Governor General Gold Medal graduate set to make impact in mental health of parents, infants

Congratulations to Jaclyn Nofech-Mozes, who graduated in the fall of 2019 with a PhD in clinical psychology in the Faculty of Arts, and was selected to receive Ryerson’s most prestigious academic award, the Governor General Gold Medal. The distinction is awarded annually to a graduate student who achieves the highest academic standing in graduate degree programs.

Nofech-Mozes, who completed both her master’s degree and PhD at Ryerson, has earned several honours, including the inaugural Yeates School of Graduate Studies (YSGS) Graduate Student Leadership Award. She is researching the transmission of mental health from parent to child, assessing the influence of genes and environment on brain biology and behaviour in early life.

We asked Jaclyn to share her thoughts about receiving this honour.

Q&A:

1. What does receiving the Gold Medal mean to you?

I feel honoured and humbled to receive this award. It’s recognition of my hard work, the importance of my research area (mother-infant relationships and biopsychosocial risk for psychopathology), and the incredible support system that I was fortunate to have throughout my PhD. My supervisor, Dr. Leslie Atkinson, has always had confidence in me and supported my research endeavours no matter how ambitious they were.

My fellow lab mates and PhD cohort also made this journey incredibly enjoyable. My family and friends have supported me through years of studying, coding, and analyzing data, and this award would not have been possible without them. This award is a combination of hard work, passion, and support – a true team effort. I’d like to thank all of them.

2. What advice would you give students entering their first year?

Never underestimate the importance of self-care. Balancing graduate school, work, and life is not easy.

Be kind to yourself, move, sleep, enjoy your time with family and friends, and get extra support if you need it. 

3. Do you have any favourite classes/teachers, and what made them stand out?

Dr. Leslie Atkinson is an exceptional professor and mentor who has made a lasting positive impact on my work and my life. His genuine kindness, exceptional intellect, sense of humour, and passion for research make him an absolutely inspirational person. Leslie is one of those rare supervisors whose students volunteer to take on extra work just so that they can have additional opportunities to work with him and learn from him (and of course hear his jokes). Thanks to Leslie, I am one of those rare and lucky students who can say, "grad school was a blast and it flew by."

Dr. Naomi Koerner's psychopathology class, although super tough, is probably the most useful and worthwhile class I have taken in my entire academic career. Dr. Martin Antony, Dr. Karen Milligan, and Dr. Colleen Carney are also incredible and passionate teachers.

4. How did Ryerson support you during your time here?

Ryerson provides a collaborative and supportive environment with many opportunities for student involvement and engagement.

There are resources for whatever you need. I had an amazing experience as a Ryerson student!

5. What has been your proudest accomplishment?

Getting my PhD! This involved years of studying for courses, researching, and coding mother-infant interactions for my dissertation. It also involved the incredibly rewarding clinical psychology practicum placements/residency where I got to work with children, adolescents, adults, and families in hospital, community mental health, school, and private practice settings.

6. What are your future plans?

Working as a clinical psychologist and enjoying my time with my husband, family, and friends!