Established in November 2003 by Alfred Bader, Sc'45, Arts'46, MSc'47, LLD '86, and other friends, in memory of Jean I. Royce, BA'30, LLD'68, Registrar, 成人大片. This fellowship is awarded to a graduate who identifies as a woman of 成人大片 for one year of study and research or to pursue an endeavour which contributes to the advancement of knowledge, contributes to society, or allows creative expression. All requirements for a Queen's degree must be completed by the spring convocation in the year of the competition.
Ariana Lewis - who goes by the stage name Ariana Gillis - is an award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and reproductive biologist from the Niagara region who spent over a decade touring North America. She has performed at major music festivals including Mariposa, Hillside, and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, and recorded her acclaimed album The Maze in Nashville with Grammy-winning producer Buddy Miller. Her versatile vocal work also reached massive global audiences when she performed the haunting track "In the Flood" for the opening credits of the hit PlayStation video game Horizon Forbidden West. Her songwriting has drawn praise from legendary music industry voices, including Bob Ezrin, Dave Marsh, and Bernie Taupin (Elton John鈥檚 longtime lyricist), who described her as 鈥渁 force to be reckoned with now and for a very long time.鈥
Alongside her music career, a desire to ask questions about how the world works eventually led her to formal scientific study. She entered university as a mature student, earning a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) with Distinction from Queen鈥檚 University. Her master鈥檚 research in Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University in the Sloboda Lab examined pregnancy and placental biology, investigating how the early developmental environment can influence lifelong health.
Her fellowship project reflects both chapters of her career. Inspired by women鈥檚 reproductive health, this concept album uses the structure of a scientific manuscript to translate complex ideas in reproductive biology into song, exploring an unconventional approach to science communication.
