Office of the Registrar

UAlberta Rhodes Scholars

UAlberta Rhodes Scholars

	Abigail 2023 Rhodes Scholar Abigail is the only UAlberta recipient of the Rhodes scholarship for 2023 and she will begin her studies at Oxford in October 2023. With a fervent desire to improve the lives of refugee populations, political science graduate Abigail Isaac explored climate-induced displacement from Central America to the U.S./Mexico border, and how framing climate change as a security threat disproportionately harms gender minorities at the border. In addition to her academic accomplishments, Isaac is a founding member of the National Collective of Women in Business and founding editor of The Counternarrative Arts Magazine, and helped launch a national conference for young people of colour in partnership with YWCA Canada. She was also recently sponsored by the Women, Peace, and Security Network of Canada to attend a UN-run program in Geneva to develop skills relevant to leading in the international peace ecosystem. In her spare time, Isaac has earned a black belt in taekwondo and is proficient on both violin and piano. Her passion for helping refugees was further reinforced this September after a brief stint working for Care4Calais in France, a volunteer-run charity delivering essential aid and support to refugees living in the U.K., Northern France and Belgium. At Oxford, Abigail will pursue a Master of Studies in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and a Master of Science in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies.
	Jesse 2022 Rhodes Scholar Jesse is the only UAlberta recipient of the Rhodes scholarship for 2022, and he began his studies at Oxford in September 2022. As a proud Indigenous person of Métis ancestry, and after seeing first-hand the barriers Indigenous communities face in accessing health services, Jesse is dedicated to using his medical education to resolve the inequity defining Indigenous healthcare experiences. As President of the Medical Students’ Association, Jesse is focused on ensuring the next generation of doctors are prepared to better serve the Indigenous population. He is also the founding co-chair of the Indigenous Medical Students’ Association – the first national organization of its kind – aimed at creating a safe space for Indigenous medical students across the country. At Oxford, Jesse is pursuing a Master of Public Policy and a MSc in Applied Digital Health.
	Julia 2019 Rhodes Scholar Julia is the only UAlberta recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship for 2019, and she began her studies at Oxford in the fall of 2020. After suffering an injury that halted Julia's plans to become a professional dancer, she decided to combine her love for dance with her interest in health and the human body by entering medical school at the University of Alberta. Julia has made a significant impact on the campus community, serving as the Community Health Representative and Local Officer of Global Health Education for the University of Alberta's Medical Students' Association. Through her love of dance, Julia discovered an artistic vehicle to communicate and establish a common ground between communities. At Oxford, she plans to pursue two Master's degrees: one in international health and tropical medicine and one in global health science and epidemiology. She will then return to complete her medical degree before practicing pediatric medicine, with the ultimate goal of holding a role in global health leadership.
	Mackenzie 2018 Rhodes Scholar Mackenzie was one of two UAlberta students awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in 2017, and will begin her studies at Oxford in the fall of 2018. Upon graduation from the U of A, Mackenzie will receive degrees in Education and Human Ecology, as well as a certificate from the Peter Lougheed Leadership College. At a young age, Mackenzie was exposed to the challenges pregnant and parenting teen mothers experience in their day-to-day lives. This led her to create the Post-secondary Possibilities Program for high school students at Braemar School to visit Edmonton post-secondary campuses and explore their educational opportunities. Mackenzie has a passion for improving the quality of life for people of all ages, from teenage mothers to aging populations. During her studies, she conducted research with AGE-WELL and conducted an ethnographic study on people with dementia. At Oxford, she plans to pursue a Master of Science degree in evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation. Upon her return, she hopes to continue her academic studies to further understand the potential reciprocal benefits of inter-generational interaction.
	Iain 2018 Rhodes Scholar Iain was one of two UAlberta students awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in 2017, and will begin his studies at Oxford in in the fall of 2018. He completed his engineering degree at Queen's University before attending the University of Alberta to pursue medical school. Iain's passion for assisting individuals with development disabilities has been the driving force through his educational journey. During his undergraduate studies, he helped design a buoyancy device for swimmers with disabilities. He then went on to coach a swimmer with cerebral palsy for the Special Olympics, which was the final push for him to study medicine. At Oxford, he plans to study orthopedic biomechanics to better understand the musculoskeletal system, allowing him to pinpoint where mobility-related disorders are occurring in the body. He will then return to the U of A to finish medical school where he'll specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
	Yasmin 2016 Rhodes Scholar The only UAlberta recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship for 2017, Yasmin is headed to Oxford to pursue two Master's degrees: one in global health science, the other in public policy. As a student studying her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a Certificate in Interdisciplinary Leadership, Yasmin discovered a passion for problem solving. She was a member of the inaugural class of the Peter Lougheed Leadership College, and was active in the campus community, serving as president of the Health and Wellness Movement and as a student representative on the Healthy University Strategy Working Committee. Focusing her academic path in the areas of health, social entrepreneurship, and philosophy, Yasmin hopes to merge arts and sciences to make a difference in the world.
	Zia 2015 Rhodes Scholar Zia was one of three UAlberta students awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in 2015, and will begin his studies at Oxford in October 2016. Originally from Edmonton, Zia completed his undergraduate studies at McGill before returning to complete a Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Alberta. A tireless volunteer, Zia has been involved with Scouts Canada, Sports for Success, the Ismaili Volunteer Corps, and Global Encounters, a camp for Ismaili youth. His interest in global and community healthcare has also led him to positions with the World Health Organization, the Canadian Institute of Planners, and Deloitte Canada. At Oxford, he plans to pursue two master's degrees: an MSc in Global Health and a Master's in Public Policy.
	Billy-Ray 2015 Rhodes Scholar Billy-Ray was one of three UAlberta students awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in 2015, and will begin his studies at Oxford in October 2016. Originally from the Driftpile Cree Nation in north-central Alberta, Billy-Ray is the first Indigenous person from the U of A to receive the Rhodes scholarship. A strong advocate for Indigenous and LGBTQ issues, Billy-Ray has served as president of the University of Alberta's Aboriginal Students' Association and as a youth facilitator for the Native Youth Sexual Health Network. At Oxford, he plans to study the effects of colonialism on the health of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
	Carley-Jane 2015 Rhodes Scholar Carley-Jane was one of three UAlberta students awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in 2015, and will begin her studies at Oxford in October 2016. She recently completed a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at the University of Alberta, with a major in Agricultural and Resource Economics. Carley-Jane's interest lies in food security, systems, and economics. At the local level, she has been involved with the Edmonton Food Council, Sustainable Food Edmonton, the Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market, and is is the founder of the Alder Food Security Society. At Oxford, she plans to pursue an MSc in Environmental Change and Management.