Dr. Madison Faye Mooney (Chemistry and Biochemistry ’24) and Dr. Aaron Thomas Bondy (Physics ’24) will be awarded the prestigious Governor General’s Gold Medal (photos care of award recipients).
Two recent PhD graduates from the Faculty of Science will be recognized for their exceptional academic achievement with the prestigious Governor General’s Gold Medal.
Madison Faye Mooney and Aaron Thomas Bondy were selected to receive the medal from all graduating master’s and doctoral students in 2024/2025.
First established in 1873, the Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded to top-achieving students at various stages of their education, with the bronze medal for secondary students, the silver medal for undergraduates and the gold at the graduate level.
Both hailing from the Windsor-Essex region, Bondy and Mooney have each achieved international recognition in their respective fields of atomic physics and materials chemistry.
Dr. Bondy received his PhD in Physics in 2024, achieving exceptional grades and being awarded numerous honours and grants, including NSERC graduate scholarships and the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, allowing him to research abroad at leading international institutions.
One of the top young theoretical physicists in atomic physics, Bondy has published 13 papers in some of the best physics journals in the world as well as disseminating his work at national and international conferences.
According to his nominators, “Dr. Bondy is a stellar example of the best that Windsor-Essex County can produce.”
Now a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Drake University in Iowa, Bondy is involved in multiple international research collaborations and serves as an Early Career Member at Large for an American Physical Society Topic Group. His current work focuses on laser–atom interactions, including at ultrafast (attosecond) timescales and on electron–atom collisions.
“It is an honour to receive the Governor General’s Award,” Bondy says. “I would like to thank the entire Department of Physics—and especially my PhD supervisor, Professor Gordon Drake—for their years of support and for fostering such a strong environment for learning, research and mentorship. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed to my growth as a physicist.”
Dr. Mooney, who received her PhD in Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2024, has also received several competitive awards from NSERC, Ontario Graduate Scholarships and the MSED Graduate Thesis Award in Polymer Chemistry from the Chemical Institute of Canada.
According to her nominators, “Madison is someone who elevates every team, every lab and every community she joins.”
Throughout her graduate career, during which she was supervised by Simon Rondeau-Gagné, Mooney published 19 papers in top-tier scientific journals and presented at national and international conferences as well as participating in prestigious international internships.
Mooney is the second graduate from Rondeau-Gagné’s lab in recent years to receive the Governor General’s Gold Medal, with Michael Ocheje awarded the honour in 2023.
“Simon is truly an outstanding mentor,” says Mooney. “I am so grateful to the University of Windsor and to my supervisor for providing me with support, guidance and opportunities to grow as an independent researcher.”
Mooney’s nominators describe her as a rising star in materials chemistry and a recognized expert in organic electronics and sustainable technologies. Her doctoral work pioneered a new class of carbohydrate-based semiconducting polymers designed for solubility in green solvents, biodegradability and enhanced device performance.
She will join the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University as a postdoctoral researcher as she pursues an academic career in materials science.
"I am truly honoured,” says Mooney. “It feels wonderful to be recognized for the years of hard work and dedication that it took to complete my PhD, and I cannot imagine a better way to close out this chapter of my academic career. This award serves as an important reminder of all that I have accomplished and all that I still hope to accomplish in the future."
While Bondy is unable to attend the ceremony in-person, Mooney will be presented with her medal on behalf of the Governor General of Canada, the Honourable Mary May Simon, at session one of Fall convocation, Oct.16, at 9:30 a.m. at the Toldo Lancer Centre.