Every year, APEGS recognizes the top graduating students in engineering and in geoscience at both universities for outstanding academic achievements and leadership with a gold-plated medal and pin. Congratulations 2020 Gold Medal recipients!
APEGS Gold Medal Spring 2020 Convocation
Madeline Martel
Madeline Martel
Madeline Martel grew up in Saskatoon and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Throughout her undergraduate degree she worked as a research assistant in the biomechanics lab at the university studying magnetic resonance imaging of meniscus tissue in the knee joint. She also completed the Engineering Professional Internship Program where she worked at the City of Saskatoon for a 16-month term.
Madeline is continuing to work on the research project that she has been a part of throughout her undergraduate degree, and she has returned to the City of Saskatoon in the role of operations engineer.
Malaya Coppola
Malaya Coppola
Malaya Coppola is graduating with Great Distinction from the University of Regina with an applied science degree in Environmental Systems Engineering and has also completed the Co-operative Education Program.
Malaya has been on the Dean’s List every semester of her academic career and has received numerous awards as a result of her academic efforts.
Throughout her time at the University of Regina, Malaya was heavily involved in extra-curricular activities. She volunteered her time with Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB), The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE), and the University of Regina’s Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race Team (GNCTR).
It was through her work and volunteer experience that Malaya developed and displayed excellent leadership skills.
During her free time, Malaya enjoys reading, cooking and outdoor activities such as hiking and downhill skiing.
Shelby Brandt
Shelby Brandt
I have wanted to be a geologist for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was obsessed with my rock collection and thought earthquakes, volcanoes and mountains were fascinating.
In 2015 I began my Honours degree in Geology at the University of Regina and found my niche in third year after taking Dr. Bethune’s structural geology course.
That summer, I was fortunate to find employment with the Saskatchewan Geological Survey as a senior assistant for a bedrock mapping project in the Glennie Domain of northern Saskatchewan. I used this data and produced a structural analysis for my B.Sc. thesis – a project that blended field work with research – a combination I thoroughly enjoy and which led me to embark upon a Master’s project also within the Dept. of Geology, University of Regina, that began in January of this year.
During my time as a student of Geology, I have gained a variety of experiences that have instilled leadership qualities from voluntary roles and interaction with the broader Geoscience community.
While I am just at the beginning of my career in Geology and I am eager to see where this amazing field leads me.
Katherine Thue
Katherine Thue
Born and raised in Saskatoon, Katherine Thue received her Bachelor of Science Honors Degree in Geology from the U of S in spring 2020. Katherine grew up spending holidays in the
Canadian Rockies, and in 2015 travelled to Rwanda, experiencing a new culture and landscape. This inspired her to learn about the physical world, and her academic interest in
geology was sparked by holding a piece of meteorite during an intro geology course. Katherine’s focus in soft rock geology led her to attend a field course in Spain, the highlight of her
undergraduate career. Throughout her degree, Katherine enjoyed supporting her classmates and sharing her love of geology. In her last two years she served as an undergraduate
teaching assistant in first year geology labs. In 2019, Katherine received the Dr. Rui Feng Geological Science Award, and in 2020 received the APEGS Continuing Undergraduate
scholarship. Katherine is looking forward to pursuing a Master’s program at the U of S.