Celebrating U of G Alumnae on International Women's Day

Dr. Roberta Bondar, BSc '68, DSc '90

The world’s first neurologist in space, Dr. Roberta Bondar is globally recognized for her pioneering contributions to space medicine research, fine art photography and environmental education. Aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-42 in 1992, she conducted experiments for 18 countries in the first International Microgravity Laboratory, a precursor to the International Space Station. Dr. Roberta Bondar celebrated the 30th Anniversary of her historic spaceflight this past January. Read more.

Yvonne Su, BA '11, PhD ’20

Dr. Yvonne Su is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Equity Studies at York University. She is a member of the Centre for Refugee Studies and her research interests focus on migration and development, refugee protection and disaster risk reduction. Her current SSHRC funded research examines South-South humanitarian responses in the context of forced migration using the case study of Venezuelan LGBTQI+ asylum seekers in Brazil.  Read more.

Manvi Bhalla, BSc '19

Manvi is an experienced activist and community organizer who has been a leader in numerous NGOs, community-based outreach efforts and school committees from age 11 onwards. While completing her Honours BSc in Biomedical Science at the University of Guelph, she was the President and Chief Financial Officer of the Guelph chapter of the international feminist anti-poverty organization, Oxfam. She was recognized as Canada's top 25 under 25 environmentalist and Top 30 under 30 sustainability leader.  Read more.

T’áncháy Redvers, BA '16

T’áncháy has been nationally and internationally recognized for her time living, travelling, speaking, and working with Indigenous communities internationally and across Canada, with an approach that aims to decolonize and indigenize topics of identity, mental health and healing. She released a debut book of poetry, Fireweed, in 2019 with Kegedonce Press, and has been featured in various forms including Television, Web, Radio, Podcasts, Anthologies and more. She also co-founded We Matter, a national multimedia campaign. Read more.

Chantique Carey-Payne, BA '13

After a varsity career that saw her win numerous provincial and national medals, Carey-Payne was named as U of G’s head coach in 2017. At the relatively young age of 27, she had become the first Black woman in Canada to be named head coach of a university swim program. Read more.

Shauneen Bruder, BA '80

Shauneen Bruder was appointed chair of the University's Board of Directors and is the first woman to hold the position. Bruder is now retired but previously was the executive vice-president of operations for the Royal Bank of Canada, director of CN and Andrew Peller Ltd. and served as chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian American Business Council. A recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, she has been inducted into the Women’s Executive Network Top 100 Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame. Read more.

Emmy Luo, BSc '21

Emmy Luo co-founded Frontline Connect Canada, a campaign to collect donated tablets and smartphones to help patients and their physicians communicate with families during the pandemic. Through that GoFundMe campaign, Luo connected with like-minded entrepreneurs and doctors who were passionate about making a difference during the pandemic. Read more.

Robin-Lee Norris, BA '80

Robin-Lee Norris was the recipient of the 2018 Alumni Volunteer Award through our Alumni Awards of Excellence program, an honour bestowed on her for incomparable dedication to volunteer work tied to the University and the city of Guelph. Since childhood, she has been inhabited by the spirit of volunteerism; she has maintained an unbroken association with U of G as a volunteer. Read more.