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Ido Katri, Kieran Quinn, and Mingyang Wei have each been awarded the prestigious 2020-2021 Governor General’s Gold Medal for academic excellence. 

The medal, awarded each year to three students determined to have the highest academic standing, is one of the highest honours reserved for graduate students in Canada.  

A long-time advocate for trans rights, Katri will receive his Doctor of Juridical Science in June from the Faculty of Law, where he studied under the supervision of University Professor Brenda Cossman. Katri's dissertation explored gender self-determination, laws and policies that allow for the reclassification of sex based on self-identification of gender.

“I examine sex reclassification policies on a global scale to show the rise of a right to gender identity,” Katri says. “Looking at the limits of gender identity as a legal right, I use critical race, queer, trans and post-colonial theories to offer new imaginaries for trans legal engagements. “

Quinn, who practises general internal medicine and palliative care at Sinai Health system, completed his PhD in the clinical epidemiology and health care research program at the , under the supervision of Dr. Chaim Bell. He wrote his dissertation on how patients with non-cancer illnesses receive end-of-life care.

“Observing this on a day-to-day basis really drove me to try and think about ways we can change our health care system to minimize these disparities and improve the quality of end-of-life care.” Quinn says. “I believe that research is one of the ways we can enact meaningful change.”

Wei’s research in the department of electrical and computer engineering focused on the development of tandem solar cells made out of metal halide perovskites that can convert sunlight into electricity without needing the area required by silicon solar panels.

Under the supervision of University Professor Ted Sargent, Wei developed a semi-transparent solar cell that looks like glass and can be incorporated into modern-day building facades.

 “I find the whole process of discovering things and exploring things very exciting,” says Wei, who graduated last fall. “It gives me a sense of satisfaction, like I am doing something creative.”