Anumita Jain will receive the Fessenden-Trott Scholarship for academic accomplishment, leadership, and community engagement.
UWindsor’s Anumita Jain is one of four students from across the province selected for the Fessenden-Trott Scholarship, which rewards academic accomplishment, leadership, and community engagement.
Jain, entering her second year in behaviour, cognition, and neuroscience, will receive $9,000 per year for the three remaining years of her undergraduate studies. It’s well-earned, says professor Dora Cavallo-Medved.
“Anumita is an extremely hard-working, high-achieving, and passionate individual who is always willing to give of herself to help fellow students, professors, and other members of the community,” she wrote in a letter supporting Jain’s nomination for the award. “She is a dynamic force with a strong drive and passion for creating a positive and enriching environment for our students, truly dedicated to her academics and the community around her.”
Jain holds an appointment as an Outstanding Scholar and works in the research labs of Siyaram Pandey and Kendall Soucie, after gaining experience in professor John Trant’s Biopolymetric and Organic Synthesis lab. She founded the STEMx Policy Group, which examines government approaches to issues in science and tech fields.
“There’s a significant knowledge gap in the STEMx policy area, and it’s important that we educate undergraduate students on the policy implications of the research they are doing,” Jain says.
She served as first-year representative for the Science Society and created “Music for Mental Health” in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association. She represented 36,000 peers as a student trustee on the Greater Essex County District School Board and chaired the Student Well-Being Working Group for the Ontario Student Trustee Association.
The Fessenden-Trott Scholarship honours the memory of inventor and educator Reginald Aubrey Fessenden and Helen May Fessenden (née Trott). Universities Canada rotates four recipients each year between Canada’s regions — 2021 was Ontario’s turn.
Each university in the province was able to nominate a single candidate, and the University of Windsor had a number of strong applicants, says Simon du Toit, co-ordinator of the Outstanding Scholars program.
“This was not an easy decision for our selection committee, but clearly we made a good choice in Anumita,” Dr. du Toit says. “She is an exceptional leader and a brilliant student as well as an Outstanding Scholar.”
