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IODE War Memorial Scholarship Award Winners


​At the 119th Annual Meeting in Saint John, NB, on 01 June 2019, IODE Canada announced the winners of three IODE War Memorial Scholarships for doctoral study.  The value of the awards are $15,000 each for 2019-2020.

IODE Canada instituted the IODE War Memorial Scholarship program in 1918 to commemorate Canadians who sacrificed their lives or were permanently disabled while fighting for Canada. Today, applicants must be Canadian citizens, in their second year of a doctoral program at a Canadian or Commonwealth university and are selected for academic achievement and potential.

Victoria Chan, York University

​Victoria Chan of North York, ON, received her B.Sc Hons in Psychology at Queen’s University and is currently enrolled in the PhD program at York University. Her field of study is Clinical Developmental Psychology specifically treating children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The title of her research topic is: “Parent Therapeutic Factors in Mental Health Treatment for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).” Victoria’s dissertation seeks to identify and define relevant parent therapeutic factors that will help parents contribute to their children’s therapy outcomes. Through her research and clinical practice, Victoria hopes to improve the mental health of the children living with ASD.
Victoria is described as a “talented researcher” with an impressive publication record. Along with other researchers, she has launched a blog, Autism Mental Health Blog, which aims to make research on mental health and autism accessible to lay audiences.

​Victoria serves as a group leader and youth mentor within her church, assisting youth in a culturally responsive manner

Ivy-Lee Kehayes, Dalhousie University

Ivy-Lee Kehayes, Halifax, NS, graduated with First-Class Honours BSc in Psychology from Dalhousie University and is now pursuing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University. Currently, Ivy-Lee is in her fifth year of the combined MSc/PhD program. Her dissertation is entitled, “Social influences, drinking motivations and alcohol outcomes in dyads.” She will examine the impact that romantic partners and friends have on an individual’s alcohol use and reasons for drinking. It will test theoretical questions about the social influences of drinking motivations and problem drinking. Through her research, Ivy-Lee, wants to educate individuals on the choice of their social connections have on their drinking habits, thus helping young adults make healthier choices for not only themselves but also partners and friends. Her future plans include conducting research on mental health and addictions, specifically targeting rural areas.
She has an impressive research and publication record with several first-authored publications in high impact journals and has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences.
Ivy-Lee’s interests include travelling, music and martial arts. She has volunteered in multiple research labs and has mentored high school students through the Junior Achievement Program. 

Melissa MacKinnon, University of Guelph

Melissa MacKinnon, Guelph, ON, DVM, is currently enrolled in the PhD program at the University of Guelph in the field of Epidemiology (study of health and disease in populations) and Population Medicine. Her research work is on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans and how much of this is attributable to antimicrobial (AMU) in animals. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious global public crisis that can arise from human-animal interactions including infectious diseases like E. coli infections. Melissa is a veterinarian, trained in animal health and how it can affect human health through zoonotic disease transmission, food safety and human-animal emotional bonding. Her research will help in adapting animal production systems to protect public health while feeding an enlarging population and safeguarding the environment.
Melissa has a strong publication record with three first-authored papers and numerous conference abstracts and presentations.
Melissa has volunteered as an “In-School Mentor” for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guelph and as an Equine Veterinarian Volunteer for the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto.