Undergraduate Awards
Politics and Governance Awards
Students in Politics and Governance will need to apply for awards through AwardSpring (external link) , unless otherwise indicated.
To provide financial assistance and to recognize the academic achievement of a full-time student in their final year of study enrolled in the Politics and Governance BA (Honours) program who demonstrates involvement in extracurricular activities such as community involvement, politics, or volunteer work and demonstrates financial need.
This award honours the lifelong dedication of one of the founding members of the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University. David Crombie, a member of Toronto’s urban reform movement in the 1960s, was Mayor of Toronto (1972-78) and Member of the Canadian Parliament for Toronto Centre (1978-1988). He served as Minister of Health and Welfare, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, and Secretary of State and Minister of Multiculturalism. He is Chancellor Emeritus of Ryerson University.
Award Winners
| 2020 | Nazdona Ayon |
| 2019 | Iva Srbinovska |
| 2018 | Teodor Dyshniku |
| 2017 | not awarded |
| 2016 | Stephen Fleet |
| 2015 | not awarded |
| 2014 | Annalise Huynh |
| 2013 | Matthew Jonah |
| 2012 | Lea Puechel |
The Solly Patel Memorial Entrance Award will be awarded to up to two undergraduate students entering the Politics and Governance program. Must be a 1st year student with a minimum 80% in high school. Must demonstrate financial need.
The Solly Patel Memorial Entrance Award was created in 2009 to honour the memory of Solly Patel, who was a faculty member in the Department of Politics and School of Public Administration (as it then was), and served a term as the Department Chair in the 1980s. Solly Patel retired in 1996, after 29 years of dedicated and distinguished service to Ryerson, and returned to South Africa, where he died on 30 March 2006 at age 71 years. Solly Patel’s sister, Khatija Patel, made the endowed award possible through a generous donation.
Award Winners
| 2020 | not awarded |
| 2019 | Zahra Ali |
| 2018 | Maria Stancevska |
| 2017 | Manahel Khan |
| 2016 | Zanab Ali Chaudhry |
| 2015 | Patrick Mott |
| 2014 | Deluxce Patterson |
| 2013 | Massimo Oliva |
| 2012 | Steve Tondé |
Public Administration and Governance Awards
Students in Public Administration and Governance will need to apply for awards through AwardSpring (external link) , unless otherwise indicated.
The Caroline Wheeler Award will be given to a student in the Public Administration and Governance program who best exemplifies the characteristics and attitude of Caroline Wheeler in her role in the Department, namely: contribution to the program, support for fellow students,diligence and commitment to one's studies, and participation in the Ryerson community.
For over thirty years, Caroline Wheeler was a committed staff member at Ryerson University. She held the position of Departmental Assistant in the Department of Politics and School of Public Administration (as it then was) for a decade until her retirement in 1999. Ms. Wheeler is acknowledged for her many contributions to the Public Administration and Governance undergraduate program, her support for students and her diligence and commitment to the Ryerson community.
Award Winners
| 2022-23 | Mithunaa Visvalingam |
| 2021-22 | Natashia Becker |
| 2020-21 | Brent Abell |
| 2019-20 | Nikki Orosz |
| 2018-19 | Laurie O'Dell |
| 2017-18 | Kelsey Fournier |
| 2016-17 | Steve Teekens |
| 2015-16 | Taija Ryan |
| 2014-15 | Jasmeet Bains |
| 2013-14 | K. Sara Loft |
| 2012-13 | Matthew Cwihun |
| 2011-12 | Caroline Thompson |
| 2010-11 | Iram Imtiaz |
| 2009-10 | Anna Muselius |
| 2008-09 | Daryl King |
| 2007-08 | Szymon Wierdak |
| 2006-07 | Craig Dart |
The award is intended to recognize the academic achievement of, and to provide financial assistance to, a part-time student who requires no more than six (6) one-semester course credits to graduate and who will, in the next academic year, be enrolled in his/her final year of the Public Administration and Governance program.
This award honours the lifelong dedication of one of the founding members of the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University. David Crombie, a member of Toronto’s urban reform movement in the 1960s, was Mayor of Toronto (1972-78) and Member of the Canadian Parliament for Toronto Centre (1978-1988). He served as Minister of Health and Welfare, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, and Secretary of State and Minister of Multiculturalism. He is Chancellor Emeritus of Ryerson University.
