Scholarships and bursaries served up at festive breakfast

By Francine Freeman

Concordia’s enrolment is steadily growing. Fortunately, so are the number and range of the university’s scholarships and bursaries, according to Roger Côté, executive director of Enrolment and Student Services.

This year, more than 300 undergraduate students are receiving scholarships and bursaries valued at a total of $512,000, and more than 440 graduate students are receiving fellowships, scholarships, bursaries, awards and teaching assistantships valued at $1,770,000.

At the Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards Breakfast Reception, held Nov. 26 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, 24 new awards were introduced, bringing to 162 the number offered to Concordia undergraduate students annually.

“Students and donors help make Concordia a very special place,” said Provost Martin Singer. These awards, and the willingness of people in the community to recognize the needs of students, are also a tribute to the university.

Memorial to student

The new awards include the Nadia Gagliano Student Teaching Award, established in memory of a student who passed away in her final year of studies in early childhood education at Concordia.

Professor Ellen Jacobs, who introduced the award, said her death left a void among the students. The award is based on criteria that exemplify her academic standing, professionalism and co-operative spirit.

Jean Fabi, president of the Championnat des Amériques international equestrian event, introduced the Institute for Co-operative Education Work Term Stipend. He initiated it because he was impressed by the Concordia co-op students who helped make the charity event a success.

The Mildred B. Lande Prize for Service to the Community was established by governor emeritus Miriam Roland to honour Lande, a distinguished member of Concordia’s Board of Governors, on her 90th birthday.

Roland has also generously funded two new awards at the graduate level, an entrance fellowship in the PhD in humanities program and a bursary for students in the graduate diploma program in community economic development.

Graduate Awards

The Graduate Awards and Teaching Assistantships Induction Ceremony and Breakfast were held Dec. 3 at the InterContinental Hotel and saw the introduction of 16 new awards.

Ragai Ibrahim, professor emeritus of biology, established a graduate award in biology as “a tribute to the university which adopted me in 1966 and gave me the opportunity to excel in my teaching and research.” Over his career at Concordia, Ibrahim has trained close to 40 graduate students.

Another new award, the Keith Lowther Graduate Award, is the result of four years of earnest fundraising and benefit concerts by students in the History Department. Lowther died in 1997 from complications related to AIDS just a few months shy of earning his PhD in history.

The Office of University Advancement and Alumni Relations inaugurated its graduate bursary, funded through an endowment supported by 95 per cent of staff members.

“It is fitting that we lead by example and do our share in encouraging the philanthropic values we uphold,” said Tamara Gulezko. The office’s undergraduate bursary was awarded in early 2004.