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Alumni Awards & Recognition

Nursing Alumni of Distinction Award

Western’s Nursing Alumni Chapter is pleased to offer an annual awards program that recognizes significant contributions by an alumnus to the university community, the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing and nursing profession. Nominate an outstanding Western nursing alumna or alumnus for a Nursing Alumni of Distinction Award or the Rising Star Award. The Awards are presented each year at the Nursing Homecoming Event. The recipients will receive an elegant Alumni of Distinction award as a keepsake.

Criteria

Rising Star Award:

This award is presented to an alumnus who has graduated within the past 10 years from the undergraduate or graduate programs, in recognition of outstanding career achievements and/or contributions to the School, their local nursing or health care community. The recipient is a role model for those new to the profession and sets a standard of excellence to which others can aspire.

Nursing Alumni of Distinction Award:

This award recognizes outstanding lifetime accomplishments of an alumnus who aligns with one or more areas below:

• Professional achievement in clinical care
  • This alumnus is dedicated to the Nursing profession and goes above and beyond in their line of work and makes a significant impact on groups, individuals, and/or the larger Nursing profession as a role model
• Significant contributions to research and/or education
  • This alumnus stands out in the field of research as having made compelling and impactful progress towards the advancement of their discipline and is committed to continuing their learning and education either through everyday practice or higher education
• Commitment to community and leadership
  • This alumnus is committed to bettering the Nursing community, successfully enriching the lives of others through community service and displaying exemplary leadership

Click here for the nomination form

Nursing Alumni of Distinction Award Recipients

• 2024

Alumni of Distinction Award Recipient:

Tracey JF Colella, RN, APN, PhD, FCAN

Tracey (Fitchett) Colella is a clinician and scientist at the KITE-University Health Network-Toronto Rehabilitation’s Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Program. She is an Associate Professor in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute at the University of Toronto. Dr. Colella's research interests build upon her extensive clinical experience as a cardiovascular nurse practitioner. The overarching aim of her research is the co-design and evaluation of novel interventions to optimize quality patient and family transitions in the cardiovascular continuum of care. She specifically focuses on women's health, sex and gender differences in access to cardiac rehabilitation, high-risk surgical populations, the older frail adult, peer support strategies, digital health technology and artificial intelligence. Using mixed methods approaches, patient partnerships and engagement are integral to her program of research. Tracey completed graduate studies at Western University (MScN), the University of Toronto (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner-Cardiovascular Surgery Specialization) and the University of Calgary (PhD). She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Nursing, fellow of the American Heart Association and an inaugural member of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance.

Alumni of Distinction Award Recipient:

Jennifer Stinson, BScN’88

Jennifer Stinson is the Mary Jo Haddad Nursing Chair in Child Health and a Senior Scientist in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences (CHES) research program, within the Research Institute at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. She is also a Nurse Practitioner in the Chronic Pain Program in the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at SickKids and a Professor in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, Department of Pediatric Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. She leads the iOUCH lab which seeks to improve health outcomes in children and youth with painful chronic conditions using digital health therapeutics.

Rising Star Award Recipient:

Sarah Bissex, BScN’17

Sarah Bissex (Dinsdale) is a 2017 Western Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduate and an emerging healthcare leader working to improve child and youth health systems. With experience spanning provincial, national, and international institutions, Sarah specializes in leading transformational initiatives that drive capacity building and achieve sustainable, socially responsible outcomes. She is currently the Principal Advisor to the CEO and Manager of the Executive Offices at The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), where she supports executive operations, coordinates advocacy activities, and fosters partnerships with government and community organizations.

Sarah has led transformational initiatives to improve services, build capacity in clinical care, and integrate health systems for children and youth. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to enhancing care delivery, reducing wait times, and fostering innovative collaborations that improve health outcomes for children and youth across the healthcare sector. Before joining CHEO’s executive group, Sarah served as a Clinical Manager, where she supported a large multidisciplinary teams delivering mental health care across Ontario. She also taught at the University of Ottawa, where she shared her expertise on systemic health issues.

Outside of work, Sarah loves spending time with family and friends during game nights, where her competitive spirit—honed as a former chess team captain—shines through. A passionate sports enthusiast and adventurer, she is always seeking out new experiences and is ever eager to explore the diverse landscapes of Canada.

• 2023 - Cindy-Lee Dennis, MScN’95
• 2023 - Rising Star: Alexis Smith, BScN’16, MScN’18
• 2022 - Laura Wilding, BScN’90
• 2022 - Nancy Watters, BScN ’72, MScN, ’80
• 2021 - Mary Anne Andrusyszyn, MScN’86
• 2021 - Rising Star: Susana Caxaj, PhD’13
• 2021 - Dionne Sinclair, BScN’98
• 2021 - Carol Wong, BScN’71, MScN’86
• 2019 - Yvette Laforet-Fliesser, BScN'74, MScN'81
• 2019 - Rising Star: Jennifer Martin, BScN’08
• 2018 - Janice McCallum, MScN’79
• 2018 - Dr. Catherine Ward-Griffin, BScN’79, MScN’88
• 2017 - Rising Star: Kimie Soriano, BScN'07
• 2016 - Kelly Metcalfe, BScN'96
• 2015 - Eileen Denomy, BScN ’87, MScN’00
• 2014 - Heather Whittle, BScN’90, MScN’94
• 2013 - Elsie MacMaster, BScN’62, MScN’77
• 2012 - Annabel Sells, BScN’67