‘It feels especially important to be here celebrating this work in this current context in which we are seeing and experiencing a national and international pushback to EDI’
Connection was the unofficial theme at this year’s Awards for Equity and Community Building ceremony, where students, staff and faculty – including three winners from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences – were honoured for their contributions to creating a more inclusive University.
Members of the McGill community gathered at Thomson House on May 1 to recognize not only individual achievements, but also the collective work that builds and sustains equity, diversity and inclusion.
“We’re here to celebrate the work happening across the institution to advance EDI – and the relationships you’re all building,” Shanice Yarde, Associate Director, Anti-Racism and Equity Education, told the audience. Yarde emphasized how equity work is sustained through meaningful connections between people and communities, as well as by such institutional commitments as McGill’s EDI Strategic Plan, the Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism and the 52 Calls to Action to advance recognition and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
“It feels especially important to be here celebrating this work in this current context in which we are seeing and experiencing a national and international pushback to EDI,” Yarde said. “The fact that we have people across our campuses who are committed, showing up and also pushing back is inspiring and motivating.”
This year’s winners include:
Gislaine (Gigi) Batubenge (Student category)
Gislaine Batubenge is a third-year student in McGill’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. She is also President of the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance as well as of its McGill chapter; Nursing Team Lead at Academic Immersion in Healthcare McGill; and the Black Student Representative on the Nursing Undergraduate Society Council.
“She’s passionate about creating pathways for Black students to access the medical field as well as supporting their academic success,” said Yarde.
Kimani Daniel (Academic Staff category)
Kimani Daniel is an Assistant Professor at McGill’s Ingram School of Nursing and an Advanced Practice Nurse in Maternal-Child Health. She leads initiatives that strengthen ties with Black communities, embed anti-racist content into nursing education and support underrepresented students in health care. She launched the ISoN Black Community Engagement Initiative, facilitates anti-racism education locally and serves nationally as President of the Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses.
“Her work centres on building lasting community partnerships, advancing anti-oppression pedagogy and strengthening access and support for underrepresented students,” said Yarde. “Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to equity, collaboration and transformative change in health–care education.”
The POWER Hub (Team category)
Founded in 2024 by women’s heart health clinician-scientist Dr. Judy Luu, the POWER Hub (Pathways to Cardiovascular Care for Women of Ethnic, Racialized and Remote Communities) is a multidisciplinary network dedicated to driving equity in cardiovascular research and advocating for women’s heart health. The POWER Hub represents a community of volunteer McGill graduate students, medical students, clinician-scientists and community members.
The award was accepted by Kate Lindsay, Jessica Patone and Kristina Cunanan, graduate students from McGill’s Division of Clinical and Translational Research.
Yarde praised the POWER Hub for its “commitment to creating inclusive spaces and championing women’s heart health.”
Fatima Nabi (Administrative and Support Staff category)
Fatima Nabi is a psychologist and clinical supervisor at McGill’s Student Wellness Hub and serves on the Family Care Subcommittee of the University’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She has led and participated in initiatives that include support groups for neurodivergent, Muslim and Jewish students; EDI-focused clinical case conferences; priority counselling for Muslim students; and programming for student caregivers.
“Fatima’s work and approach is informed by her own unique experiences and journey as a first-generation Muslim woman of colour, and she strongly believes in weaving EDI organically and seamlessly into the fabric of our everyday lives,” said Yarde.