Yao Yan Huang is the 2023 recipient of the Joan E. Foley Quality of Student Experience Award.
Part of U of T’s Awards of Excellence program, the award is presented annually by the University of Toronto Alumni Association (UTAA) to a student, faculty or staff member who has made a distinctive and lasting contribution to enhancing the quality of the undergraduate or graduate student experience at the University of Toronto.
“I am really honored to have received this award,” says Huang, a fourth-year environmental science student at U of T Scarborough.
“I think it’s the community you build that really makes a difference to student experience and I'm glad to have contributed in some small way during my time here.”
Huang has volunteered with the Chemistry Student’s Society at UTSC to bring student and professional development opportunities to campus, and served as president of Regenesis, a student-led organization dedicated to delivering sustainability programs on campus. She was also a writer and editor for the DPES Digest, the bi-monthly newsletter for the department of physical and environmental sciences.
Huang was also involved in establishing a partnership with UTSC residence and the Sustainability Office to open the free store. She was awarded $5,000 from the Adams Sustainability Grant for this project in March 2022.
“Yao Yan has made meaningful and lasting contributions to the U of T community,” says Shadi Dalili, an associate professor in the department of physical and environmental science who nominated her for the award.
“She is a model for student engagement and enhancing the learning experience for students, and I'm very proud of her winning this award.”