The University of Regina will present 491 students with degrees, diplomas and certificates at its annual fall convocation at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina Oct. 21 at
2 p.m.

During the ceremony, University of Saskatchewan President Peter MacKinnon will be presented with an honorary doctorate of laws degree. MacKinnon has recently finished a term as chair for the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and has played an integral role in securing the reputation of the country’s educational institutions as leaders in the knowledge-based economy.

Student awards honouring achievement will be presented to distinguished students including Bernadette Nancy Hillier, who will be given the University Prize in Social Work for earning the highest grade point average among her graduating class. She is a Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation member from the Amiskosakahikan (Beaver Lake) reserve 210, located 13 km from Creighton, Saskatchewan and a great-grandmother of one child and a grandmother to fourteen others.

The University will also confer degrees on 21 graduates from its Joint International Degree program. This is one of the largest groups to graduate from the program since its inception in 2001. Students in the program complete the first two years of their post-secondary education at a foreign university before finishing at the U of R. Noteworthy successes include Hunan University student, Juan (Daisy) Gui, who will receive the University Prize in Business Administration and Shandong University student, Qiong Wu, who will receive the University Prize in Science.

The full list of awards presented is as follows:

Stacy Singer – President’s Distinguished Graduate Student Award
The President’s Distinguished Graduate Student Award is presented to the student deemed to have achieved an exceptional thesis, exhibition or performance, and corresponding defence.

Singer graduated with a doctor of philosophy in biology at the spring 2006 convocation with an overall grade point average above 91 per cent. Singer has also been awarded two NSERC – Natural Sciences and Engineering in Research Council Post-Graduate Scholarships; one at the master’s level and one for doctoral studies. She has also received numerous graduate scholarships and graduate teaching assistantships from the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, and a Graduate Student Scholarly Research Award.

Megan Laurel Nell – President’s Medal
The President’s Medal is awarded at each spring and fall convocation to a student receiving a first degree with a minimum average of 80 per cent who has shown leadership in and commitment to extra-curricular activities.

Nell graduated with a bachelor of arts degree (great distinction) with a major in English and minors in classical studies and music. She compliments her academic achievements with volunteer activities including work as a student ambassador, work as a tutor in subjects ranging from English to physics and activities with the World University Service of Canada. She is also a member of Jazz Regina, sung with many prominent choirs and competed in various Regina music festivals.

Jason Ronald Guenther – Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) Prize
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) prize is awarded to a distinguished member of the graduating class in the Faculty of Education who does not hold another degree.

Guenther graduates with Great Distinction from the Bachelor of Education Secondary Program with a major in Business Education. Through the duration of his studies he has remained on the Dean’s List and has been the recipient of the Academic Gold Scholarship for 2004 Spring/Fall and 2004 Fall. He has also served as President of the Business Education Students Society (BESS) in 2004, as Past President in 2005-06 and as the BESS representative for the Saskatchewan business Teacher’s Association (SBTA).

Megan Laurel Nell – University Prize in Arts
The University Prize in Arts is presented each Fall Convocation to the most distinguished student in the Faculty of Arts graduating with a first degree.

Nell graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Great Distinction in English with a cumulative grade point average above 88 per cent. Nell has also been on the Dean’s List seven times, been the recipient of fourteen scholarships and has been awarded the President’s Medal.

Juan (Daisy) Gui – University Prize in Business Administration
The University Prize in Business Administration is awarded to the most distinguished student in the Faculty of Business Administration graduating with a first degree.

Gui graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration with Great Distinction. She is the first international student to be presented with this award. She came to the University of Regina through the Joint International program after finishing the first two years of post-secondary at Hunan University. While enrolled in Hunan University she achieved an average of 90 per cent and at the University of Regina she achieved an average of more than 87 per cent.

Adam Jonathon Mack – University Prize in Engineering
The University Prize in Engineering is presented to the most distinguished graduate in the Faculty of Engineering receiving a first degree.

Mack graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Industrial Systems Engineering with Great Distinction. He has also been the recipient of numerous University of Regina scholarships including two Centennial merit Scholarships, one Academic Gold Scholarship, three Academic Silver Scholarships and one Academic Silver Prize. Mack has been on the Dean’s Honour List for seven semesters.

Lynsey Nicole MacInnis – University Prize in Kinesiology and Health Studies
The University prize in Kinesiology and Health Studies is awarded to the most distinguished student of the graduating class in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies.

MacInnis graduated with a Bachelor of Kinesiology, specializing in fitness and Lifestyle. Throughout her academic career MacInnis has continued to demonstrate a strong performance in the classroom and has regularly appeared on academic achievement lists and received numerous scholarships and awards. She completed the fieldwork portion of her program with CBI Physio and Rehabilitation in Regina, where she served as an integral part of the clinical team.

Qiong Wu – University Prize in Science
The University Prize in Science is awarded to the most distinguished student graduating with a first degree from the Faculty of Science.

Wu graduated from the Joint International Degree program with Shandong University with a Bachelor of Science degree (Great Distinction) in Computer Science with a Minor in Mathematics. She has been presented with numerous awards for her academic achievements including an Academic Gold Scholarship, an Academic Silver Scholarship, the John Spencer Middleton and Jack Spencer Gordon Middleton Scholarship and the Canadian Information Processing Society Bursary and Queen City Section Bursary. She has also been on the Dean’s Honour List through the duration of her academic career.

Bernadette Nancy Hillier – University Prize in Social Work
The University Prize in Social Work is awarded to the most distinguished Social Work student achieving the highest grade point average among students graduating with a first degree in Social Work.

Hillier is a Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation member originating from the Amiskosakahikan (Beaver Lake) reserve 210, located 13 km from Creighton, Saskatchewan. She continues to devote a great deal of her time to the community and in the past has both volunteered and worked casually for the Women’s Resource Centre in Flin Flon, Manitoba and taught Cree and beadwork at the Flin Flon Friendship Center.

In all, degrees, diplomas and certificates will be presented to 187 males and 305 females by the faculties as follows:

Faculty of Arts –108
Faculty of Business Administration – 86
Centre for Continuing Education – 30
Faculty of Education – 30
Faculty of Engineering – 25
Faculty of Fine Arts – 5
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research – 109
Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies – 21
Faculty of Science – 25
Faculty of Social Work – 52

This raises the number of University of Regina alumni to almost 49,000.