New Dean of Health Sciences appointed
On March 18, Principal Patrick Deane announced the appointment of Dr. Lisa Tannock as the new Dean of Health Sciences and Director of the School of Medicine for a five-year term, effective July 1.
Succeeding Dr. Jane Philpott, who stepped down to Ontario’s new primary care action team, Dr. Tannock’s appointment marks a continued trend of women leading the Faculty of Health Sciences, becoming the second woman to hold the position.
Dr. Tannock will also serve as CEO of the Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization, an organization ing 450 physicians in the Southeast region and comprised of four signatories: the Clinical Teachers’ Association of Queen’s University, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Providence Care, and Queen’s University.
Dr. Tannock, currently the associate provost (faculty advancement) and professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of Kentucky, holds a medical degree from the University of Toronto.
“I am very excited to be returning to Canada, beginning an exciting new opportunity as dean of Queen’s Health Sciences, and ing its community of talented faculty, staff, and students,” Dr. Tannock told the Gazette.
Queen’s students win Kingston May innovative challenge
Two Queen’s teams won top prizes, including the Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre Prize, as well as the Public Sector Innovation Prize, which includes a $10,000 cash award to help bring business ideas to life, during the 2025 Mayor’s Innovation Challenge, which was held at Kingston City Hall on March 14. The annual competition invites students to pitch solutions for local and global issues. This year’s challenge saw innovative proposals aimed at improving accessibility and simplifying legal processes.
The winning teams were Handfluence and Lawtonica, both startups addressing complex social challenges through technology.
Handfluence won the Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre Prize for its groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) powered tool designed to enhance communication for deaf and deaf-blind individuals. The platform enables real-time translation of American Sign Language (ASL) into English, while a robotic hand converts spoken language into tactile ASL for deaf-blind s. With a focus on improving accessibility, the team aims to implement their technology in essential services such as banks, hospitals, and government offices.
“For deaf and deaf-blind individuals, communication in everyday settings can often be challenging. Our goal is to bridge this gap and make conversations more accessible for everyone,” Hanfluence team member Emil Mathew, Sci ’25, told the Gazette.
Lawtonica, was awarded the Public Sector Innovation Prize for developing an AI tool that simplifies the understanding of local bylaws. Named Tonica, the AI bot swiftly searches legal documents, making complex legal language easier to comprehend. The team, including first-year computing student Yafet Beyene, CompSci ’28, aims to make local legal information more accessible.
Student leaders honoured for community and peer
The University announced the recipients of the 2024-2025 Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism (I-EDIAA) Impact Award, Brian Yealland Community Leadership Award and the Peer Leadership Award, on March 25.
The I-EDIAA Impact Award is presented to individuals who show commitment to the principles of Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-racism. This year it was presented to Anosha Waqar, HealthSci ’25, and Cameron Hare, Kin ’25.
The Brian Yealland Community Leadership Award, honouring the 32-year Chaplain for the University, recognizes those who have made contributions to encouraging youth and highlighting their potential. Vikas HK, CompSci ’26, and Steven Murphy were named the recipients of this award. Their work in the community has helped local youth facing social, behavioural, economic, or other challenges recognize their worth and potential.
The Peer Leadership Award was awarded to Bhavya Bogra, a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography and Planning, and Ramtin Mojtahedi, a PhD candidate in the School of Computing. Bogra has served as the head of peer for the Association of Indian Graduate Students since 2021. Mojtahedi is being recognized for mentoring graduate and undergraduate students and volunteering with the AMS Food Bank.
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