2025 Excellence Awards WINNERS

Dr. David Ross is recognized for his visionary, strategic, and sustained leadership in international education in Alberta, across Canada, and globally. As President and CEO of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Dr. Ross has positioned internationalization as a core pillar of institutional strategy.

One of Dr. Ross’s most notable achievements is his instrumental role in the creation and implementation of the Alberta Bureau for International Education (ABIE). Through ABIE, all 26 of Alberta’s publicly funded post-secondary institutions now work together to align on international strategy, share best practices, and engage with government and industry to position international education as key to Alberta’s economic diversification and talent development goals.

With more than 30 years of leadership in the post-secondary sector, including serving on numerous national and international boards, including Colleges and Institutes Canada (CiCan), the League for Innovation, the Global Education Network, and Polytechnics Canada, Dr. Ross is widely respected for his steady, collaborative, and forward-thinking approach. His legacy is one of impact, measured not only by institutional growth, but by the stronger, more connected international education system he has helped to build across Canada.

An international doctoral candidate at the department of Socio-Cultural anthropology at York University, Vedanth Govi has shown exemplary advocacy in both their academic and volunteer contributions to the international student community in Toronto through their union and academic service.

By studying how international students are advocating for themselves through a migrant rights’ approach in Canada, they are determined to not see international Indian students merely as victims of bad actors. Originally from India, where they were a member of the Gender forum advocacy group PARIVARTAN, they have extended their equity seeking approach to international and migrant student activism in Ontario.

At York University, they have dedicated themselves to fostering community and cultural diversity within the ranks of CUPE 3903 and the York University Graduate Students Association (YUGSA), inspiring others through the establishment of their mutual aid and resource networks.

As a founding member of the Migrant Students United (MSU) chapter at York University, they have made significant strides in getting various student governance bodies to represent migrant student issues. Apart from establishing aid networks to improve international student life and experiences in Toronto, their contributions include organizing academic workshops, symposiums and being the sole graduate member of a research cluster dedicated towards understanding the complex nature of migrant student labour at the Robarts Centre for Canadian studies.

They are committed to making their research findings accessible to a wide range of audiences, which is why they have already been recognized by the Unrigged media network for their analysis.

Wendy Curtis’ distinguished career at Fanshawe College reflects her unwavering commitment to advancing international education. Her strategic leadership, innovative program development, and meaningful partnerships have had a lasting impact on students, colleagues, and the institution.

She began as Coordinator of Outreach Programs in 1987 and Coordinator of Adult Training in 1991, roles that strengthened her expertise in adult and community education. In 1994, as Manager of Partnerships, she expanded Fanshawe’s international and community collaborations, paving the way for her role as Manager of International and Alumni (1998–2011). There, she oversaw international recruitment, project development, scholarships, and alumni relations, laying the foundation for Fanshawe’s global presence.

As Director of Fanshawe International (2011–2014), Wendy advanced the College’s international strategies and global reputation, preparing her for her role as Executive Director of International (2014–2020), where she guided the institution’s international operations and global engagement efforts. Since 2021, as Dean of International Strategy, Partnerships, and Market Development, she has led a diverse team responsible for enrollment, student engagement, immigration support, recruitment, market development, marketing, and project development—driving sustainable growth and excellence.

Across her career, Wendy has applied a broad skillset in alumni relations, resource development, international recruitment, and project management. Her leadership has shaped Fanshawe’s growth, strengthened its global reputation, and fostered a globally minded, ethically grounded internationalization strategy.

For over 30 years, Dr. Lynne Mitchell has been a trailblazer in the international education sector. Beginning in the early 1990s at the University of Guelph, she served as Director of the Centre for International Programs for two decades, shaping transformative opportunities for students and extending her impact nationally and internationally.

A dedicated leader in the CBIE community, Lynne has chaired the Education Abroad Advisory Committee, contributed to the Learning Abroad Survey Working Group, and delivered countless presentations and professional development workshops across Canada and abroad. She also spent over a decade teaching in Queen’s University’s International Educators Training Program, where her trademark humour and thought-provoking style inspired participants to challenge systems and norms.

A recognized expert in risk management, Lynne co-authored the seminal Risk Sense and developed widely used predeparture resources including Ready, Set, Go and the DepartSmart course. Her groundbreaking identity and unconscious bias program, Who Do You Think You Are?, has reached over 2,300 participants, and she has administered the Intercultural Development Inventory to more than 400.

Her academic contributions on intercultural learning and experiential education, along with her advocacy for diversity, equity, inclusion, LGBTQ2IA+ rights, and Truth and Reconciliation, have left a lasting mark on the sector. A generous mentor, she established U of G’s International Education Intern position and is equally known for her warmth and community spirit, exemplified by baking 400 loaves of bread during the COVID pandemic to share with her community.

As part of the University of Victoria International Co-op team, Sarah has facilitated 650 student co-op placements in multiple countries around the world. Her expertise in curriculum design, education in UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and certification as an advanced CQ and Unconscious Bias Certified Facilitator has enabled her to create a curriculum for students that inspires students to engage ethically and impactfully in their co-op work terms abroad.

As an avid cross-campus collaborator, Sarah has been involved in the development and implementation of several initiatives, including the International Centre for Students’ multimedia storytelling tool “StoryMap” to showcase and promote students’ work-integrated learning experiences, a Global Experience Course which provides pre-departure support to students engaging in learning abroad, ensuring they have a standardized and engaging experience before, during, and after their time abroad, and the Advancing UN SDGs through Co-operative Education initiative which allowed students completing co-op terms abroad to earn UNITAR certification.

The success of these initiatives and the incredible achievements of these students are a testament to Sarah’s commitment to student success and to quality international education.