Gillian Mandich, BHSc'07, MSc'12, PhD'19

Recipient of the 2023Young Alumni Award

Gillian Mandich is a researcher, speaker, educator, and author who advocates for the importance of happiness and health. Infusing positivity and authenticity into her award-winning work, Gillian combines research and practical wisdom to help people live more fulfilling lives.  

Gillian is the founder of the International Happiness Institute of Health Science Research, a private research and consulting company that is devoted to bettering mental health by providing strategies and resources that build happiness in individuals, businesses and organizations.  

Backed by evidence-based research, she advises people to discover the experiences that make them feel best about life and encourages practicing daily gratitude.  

A highly sought-after speaker, Gillian’s engaging style captivates audiences. She has been featured on Canada’s leading news networks (CTV, City TV, and CBC) as well as national lifestyle programming as an expert in her field. She has also delivered two TedX talks focusing on social and news media’s effect on life satisfaction, spreading messages of hope and resiliency to audiences.  

Gillian has sat on various boards and advisory councils at organizations dedicated to improving mental and physical health and happiness, including the Sunshine Foundation of Canada, Obesity Matters and the Global Positive Health Institute. With a passion for community service, she provides complimentary monthly webinars for non-profit organizations, and has supported frontline workers and individuals in highly stressful fields of work.  

Gillian is a dedicated mentor for Western students – particularly for women in the STEM field – and leverages her social media presence as a platform to empower others and shed light on social issues, including the impact of body shaming on Canadian youth.

Highly commended for her work, Gillian is the recipient of several industry and community awards, including from Business London Magazine, the Women’s Executive Network Canada and the Canadian Obesity Network.

Gillian is an inspiration and a staunch advocate for wellness across Canada.