Award Winners
| 2022-23 | Emily Wilson |
| 2021-22 | Nikki van Oirschot |
| 2020-21 | Ellen Bruce |
| 2019-20 | Amanda Bruce |
| 2018-19 | Brandi Park |
| 2017-18 | Lisa Gold |
| 2016-17 | Steve Teekens |
One award will be given to the student who has produced the best final paper in either PPA50A/B (Practicum) or PPA51A/B (Research Paper). To be considered, students must be nominated by the professors of PPA50 A/B and/or PPA51 A/B. Adjudication by Awards Committee.
The Gerda Kaegi Award is named for Professor Emerita Gerda Kaegi (opens in new window) , who was Department Chair from 1976-1981, and was instrumental in the founding of the first part-time undergraduate Public Administration degree program in Canada.
Award Winners
| 2022-23 | Rachel Becker and Scott Robertson |
| 2021-22 | Brent Abell, Daniel Nowoselski and Nikki van Oirschot |
| 2020-21 | Ellen Bruce |
| 2019-20 | Amanda Bruce and Rizpah Pinto |
| 2018-19 | Jacqueline Baker and Alistair Smith |
| 2017-18 | Kelsey Fournier and Anna Walsh |
| 2016-17 | Lisa Gold and Jetandra Gowrisunkur |
| 2015-16 | Sarah Campbell and Jorge Mena |
| 2014-15 | Launa King and Krystyn Tully |
| 2013-14 | Keren Mack |
| 2012-13 | J. Spencer Salvo |
| 2011-12 | Connie MacDonald |
| 2010-11 | Pavlina Zelcevic |
The Solly Patel Memorial Entrance Award may be awarded to an undergraduate student entering the second year of the Public Administration and Governance program who has completed at least one course in two of the three semesters immediately preceding the award adjudication (a minimum of two courses over the previous Fall, Winter, and Spring/Summer terms).
The Solly Patel Memorial Entrance Award was created in 2009 to honour the memory of Solly Patel, who was a faculty member in the Department of Politics and School of Public Administration (as it then was), and served a term as the Department Chair in the 1980s. Solly Patel retired in 1996, after 29 years of dedicated and distinguished service to Ryerson, and returned to South Africa, where he died on 30 March 2006 at age 71 years. Solly Patel’s sister, Khatija Patel, made the endowed award possible through a generous donation.
Award Winners
| 2022-23 | Peyton Pitawanakwat |
| 2021-22 | Alana Maharaj |
| 2020-21 | Emily Wilson |
| 2019-20 | Leonora Tabaku |
| 2018-19 | not awarded |
| 2017-18 | not awarded |
| 2016-17 | Sarah Chaloux |
Honouring Queer History by Supporting Queer Students
text from the website of the Bill 7 Award
The Bill 7 Award Trust was established in 1987 to provide post-secondary education scholarships to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirited or queer (LGBTQ) students with demonstrated financial need who are pursuing a first degree, diploma or certification in any Ontario post-secondary institution.
The Bill 7 Award is named after the 1986 Ontario legislation that extended the protection of the Human Rights Code to lesbians and gays.
The Trust was founded by six community groups, predominantly led by women: the UofT Women’s Centre, the Lesbian and Gay Community Appeal (now the CommunityONE Foundation), Lesbians of Colour, The Black Women’s Collective, Zami, and the Toronto Counselling Centre for Lesbians and Gays.
Today, Bill 7 Award trustees are appointed by our two current partner organizations, Supporting Our Youth (SOY) and the Community One Foundation, successors to the original founding groups.
Since 1987, the Bill 7 Award Trust has granted over $200,000 in scholarships to students in the queer community to help them with the cost of post-secondary education.
All scholarship funds are raised through donations. We have been working hard to increase both the number and size of the available scholarships. In 2020, we were able to award 17 scholarships of $3500 each.
(PDF file) Promotional flyer for 2021 Awards (opens in new window)
Apply for a Bill 7 Award
The Carla Cassidy Award recognizes an eligible fourth year student enrolled in a full-time Arts program with the highest CGPA across the Faculty of Arts, through 6 semesters of study. Applicants must demonstrate financial need. Students with the highest CGPA at the end of the sixth semester and preregistered to take at least four billing units in the upcoming fall semester will be identified and invited to apply to the award. Carla Cassidy wanted to ensure students from across the Faculty are recognized, so the award is rotated among the various programs in the Faculty of Arts in alphabetical order [beginning with Arts and Contemporary Studies (ACS) in 2017].
