The College of Nursing congratulates and recognizes its graduate students on their achievements.
October 2025 update
AWARDS:
Congratulations to:
Elizabeth Agnew, MN student (faculty advisor: Dr. Lynda Balneaves), recipient of the Dr. Shannon Scott Prize for Excellence in Nursing Research.
Eunice Assem-Erhaze, PhD student (faculty advisors: Dr. Nicole Harder and Dr. Wanda Chernomas), recipient of the College of Nursing Endowment Fund Graduate Student Travel Award for $3,000.
Shireen Bell, PhD student (faculty advisors: Dr. Donna Martin & Dr. Judy Scanlan), recipient of a King Charles Coronation Medal for service to Alberta Registered Nurses Educational Trust (ARNET) as board chair and co-lead in the development of ARNET’s research funding program.
Michaela Bourque, PhD student (faculty advisors: Dr. Mandy Archibald) recipient of the College of Nursing Endowment Fund Graduate Student Travel Award for $3,000.
Rebecca Cameron, PhD student (faculty advisor: Dr. Kim Mitchell), recipient of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Doctoral Scholarship for Indigenous Student for $10,000.
Jess Crawford, MN student (faculty advisor: Dr. Annette Schultz), recipient of the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation Major Award – Masters, for $1,000.
Beyene Desalew, PhD student (faculty advisor: Dr. Mandy Archibald) recipient of the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship for $100,000.
Kristine Doell, PhD student (faculty advisory: Dr. Geneveive Thompson) recipient of the Research Manitoba PhD Studentship Award for $25,000.
Kristine Doell, PhD student (primary advisor: Dr. Genevieve Thompson), recipient of the Max Shelton Memorial Fellowship in Nursing for $1,775.
Kristine Doell, PhD student (primary advisor: Dr. Genevieve Thompson), recipient of the Penny Diane (Stevenson) Brydon & Walter WM. (Bill) Stevenson Memorial Scholarship in Nursing for $2,175.
Yael Gelfman, PhD student (faculty advisor: Dr. Geneveive Thompson), recipient of the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship for $100,000.
Ashley Hébert, MN student (faculty advisor: Dr. Genevieve Thompson), recipient of the Elizabeth Galbraith (Black) Scholarship for $2,200.
Ashley Hébert, MN student (faculty advisor: Dr. Genevieve Thompson), recipient of the Graduate Nursing Students Association Scholarship Major Stream for $2,500.
Alannah Morton, NP student (faculty advisor: Terilyn Hunter), recipient of the Association of Regulated Nurses Medal of Excellence (Master of Nurse Practitioner Program).
Summer Pham, NP student (faculty advisor: Cheryl Olfert) recipient of the GNSA for part-time students for $2,500.
Summer Pham, NP student (faculty advisor: Cheryl Olfert) recipient of the Marion Saydak Memorial Award for $1,000.
Sophie Rebizant, MN (NP) student (faculty advisor: Amber Hemminger), recipient of the Irene E. Nordwich Foundation Scholarship for $3,000.
Sobika Sivarasa, MN student (faculty advisor: Dr. Genevieve Thompson), recipient of Irene Nordwich Graduate Award for $3,000.
RECOGNITION
Congratulations to:
Eunice Assem-Erhaze (advisor: Dr. Nicole Harder; co-advisor: Dr. Wanda Chernomas; internal member: Dr. Mandy Archibald; external member: Dr. Diane Driedger), successful defense of PhD candidacy examination, Thriving as a Recent Graduate Nurse with a Learning Difficulty: A Mixed Methods Research, May 26, 2025.
Ashley Bell (faculty advisor: Dr. Roberta Woodgate; internal committee member: Dr. Kellie Thiessen; External committee member: Dr. Kerstin Roger), successful defense of Master of Nursing thesis oral defense, The neonatal intensive care unit experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ parents, August 11, 2025.
Kristine Doell, PhD student (faculty advisor: Dr. Genevieve Thompson; internal member: Dr. Roberta Woodgate; external member: Dr. Kerstin Roger), successful defense of PhD thesis proposal, I don’t want to be in here alone – Understanding the lived Experience of being separated from your partner(s) during the transition into long-term care: A phenomenological study, June 11, 2025.
Oluwatoyosi Fagbuyi (primary advisor: Dr. Mandy Archibald; secondary advisor: Dr. Lisa Knisley), successful defense of Master of Nursing capstone oral presentation, Scoping review on the barriers and facilitators to self-management in youth with youth-onset type 2 diabetes, August 19, 2025.
Rachel Klassen-Huebner (primary advisor: Dr. Lynn Scruby; secondary advisor: Rhonda Campbell), successful defense of Master of Nursing capstone oral presentation, Promoting cultural safety among healthcare providers in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action: A narrative review, August 21, 2025.
Jessica Smart (primary advisory: Dr. Donna Martin; secondary advisor: Dr. Judith Scanlan), successful defense of Master of Nursing capstone oral presentation, Improving nurse retention in emergency departments: Two proposed interactive half day workshops for leaders in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, August 26, 2025.
Alexandra Surtees (primary advisor: Dr. Genevieve Thompson; secondary advisor: Jamie Penner), successful defense of Master of Nursing capstone oral presentation, An educational tool fostering preparedness in adult siblings sharing future parental care, August 18, 2025.
