News
FFF Leadership Award recipient receives CNA Young Alumni Award [November 2023]
The Young Alumni Award is one of the inaugural Acclaim Awards presented to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of College of the North Atlantic recent graduates who have made a significant impact in their professional achievements and/or service to the community and society. Rachel Winsor received the 2022 Fry Family Foundation Leadership Achievement Award and is a member of the FFF Alumni Network. Watch the Young Alumni Award Video and read more about Rachel on the CNA website.
Genesis Evolution Finalists compete in Pitch & Pick Competition [November 2023]
Congratulations to the six companies that competed at the revamped 2023 Pitch & Pick Competition. First place was awarded to Veristart Technologies and Runner Up was DataFarms. The winner of the Invitational, which has drawn its competitors from Genesis’ Evolution “pre-incubator,” will take home $10,000 this year, compared to $2,000 in prior iterations. The six finalists have been chosen from a shortlist of 26 companies..FFF President Paul Burt was delighted to be on the Judging Panel for this event. Read about all of the competitors in Genesis Announces Pitch& Pick Finalists.
Two-time recipient of the FFF Graduate Leadership Award earns prestigious position and an award [June 2022, October 2023, November 2023]
Memorial University Engineering graduate Dr. Kshama Roy (M.Eng.’12, PhD’17) is the only student to have been awarded the prestigious Chancellor's Graduate Award and Fry Family Foundation Graduate Leadership Award in 2012 and 2017. Congratulations once again to Dr. Roy as recipient of the 2023 Canadian Geotechnical Society Early Achievement Award! Watch the video about this award.Congratulations also to Dr. Roy as recipient of the Gulf Energy Excellence Award for Most Promising Engineer - Midstream. Learn more about this award at 2023 Gulf Energy Information Excellence Award winners honoured at live Houston gala. Read how this engineering alumnus has gone on to earn a prestigious position at a world-renowned organization in Beyond his wildest dreams.
FFF MI Leadership Award recipient receives Next Wave Leadership Award [September 2023]
The Next Wave Leadership Award is presented annually at the Turning the Tide Marine Industry Gala. The award is given to a young professional under the age of 35, who has displayed great leadership qualities and who has already made noteworthy contributions to the marine industry. Samantha Strowbridge received this award for her work breaking barriers as the first female offshore captain with Atlantic Towing. Samantha’s compassion and capability to climb the ranks in her company shows her ability to be a leader in the marine industry. Samantha is an alumna of the Bachelor of Maritime Studies (Maritime Management) program and recipient of a 2007-08 FFF Diploma of Technology Leadership Scholarship. Read more about Samantha in Sea of Dreams.. Watch the video shown at the Gala.
FFF Undergraduate Leadership Award recipient receives MUN Horizon Award [August 2023]
The Alumni Tribute Awards recognize Memorial University alumni who have achieved distinction in their chosen fields, are committed to their alma mater and have made outstanding contributions to their communities. The awards are the highest honour bestowed by Memorial to exceptional alumni. Horizon Award recipient Adam Keating also received the 2016-17 Chancellor's Undergraduate Award/ Fry Family Foundation Undergraduate Leadership Award. The Horizon Award recognizes outstanding achievement among Memorial University's young alumni who are 35 years of age or younger. We continue to be proud of Adam for his many achievements at CoLab Software and his ongoing contributions to the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. Read more at Exemplary alumni.
FFF supports new greenhouse on Government House Grounds [August 2023]
FFF provided a donation to support a new greenhouse on the grounds of Government House that will be used to help feed the community. The completion date is expected to be December, 2023. Watch Lieutenant Governor Judy Foote speak about the project and the community partners that will benefit from this initiative.
Convocation awards recognize exceptional new Memorial graduates [June 2023]
During convocation week, graduating Memorial University students who exemplify leadership and academic excellence are recognized with some very special awards. The Chancellor’s Awards are given to students who demonstrated the greatest leadership contribution to student life and other areas of the community during their university years. The Fry Family Foundation Leadership Awards are presented to students who have received a Chancellor’s Award and who have been selected as Memorial University’s most outstanding student leaders, contributing significantly to student life. Read about all the award winners in Over and above. We were also proud to see three FFF Award recipients nominated for these prestigious awards: Dr. Stephanie Roberts, Kiana Stacey and Kamal Ali.
FFF MI Leadership Award recipient aiming for a healthy planet [June 2023]
An interesting article about Olivia Lymburner and how her love for the environment led her to pursue a career in that field. Olivia is a two-time recipient of a FFF Leadership Award at Marine Institute in 2021-22 and 2022-23! Olivia recently graduated from the Marine Environmental Technology Program and will be completing a Bachelor of Technology at MI in September. Read more about Olivia in Aiming for a Healthy Planet.
MUN Genesis achieving record diversity indicators [May 2023]
In 2021, FFF made a 5-year commitment to MUN Genesis to support the development and delivery of Belongings, a Leadership Program for NL Women and Immigrant Entrepreneurs that would result in improved outcomes and reduced barriers. "By looking at the human face behind the venture, Genesis provides founders with the support they need to navigate the complexities of the Canadian immigration system, access mental health resources, enhance their leadership skills, connect with funders, and expand their business network... addressing the founders’ top concerns helps remove the stress from their lives, which further unleashes their potential." Read more at How a St. John's startup hub is breaking records for inclusiveness and diversity despite NL's low immigration retention rates
Recipient of a FFF CNA Leadership Scholarship has overcome many hurdles [May 2023]
Carly Young is a student in CNA's Community Leadership Development Program and recipient of a 2022-23 FFF Leadership Achievement Award (Entrance). Carly is using her voice to help eradicate the stigma associated with mental illness. After years of being silent, she came to the realization that, "I do have a voice, and I can use it to help others who are experiencing the same difficulties as I am. If there is one thing that I want people to take away from my journey, it is how important it is to reach out when you are in a difficult place. You don’t have to suffer alone or in silence. There are several resources available to connect you with supportive and caring people who want to help you." Read more in My Journey to Mental Wellness.
