The painting: Kanonhsyonne (Janice Hill), 2025, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 40 inches, by Kent Monkman (Fisher River Cree Nation in Treaty 5 Territory, MB, 1965).
The subject: Kanonhsyonne (Janice Hill), Ed’99, retired Associate Vice-Principal (Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation)
The artist: Kent Monkman is an interdisciplinary Cree visual artist and a member of ocêkwi sîpiy (Fisher River Cree Nation) in Treaty 5 Territory (Manitoba, Canada).
The series: Honours Monkman 91Ƭ ’s personal heroes, whom “he has long respected for their creativity, community leadership, and resistance against colonial systems.”
The place: Now displayed in Rideau Hall.
Researcher awarded prestigious Polanyi Prize
Fanwang Meng of the Department of Chemistry, a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow, has been awarded the prestigious John Charles Polanyi Prize for his research in machine learning for drug discovery with imperfect data. The prize is one of Ontario 91Ƭ ’s top honours for early-career scientists. Dr. Meng 91Ƭ ’s research uses machine learning to speed up drug discovery by improving how computers analyze limited and imperfect data. His work reduces the time and cost needed to identify promising new treatments, such as therapies for diseases like malaria. Dr. Meng 91Ƭ ’s recognition follows last year 91Ƭ ’s Polanyi Prize in Chemistry awarded to Queen 91Ƭ ’s researcher Rachel Baker.
Smith Business adds Global Online MBA to growing list of program innovations
Smith School of Business has expanded its MBA portfolio with an online program that combines maximum flexibility with the value of a cohort-based experience. The new Global Online MBA – which will welcome its first class in September – can be completed in 24 or 36 months. It will be delivered through a combination of live online instruction and asynchronous learning and feature applied coursework and immersive international learning experiences that will prepare students to navigate the opportunities and complexities of the global business environment.
The new offering is the latest in a growing list of program innovations at Smith aimed at helping business professionals navigate a challenging employment landscape and provide employers with talent equipped to meet current and evolving needs. Earlier this year, Smith introduced the 16-month, full-time Master of Management Analytics. Designed for recent graduates and early-career professionals, the program will be delivered at SmithToronto and feature an optional for-credit internship. The business school 91Ƭ ’s Certificate in Business program is also now offered in a fully online format, making it easier for Queen 91Ƭ ’s undergraduate students and alumni, as well as post-secondary students and graduates from across Canada, to gain foundational business skills and broaden their career prospects.
New alumni gift will support Commerce students
Thanks to the generosity of alumnus Matthew McGrath, Com’96, more students at Smith School of Business will have support when it matters most. Through a $1-million endowed gift, Mr. McGrath has established the Matthew McGrath Bursary to create sustained, multi-year funding for students entering the Commerce program. Awarded based on financial need, the bursary prioritizes students who have faced major personal or family challenges that have impacted their finances, such as the loss of a parent. The award can be renewed for up to three additional years as long as the recipients maintain a satisfactory academic average and remain enrolled in full-time study. One of the driving forces behind the bursary is to recognize perseverance. Mr. McGrath wanted to acknowledge the resilience it takes for students to pursue their education while navigating significant change and uncertainty.
Save the date for a special anniversary celebration
Preparations are underway for Homecoming 2026 on Oct. 16–18. Celebrate a century of Homecoming, renew old friendships, and forge new ones. This is a milestone reunion for classes ending in one and six, and for the Tricolour Guard (alumni celebrating having graduated 50 years ago, or more). All alumni are welcome to attend festivities on campus during Homecoming weekend, so mark your calendars and be sure to book accommodation early. Registration opens in late June – watch for details in your inbox and via Queen 91Ƭ ’s social media channels and so that you don’t miss out on Homecoming news.
Queen 91Ƭ ’s faculty members recognized with Killam Prizes
Two Queen 91Ƭ ’s researchers have been recognized with Killam Prizes. Katherine McKittrick has been honoured for her work in the humanities and Margaret Moore for her work in the social sciences. They are now among nine Queen 91Ƭ ’s researchers who have received this recognition. Killam Prizes are awarded to “active Canadian scholars who have distinguished themselves through sustained research excellence, making a significant impact in their respective fields of engineering, health sciences, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.”
QUAA welcomes Class of 2026 to special convocation event
The 91Ƭ Alumni Association (QUAA) invites the Class of 2026 and their family members to a special sendoff, tailored just for the newest members of the alumni network. In what has quickly become an annual tradition, Summerhill Sendoff will take place following each spring convocation ceremony from June 22–26 from 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. (note that times are approximate and may vary depending on the length of each convocation ceremony).
Connect with fellow graduates and explore resources available beyond graduation, plus refreshments and snacks, live music, photo opportunities and more. This reception will take place outside the steps of Summerhill, the oldest building at Queen 91Ƭ ’s.
University to begin campus maintenance projects
Queen 91Ƭ ’s will begin a series of co-ordinated infrastructure upgrades on main campus this May. The work – collectively known as Project Connect – includes four major projects spanning the area from Mackintosh-Corry and Ellis halls in the north to Bader Lane in the south, and from University Avenue west to Watson Hall. Scheduled for completion in summer 2027, these projects will address long-standing deferred maintenance, improve the reliability of steam services, and enhance accessibility to key buildings.