The CIP/ICU Planning Student Trust Fund (CIP-PSTF) Board of Directors is pleased to announce our 2023 scholarship and bursary recipients. This year, CIP-PSTF awarded four scholarships and seven bursaries, totaling $46,000 in financial assistance.
CIP-PSTF is the Canadian planning profession’s national charity, providing a scholarship and bursary program to students in accredited planning programs in Canada. The Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) created CIP-PSTF in 1989 to contribute to the advancement of professional planning. After incorporating as a separate entity under the Canada Corporations Act, the fund received charitable status in 1990.
The sustainability of the scholarship and bursary programs is dependent on individual donations and corporate sponsorships. If you want to support planning students through CIP-PSTF’s programs, you can donate today.
CIP President's Scholarship
Molly Thomas, University of Alberta
Supporting Alternative Housing Models in Edmonton, Alberta
"It is an honour to receive the 2023 CIP President's Scholarship and I am incredibly grateful to the CIP/ICU Planning Student Trust Fund for selecting me for this award. This scholarship recognizes my research on alternative housing models as affordable housing solutions and motivates me to continue pursuing a planning career that is focused on housing affordability in Canada. Thank you for this support and for the opportunity to share my research with the wider CIP community."
Dillon Consulting Limited Scholarship
Stephanie Cantlay, Queen's University
Fresh Ideas: Pop-ups & Planning for Calgary’s Farm Stands
"Entering a new profession is a daunting task and I worked incredibly hard during my program to prove returning to school was the right decision. My most sincere gratitude and deepest thanks go to the CIP/ICU Planning Student Trust Fund and Dillon Consulting Limited for generously supporting my research and instilling confidence in my planning abilities."
Climate Change Action Scholarship
Michael Kvern, University of Guelph
Value laden or capacity constraints? An evaluation of how energy is integrated into rural Manitoban development plans
"I am deeply grateful to the CIP/ICU Planning Student Trust Fund for awarding me the 2023 Climate Change Action Scholarship. It is so encouraging to see that my research on the connections between land use planning and low-carbon energy transitions in rural communities is valued by the profession. This award will enable me to continue lifting up rural planning and community energy. Receiving this award is an honour and incredible motivation to continue my research and develop a professional planning career."
Thomas Adams Scholarship
Alyssa Woods, University of Toronto
Eglinton Avenue Businesses in Survival Mode: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Construction Impacts of the Eglinton LRT on Business Retention and Success
"I am incredibly honoured to be the recipient of the Thomas Adams Scholarship through the CIP/ICU Planning Student Trust Fund. I feel so lucky to be pursuing an education in which I can integrate all my interests to understand the urban system and make positive changes to the ways in which cities are experienced. "
CIP Diversity Impact Bursary
Jasmeen Sidhu, University of British Columbia
"It is an incredible honour to be chosen as the recipient of the 2023 CIP Diversity Impact Bursary. I am extremely grateful to the CIP/ICU Planning Student Trust Fund for recognizing my academic achievements and potential. This bursary will undoubtedly be a significant contribution to my academic and professional growth. I'm further motivated to keep using my skills and knowledge to make a positive impact on society and beyond!"
Ages Foundation Diversity Impact Bursary
Mon Rosete, University of Alberta
"As a first-generation university graduate, I am truly honoured and privileged to be the recipient of the 2023 Ages Foundation Diversity Impact Bursary. Receiving this bursary ensures that I can dedicate more time to volunteer and serve my community to create positive change while assisting me in covering my education expenses. I hope this award inspires future generations of BIPOC Planners to pursue their education and professional goals to make an impact in their own communities."
SOAR Professional Services Indigenous Student Bursary
Sophia Elliott, University of British Columbia
"I raise my hands in thanks to the CIP/ICU Planning Student Trust Fund. I am thankful to be the recipient of the 2023 SOAR Professional Services Indigenous Student Bursary. This bursary funded by SOAR Professional Services will support me in my ongoing work in and with Indigenous communities, including my own. Support such as this demonstrates the value placed not only on Indigenous planners but Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and understanding. I will continue to live my family, community, and cultural values to carry out my work with ‘uy’ shqwaluwun (good thoughts and/or feelings). I will continue learning and growing as a planner and finding the balance between Indigenous and Western knowledge systems to best support the work of Indigenous communities, who have been planning since time immemorial."
College of Fellows Undergraduate Bursary
Ricardo Dabydeen, University of Waterloo
"I am elated and humbly honoured to be awarded the 2023 College of Fellows Undergraduate Bursary, and I am sincerely appreciative to the CIP/ICU Planning Student Trust Fund for this incredible recognition of my hard work in urban design. This financial support provides me with relief at a critical time of my studies, as well as propels my studies and work in sustainable and innovative urban design to continue making a profound impact on future generations."
David Palubeski Bursary
Afsoon Veshkini, University of Guelph
"As an Iranian female student pursuing higher education in Canada, I am deeply honoured to have been selected as the recipient of the 2023 David Palubeski Bursary. This award not only provides invaluable financial support to me but also serves as a powerful reminder that perseverance always leads to incredible opportunities. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to continue on my journey of growth and learning, and I aspire to make a meaningful contribution to society."
Ted Fobert and Robert Tennant Planning Merit Bursary
Talia Mimura, University of Calgary
"Thank you for supporting students like me with the Ted Fobert & Robert Tennant Planning Merit Bursary. I am honoured to receive this bursary. I became interested in becoming a planner and obtaining my Master of Planning degree because of the opportunity to share my passion for innovation and collaboration and lead a career that promotes and advocates for connectivity and inclusivity within our communities. This bursary will be of tremendous help in covering the financial costs of tuition and associated program costs."
John Bousfield Bursary
Sheree Emmanuel, University of British Columbia
"I am honoured to receive the John Bousfield Bursary from the CIP/ICU Planning
Student Trust Fund. As an international student from a small Caribbean Island, I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue my education and pursue a career that allows me to integrate my interests, and this award will support my efforts."