As we re-cap the year below, take a look back at the achievements, impact, and outstanding people who made 2025 worth celebrating. Thank you to all our University of Winnipeg community for another great year.
Exciting and new in 2025
This year, UW welcomed our first cohort of PhD students.
“I am really excited about this PhD program because I get to continue research that I’m really passionate about,” said Hailey Langford (BSc 22, MSc 25), who is among the first students in the program.
For her PhD, Langford is building on her Master of Science degree, working on crucial diagnostic research for early detection of colorectal cancer.
Hailey Langford is a student in UW’s first PhD program.
A big thank you to those in the UW and broader community who, through 18 months of extensive consultation, helped us launch our new strategic plan, Meeting the Moment. With more than 1,300 voices contributing, Meeting the Moment reflects diverse perspectives and insights from throughout the UWinnipeg community, and provides a solid foundation to ensure the University is equipped to meet every challenge and opportunity in the years ahead.
The University also launched its first strategic enrolment management plan to strengthen how the University recruits, admits, supports, and retains students.
Plus, we launched our newly-expanded Distinguished Alumni Awards that now honour three well-deserving alumni in the following categories: Outstanding Achievement, Community Impact, and One to Watch. In October, we hosted the inaugural Distinguished Alumni Awards night to celebrate the 2025 recipients.
This year’s recipients include J.P. Perron, Jaimie Isaac, Josh Gandier, and Marc Tallman. If you know a UW alum deserving of recognition, nominations are now open for our 2026 awards.
In 2025, the University received a $5M gift from Mastercard Foundation to benefit Indigenous learning, and the University made a $1M commitment to supporting Indigenous students through Indspire.
The Wesmen also received a $100,000 donation from Allan Edie, which will give UW student-athletes a boost. You can support UW students with a donation to the Wesmen Athletic Scholarship Fund or through the University of Winnipeg Foundation.
UWinnipeg was also pleased to present 2025 Honorary doctorates to Rosanna Deerchild, Jitender Sareen, and Odette Heyn at our 126th convocation, and to Scott Oake at our 127th convocation.
Indigenous community and Reconciliation
UWinnipeg reinstated the Indigenous Community Advisory Circle (ICAC) to ensure local external Indigenous community input into important matters at the University, including Reconciliation, Indigenous excellence, governance, programming, and service delivery.
Dr. Laura Forsythe is working to help improve the Métis experience and improve health outcomes for Métis women and 2S/IQ people across university campuses. Her research will help create succinct and measurable directives for the creation of Métis-specific spaces.
We celebrated Indigenous grads at the 2025 Graduation Pow Wow.
The campus community gathered for the 2025 Honouring Indigenous Achievement awards ceremony to celebrate eleven established and emerging Indigenous leaders at The University of Winnipeg.
We celebrated the first cohort of graduates from Build From Within – Ozhitoon Onji Peenjiiee, which provides Indigenous students a pathway to an education degree along with a full complement of supports and hands-on classroom experiences.
And, a big congratulations to all our 2025 Indigenous grads, who we celebrated at the 20th Graduation Pow Wow.
In March, UWinnipeg recognized our new Indigenous faculty members with a welcome feast. Also in March, seven exceptional Indigenous University of Winnipeg undergraduate students presented their research at the Innovation Rooted in Culture, 2025 National Gathering in Toronto.
We welcomed new Indigenous staff and faculty with a feast.
Eleven student scholars and 14 faculty research mentors participated in this year’s Indigenous Summer Scholars Program, while Indigenous students in the Pathways to Graduate Studies program also gained new skills conducting summer research.
MDP in Indigenous Development students got the chance to talk about their summer community work placements at the annual MDP Field Placement Symposium. Plus, Students capped off another summer of land-based experiential learning in the Indigenous Food Systems course by presenting their work to special guests, Cree Senator Mary Jane McCallum and Métis Chef Dean Herkert of Bistro on Notre Dame.
In September, the Office of Indigenous Engagement hosted a fireside chat and book signing with author Bruce McIvor, who discussed his latest book, Indigenous Rights in One Minute: What You Need to Know to Talk Reconciliation.
