Indigenous Graduate Award spotlights student excellence at U��֦��Ƶ

Oct. 2, 2025

Indigenous Graduate Award spotlights student excellence at U��֦��Ƶ

With record applications and more than $940,000 in funding, the annual competition is now open

Ramsey Kunkel Photography

For more than a decade, the has supported Canadian Indigenous students (First Nations Status/Non-Status, Métis and Inuit) pursuing graduate studies at the ��֦��Ƶ.

Above image: Keeta Gladue a PhD student in Educational Research is a 2024 recipient of the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES) – Indigenous and the ii' taa'poh'to'p Graduate Scholarship.

Administered through the , the competition brings together five donor- and university-funded awards: the ; the ; the ; the ; and the .

Together, these awards provide a total of $941,400 in funding each year. Held each fall, the competition runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

This past year’s competition drew a record 76 applications, with 61 students offered funding. The strong response highlights the growing impact of the program and sets the stage for another successful year in 2025.

“U��֦��Ƶ is honoured to fund Indigenous graduate students through the Indigenous Graduate Award Competition, fostering their research, leadership and contributions to their communities,” says Dr. Tara Beattie, PhD, vice-provost and dean of Graduate Studies.

“These awards recognize the excellence of Indigenous scholars while strengthening the diverse perspectives that enrich our graduate community. Their success reflects U��֦��Ƶ’s commitment to an inclusive and empowering research environment where Indigenous voices and knowledge make vital contributions to society.”

2024 IGA recipients

The recipients of the 2024 ��֦��Ƶ Indigenous Graduate Award Competition (IGA) are:

Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES)

Chantelle Anderson, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
Evan Anderson, PhD student, Educational Research
Chantal Barber, Master’s student, Management
Lindy Beauchamp, Master’s student, Social Work
Danielle Bernier, Master’s student, Management
Bobbi Boyce, Post-Degree Diploma, Data Science and Analytics
Justine Calliou, Master’s student, Social Work
Terri Cardinal, PhD student, Social Work
Dana Chaulk, PhD student, Educational Research
Shea Coburn, Master’s student, Management
Ashley Cornect-Benoit, PhD student, Community Health Sciences
Geordie Cowan, Master’s student, Drama
Ryan Crosschild, PhD student, Political Science
Erin Creegan-Dougherty, Master’s student, Management
Zanne Cunningham, Master’s student, Social Work
Mick Elliott, PhD student, Management
Melissa Eastveld, PhD student, Nursing
Asher Friedland, PhD student, Educational Psychology
Keeta Gladue, PhD student, Educational Research
Kass Green, Master’s student, Social Work
Brianna Henry, Master’s student, Educational Psychology
Tyler Hiltermann, PhD student, Chemistry
Kourtney Horseman, Master’s student, Social Work
Jeffrey Horvath, PhD student, Educational Research
Riley Howard, Master’s student, Pathologists' Assistant
Shea Iles, Master’s student, Music
Norma Jeremick'ca Gresl
Kristina Kopp, PhD student, Social Work
Zoe Kreutzer, Master’s student, Educational Psychology
Jaiden Kuchinka, Master’s student, Community Health Sciences
Deedra Ladouceur, Master’s student, Drama
Savannah Lightfoot, PhD student, Neuroscience
Jeri-Lee Lomond, Post-Degree Certificate, Clinical Social Work Practice
Jasmine McDermott, Master’s student, Mechanical Engineering
Valerie McDougall, PhD student, Educational Research
Matthew McConnell, Master’s student, Computer Science
Gayle McKenzie, PhD student, Educational Research
Angelina McLean, Master’s student, Community Health Sciences
Hugh Pambrun, Master’s student, Management
Ben Pearman, Master’s student, Computer Science
Jillian Philpott, Master’s student, Management
Angela Roesel, Post-Degree Certificate, Clinical Social Work Practice
Devon Ruscheinski, Master’s student, Environmental Design
Alyssa Savoury, Post-Degree Certificate, Clinical Social Work Practice
Jared Schlechte, PhD student, Immunology
Donovan Seidel, Master’s student, Community Health Sciences
Natasha Skyrpan, Master’s student, Social Work
Jonas Stadfeld, PhD student, Biological Sciences
Lee Stevens, PhD student, Social Work
James Tetreau, Master’s student, Anthropology
Raela Thiemann, Master’s student, Clinical Psychology
Stephanie Tipple, PhD student, Educational Psychology
Erica Van Vugt, Master’s student, Archaeology
Chelsie Wampler, Master’s student, Social Work
Aubrey Watson, Master’s student, Social Work
Tori Wilde, Master’s student, Clinical Psychology
Kienan Williams, PhD student, Community Health Sciences
Leroy Wolf Collar, PhD student, Educational Research
Gavin Woodburn, Master’s student, Geoscience

Anne and Armando Pradella Graduate Scholarship in Public Health

Angelina Mclean, Master’s student, Community Health Sciences

ii' taa'poh'to'p Ahead of Tomorrow Graduate Scholarship

Ryan Crosschild, PhD student, Political Science
Sarah Green, PhD student, Educational Research
Kristina Kopp, PhD student, Social Work

ii’ taa’poh’to’p Graduate Scholarship

Chantelle Anderson, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
Terri Cardinal, PhD student, Social Work
Melissa Eastveld, PhD student, Nursing
Asher Friedland, PhD student, Educational Psychology
Keeta Gladue, PhD student, Educational Research
Jaiden Kuchinka, Master’s student, Community Health Sciences
Jani Lambert-Thomas, PhD student, Educational Research
Stephanie Tipple, PhD student, Educational Psychology
Tori Wilde, Master’s student, Clinical Psychology
Kienan Williams, PhD student, Community Health Sciences
Leroy Wolf Collar, PhD student, Educational Research

Métis Scholar Graduate Award

Zanne Cunningham, Master’s student, Social Work
Kass Green, Master’s student, Social Work
Savannah Lightfoot, PhD student, Neuroscience
Jonas Stadfeld, PhD student, Biological Sciences
Chelsie Wampler, Master’s student, Social Work

Peer-to-peer supports and mentorship

Graduate students at U��֦��Ƶ have access to a wide range of supports to strengthen their award applications and set themselves up for success.

Through workshops, scholarship cafés and one-on-one mentoring sessions, the connects students with peers who have earned some of Canada’s most prestigious graduate awards, including the Vanier, Killam and tri-agency doctoral scholarships. These mentors share their experiences and strategies, helping fellow students navigate the competitive funding landscape with greater confidence.

For Indigenous graduate students, the program offers a student-led community that fosters mentorship, cultural engagement and connection. SAGE U��֦��Ƶ is a space where Indigenous scholars can support one another and thrive in their academic journeys.

This year's IGA Competition runs to Oct. 15. All Indigenous graduate students are encouraged to apply.

More information on application details can be found on the Faculty of Graduate Studies .

ii’ taa’poh’to’p, the ��֦��Ƶ’s Indigenous Strategy, is a commitment to deep evolutionary transformation by reimagining ways of knowing, doing, connecting and being. Walking parallel paths together, “in a good way,” U��֦��Ƶ is moving toward genuine reconciliation and Indigenization.

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