Two exceptional graduate students have been awarded the Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal for their scholastic achievements during their time at McMaster.  

This week, Lin Li and Shadman Khan will receive prestigious gold medal, which is awarded to students who have achieved the highest academic standing at the graduate level. 

Every year, two graduating McMaster students are awarded the medal. The award, which was established in 1873, is one of the most prestigious awards students in Canadian schools can receive.  

Learn more about this year’s recipients:  

Lin Li, who is graduating with a PhD in nursing, also completed her undergraduate degree at McMaster and was an instructor in the undergraduate nursing program during her time at the university.  

“I began and grew my career at McMaster, developed my professional identity, and discovered my love for research. McMaster has definitely been central to my personal journey,” says Li.  

Her doctoral work, done under the supervision of School of Nursing Associate Professor Patricia Strachan, explored family experiences with the transition to adult care for youth with medical complexity. 

“In my time at McMaster, I have been exposed to a village of brilliant and passionate colleagues who are doing important work,” says Li.  

Li is currently a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She is studying the care experiences, and health and social outcomes of neurodiverse youth who are aging out of child and adolescent mental health services. 

“I am incredibly grateful and honoured to receive this award. I know there are many others who are equally deserving of this award, so I truly feel humbled by this recognition,” says Li.  

“Also, as someone who received the Governor General’s Bronze Academic Medal in high school, then almost flunked out of first year university, this award is extra special for me, as it feels like I have come full circle.” 

Shadman Khan will graduate with a PhD in biomedical engineering. His work has yielded over 20 scientific publications, six patents and has been featured in national media outlets.  

He was also recognized as food scientist of the year by New Food Magazine, a leading publisher in the food technology space. 

Over the past four years, Khan was the technical lead in a partnership between McMaster University and Toyota Tsusho Canada Incorporated, where he led a multidisciplinary research team and trained over 20 researchers. 

His research, done under the supervision of Associate Professor Tohid Didar, focuses on the development of smart food technologies that seek to improve safety, increase accessibility and reduce food prices.  

“My advisor Dr. Didar has always promoted a research approach centered on real-world impact.” says Khan. “The opportunity to develop technologies that stand to make a difference in the near future was my biggest driver throughout graduate school.” 

He says he hopes to be a professor, inspired by the faculty he encountered while completing both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at McMaster.

“I aspire to lead a research program that develops real-world technologies that alleviate key burdens in social well-being,” says Khan. “I hope to use my role as an educator to facilitate the academic and professional growth of the next generation of leaders.” 

Shadman’s doctoral work was supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

He is completing his postdoctoral training at the California Institute of Technology as an NSERC Banting Postdoctoral Fellow. 

“To be recognized amongst this community for my academic and research excellence is an honour,” says Khan. “I credit this achievement to my parents who have supported me at every step, and the McMaster community for providing me with the environment I needed to succeed.”