At UBC and other Canadian universities, gold medals are presented to students who have achieved the highest standing in graduate studies at both the master's and doctoral level.
Silver medals are awarded to the students who, in the opinion of the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Science, are the best in the graduating classes for the BA and the BSc degrees.
Recipients of this year's Governor General's Academic Medals are:
Laura Ann Hanson, Governor General's Gold Medal, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Master's Programs; Shawn Joseph Marshall, Governor General's Gold Medal, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Doctoral Programs; Alexandra Gerarda Bunyan, Governor General's Silver Medal in Arts, BA degree; and Nicola Kim Jones, Governor General's Silver Medal in Science, BSc degree.
First presented in 1873, the medal also recognizes academic excellence at the post-secondary diploma level.
The award is named in honour of its founder, the Earl of Dufferin, who served as the governor general of Canada from 1872 to 1878.