The University of Waterloo is pleased to recognize three outstanding graduate students as recipients of the prestigious Governor General's Gold Medal at Spring 2025 Convocation.
This distinguished award honours graduate students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and a remarkable commitment to scholarly excellence. These recipients exemplify the brilliance and impact of our academic community, contributing transformative research and advancing knowledge for the betterment of society.
Each year, the Advisory Committee on Graduate Scholarships and Awards carefully reviews nominations to select the medal recipients. Nominees who are not selected will be recognized as University Finalists and will receive a certificate of distinction.
This year, we are delighted to present the Governor General's Gold Medal to one master's and two PhD graduands. Please join us in celebrating their extraordinary accomplishments and the inspiration they bring to our academic community.
Laura Pierson (Master of Mathematics in Combinatorics and Optimization)
Faculty of Mathematics
Supervisors: Drs. Oliver Pechenik and Logan Crew
Laura Pierson's research applied algebraic tools to the study of discrete mathematical structures. She studied colouring problems (like finding all ways to colour a map so that neighbouring countries get different colours) using deep and modern ideas from pure mathematics like homology and K-theory. Pierson proved several unrelated conjectures that had been posed by established mathematicians. She was also the first to make significant progress on multiple other open problems.
"I chose to study at Waterloo because unlike most schools, it has an entire Faculty of Mathematics, with a whole department uniquely focused on the area of math I'm most interested in," she says. "I don't think there are many schools where I could have been surrounded by so many people with similar mathematical interests to me."
Pierson plans to pursue a PhD in mathematics.
Dr. Michelle Anagnostouo (PhD in Geography)
Faculty of Environment
Supervisor: Dr. Brent Doberstein
Dr. Michelle Anagnostou's research examined global illegal wildlife trade a significant and growing form of organized crime which intersects with other forms of serious crimes like trafficking in drugs, humans and arms a phenomenon called "crime convergence."
Her work also explored the types and global patterns of crime convergence in illegal wildlife trade by uncovering its conceptual and theoretical foundations.
Her dissertation is comprised of data from interviewing 112 law enforcement personnel and other experts in key source, transit and destination regions that include Canada, South Africa and Hong Kong.
"I chose the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Environment for its reputation as a leader in innovative research and its vibrant, world-class faculty," she says. "Throughout my PhD, I received outstanding support in career development, skill-building, and had the privilege of working with exceptional mentors who guided me every step of the way."
Immediately following her doctoral defense in the fall of 2024, Anagnostou took up a prestigious Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Oxford, working with global experts in the Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science to advance the use of financial investigations to mitigate illegal wildlife trade.
Dr. Fasih Rahman (PhD in Kinesiology)
Faculty of Health
Supervisor: Dr. Joe Quadrilatero
Dr. Fasih Rahman's doctoral research investigated the role of mitochondrial remodeling pathways in skeletal muscle, emphasizing mitochondria as critical regulators of both energy production and cellular health. His findings have significant implications for therapeutic approaches aimed at maintaining skeletal muscle health.
During his doctoral studies, Rahman authored and co-authored 32 conference proceedings, and published 32 full-length papers and book chapters, including contributions to leading journals such as Autophagy.
Rahman is continuing his research as an NSERC-funded postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph, aiming to expand his expertise in bioenergetics and metabolism. His current goal is to bridge the gap between mitochondrial stress responses and metabolic regulation.
"One of the things I will miss the most about Waterloo is the opportunity to work closely and collaborate with passionate peers in a research environment that consistently fostered curiosity, creativity and growth," he says.
Master's finalists
Aparajita Bhattacharya, Public Issues Anthropology
Supervisor: Dr. Alexis Dolphin | Faculty of Arts
Felicia Mae Watterodt, Geography
Supervisor: Dr. Brent Doberstein | Faculty of Environment
Doctoral finalists
Dr. Esther Ai-Leng Foong-Reichert, Pharmacy
Supervisors: Drs. Kelly Grindrod and Sherilyn Houle | Faculty of Science
Dr. Sepehr Hajebi, Combinatorics and Optimization
Supervisor: Dr. Sophie Spirkl | Faculty of Mathematics
Dr. Megan Olivia Kelly, Psychology
Supervisor: Dr. Evan Risko | Faculty of Arts
Dr. Aravind Ravi, Systems Design Engineering
Supervisors: Drs. Ning Jiang and James Tung | Faculty of Engineering