Student and alumni success
L to R: Leeza Goldberg, Melody Hutton, Thomas Hepworth, MacKenzie Zacharias
Fourth-year Honours Biology student, Melody Hutton, received UWinnipeg’s prestigious Sir William Stephenson Scholarships (SWSS) for her work helping combat climate change through freshwater fish research. Physics student, Thomas Hepworth, also received the SWSS, and was one of only six Canadian students selected by the national Institute for Particle Physics to join the groundbreaking research taking place at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
Fourth-year neuroscience major Leeza Goldberg, and fifth-year University of Winnipeg student, MacKenzie Zacharias, both received UWinnipeg’s Dr. & Mrs. Roderick Hunter Scholarships (RHS) for their volunteer work on and off-campus.
Two Master’s in Development Practice students received national scholarships. Jackie Dormer was awarded a $27,000 Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, while Leslie Kirkness received a $3,000 scholarship from the National Indigenous Economic Education Foundation.
Plus, several Métis UWinnipeg students were awarded were awarded Louis Riel Bursaries during the 2024-25 academic year.
Second-year Master of Environmental and Social Change student, Chathuri Mudalige, was awarded the prestigious Deb Tardiff Scholarship from Manitoba Environmental Industries Association in recognition of her work to increase the speed and accuracy of chemical testing of persistent organic pollutants.
2025 Biology grad, Ridhi Singla, won a Nellie McLung Trailblazer Scholarship from the Nellie McClung Foundation. Singla studied pre-medicine at UW and hopes to help improve health-care access and outcomes for patients from underrepresented communities.
Recent UWinnipeg neuroscience grad, Ahdieh Bimrew (BSc 25), earned a McCall MacBain Regional Award, and another 2025 grad, Modeste Katotoka, accumulated three undergraduate student research awards, totaling over $30,000.
Bachelor of Science student in medical physics, Nicole Valencia, received second place and people’s choice prize when she presented her research at the Canadian Organization for Medical Physicists (COMP) Annual Scientific Meeting.
Modeste Katotoka
Mitacs funding to the University of Winnipeg increased from $530,000 to $810,000 in the last fiscal year, helping over 100 UWinnipeg students participate in research internships.
And, UWinnipeg Applied Computer Science undergraduate students Anitoh Atangabua and Priyanshu Mittal, and Master of Science student, Faith Akinyemi, pitched their research at the Falling Walls, a fast-paced, global competition.
Congratulations to all students who graduated at the 126th convocation and at the 127th convocation in 2025.
Over the past year, the UWinnipeg alumni community introduced many exciting opportunities for connection, including Alumni and Friends Receptions, Alumni Social Hours, and game nights featuring the Jets, Blue Bombers, Goldeyes, and Sea Bears.
The legacy of Bill Wedlake was celebrated during one of the Wesmen Alumni Nights, where student-athletes Noah Kankam and Raia Guinto received the 2025 Bill Wedlake Athletic Award. This award honours the remarkable contributions of Bill Wedlake, a longtime coach and athletic director with the Wesmen.
UW alum enjoying a board game Alumni Social Hour event.
We were also proud to spotlight alumni making a meaningful impact in our community.
Rebecca Gibson (BA 98) received the Order of Manitoba for her outstanding contributions to Manitoba’s film and theatre industry.
Dr. Scott De Groot (BA Hons 07) curated Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and led an alumni tour exploring this pivotal period when queer activists dismantled Canada’s LGBT Purge.
Plus, Reverend Stefan Jonasson (Coll 79, BA 88, MA 97), a three-time UWinnipeg graduate, received the Distinguished Alumni Award at Spring Convocation in recognition of his exceptional leadership and service to the community.
Faculty and staff excellence
Dr. Pavlina Radia, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, received the 2025 Angela Hildyard Recognition Award for Influential Leadership, in recognition of her inclusive leadership, efforts to enhance the student experience, and commitment to championing equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Dr. Chris Wiebe, Professor in the Department of Chemistry, was named a 2025 Fellow of the American Physical Society. The fellowship was bestowed in October in recognition of Dr. Wiebe’s “pioneering work on the synthesis of new magnetic materials and for leadership in the promotion of science literacy, political engagement, and underrepresented groups in physics.”
