Every year, Conestoga recognizes our students and community partners for their dedication through a variety of program-specific and sponsored awards.
The awards ceremony will begin at 1:45 PM - 3:00 PM EST.
Abell Research & Internship Award
Abell Awarded to the top research project. Based on the proposal, research report, and poster presentation.
2025 Award Winner:
1st Place:
Michael Scott
2nd Place:
Taylor Jarvis
3rd Place:
Tyler Barban
Erica Gallant
Hailey Keeler
Sarah MacLeod
Abell Awards of Excellence - Best Project Year 1 or Year 2 - ePortfolio
Most comprehensive ePortfolio project highlighting: personal goals (academic and career); understanding of EPH roles, responsibilities, and key skills; reflection on “why they want to become an EPHP”; creativity to the presentation of material.
2025 Award Winner: Natalia Zablocka
Abell Awards of Excellence - Year 3 or 4 - Hand Hygiene Poster
Top Hand Hygiene poster as selected by students and symposium attendees.
2025 Award Winner: Katelyn Blakey
The award recognizes a student in the BEPH program who has overcome personal challenges or difficulties to persevere in their studies at Conestoga. Ashley Zell was an inspiration but it wasn’t her fight with and ultimate victory over cancer that made her so special. Although it emphasized how strong she was, it was her indomitable spirit that set her apart and it is this spirit that we seek to recognize in others. The BEPH program is meant to challenge the students and adversity is almost inevitable. It is easy to stumble from time to time and success can be elusive but there are those who just never seem to give up. This award is intended to recognize those individuals who can keep their head when all those around them are losing theirs; someone who seems to always have a positive attitude; who is organized and committed to quality; and who meets deadlines and rarely has excuses.
2025 Award Winner: Amandeep Amandeep
Abell Awards of Excellence -2nd Year - Putting the E in BEPH
Students from the second year of study whose project(s), volunteer work, and program engagement have advanced the understanding of Environmental issues and actions related to the field of public health practice.
2025 Award Winner: Erica Gallant
This award recognizes a BEPH student who has displayed the ability, talent, and skill to create and lead innovative and exemplary communications initiatives and projects that increase the general public's and/or Conestoga students’ understanding of environmental public health issues.
2025 Award Winner: Megan Darlow
Abell Awards of Excellence – Year 1 - Emerging Issues Ignite Talk
2025 Award Winner: Jada Kraemer
Topic "E waste and Disproportionate Effect on Developing Countries"
BEPH student whose involvement has significantly enhanced the student experience. This individual goes above and beyond to support student learning and development; this may include mentoring and supporting other students, participation in the Conestoga Environmental Public Health Awareness Club or championing their peers’ ideas and/or feedback.
2025 Award Winner: Brooke Lampkin
This award recognizes a student in BEPH who demonstrated professional excellence in the field of Environmental Public Health through their co-op position, involvement in the BEPH student council, Environmental Public Health Club, Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, or through other contributions. Throughout their final year, they have shown their potential for positive contributions to the profession, demonstrated leadership in the classroom, and exuded passion and enthusiasm for the profession of environmental public health.
2025 Award Winner: Jala Vicario-Robinson
BEPH student who exemplifies outstanding leadership characteristics, not only demonstrating a commitment to their academic pursuits, but also a strong commitment to the BEPH Program, their peers and Conestoga College as a whole.
2025 Award Winner: Reem Qasas
Recognizing a student who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to promoting the BEPH program, showcasing their passion for environmental public health and inspiring future students.
2025 Award Winner: Hailey Keeler
Recognizing our community partners and the contributions they make to student learning.
2025 Award Winner: Environmental Health Review
BEPH Inter-Professional Practice Award
Who best demonstrates the attributes and behaviours of interprofessional practice in their final lab and practicum experiences.
Students currently registered in the program must demonstrate the following:
outstanding team player
contributes to the success of his or her program by helping others
superior communication skills
exudes a positive attitude and commitment
seeks innovative ideas and solutions to interprofessional practice
assumes a leadership role amongst his or her peers
2025 Award Winner: Reem Qasas
Awarded to the team that demonstrates the best debate for interoperability and information sharing is critical for providing safe, effective, and efficient care. The criteria for the award are based on technical, logistical, and ethical implications of health information sharing.
2025 Award Winners:
Debate Topic: Connected Care for Canadians Act (proposed bill C-72).
Karan Jitesh Africawala
Larissa Brenneman
Corinne Junipero
Amanda Cunsolo
Sharifa Ulla
Jewels Weigel
This award recognizes a current BAHIS student that has displayed a significant level of, either formal or informal, leadership within the program. This recipient has greatly contributed to the success of the BAHIS program as well as considerably impacted the experiences of their peers within their community.
What is the Criteria for the Leadership Award?
Motivates and helps organize BAHIS students to take action in achieving goals
Is a direct reflection of the values of BAHIS students, they are authentic in all transactions
Driven to inspire colleagues to reach their full potential
Passionate about the BAHIS program
Contributes significantly in a positive way to your experience here in the program
Takes the time to help you understand concepts taught in class
Easily approachable to talk about any concerns / thoughts
2025 Winner: Olena Savych
This award recognizes current BAHIS students with the best poster presentation from the Solving Problems in Health Informatics class.
Your team poster was chosen, based on the following criteria:
Attracting viewer’s attention
Situates a health care problem within the governance and structures of healthcare systems in Canada
The poster is well organized, easy to follow and understand
The approach taken is technically sound
The poster is original and extends the learning from the course
2025 Winner:
"Every Minute Counts: Improving Ambulance Offload Time"
Alice Myers
Chelsea Ford
Larissa Musy
Jamila Vanstaalduinen
"ALS - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis"
Janelle Badu
Samriti Verma
Saniya Afsheen
This Teamwork Award recognizes a current BAHIS student team that has demonstrated outstanding collaboration and cooperation on a course project through the academic semester. Recipients of the award exemplify passion, resilience, and dedication to teamwork. Their collective efforts reflect a shared pride in their accomplishments and a commitment to continued success in the future.
2025 Award Winners:
Christiana Babatunde
Jessica Galetin
Miriam Basham
Matt Lopacinski
Mike Lukina
Who best demonstrates the attributes and behaviours of interprofessional practice in their final lab and practicum experiences.
Students currently registered in the program must demonstrate the following:
outstanding team player
contributes to the success of his or her program by helping others
superior communication skills
exudes a positive attitude and commitment
seeks innovative ideas and solutions to interprofessional practice
assumes a leadership role amongst his or her peers
2025 Award Winner: Jamila Vanstaalduinen
The Bachelor of Applied Health Information (BAHIS) Showcase Award is presented in recognition of outstanding achievement, innovation, and excellence within course work. This award celebrates individuals or teams who have demonstrated exceptional talent, creativity, and impact, setting a benchmark for peers to follow. Through exemplary performance, recipients of the Showcase Award are invited to present their work at the Public Health and Informatics Symposium.
2025 Award Winners:
Jason Jennison
Joanne Thieu
Corinne Junipero
Kiranjot Kaur
Brooke Nuur
Christiana Babatunde
Miriam Basham
Jessica Galetin
Matt Lopacinski
Mike Lukina
Olena Savych
Prabhsimran Kaur
Nasra Jama
The Future of Health Information Award
This award recognizes academic excellence and passion for the health information profession.
Recipients contribute to their classrooms and their communities. They have the potential to impact the future of the profession positively.
2025 Award Winner: Corinne Junipero
BAHIS Community Partner Awards
Recognizing our community partners and the contributions they make to student learning.
2025 Award Winner: National Institutes of Health Informatics Canada (NIHI)