Four students stand in front of two older men with awards. — The 2025 Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize winners, from left: Sasha Adamova, Vivian Zhi, Kimberley Ng, William Kilbride. Not pictured: Bavan Pushpalingam and Constantine Matthaios. The winners are posing with Chief University Librarian Larry Alford and Vice-President and Provost Trevor Young.

Published: June 9, 2025
By: Alison Lang, UTL News

On May 23^rd, six undergraduate students at the University of Toronto were honoured with the University of Toronto Libraries Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize, now in its ninth year.

The award, endowed by Patricia and Peter Wilson, promotes excellence in undergraduate research supported by the U of T Libraries. A panel of reviewers assessed over 80 entries from colleges and faculties spanning all three campuses. While it was no easy task, the panel narrowed the winning candidates down to six, who were honoured in the annual Wilson Awards ceremony at the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library.

The winning projects all demonstrated how good research fuels innovative and critical thought. From transit development to neuroscience to the environmental humanities, the topics explored by these remarkable students demonstrated a commitment to deep research, strong information literacy and an incredible diversity of scholarship.

“Here at U of T, we pride ourselves on being on the forefront of research excellence and academic achievement, not only in Canada, but globally,” said University Chief Librarian Larry Alford. “The foundation of this reputation is built upon the way we cultivate strong, informed research habits early on in our students’ careers, with everything from books and journals to primary source documents and electronic archives. The Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize is a testament to this commitment to student excellence, and to the tools that help students make the best and most informed decisions in their students.”

These prizes celebrate the outstanding achievements of undergraduate researchers at the University of Toronto, as well as the faculty, librarians, and staff who support and inspire them. Past recipients of this award have gone on to earn some of the world’s most prestigious honours—including the Rhodes Scholarship—demonstrating the incredible talent, curiosity, and potential that these prizes recognize.

“Undergraduate research is a transformative experience, offering students the chance to work closely with faculty, engage directly with complex ideas, and develop skills in critical thinking, analysis, and inquiry," said Trevor Young, Vice-President & Provost.

Submissions for next year’s prizes will open in early 2026. We encourage all undergraduate researchers to consider applying and to take part in a university-wide celebration of original thinking, academic rigor, and discovery.

Meet this year’s winners:

Sasha Adamova is a first-year student at Victoria College pursuing a double major in philosophy and political science, and received the prize for her essay Democracy, Discussion, and Dualism in Cyberspace. “In writing this essay, I came to reflect not only on the complexity of navigating information in the digital age but also on the deeper purpose of this prize: to encourage critical reflection on what it means to be information literate today,” Sasha says. “This project opened my eyes to the world of U of T library resources, which provide truly astounding amounts of information on every subject under the sun.”

William Kilbride was a student at Woodsworth College within the Faculty of Arts & Science. He majored in history with minors in political science and education & society. He completed his undergraduate degree and graduated in June 2025. He received the Wilson Award for his seminar thesis: Disciplining the Lost Shepherd: An Analysis of Public Denouncements of Paul Robeson by Walter White, Jackie Robinson, and ‘Robert Alan’. “As both a frequent user and an employee of the University of Toronto Libraries system, my undergraduate experience has been indelibly marked by the access that it has provided me to collections and services that are unparalleled in Canada (and among the greatest in the world),” William says.

Kimberley Ng is a third-year student at Woodsworth College in the Faculty of Arts and Science. She is heading into her 4th year double majoring in physiology and biochemistry and expects to graduate in June 2026. She received the Wilson Award for her project Postpartum Neuroplasticity: Examining Structural Brain Changes and Their Role in Supporting Adaptations for Motherhood. Kimberley says: “This prize shows me that research isn’t just about finding the right answers, it’s about asking thoughtful questions, engaging with information in innovative ways, and following an idea wherever it leads. Utilizing the extensive and easily accessible resources provided by the University of Toronto Libraries, I learned to navigate academic databases more effectively, refine my search strategies, and engage more critically with scholarly material.”

Bavan Pushpalingam is a third-year undergraduate student in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto Scarborough, pursuing a major in public policy with minors in food studies and urban public policy and governance. He received the Wilson Award for his project titled: Counting the Miscounted: The Politics of Malaiyaha Tamil Recognition in Sri Lanka’s National Census. Bavan says: “With support from archivist John Yolkowski and librarians Sarah Fedko and Whitney Kemble, I accessed difficult-to-locate records and grey literature. These included archival documents from Tamil political leaders and community statements that helped frame the questions I was asking. I developed ways to assess the relevance of each source, not only by its scholarly standing, but also by how it connected to lived experience and collective memory.”

Vivian Zhi is a third-year undergraduate student at St. Michael's College in the Faculty of Arts & Science with a double major in English and book & media studies. Vivian received the Wilson Award for their project entitled Counter-Archiving UC and Back Campus' Black Walnut Trees. Vivian says: “Throughout the research process, I was slightly paranoid that I was going insane over details and ideas that no one else cared about. This award is proof that people do care. People are responding to the stories of the Land, and this motivates me to continue telling those stories. At the time, I had no idea why these trees had such a strong hold on my curiosity and attention, but now I know: these trees wanted to share their stories. Sometimes you don’t choose your research project so much as your research project chooses you.”

Constantine Matthaios is a 2nd year New College student double majoring in human geography with a focus in urban geography, and book & media studies. He was awarded the Wilson Award for their project titled: Transit-Oriented Development’s Effect on displacement along the Sheppard Subway Corridor in Toronto. Constantine says: “This project taught me just how messy and iterative—and satisfying—the research process can be! As I began my research, I quickly realized how many “unknown unknowns” I had. In the research process, I discovered different databases and tools, as well as primary sources like community reports. Each source seemed to point me to another source I hadn’t considered, which is part of the beauty of research: making discoveries from unexpected connections.”

Students Dazzle at the 2025 Wilson Awards