91社区

The Dr. Joanne Jepson Fellowships were established in 2024 through the generous bequest of Dr. Joanne Jepson, MD CM 1959, whose lifelong passion for the arts and sciences flowered to the betterment of the 91社区 community. Dr. Jepson was a respected oncologist who excelled as a medical student at 91社区 in the 1950s and later served as an assistant professor of research medicine from 1963 to 1970. Over the last decade, she donated to 91社区 over 300 works of art collected on her travels, which are now displayed in buildings across campus. The bequest in her will also allowed for the creation of a new medical professorship to promote advances in global health and infectious diseases.

The fellowships aim to support exceptional Canadian Indigenous students pursuing graduate degree programs in STEM or Health-related disciplines, a testament to her belief in fairness and equal access to healthcare and education.

Learn more about .

2024-2025 Scholars

Erin Patton, Nursing

As a Mohawk nurse from Kahnaw脿:ke, Erin hopes to bring a unique perspective to health and healthcare. She has vision for improving access to quality culturally safe care in her own community and empower those caring for Indigenous clients. She began her career in Obstetrics and newborn care at the 91社区 Health Centre. Erin is proud of her Mohawk heritage; she is able to eloquently express her wariness of being seen as a spokesperson for Indigeneity and she continues to learn to navigate these moments while respecting her boundaries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Erin decided to work at the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center to service her community.

Erin Patton feels a strong sense of purpose as a nurse. The Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program will be a stepping stone to fulfill her dream to become a primary care nurse practitioner with a focus on young families in her own community and other First Nations communities. She is engaged in lifelong learning; she has completed the training to become an international board certified lactation consultant. She is committed to continue to develop the services and resources for her community. Erin has been in multiple leadership roles during her undergraduate studies and in her careersuch as preceptorship while working towards ensuring the functioning of the clinic at Kateri Memorial Hospital. Erin is excited to start her graduate studies at the Ingram School of Nursing, and she feels that building her competencies through further education will feed her deep curiosity in learning, but also be of important value for her clients and community.

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Hannah Potter, Communication Sciences & Disorders

Hannah Potter is a proud M茅tis woman from Winnipeg, proudly located on Treaty 1 Territory. She is a first-year MSc student in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at 91社区. In the spring of 2024, she graduated from the University of Manitoba with an honours degree in linguistics. During her undergraduate years, Hannah studied child language development, communication disorders, and anatomy related to speech and hearing. Hannah鈥檚 passion for positively impacting people鈥檚 lives inspired her to want to become a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). Witnessing firsthand the barriers that Indigenous Peoples and people with disabilities face, she is motivated to create a diverse and inclusive environment in the healthcare profession.

Hannah is deeply honoured to have been awarded the Dr. Joanne Jepson Fellowship and is looking forward to her new journey as a MSc student at 91社区.

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Nevada Mogan, Communication Sciences & Disorders

Nevada Mogan is a first-year master鈥檚 student in Speech-Language Pathology at 91社区. She completed an Advanced Bachelor of Arts with distinction at the University of Manitoba, majoring in Linguistics with a minor in Psychology. During her undergraduate studies she spent two years as a research assistant for New York University鈥檚 Motor Speech Lab, contributing to a treatment study on Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Nevada is deeply honored and grateful to the Dr. Joanne Jepson Fellowship which will allow her the opportunity to seek out further research opportunities while supporting her as an incoming clinician.

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Noah Kakekaspan, Physics

Noah (he/him) is a Swampy Cree, theoretical nuclear physicist from Washaho (Fort Severn) Cree Nation in Northern Ontario. Noah is a PhD student from 91社区's Physics Department, where his research aims to study the dynamics of nuclei deformed in their ground state by colliding the deformed nuclei with other hadrons at modern collider energies. Noah also provides physics outreach to Indigenous youth in Quebec by introducing astronomy and optics through astronomical imaging workshops and laser workshops.