February 9, 2023
The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) honoured Dr. Anusha Kassan with Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Alberta) at a ceremony in Calgary on January 24, 2023 for her outstanding service in education.
The Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Alberta), created in 2022 by the Government of Alberta through the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Recognition Act, commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Accession of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second to the Throne as Queen of Canada.
The medal, administered by participating provinces, recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to their communities or fellow citizens. TIES nominated Dr. Anusha Kassan and nine other Albertans to receive the honour as a lasting recognition of their dedication and service.
Dr. Kassan’s relationship with TIES is long-standing, dating back five years and spanning multiple community-based research projects. “It is truly a privilege to be able to work so closely with the settlement sector, and I see it as a way of honouring the scarifies that my family members made through their own immigration journeys,” said Dr. Kassan.
“I truly appreciate the nomination and the work of the adjudication committee. I am thrilled that immigration is being recognized through this award. It is a little ironic to receive a colonial award for immigration research that tries to dismantle such systems. That said, I will reframe it as a win for immigration research.”
— Dr. Anusha Kassan, Associate Professor, UBC Faculty of Education
Dr. Kassan is an Associate Professor with a high-impact position in child and youth mental health in the School and Applied Child Psychology program at the UBC Faculty of Education. Informed by her own bi-cultural identity, she views her research—which focuses on immigration experiences across different communities (i.e., newcomer youth, women and 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples), teaching and learning, and cultural and social justice responsiveness in psychology training—through an overarching social justice lens.
“I want to thank Sally Zhao and others at TIES for recognizing the importance of research through the Research and Program Development Department. I want to thank Katerina Palova for always keeping things moving and supporting me both personally and professionally. And of course, I want to thank Dr. Cesar Suva, who was my first point of contact at TIES. I am truly saddened that he is not here with us today. We will ensure that his memory lives on through meaningful research that centres the immigration experience.” — Dr. Anusha Kassan
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Anusha Kassan on this honour and her ongoing work in immigration research and education.
Learn more
- TIES Awards QE2 Platinum Jubilee Medals – The Immigrant Education Society (TIES)
- Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Alberta) – Government of Alberta
- Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Provincial) – Government of Canada