Tara Tourloukis (advisor: Dr. Els Duff; internal member: Dr. Kim M. Mitchell; external member: Dr. Laura MacDonald), successful defense of PhD thesis proposal, Facilitators and barriers to continuing education among registered psychiatric nurses in Canada: A mixed methods approach, June 2, 2025.
Below are previously reported graduate student achievements for this year:
AWARDS AND MEDALS
Jaypee Benitez Buhisan, NP student (faculty advisor: Terilyn Hunter), recipient of a Kathleen and Winnifred Ruane Nurse Practitioner Scholarship for $3,000.
Jess Crawford, recipient of the Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM) Medal of Excellence.
Andrew Kerr, recipient of the Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM) Award of Excellence: Nursing Education.
Sophie Rebizant, NP student (faculty advisor: Amber Hemminger), recipient of the HSGSA Graduate Student Merit Award (GSMA) 2025.
Tara Tourloukis, PhD student (faculty advisor: Dr. Elsie Duff, internal committee member, Dr. Kim Mitchell and external committee member Dr. Laura McDonald), recipient of the Clinical Nurse Specialist Association of Ontario, Education Award for $2,000.
Ariel Wilcox, MN student, (faculty advisor: Dr. Judith Scanlan), recipient of a Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Women’s Leadership Award for $2,445.
RECOGNITION:
Vera Amponsah (advisor: Dr. Sonia Udod; internal member: Dr. Genevieve Thompson; external member: Sean MacDonald) successfully defended her oral Master of Nursing proposal on May 23, 2025, entitled, Empowerment of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from nurses’ experiences.
Adam Brandt and Jess Crawford, graduates of the second annual Lavender Graduation Ceremony, held on Bannatyne Campus on May 27, 2025. This celebrates 2SLGBTQIA+ graduates at any education level (in any school in the province).
Adam Brandt (advisor: Dr. Lynn Scruby; internal member: Dr. Wanda Chernomas; external member: Dr. Nathan Nickel) for successfully defending his Master of Nursing thesis on May 26, 2025, entitled, The lived experiences of nurses who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ in providing nursing care within an urban prairie setting: An interpretive descriptive study.
Jess Crawford, MN student, received the Merit Reviewer for the Canadian Nurses Federation.
Jess Crawford, MN student, contributed to the 2025 2SLGBTQIA+ Liaison Nurse Intensive Meeting Report. AdJust Research Collective, University of Victoria. The full citation is as follows:
Slemon, A., Handlovsky, I., Crawford, J., Schmied, S. (2025). 2025 2SLGBTQIA+ Liaison Nurse Intensive Meeting Report. AdJust Research Collective, University of Victoria
Jess Crawford, MN student, served on the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) Committee on Advancing SOGIESC Equity and Success, (2025). Promoting equitable, affirming, and inclusive environments for 2S LGBTQAI+ Nursing Students: Guidelines for Canadian Schools of Nursing. The full citation is as follows: Baker, C., Crawford, J., Daly, K., Dame, J., Ehsan, Z., Evans, M., Gauthier, M., Geen, W., Haghiri-Vijeh, R., Klien, A., Martin, R., Phillips, J.C., Slemon, A., & Ziegler, E. CASN Committee on Advancing SOGIESC Equity and Success. (2025). Promoting Equitable, Affirming, and Inclusive Environments for 2S LGBTQAI+ Nursing Students: Guidelines for Canadian Schools of Nursing (pp. 1-23). Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing. https://www.casn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CASN-SOGIESC-Guidelines-2025-EN.pdf
Jocelyn Elias (faculty advisor: Dr. Judith Scanlan; internal member: Dr. Dean Care; external member: Dr. Malcolm Doupe) successfully defended her MN thesis on March 17, 2025, Discovering and dreaming: Long-term care healthcare aide perceptions of structural empowerment.
Ashley Hebert (advisor: Dr. Genevieve Thompson; internal member: Dr. Diana McMillan; external member: Dr. Katarina Lee) successfully defended their Master of Nursing proposal on May 26, 2025, entitled, Exploring hospital nurses’ perceptions of advance care planning and the experience of caring for patients whose goals of care are known and unknown.
Abigail Kawadza (primary faculty advisor: Dr. Judith Scanlan; secondary faculty advisor: Dr. Donna Martin) successfully defended her MN Capstone Project on March 10, 2025, entitled Leadership Development for Novice Nurse Leaders: Findings from a Narrative Review of Literature.
Andrea Winther Klippenstein (advisor: Dr. Christina West; internal member: Dr. Javier Mignone, Dr. Shannon Scott; external member: Dr. Bernie Carter) successfully defended her oral dissertation defense (PhD) on May 9, 2025, entitled, Empowering pediatric sibling hematopoietic stem cell donor voices through digital storytelling.
Belinda Mayer (advisor: Dr. Genevieve Thompson; internal member: Dr. Sonia Udod; external member: Dr. Laura Funk) successfully defendied her PhD Thesis Proposal on May 5, 2025, entitled, The experience of families in Long-Term Care (LTC) advisory councils: A mixed methods study.
Trisha Plett (primary faculty advisor: Dr. Judith Scanlan; secondary faculty advisor: Dr. Asha Pereira) successfully defended her MN capstone project on March 19, 2025, An interactive workshop for nurse managers to strengthen nurse retention.
Nicole Prenovault (advisor: Dr. Wanda Chernomas; internal member: Dr. Em Pijl; external member: Dr. Priya Mani) successfully defended her Master of Nursing Thesis Proposal on May 1, 2025, entitled, Exploring thriving in newly graduated nurses: A qualitative descriptive study.