FFF MUN Graduate Leadership Award recipient working to make international food more accessible [April 2023]
Mohamed Kasmi received the Chancellors Award and FFF Graduate Leadership Award at Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2017. The idea of opening a market in St. John's came to Mohammed from his friends and newcomers' families as there was a shortage of their own home country products. He has customers who hail from a dozen countries or more, including Syria, Iran, Morocco, Algeria. Read more about Mohamed and the success of his Andaluzia Market in International Food on the move: St. John's Andalusia Market delivers via DRL bus across Newfoundland.
FFF presents 6 Leadership Awards to Marine Institute Students at the 2023 Winter Award Ceremony [April 2023]
The Winter Scholarship and Awards Ceremony was held at Marine Institute on April 4, 2023. FFF Leadership Awards were given to Kasun Perera, Julia Keeping, Marina Carbonell, Marie Burt, Daisy Archibald, Olivia Lymburner and Andre Simoes Re. Read more about the Awards ceremony, which includes a special profile on multi-award recipient Andre Simoes Re in MI Awards in Winter 2023.
FFF presents MUN MCE awards to increase participation of women/non-binary students [March 2023]
All teams in the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE) 2023 Mel Woodward Cup showed remarkable innovation and vision and the judges had a tough decision. The 2023 Champion is Notch Embedded and Runner-up is SmartBin. Winners of the Fry Family Foundation awards were Med SimuLabs - awarded the Entrepreneurship Award for Women/ Non-Binary Leadership; and CodeDoc Hub - awarded the Entrepreneurship Award for an Early-stage Idea. Many of the students and companies involved in this competition (including the champions, Shane Williams of Notch Embedded and Aneesh Ragupathy of SmartBin) are also supported through FFF sponsored entrepreneurial work terms at MCE and programs at Genesis. Read more in this Gazette story: Startup Support
Recipient of FFF James Sellars Apprenticeship Award combines welding with art [March 2023]
An interesting article on Sheila Coultas, recipient of a 2013 James Sellars Apprenticeship Award from Fry Family Foundation at College of the North Atlantic. The award is given annually to 6 students in memory of James Sellars, the father of our co-founder Marlene (Sellars) Fry, who was the first plumber in Newfoundland to receive his Master Plumber Certificate. Sheila combines her technical welding expertise with her love of art! Read more in Welding ignite's alum's passion for art.
Recipient of a FFF Community Centre Alliance Scholarship has overcome many hurdles [January 2023]
This is an inspiring article about Jamila Nahhat and her journey to study at the Faculty of Nursing, Memorial University. The Foundation is proud of Jamila as a 2022-23 recipient of a FFF Community Centre Alliance Post-Secondary Entrance Scholarship which was renewed in 2023-24. We are thankful for the supportive staff at the Community Centres that work so tirelessly to advocate for students and to help them achieve their dreams. Based on the many hurdles that Jamila has already overcome, we are confident that she will persevere and be successful with her studies! Read more in She didn't know English 6 years ago. Now this Syrian woman is a scholarship winner and studying nursing at MUN
FFF Partner Kim White advocates for making the outdoors more accessible [January 2023]
An interesting article about the work being done by Kim White and Dr. TA Loeffler on outdoor inclusion. Kim was a longtime community leader inside and outside of the Froude Avenue Community Centre and the Community Centre Alliance. It’s wonderful to see the availability of the grit freedom chair at places like Memorial University Botanical Garden. Great leadership in inclusion by Dr. T.A. Loeffler of Memorial University of Newfoundland's School of Human Kinetics and Recreation. Read more in Making N.L.'s outdoors more accessible one trail at a time.
FFF MI Leadership Award recipient in search of colossal squid [November/December 2022, March 2023]
We’re very excited for Eugenie Jacobsen, 2021-22 recipient of the prestigious Fry Family Foundation Graduate Leadership Award at Marine Institute. This is an interesting article on the voyage to film the Colossal Squid and their epic quest to Antarctica! You never know where a Master of Science in Fisheries Science and Technology from Marine Institute will lead you! Watch a news clip in Team from N.L travelling to Antarctica in search of the elusive colossal squid and read more in Antarctic Expedition. Read more about Eugenie in Life as a Marine Biologist in the Canadian Arctic.
Recipient of the FFF Entrepreneurship Award for Women named Best University Startup in the World [November 2022, March 2023]
Congratulations to PragmaClin Research Inc. on being named the overall winner for early-stage startups at the global finals of the University Startup World Cup 2022. Startup companies were pitching and competing against hundreds of startups from more than 50 different countries world wide. In March of 2022, PragmaClin Research were awarded the FFF Entrepreneurship Award for Women and Non-binary Leadership and the top prize in the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship's 2022 Mel Woodward Cup Competition. Co-founders Bronwyn Bridges and Gord Genge developed and designed a remote patient monitoring system for Parkinson’s disease. Read about this Memorial University of Newfoundland startup company in Meet the World's Best University Startups 2022. Read more about Bronwyn in How one Phd student introduced a new approach to Parkinsons care and found community support.