Eight 2013 Vanier scholarship recipients announced

The Vanier. Most grad students only dream of it: $50,000 per year for three years, equaling financial security, recognition that their research has potential and is valued by not only their supervisor and university, but also by the federal granting agencies, and that their initiative marks them as future leaders. It is an internationally valued indicator that the PhD student is an important contributor to Canada’s intellectual and social community.

“Only 167 awards were handed out across the country,” says George Shimizu, associate dean (scholarships), Faculty of Graduate Studies. “Receiving a Vanier is a significant achievement. It supports highly skilled and innovative students – tomorrow’s leaders.”

Eight PhD students from the University of Calgary have been awarded Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships for 2013. 

• Jennifer Baltich, Vanier, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Kinesiology
• Rishi Bastakoti, Vanier, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Geography
• Jody Boffa, Vanier CIHR, Community Health Sciences
• Lauren Capozzi, Vanier CIHR, Kinesiology
• Alyshah Kaba, Vanier CIHR, Community Health Sciences
• Kyle Hall, Vanier, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Chemistry
• Ryan Lewinson, Vanier CIHR, Biomedical Engineering
• Daniel Yavin, Vanier CIHR, Community Health Sciences

“Getting a Vanier is the most amazing thing that’s happened to me,” says Jody Boffa, who says the past year has been stressful due to very little funding. “The recognition that my work and my contribution are important is icing on the cake.” Her research is looking into the qualitative and quantitative effects of prophylaxis drugs to prevent onset of tuberculosis symptoms in an HIV-high community in South Africa. She volunteers helping international students adjust to the change studying in a different country brings, organizes social events throughout the year and Christmas “families” for international students unable to return home for the holiday break.

She’s not the only recipient who is breathing easy with the news of financial support. “I now have the financial freedom to pursue the volunteer activities that I didn’t have time for last year,” says Kyle Hall, who is using computational chemistry to develop more efficient gas hydrate inhibitors for oil and gas pipelines.

“This funding demonstrates a commitment from the government to develop the next generations of academics in this country,” says Daniel Yavin. He is researching to find a predictive link between pressure in the eye and pressure in the brain to more quickly identify and treat patients with brain injury.

The new recipients will be invited to join the Graduate Leaders Circle, a group that supports student leaders who give back to their community.

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program was created to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and to establish Canada as a global centre of excellence in research and higher learning. It is available to both Canadian and international PhD students studying at Canadian universities. The scholarships are a central element in the Government of Canada’s science and technology strategy, announced in May 2007, which sets out a multi-year framework for improving Canada’s long-term competitiveness.

The Vaniers honour distinguished Canadian soldier and diplomat Major-General the Right Honourable Georges Philias Vanier (1888-1967), who served as governor general of Canada from 1959 to 1967.