Summer Newsletter

Exceptional Undergraduate Learning

SUMMER 2025

Recognition Leading the School

Aleah McCorry earns top honours for her dedication to ethical animal care he Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) has named Aleah McCorry, Animal Care Coordinator, as the 2025 recipient of its prestigious Emerging Leader Award. The award celebrates early-career professionals in ethical animal care who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and impact in their field. For McCorry, this recognition marks a significant milestone in a decade-long career focused on zebrafish welfare, ethical practices, and institutional development. “The award feels like encouragement,” McCorry says. “It’s saying, ‘You're on the right path—you're doing a good job. Keep going.’” McCorry’s journey into aquatic animal care began at the University of Alberta, before she joined MacEwan in 2015. Here, she took charge of a modest zebrafish setup tucked into a converted office space and worked with a team to transform it into a thriving research hub. Today, MacEwan boasts a centralized zebrafish facility housing nearly 2,000 fish—a testament to the her vision and persistence. Instrumental in designing and launching the new aquatic research lab, McCorry’s work is guided by the principles of the Three Rs—Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement of animal use in science. Her efforts to create a closed breeding colony have signifcantly improved research quality by ensuring better control over the health and origin of the animals.

shape national standards for animal care. She also holds a Registered Laboratory Animal Technician designation through the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science (CALAS)—an achievement she describes as “like a degree in itself.” In addition to managing the fish colony, McCorry mentors student researchers and provides training to ensure consistency and ethical practice across MacEwan’s programs. “Everyone starts with the same information,” she says. “That consistency really helps standardize the work.” McCorry credits her colleagues, including Rebecca Mitchell who nominated her for the award, and MacEwan’s Office of Research Services for creating an environment where her work could thrive. “Being part of a central operating office gave me the platform to really build something meaningful,” she says. The CCAC Emerging Leader Award affirms what MacEwan already knows: McCorry is setting a new standard for animal care in Canadian research.

Beyond the lab, McCorry actively participates in CCAC committees and working groups, helping to