Dr. Pavlina Radia, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, received the 2025 Angela Hildyard Recognition Award for Influential Leadership.
In 2025, five University of Winnipeg faculty, from across disciplines, were awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal. This medal was given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to our country, province, or community.
UWinnipeg historian Dr. Ryan Eyford is the recipient of the 2025 International Vigdís Prize for his scholarly work and contribution to research on colonization in Western Canada that brings together immigrant and Indigenous histories.
And, Dr. Janis Thiessen, Kimberley Moore, Kent Davies, and Hope McIntyre were all recipients of the 2025 Faculty of Arts Excellence Awards.
UWinnipeg’s Dr. Glen Bergeron was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. Plus, inspiring UW staff and faculty were honoured with various awards at the 126th convocation and 127th convocation.
Three faculty members from The University of Winnipeg, Dr. Nora Casson, Dr. Alan Diduck, and Prof. Danika Littlechild, were appointed to the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission.
Dr. Jeff Martin and his team broke the Canadian record for ultracold neutron production, work that might help us better understand how the universe was formed. And, University of Winnipeg geography professor Dr. Ed Cloutis helped space agencies in Canada and the United States to analyze a Martian rock, which may be the closest science has come to discovering evidence that there was once life on Mars.
From left: UWinnipeg faculty members Dr. Nora Casson, Dr. Alan Diduck, and Prof. Danika Littlechild were appointed to the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission.
Mike Raimbault, head coach of the Wesmen men’s basketball program, was named general manager and head coach of the Winnipeg Sea Bears.
Dr. Kyle Devine attended Earthfest’s first-ever Music Summit at Sony Music UK headquarters in London, while Dr. Kerry Sinanan delivered a keynote speech at the British Women Writers Association Conference in South Dakota.
Staff and faculty also had a variety of publications in 2025.
Dr. Matthew Flisfeder released The Hysterical Sublime: Humanism in the Age of Posthuman Capitalism, a book that challenges how we think about humanity and technology. And, Dr. Jane Barter published Theopolitics and the Era of the Witness, which focuses on witnessing in the aftermath of political atrocity or genocide.
UWinnipeg criminologist Dr. Kevin Walby and co-author Dr. Jamie Brownlee at Carleton University published Psychedelic Capitalism, which looks at the business of psychedelics.
Dr. Jaqueline McLeod Rogers published Crises Then as Now: Marshall McLuhan, with Urbanist Jaqueline Tyrwhitt and Artist Gyorgy Kepes, which explores how McLuhan, Tyrwhitt and Kepes responded to crises in the ’60s and ’70s.
UW’s Dr. Satyendra Singh published Cross-Cultural Fashion Marketing, a scholarly book that looks at ethnic fashion that celebrates diversity and inclusion, while Dr. Candida Rifkind co-wrote Graphic Refuge: Visuality and Mobility in Refugee Comics, which explores experiences of refugees through comics.
Dr. Satyendra Singh
UWinnipeg staff member, Patty Wiens, also launched her new book That’ll Never Work Here: Challenging the myths around biking in a winter city.
Outstanding research
Dr. Conor Whately received the Chancellor’s Research Excellence Chair for his work to help us understand the psychology of ancient and early medieval Roman soldiers, and Dr. Stephanie Bugden received the Chancellor’s Emerging Research Award for her work, which aims to uncover how the brain supports early number learning in children.
This year, twelve University of Winnipeg researchers received $688,135 in Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada funding through the Insight Research Program, and ten University of Winnipeg researchers received $2,075,500 in Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada funding through the Discovery Grants Program.
UW’s Dr. Qian Liu, Dr. Marcella Cassiano, and Dr. Chi-Chun Lin were honoured with Manitoba Medical Service Foundation research operating grants in April. These grants are awarded to Manitoba-based researchers and educators to help improve health care in the province.
