Alumni Awards & Recognition

The Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences Alumni of Distinction Award

Recognizes an alum who demonstrates significant impact in one or more of the following areas:

Professional achievement
- The recipient is dedicated to their chosen profession and goes above and beyond in their line of work; they are a role model in their profession and this impact reaches groups, individuals, and/or their larger chosen profession
Significant contributions to research and/or education
- The recipient stands out in the field of research as having made compelling and impactful progress towards the advancement of their discipline, and is committed to continuing their learning and education either through everyday practice or higher education
Commitment to community and leadership
- The recipient is a leader who is committed to bettering their community or the Western community, successfully enriching the lives of others through community service and exemplary leadership

Current Winner

2026 Alumni of Distinction Award Recipient:

Susan Smith RD

Susan Smith is a proud Brescia University College alumna (Class of 1996), was the president of SHEA, and a recipient of the prestigious Sally Henry Award for Leadership.

Born in Northern Ontario, Susan moved to London with her family during her public-school years. Her deep connection to the local university community mirrors that of her father, Robert A. Brandon, DDS’74, who was honored with the Dental Alumni of Distinction Award in 2000. Today, Susan continues to reside in London, where she and her husband raised their two children.

Professionally, Susan is a dedicated registered dietitian. She began her career as a clinical dietitian in acute care at St. Joseph’s Health Care before transferring to London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) in 1999, where she continues to specialize in critical care nutrition. Within the clinical nutrition group, Susan serves on several committees, driving innovation to advance the field. She is particularly passionate about quality improvement and waste reduction initiatives in institutional food provision, working collaboratively across patient food services and clinical nutrition teams.

A committed mentor, Susan regularly supports Dietetic students through clinical placements and project work, earning the Brescia Preceptor of the Year award in 2021. As an active and dedicated alumna, Susan is a regular attendee at Brescia events, including the Homecoming Women’s Panel Discussion, and the International Women’s Day Lecture, as well as student-led career networking and mentoring events.

Her community impact extends beyond healthcare; in 2018, Susan joined the Middlesex-London Food Policy Council, where she remains an active and passionate member. Her volunteer efforts focus on political advocacy and community engagement to strengthen the local food system. Looking ahead, Susan aims to continue her curiosity into studying fermented foods and the gut microbiota—a personal passion project that aligns perfectly with her commitment to the local food economy and optimal nutrition.

Past Winners

Richard Bazinet

Dr. Bazinet received his BSc from the University of Western Ontario (1998) and completed his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Cunnane at the University of Toronto in 2003. Dr. Bazinet then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Stanley Rapoport’s Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section at the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Bazinet joined the University of Toronto in 2006, where he is currently a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Brain Lipid Metabolism as well as the Associate Chair of Research and Innovation. Dr. Bazinet was the acting Chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences in 2023-2024.

Dr. Bazinet is the recipient of several awards, including, Early Career Award from the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (2008); the Jordi-Folch-Pi Memorial Award from the American Society for Neurochemistry (2010); the Future Leaders Award from the International Life Sciences Institute (2011), Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation (2011), the Young Scientist Award for the American Oil Chemists’ Society (2012), the Early Researcher Award from the Canadian Society for Nutrition (2016), the Chinese Association for Health Promotion and Education (2018), the Ralph Holman life time achievement award from the Oil Chemists’ Society (2020), the Chevreul Medal from the French Society for the Study of Lipids (2023), the Supelco American Oil Chemists’ Research Award (2025) and the International Award from Society for Chemical Industry Research (2025). Dr. Bazinet has also received the Faculty of Medicine Early-Career (2011) as well as the Mid-Career (2021) Excellence in Graduate Teaching Awards from The University of Toronto.

Dr. Bazinet sits on several editorial boards and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids and was previously a Senior Associate Editor of Lipids. The overall goal of Dr. Bazinet’s research program is to identify the mechanisms that regulate brain lipid metabolism (signaling) and to identify the role of brain lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. Dr. Bazinet’s research is multidisciplinary but focuses on novel approaches to measure the turnover of lipids with an emphasis on translational research. Dr. Bazinet has published over 200 papers and given over 150 invited lectures, largely in the field of brain fatty acid metabolism and is co-author of the joint WHO/FAO joint expert consultation on dietary fats and the central nervous system during aging and disease and was previously the President and in 2023 became a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids.