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. He lamented the failure of the UN to recognize, address and prevent the terrors we see today. Ambassador Rae began his speech by quoting Blaise Pascal, who, 400 years ago, declared that justice without force is powerless, but force without justice is tyranny. This statement is as relevant today as it was then. Regardless of the UN’s struggles, the Ambassador invited the audience to recognize that the organization was not designed to solve every conflict and every injustice. Since its creation, we have seen gains in human rights around the world. There are no more empires, and we have developed vaccines. However, what was beginning to look like a rule of law 80 years ago, is again becoming a rule of force. Ambassador Rae is clear-eyed about the challenges the UN faces.

The second day of the conference, held at UM’s Fort Garry Campus, began with a panel entitled ‘UN Peacekeeping,’ featuring current and retired service members who participated in various UN missions. Both Canadian and Peruvian military shared their experiences in various UN-led operations and peacekeeping missions, including MINUSMA (Mali), UNMIS (Sudan), MINUSTAH (Haiti), and United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). Panellists spoke on the varying degrees of successes and failures of mission mandates and the reasoning behind them. The uniqueness of this panel came from a combination of factual and informative accounts paired with very personal stories about what happened on the ground during these missions.

The second panel, entitled ‘the UN of the Present and Future,’ showcased academics from UM speaking to issues of Indigenous participation and recognition at the UN, UN reform, and the UN’s complexities when addressing and prosecuting acts of genocide. From the obstacles created by the veto wielded by five states (the Permanent Members) to the failure to prevent and recognize acts of mass atrocities and aggression, the UN is far from perfect. But even with its imperfections, it is the only multilateral organization to effectively and legally create lasting change in the world. The Charter, therefore, should be viewed as a living instrument that can be interpreted contemporarily to deal with evolving international complexities. The day concluded with a keynote address from the Honourable Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, Canada’s Former Minister of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Axworthy underscored sentiments preached by Mr. Rae and the panellists about the importance of cooperation among states and Canada’s important role in creating a more peaceful world.

This year’s PSSC was attended by numerous local and international guests, including staff and students from UM, University of North Dakota, West Point Military Academy, multiple high schools as well as the general public. As a student-run conference, the PSSC enables a new generation of future political leaders, activists and academics to engage in essential topics of today’s ever-changing world. In addition to the invaluable insights attendees gain from speakers, one of the greatest learning opportunities that stem from events like these lies in their foundation. The process of organizing this conference enabled student volunteers to enhance various skills ranging from media, communications and detailed planning, to leadership, time management and, perhaps most importantly, teamwork. Such skills can be brought into students’ future workplace and volunteer opportunities. Overall, the conference provided a thoughtful exploration of how the UN has evolved, adapted, and prevailed despite events ranging from great power quarrels to civil wars and even genocide. The UN remains at the cornerstone of solving issues pertaining to international peace and security, fostering dialogue and providing aid. The UN advances dialogue between states that possess varying systems of governance, opposing religions and distinctive social and cultural views. Differences will always be a challenge, but finding common ground despite dissimilarities is the mandate of the UN. In a similar fashion, the PSSC attempts to do the same.

Listen to the 2025 Paul Buteux Memorial Lecture with Hon. Bob Rae on YouTube

Watch the 2025 PSSC keynote with Hon. Dr. Lloyd Axworthy on YouTube

On January 29th and 30th, all are invited to revisit the past while engaging in important topics of the present. The 2025 conference features keynotes from two venerable Canadians along with a number of scholars and practitioners as the conference presents The UN at 80.

Stretching over two days, this conference commemorates the 80^th anniversary of the United Nations offering expert insights into the UN, it’s history, the significance of the 80-year milestone, and critical current and future UN-related topics.

On January 29, the conference begins at 6:00 p.m. with the Paul Buteux Memorial Lecture, delivered by Hon. Bob Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York. The keynote is followed by a Davos style Q&A with Hon. Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and longtime Winnipeg advocate. This event takes place at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Register for this event.

The second day of the conference (January 30) offers two panels of experts plus keynote speaker Hon. Dr. Lloyd Axworthy. Day two events take place in the MPR, 2^nd floor UMSU University Centre.

• Panel One: UN Peacekeeping, 10:00 am – 11:15 am
• Panel Two: UN of the Present and Future, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
• Keynote: Hon. Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, The UN at 80: Reflections, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm (includes Q&A). Register for this keynote.

The PSSC is the leading Manitoba-based forum on international affairs, defence and security which regularly leaves marks not only in Canadian strategic thinking but more broadly on the continent. Created by Dr. Paul Buteux and organized by the students of the Department of Political Studies at UM, the conference aims to challenge conventional wisdom in the field and present policymakers with alternatives for the future. Since its inauguration in 1985, the J.W. Dafoe PSSC has proudly hosted a multiplicity of academics, activists, government officials, media and students from across Canada, the United States and Europe. It is free and open to the public.