Dr. Natalie Richer is working on potentially lifesaving research into aging and balance that could help older adults prevent falls and stay active, while another UWinnipeg project introduces a groundbreaking wearable device that aims to assist pregnant individuals in managing drug addiction and ensuring the safety of both themselves and their fetuses.
Dr. Aileen Friesen is working on one of the largest Mennonite oral history projects in Canada ever completed, and Dr. Brandon W. Goulding is conducting developmental psychology research to discover if children can reason about the order of past events.
Dr. Yadira Chinique de Armas (left) and Dr. Silvia Teresita Hernández Godoy excavate Canímar Abajo in Cuba. Photo by Esteban Grau.
A UW team analyzed 44 teeth from an ancient burial ground, which challenged what we know about some of the earliest known populations of the Caribbean’s Antilles region.
Dr. Yaser Al Mtawa is helping to advance the next generation of secure smart systems, Dr. Zeinab Mashreghi is working on developing and improving statistical methods to obtain more accurate results from survey data, and Dr. Qian Liu is bringing AI deep learning to health care.
Plus, a cutting-edge new lab at The University of Winnipeg is capable of tracking the subtle emotions and split-second reactions that influence consumer decision-making in the marketplace.
Dr. Darshani Kumaragamage and her team are producing a targeted map of phosphorus runoff hotspots to help keep nutrients out of Lake Winnipeg, Dr. Srimathie Indraratne’s research focuses on keeping contaminants out of our water and food systems, and Dr. Ryan Bullock is working to help small businesses in Canada’s forestry sector adapt to a changing climate.
Plus, research by Dr. Craig Willis studies endangered little brown bats. His research helps us understand and respond to White-Nose Syndrome – a disease that has devastated this once-common species.
The Community-based Research Training Centre held its third annual Summer Institute at the University of Winnipeg’s Merchants Corner campus, which offered a mix of panel discussions, skill building workshops, and hands-on activities led by UWinnipeg professors.
Campus life
From the first-ever McFeetors Hall move-in party (complete with DJ, pizza, and a photo booth), to an event-packed Pride Week, to our popular Three-Minute Thesis event and research photography contest, there was something on campus for everyone in 2025.
Students participate in the 2025 Roll Call event.
UW once again hosted a successful and fun Research Week, with events designed to help researchers at any stage of their studies or career grow and develop their skills, knowledge, and connections. This four-day interactive event series featured Flipped 3MT, a new event called 5×5 Research Snapshots, and the 20th anniversary of the Randy Kobes Undergraduate Poster Symposium to name a few.
The University hosted several Grey Cup events on campus, including the Wawanesa Street Festival, an exclusive preview event for University of Winnipeg alumni, and a Santa Claus Parade Block Party.
Dr. Niigaan Sinclair presented a lecture exploring the historical and contemporary context of Winnipeg and how it might inform what and how we teach and learn here, and award-winning poet laureate Chimwemwe Undi visited campus to read from her work Scientific Marvel.
In April, UW hosted the Western Canada Conference on the Future of Higher Education, in August, we hosted the 2025 Inquiry & Impact Summer event dedicated to showcasing student research from across the sciences and humanities, and in October we hosted the 57th Algonquian Conference to highlight community-based research.
The Department of Classics is also hosting its ninth season of New Directions in Classics from September 2025 to March 2026
From left: 3MT finalists Ranjini Mukherjee, Faith Akinyemi, Malcolm Reimer, Noah Lewicki, Rubeena Gosal, Tabitha Evans, Hardi Matholia, and Dhulmy Bandara delivered their presentations in front of a packed theatre.
And, the University of Winnipeg was also pleased to announce that we received a gold STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) rating for sustainability from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) – the first time the University has achieved this designation.
The Winnipeg Wesmen enjoyed a historic season in 2024-25 as the men’s volleyball team won its first Canada West (CW) conference championship. They captured their first CW conference banner with a dominant win over then-No. 1 Alberta at a sold-out Duckworth Centre in March.
