Elementary school students from across the Kingston area gathered at Lake Ontario Park on Thursday, June 4, for a day of fun and information on a broad range of topics involving water at the first Great Lakes Water Festival.

Through interactive and hands-on activities, students learned about water conservation and protection, water health and safety, water science and technology as well as water and society . 

Queen’s University helped organize the event along with KFL&A Public Health, Utilities Kingston, Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority, Limestone District School Board, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Ontario Provincial Police, Sustainable Kingston and the Katarokwi Indigenous Grandmothers Council.

Cara (Chenman) Yin has given Queen’s University its first award at the national level of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT).

Ms. Yin, a master’s student in physics, captured the People's Choice Award for her presentation “Seeing the world at the tip of a laser beam,” which encapsulates her ongoing research into using lasers to cut bone and improve outcomes in brain surgery. Voting for the award was conducted online.

Making the win all the more impressive is that Ms. Yin is an international student, who, when she first arrived in Kingston for her undergraduate studies, spoke very little English.

In the 3MT, competitors have just three minutes and one static slide to convey their research to the judges and audience.

Having advanced through the preliminary and final rounds at Queen’s, as well as the provincials, before reaching the national competition, Ms. Yin says she entered the 3MT as a fun challenge for herself. Although she says she was nervous to begin with, she gained strength and refined her presentation with each round.

“By the time of the Queen's finals, I was more confident about what I had to say in that three minutes. And I am very lucky to have family, friends and the Queen's physics department to cheer me on which really calmed me,” she says. “For the Ontario final, I really wanted to do well because I am not just representing myself but also Queen's. Queen's School of Graduate Studies helped me prep for the provincial competition which was extremely valuable.”

Judging for the national competition was based on videos of the presentations at the provincial competition.

Her accomplishment is also being lauded by the university.

“We are delighted that Cara has been recognized with the People’s Choice Award in the Canadian Three Minute Thesis competition. She represented Queen’s University brilliantly with her clear, informative and engaging presentation that landed her the majority of the more than 2,000 votes submitted from across the country,” says Brenda Brouwer, Vice-Provost and Dean, School of Graduate Studies. “ In three minutes Cara has educated many people about how lasers may be used as a neurosurgical tool with the potential to improve outcomes and she has provided a glimpse into the incredible research that our graduate students are doing.”  

Ms. Yin is grateful for the support she received from the Queen’s community and beyond.

“Winning the national People's Choice Award was a nice surprise. I should thank those who used social media like Facebook and Twitter to spread the word,” she says. “I am very grateful for the whole 3MT experience and highly encourage other graduate students to participate in future years.” 

First place went to Elizabeth Watt, a physics and astronomy student from University of Calgary, while second went to Rebecca (Delong) Dielschneider who is studying immunology at the University of Manitoba.

The announcement of the results and videos of all 11 presentations can be viewed at the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies website.

Convocation at Queen’s University continued on Monday, with a second week of ceremonies getting under way.

There are a total of 21 ceremonies this spring with the final ceremony taking place Thursday, June 11.

A number of honorary degrees are being awarded this week including: Lyse Doucet (Wednesday, June 3 at 10 am); Jim Cuddy (Wednesday, June 3 at 2:30 pm); Alexander McComber (Wednesday, June 3 at 6:30 pm); John MacGregor (Thursday, June 4 at 10 am); and David John Mullan (Friday, June 5 at 2:30 pm).

For the full schedule, visit the University Registrar’s website.

The Kingston Commuter Challenge is May 31 to June 6. This week-long event encourages employees and community members to use active and sustainable forms of transportation (such as walking, taking transit, cycling etc) instead of driving. For the last three years, Kingston commuters have achieved the highest participation rate of a city our size in Canada!

Cycling to work is a great way to Get Your 150 and burn several hundred calories while improving your cardiovascular functioning, leg strength, balance and coordination, plus improvements in mood, and can help with weight management. Take advantage of these great health benefits while being an active commuter. Don’t forget to wear your helmet!

To find out how you can win great prizes and take part in the Kingston Commuter Challenge from May 31 to June 6 visit www.gogaelsgo.com

When Mariah Beahen stands on the stage of Grant Hall on June 8, it will be a moment of accomplishment steeped in family tradition.

As she receives her Bachelor of Arts degree, the Kingston resident will be wearing regalia that have been in her family for more than a century.

Her hood was first worn by her great-grandfather’s brother, John Henry Dolan, when he graduated from Queen’s in 1897. Her great-grandfather, George Robert Dolan, wore it the following year.

Similarly, her gown was first worn by John Henry’s wife, Laura Nugent, when she graduated from Queen’s in 1903.

That’s 118 years of family tradition over four generations.

It’s a deep connection that will only add to the life moment for Ms. Beahen.

“Even though it may not appear that I stand out, I think internally I will feel that I am standing out in that gown,” she says.

All told, Ms. Beahen will be the 14^th member of the Dolan family to graduate from the university, almost all of whom have donned the family regalia.

Perhaps not surprisingly, both hood and gown are in excellent condition, cared for as a family heirloom.

“The gown is in incredible shape,” says Karen Dolan (BFA’78, BEd’79), Mariah’s mother and a Queen’s graduate herself. “It’s unbelievable.”

The significance of the event and the continuation of family tradition are not lost on Ms. Beahen. She has been amazed by the response.

“It’s pretty amazing since every person that I share the story with sinks it in for me more because everyone is just ‘Wow, that’s just incredible,’” she says. “I’m really glad I have the opportunity to do this.”

It will also be a big moment for her 92-year-old grandmother, Lois Dolan, who has taken care of the gown and hood in recent decades. Just getting the items ready has made her so happy, Ms. Beahen says. She has even stitched in the names of the graduates, including Ms. Beahen.

Karen Dolan turned down her chance to wear the gown when she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Art in 1978. It’s something she now regrets but is happy that her daughter has made a different decision.

“I was given the chance to wear something that has been in my family since 1897 and I said no,” she says. “Luckily, Mariah said yes.”

The Dolan family’s connection to Queen’s is strong and 10 of the graduates have been women. The vast majority have also gone on to become teachers.

Another key family connection to Queen’s University is the Dolan Scholarship, created in 1992 with a donation of $1.5 million from the estate of Kathleen (Kay) Dolan (BA’24, MA’25), which provides selected students $3,000 a year for three years.