Student organizers for the 2025 PSSC are: Madlin Murad (political studies undergraduate), Cooper Roy (political studies undergraduate), David Sopotyk (political studies MA), Lindsay Speirs (political studies MA) and Sasha Tiaglei (political studies and Central and East European studies undergraduate). The group is guided by Dr. Andrea Charron, professor of political studies and director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies.

Attendees can reserve their free tickets to PSSC events and find more information on the speakers and sponsors on the PSSC conference webpage. Questions may be directed to PSSC@umanitoba.ca or visit them on Instagram or X @umpssc.

Start the new year off with important and timely political and international affairs discussions at these upcoming events.

He noted that tensions continue to exist within the party, which is often divided between a pro-business side and a pro-social welfare and mixed economy side.

“Justin Trudeau brought them more to the social democratic left side of the party with major spending, major deficits, but also some very positive social programs like daycare and support for health, pharmaceutical plans, dental plans,” he said.

To read the entire article, please follow the link to CNA Singapore. 

“You look at south Manitoba, and those are rich farmlands,” he says. “They’re large corporate farms, and they’re heavily capitalized with big investments into farm machinery… It’s not like the co-operative movement in the Saskatchewan politics of the CCF.”

To read the entire story, please follow the link to the Winnipeg Free Press.

“I’m still not clear on the budgetary path that they claim that they’ve set for themselves and how they’re going to get there,” Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba, said Tuesday.

The government’s fiscal update, released Monday, showed spending is forecast to end up $475 million over budget, driven primarily by health costs. That has increased the projected deficit for the current fiscal year to $1.3 billion, up from the $796 million originally predicted in the spring budget.

To read the entire article, please follow the link to The Canadian Press. 

“It stretches the imagination that someone would challenge a journalist and say, ‘Show us proof that the federal Liberals have been boasting about him being one of their Indigenous members of caucus,’” said Chris Adams, a political scientist from the University of Manitoba.

“It’s quite common to see the political parties boasting about Indigenous people as part of their campaign team, and then when they’re elected.”

To read the entire story, please follow the link with APTN News. 

Nolan De Leon, 2024 Falling Walls Manitoba winner.

Falling Walls Lab is an international competition, created by the Falling Walls Foundation, inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.  It promotes research and innovation in all disciplines, by posing the question, “Which walls will fall next?” 

Nolan De Leon (Dr.MD, PhD) won the grand prize sponsored by InfoMagnetics Technologies. The prize includes $1000 cash along with airfare and accommodations in Berlin, Germany to compete in the global Falling Walls competition finale Nov. 7 to 9 with their presentation, Breaking the Wall of Prenatal Diagnostics.

Megan Crooks (MA Clinical Psychology) won the second-place prize of $750 sponsored by Research Manitoba, with the presentation entitled, Breaking the Wall of Phantom Pain Prevention.

Anastasia Matsko (Dr.Med/PhD) was the third-place finalist winning $500 sponsored by QDoc Virtual Healthcare with the presentation Breaking the Wall of Dental Implants.

Sajad Saraygord Afshari (PhD, P.Eng, Postdoc), won the Audience Choice award of $500 sponsored by Red River College Polytechnic for the presentation, Breaking the Wall of AI-Powered Drone Work: Revolutionizing Wildfire Prevention.

“The Falling Walls Lab is an important opportunity to showcase the world-class research happening every day in Manitoba and I would like to thank the large community who came together to bring this celebration to life,” said Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, Associate Vice-President Partnerships Knowledge Mobilization & Innovation. “Students are the greatest drivers of change in addressing the pressing challenges faced by society and by empowering entrepreneurs and innovators across disciplines we can make these great ideas a reality.”

Congratulations to all the presenters for sharing their exciting research and being a part of this second Falling Walls Manitoba event:

• Mahdi Zakeri (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Bone Loss & Healing
• Abhinav Tiwari (Agriculture & Food Science): Breaking the Wall of Grain Drying
• Juanita Garcia (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Exercise in Spinal Injury
• Venkata Daggupati (Computing & Information Science): Breaking the Wall of Emergency Room Challenges
• Anastasia Matsko (Engineering & Technology): Breaking the Wall of Dental Implants
• Hussein Agoushi (Architecture & Urban Studies): Breaking the Wall of Community Silence
• Samantha Phrakonkham (Healthcare & Technology): Breaking the Wall of Eye Healthcare
• Sajad Saraygord Afshari (Engineering & Technology): Breaking the Wall of AI-Powered Drone Work: Revolutionizing Wildfire Prevention
• Amir Barzegar Behrooz (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Alzheimer’s Therapy
• Megan Crooks (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Phantom Pain Prevention
• Nolan De Leon (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Prenatal Diagnostics
• Carmine Slipski (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Oral Health Detection