The award recipient will receive a monetary award of $1000.
Apply through AwardSpring, (external link, opens in new window) where it will also be possible to identify the program designated in the current year, and the deadline for application.
This award honours Professor Emerita Carla Cassidy, who held an academic appointment in the Department of Politics and Public Administration for 33 years. She was Interim Vice President Research and Innovation (2010-11), Dean of the Faculty of Arts (2001-2010), and Chair of the Department of Politics and Public Administration (1996-2001).
As Department Chair, Dr. Cassidy developed the partnership (opens in new window) between the Department and the First Nations Technical Institute in Tyendinega that delivers the BA (honours) in Public Administration and Governance to First Nations administrators in various locations across Ontario.
As Dean, she ushered in nine (9) undergraduate programs in the Faculty of Arts, as well as many of the existing graduate programs. She also participated actively in the fundraising for, and setup of, the Chair in Indigenous Governance.
Jay Sussman (1956-1984)
Journalism student Jay Sussman died of cancer in November 1984, aged 28, before he was able to complete his final year in the program. Described as “bright, committed, inquisitive and humorous,” he made a lasting impression on those who knew him.
Remembering his devotion to human rights and his belief that journalism and politics could contribute to eliminating injustice and inequality, his family and friends set up the Jay Sussman Memorial Award, to be given annually to a Journalism student entering their third year who demonstrates excellence in political studies and journalism. Thanks to a generous donation by The Eyeopener (external link) in 2011, the award will continue in perpetuity as the Eyeopener – Jay Sussman Memorial Award. The winner of the award is chosen by the Department of Politics and Public Administration, and presented at the annual Awards Night of the School of Journalism
Abeer Khan (2020)
The Ryerson School of Journalism Awards for 2020 were presented virtually on 20 May 2020 because of the COVID pandemic. The winner of the 2020 Eyeopener-Jay Sussman Memorial Award was Abeer Khan.
Emma Sandri (2019)
Sarah Krichel, Editor-in-Chief of the Eyeopener (L), presents the 2019 Eyeopener-Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Emma Sandri (R) on 22 November 2019.
Sherina Harris (2018)
Jacob Dubé, Editor-in-Chief of the Eyeopener (L), presents the 2018 Eyeopener-Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Sherina Harris (R) on 23 November 2018.
Sarah Krichel (2017)
Sierra Bien, Editor-in-Chief of the Eyeopener (L) presents the 2017 Eyeopener-Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Sarah Krichel (R) on 20 November 2017.
Ryan Jeffrey Tuchow (2016)
Nicole Schmidt, Editor-in-Chief of the Eyeopener (L) presents the 2016 Eyeopener-Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Ryan Jeffrey Tuchow (R) on 28 November 2016.
Deni Verklan (2015)
Sean Wetslaar, Editor-in-Chief of the Eyeopener (L) presents the 2015 Eyeopener-Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Deni Verklan (R).
Zachary Pothier (2014)
Mohamed Omar, Editor-in-Chief of the Eyeopener (R) presents the 2014 Eyeopener-Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Zachary Pothier (L).
Ophelie Zalcmanis-Lai (2013)
Sean Tepper, Editor-in-Chief of the Eyeopener (R) presents the 2013 Eyeopener-Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Ophelie Zalcmanis-Lai (L).
Candice Kung (2012)
Lee Richardson, Editor-in-Chief of the Eyeopener (R) presents the 2012 Eyeopener-Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Candice Kung (L).
Matthew Kennedy (2011)
Dr. Colin Mooers, Interim Chair of the Department of Politics and Public Administration (L) presents the Eyeopener Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Matthew Kennedy (R).
Marta Iwanek (2010)
Dr. Neil Thomlinson, Chair of the Department of Politics and Public Administration (L) presents the Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Marta Iwanek (R).
Michael DeRuyter (2009)
Dr. Myer Siemiatycki, Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration (L) presents the Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Michael DeRuyter (R).
Andrea MacLean (2008)
Dr. Neil Thomlinson, Chair of the Department of Politics and Public Administration (R) presents the Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Andrea MacLean (L).
Jesse McLean (2007)
Dr. Neil Thomlinson, Chair of the Department of Politics and Public Administration (R) presents the Jay Sussman Memorial Award to Jesse McLean (L).
Jessica Whitby (2006)
Presented in absentia.
Diana Tseng (2005)
