2022 Award Recipients

Master of Public Policy

Ebenezer Belayneh’s leadership in the university community has been exemplary. The President’s Award for Excellence in Student Leadership recognizes his many contributions to improving student life at UCalgary, his strong academic performance and his research contributions.

During his time at UCalgary, Belayneh led over 23 unique conferences, networking events, and career development opportunities for students. This was accomplished through roles as president of the Global Development Society, department representative for the Faculty of Arts Students’ Association, and vice-president finance for the Society of Undergraduates in Economics. His contributions in these positions have helped hundreds of students develop professional skills and connect with alumni. 

Belayneh earned two First Class Honours degrees during his undergraduate studies, while securing numerous internship placements. These experiences allowed him to participate in panels to discuss his strategies on securing academic awards and experiential learning opportunities with other undergraduate students. His research on oilsands clean technologies was also published in the Canada Energy Future’s 2020 report, an authoritative publication on emerging energy trends within Canada. The Canada Energy Regulator also published his research on the development of renewable natural gas infrastructure across British Columbia.

On campus, Belayneh was also a dedicated champion for fostering Black excellence and inclusion within the academy. He strategically garnered over half a million dollars in combined funding from the Student Union’s Quality Money program and the Provost’s Office to expand the university’s two-course African Studies (AFST) minor program.

During Belayneh’s time as the chair of the African Studies Expansion Taskforce, he helped introduce five additional AFST courses and the hiring of a second AFST instructor, resulting in an increase in class enrolment by more than 450 students in the 2022/23 academic year.

As a member of the Faculty of Arts and Students’ Union EDI committees, Belayneh drafted several policy recommendations on how UCalgary can create equitable pathways for Black and equity-deserving students on campus. His anti-racism research and presentations have been embraced by the university’s senior leadership team and are currently being integrated into training materials by the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.

Belayneh will continue to refine his specialization in energy and climate policy with Natural Resource Canada’s Energy Systems sector as an incoming member of their premier Policy Analyst Recruitment and Development Program.