This April, Queen’s Computing Students’ Association (COMPSA) launched a new annual Student Awards tradition to celebrate the contributions of outstanding Computing undergraduate students.
COMPSA Vice President Nina Thaksee established the awards with support from the School staff and Computing instructor Dr. Erin Meger. After researching the history of the School of Computing, Nina decided to dedicate the four new awards to honoring the legacy of renowned former or retiring School instructors Robin Dawes, Wendy Powley, Tom Bradshaw, and Selim Akl. Each award is meant to recognize a current Computing undergraduate student for their efforts and contributions not just to the School of Computing, but also the Queen’s and Kingston community as a whole.
The winners in each of the following categories were presented by Nina at the inaugural COMPSA Student Awards ceremony on April 4th. Congratulations to all!
Robin Dawes First Year Excellence in Computing Award
Dr. Robin Dawes served as an Associate Professor at Queen’s University from 1983 to 2022, retiring after an outstanding 39-year career. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Math and Computing and went on to complete his Master’s and PhD in Computer Science at the University of Toronto. During his time at Queen’s University, he taught a variety of computing courses, including foundational courses like CISC 121 and CISC 124. He was highly regarded by first-year students and was known for his passion for teaching. In recognition of his contributions, he received the Howard Staveley Teaching Award three times, as well as the Frank Knox Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Honoring Dr. Robin Dawes, this award celebrates an exceptional first-year student who demonstrates initiative in Computing. The recipient stands out through their achievement and engagement in Computing-related extracurriculars.
Winner: Kelvin Nguyen
Notes from the awards committee:
Kelvin showcases a commendable commitment to diversity and inclusion as an executive intern at COMPSA. He expanded assembly voting to include international students. He also identified a gap between students and staff, so he introduced a ‘Town Hall Q&A’ with the School of Computing Director. He participated in QHacks and represented Computing at the March Open House, where he welcomed incoming and prospective students. His overall sentiment, focusing on improving community over self, stood out to the committee.
The Wendy Powley Outstanding Woman in Computing Award
Wendy Powley is currently an Associate Professor at the Queen’s University School of Computing and is set to retire next year after an impressive 33-year career. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1984 and a Master of Science in Computer Science in 1990, both from Queen’s University. While teaching at Queen’s Computing, she founded the ACM Canadian Celebration of Women in Computing, an annual conference that continues to connect women in technology across Canada. She also founded Queen’s Women in Computing, a student-run organization with aims of empowering underrepresented groups in technology. In 2022, she received the CS-Can/Info-Can Distinguished Services Award for her contributions to increasing the representation of women in computing.
Named after Professor Wendy Powley, this award recognizes an individual who identifies as a woman in Computing and demonstrates dedication, initiative, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Winner: Keelyjoon McSpurren
Notes from the awards committee:
Keelyjoon truly embodies the spirit of this award. She served as the Vice-chair of community and co-chair of Queen’s Women in Computing, where she supported and mentored many female students. Impressively, she was also selected to join the Queen’s board for the National Center for Women & Information Technology, where she shared her experiences to promote systemic and meaningful change.
The Tom Bradshaw Community Service Award
Tom Bradshaw was the Technical Manager of the Queen’s University School of Computing from 1979 to 2021, spending 42 years lending a helping hand to the Computing community. He graduated from Queen’s University with a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Applied Mathematics in 1978 and also completed a Master’s Degree in Computer Science. He was paramount in guiding the School of Computing systems through the rise of Unix servers, virtual machines, the rise of Linux, Internet of Things, cloud computing and machine learning. Tom Bradshaw passed away on December 29th, 2021, at the age of 66 after battling with cancer.
This award honours Tom Bradshaw and his legacy by recognizing a Computing student who strives to make a difference not only through school, but in the border community as well.
Winner: Beth Armstrong
Notes from the awards committee:
This year, Beth Armstrong had an incredible outreach impact. She held various leadership roles in Queen’s Women in Computing, and is also one of the incoming co-chairs. In the greater Queen’s community, she is currently the co-chair of the Queen’s Music Club, where she strives to host welcoming and inclusive events. Beyond the university, she volunteers in the local area at Soul Food and Grandfriends on a weekly basis.
The Selim Akl Computing Student Leader Award
Dr. Selim Akl is a Professor at Queen’s University in the School of Computing and is set to retire at the end of this term, after an impressive 47-year career at the institution. He completed his Ph.D. in 1978, focusing on the Statistical Analysis of Some Properties of Solutions to the Traveling Salesman Problem at McGill University. As an instructor, he was awarded the Howard Staveley Award for Teaching Excellence in 2004 and 2007. From 2007 to 2017, he served as the Director of the School of Computing and displayed exceptional leadership in his role. He was also a pioneer in research, particularly in the fields of parallel and unconventional computing. Throughout his career, Dr. Akl has received the CS-Can/Info-Can Lifetime Achievement Award in Computer Science, the Queen’s University Distinguished Service Award and was also elected as a Lifetime Inaugural Highly Ranked Scholar by Scholar GPS.
Named after Dr. Selim Akl, this award recognizes a student who has made a significant impact on the Computing community at Queen’s. The recipient should demonstrate strong leadership, and actively work to improve the student life at Queen’s through advocacy and initiatives.
Winner: Owen Rocchi
Notes from the awards committee:
As the previous COMPSA VPSA, Owen enacted many meaningful changes, such as introducing a Computing Club Roundtable. He brought together computing clubs and ensured that their initiatives were supported financially. He currently serves as the 155th President of the Alma Mater Society, being the first computing student to do so. His many initiatives and experiences showcase his outstanding leadership.