President’s Student Leadership Program Welcomes Seventh Cohort

The James W. Burns Leadership Institute located at the Asper School of Business is pleased to announce the seventh cohort of President’s Student Leadership Program (PSLP) fellows. The PSLP is a fully funded, pan-provincial leadership program that selects some 20 students per year across all disciplines from Manitoba’s postsecondary institutions.

This year’s cohort comprises 20 service-driven PSLP Fellows selected for their exemplary leadership in community involvement and student affairs, and commitment to learning more to and leading in their future careers in any field. The new cohort represents 16 diverse disciplines and spans four levels of postsecondary study, coming from five Manitoba postsecondaries: The University of Manitoba, Red River College Polytechnic, University of Winnipeg, Université de Saint-Boniface, and Brandon University.

 “We are thrilled to work with our next cohort of PSLP fellows, bringing our total number of UM’s PSLP Fellows to 175 since the program launched in 2019,” said Dr. Suzanne Gagnon, Director of the Burns Leadership Institute and currently Acting Dean in the Asper School of Business.

PSLP encourages cross-disciplinary engagement, sharpens critical thinking skills, and nurtures curiosity as important leadership capabilities. “The program builds skills while immersing the fellows in our broader social and economic context to create well rounded ‘outward focused’ leaders who can help meet complex challenges,” said Dr. Gagnon.    

A highlight of the fellowship is the immersive Core Week, just completed for this new cohort. During this intensive period, participants meet with senior leaders from sectors central to the province’s social and economic fabric. Sessions cover a wide spectrum from pioneering approaches in public and not-for-profit collaboration, community development to ground-breaking initiatives in Indigenous leadership, economic growth, manufacturing, and healthcare. The in-depth discussions and the program’s workshops are designed to help each fellow develop a robust, real-world leadership toolkit. We are thankful to all those leaders who gave their time this week – Ash Modha, Connie Walker, Dana Rudy, Sara Stasiuk, Diane Roussin, Cody Mercer, Micheline St-Hilaire, and to our excellent workshop leaders.

Beyond its structured curriculum, the President’s Student Leadership Program is a transformative experience that aims to build lasting networks and nurture the next generation of changemakers. Through dialogue with seasoned professionals and hands-on learning in diverse settings, the fellows not only hone their leadership skills but also cultivate a vibrant community committed to making meaningful impact in Manitoba and beyond.

The University of Manitoba is grateful for the visionary endowment from Canada Life, IG Wealth Management and the Power Corporation of Canada, and the grant from the Province of Manitoba enabling the design and delivery of PSLP and the launch of the Burns Leadership institute.

Congratulations to PSLP Fellows in Cohort Seven!

1. Bunmi Adeyemi. University of Manitoba, Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
2. Chinyere Ajufoh-Obi. University of Manitoba, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
3. Ahmed Al-Khaffaf. University of Manitoba, Master of Science in Physiology and Pathophysiology
4. McCauley Armishaw. Red River College Polytechnic, Diploma in Application Development and Delivery
5. Sanjana Grover. University of Manitoba, Doctor of Philosophy in Human Anatomy and Cell Science
6. Zizhang He. Red River College Polytechnic, Diploma in Application Development and Delivery
7. Nicole Herpai. University of Manitoba, Doctor of Philosophy in Community Health Sciences
8. Charis Ikiriko. University of Manitoba, Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) Marketing and Business Analytics
9. Isran Migane. Bachelor of Business, double major in Finance and Economics
10. Diwan Oulai. University of Manitoba, Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies
11. Gabriel Perrie. University of Manitoba, Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) Accounting & Finance
12. Keji Preston. University of Manitoba, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Adv.)
13. Mira Safa. University of Manitoba, Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacoepidemiology
14. Ashley Sinclair. University of Manitoba, Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies
15. Anthony Theriault. University of Manitoba, Bachelor of Commerce (Hons)
16. Harshani Hewage. University of Manitoba, Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science
17. Carolyn Wang. University of Manitoba, Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) in Accounting
18. Kolby Wiebe. University of Manitoba, BSc in Chemistry
19. Michelle Williams Joel. Brandon University, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
20. Marlene Zarychta. Université de Saint-Boniface, Bachelor of Science

For more information about the President’s Student Leadership Program visit: https://umanitoba.ca/asper/programs-of-study/presidents-student-leadership-program

Asper Staff