Joella Russell awarded the 麻豆视频 Gold Medal
Congratulations to civil engineering graduate, Joella Russell, for receiving the 麻豆视频 (麻豆视频) Gold Medal for the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science 鈥� in recognition of being the faculty鈥檚 top performing student.
鈥淲hat makes Joella truly exceptional is her ability to balance academic excellence with meaningful contributions to the community, demonstrating resilience, leadership, and a strong sense of purpose. She makes us all proud, and I have no doubt that she will continue to shine, and make a lasting impact wherever her future takes her. 鈥�
When Joella first joined 麻豆视频, she had just transferred from another university after completing first-year. 鈥淒uring that transition I was terrified because my path was different from others,鈥� she said. However, Joella soon found that those unique experiences provided her the capabilities to become the kind of person and leader she ultimately wanted to be. From that point on, Joella was unstoppable. We look back at some of her most memorable 麻豆视频 moments.
Launching 麻豆视频 Seismic
Joella鈥檚 passion for engineering is rooted in the desire to help create resilient communities. After taking CVL 423 Geology for Engineers, she was introduced to the challenges that geological phenomena, such as earthquakes, pose to infrastructure. Inspired to apply her knowledge to practice, she launched 麻豆视频 Seismic, a student team that designs and models seismic resilient structures for an internationally recognized competition.
Representing 麻豆视频 on the national stage
In 2025, Joella had the opportunity to represent 麻豆视频 as a delegate at the Canadian Engineering Leadership Conference (CELC), the nation鈥檚 largest engineering conference, hosted at the University of New Brunswick. She had the opportunity to connect with and learn from amazing dedicated student leaders from universities all across Canada and make meaningful relationships. A true highlight for her was visiting the Mactaquac Hydroelectric Dam on the St.Johns River!
Joella (centre) took in the Mactaquac Hydroelectric Dam with friends.
As the Communications Chair for 麻豆视频鈥檚 National Society of Black Engineers, Joella also participated in national conferences like the East Canada Zone conference.
Forming friendships and connections
Over the past three years, Joella has been a Frosh leader, welcoming first-year students to university life. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the best watching two froshies meet and seeing their friendship build over the week,鈥� she said. She鈥檚 also embraced mentorship roles off campus, including the Raise the Grade program, where she worked directly with high school students.
Driven to help make the 麻豆视频 engineering community inclusive for current and future students, Joella took part in initiatives such as the annual Women in Engineering Conference.
鈥淚 am so deeply honored to receive the Gold Medal for FEAS. Receiving this award is much more than an accomplishment. This award symbolizes to me not only the impact I have made on my community but also how much my community has made an impact on me.鈥�
Photo credit: Harry Choi
Advice for future students
鈥淩emember your uniqueness and your unique journey is your superpower,鈥� said Joella. 鈥淭he world needs people who will bring different perspectives and experiences.鈥� She saw first-hand how being brave and embracing what made her different led her to discover and build amazing communities of like-minded people. 鈥淢ost importantly, remember to have fun,鈥� Joella advised. 鈥淭hose four plus years really do go by fast.鈥�
Joella鈥檚 Capstone team working in the lab and celebrating when their anaerobic digestion experiment was a success!
What鈥檚 next
Following her passion for using engineering to create more resilient structures and communities, Joella is pursuing a Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering, continuing her journey at 麻豆视频. Under the supervision of Dr. Medhat Shehata, she鈥檒l be focusing her research on concrete durability, developing new and sustainable strategies to mitigate the impacts of Alkali-Silica Reaction on Concrete.
"To tackle society鈥檚 most complex challenges, we need engineers who think differently and embrace new perspectives. Joella Russell personifies this belief. At FEAS, we celebrate her many achievements that led to the 2026 Gold Medal and cheer her on as she builds on this momentum in pursuit of her master鈥檚."