The Wesmen went on to finish fifth at the national championship tournament in Brandon, with back-to-back wins over Queen’s and Windsor.
Coach Chris Voth was named the national coach of the year, middle blocker Easton Dick was named national rookie of the year and fifth-year left side Isaiah Olfert was a first-team all-Canadian.
On March 9, the UWinnipeg Wesmen men’s volleyball team won the crown of Canada West champions for the first time in University history.
In total, three of the four Wesmen court-sport teams made the conference post-season, with the men’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams both winning opening-round games to advance to the conference quarter-finals.
In 2025, Gallery 1C03 hosted several compelling exhibits and events.
From February to April you could visit ‘Reclaimed: Indo-Caribbean HerStories’, an exhibition that brings attention to an element of BIPOC history that is seldom discussed but has a global impact: Indo-Caribbean indentureship. Community members were also invited to attend a guided tour of Heidi McKenzie’s exhibition, followed by a community storytelling session.
Another exhibit at Gallery 1C03 was curated by Indigenous and non-Indigenous students of the Indigenous Theory and Curatorial Practices course. Rooted in Relations featured works from The University of Winnipeg’s art collection created by eight Inuit and First Nations artists, and reflected the teachings of the course: continuous learning, engagement with Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and decolonial practices.
Bria Fernandes: Things Left Unsaid featured Winnipeg-based artist Bria Fernandes, who creates introspective paintings that explore her social, cultural, and personal experiences as a Black woman in Canada.
Dr. Cathy Mattes teaches students who helped curate Rooted in Relations.
And the final exhibit of the year, Queer Newfoundland Hockey League, a multi-media exhibition by artist Lucas Morneau that aims to deconstruct homophobia in sports, can be seen at Gallery 1C03 until January 28.
In January, UWinnipeg’s Department of Theatre and Film presented Forward by Chantal Bilodeau. This poetic and humorous history of our relationship to the environment featured a blend of theatre, opera, and electropop music, and was performed by the Acting III: Honours class and directed by faculty member Hope McIntyre.
White Girls in Moccasins, an urgent exploration of healing and reclamation of Indigenous culture, by Yolanda Bonnell ran at the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film in April, and the first Canadian production of playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner’s aggressively timely A Bright Room Called Day Revisited showed in December.
Plus, two exceptional artisans from Japan visited UWinnipeg this summer to showcase Noh theatre, one of the world’s oldest forms of theatrical performance.
Off-campus/community impact
Global Affairs Canada funded a new initiative that aims to bring an end to armed conflict in Myanmar and foster lasting peace in the region. Dr. Kawser Ahmed will conduct research and provide education in the area on reconciliation strategies, and an eNegotiation system.
Several University of Winnipeg faculties came together in May to help fight period poverty, collecting hygiene products for people in the community, and a new Performance Studies course helped students take action for social change.
The University of Winnipeg welcomed over a thousand children from nine different schools in Winnipeg’s inner-city, north end, and from Sagkeeng and Eagle Lake First Nations, for STEM Days, hosted by the Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre and the Faculty of Science.
Mozit Tsegai, Haley Carr, Wayne Davies, Kyanna Wonnacott, Christina Duerksen, Elise Stokes, Sheila North, Chloe Heidinger, Cynthia Jourdain (Bimose Tribal Council), Claude Pike (Principal of Harvey Redsky Memorial School).
UWinnipeg presented two engaging lecture series to help promote lifelong learning within the community, and UWinnipeg’s Nisha Ajmani co-organized this year’s Soapbox Science event, which helps to promote the visibility and accessibility of women and non-binary STEM professionals.
The Faculty of Education is connecting student teachers with rural and northern schools, helping education students gain invaluable firsthand experience in schools in rural and northern communities, and several students gained a new appreciation for hands-on learning through a trip to the Experimental Lakes Area this fall.
Plus, three UWinnipeg students had the chance to take courses in Germany this summer, thanks to a new partnership with the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences in Kleve.
Thank you to all members of the UWinnipeg community for your dedication and hard work throughout the year.
