Announcing the 2023 Distinguished Academics Awards Recipients

The Confederation of University Faculty Associations of British Columbia (CUFA BC) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 CUFA BC Distinguished Academics Awards:

• Early in Career Award: Katya Rhodes (University of Victoria)
• Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award: Catherine Nolin (University of Northern British Columbia)
• Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award: Jonathan Moore (Simon Fraser University)

Every year since 1995, the CUFA BC Distinguished Academics Awards series has honoured faculty whose ideas contribute to the community beyond the university and whose scholarship demonstrates the necessity and vitality of university-based research in the public interest. Research universities play a crucial role in the social, intellectual, and economic innovation of British Columbians.

“Faculty engage in outstanding scholarship that contributes to new discoveries and creates new understandings of our experiences in the world,” says President Dr. Ken Christie. “The Distinguished Academics Awards give us the opportunity to recognize how much faculty research contributes to our communities.”

Congratulations to the winners and all the nominees for these awards. The awards will be presented at a gala reception on May 1, 2023 at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, BC. 

Learn more about the 2023 Distinguished Academics

Early in Career Award – Dr. Kayta Rhodes, University of Victoria

Dr. Katya Rhodes is the recipient of the Early in Career Award. Dr. Rhodes is Assistant Professor in the School of Public Administration and a researcher with the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems at the University of Victoria. Drawing on knowledge from economics, political science, social psychology, and engineering, she investigates how different policy tools can contribute to successful climate change mitigation. She seeks to improve climate policies to achieve climate targes in an economically efficient, politically acceptable, and equitable manner. Dr. Rhodes’s work is informed by evidence-based policies that will help make communities sustainable and healthy over the long-term.

Toggle below to see more conversation with Dr. Katya Rhodes.

Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award – Dr. Catherine Nolin, University of Northern British Columbia

Dr. Catherine Nolin is the recipient of the Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award. Dr. Nolin is Professor and Chair of the Department of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences at the University of Northern British Columbia. As a social geographer, Dr. Nolin’s research explores the gendered, political, and social aspects of state-sponsored violence, forced migration, and life in exile. Her work has explored these interests in the Guatemala-Canada transnational context and more broadly in examinations of the connections/disconnections between the Global North and South. Dr. Nolin’s co-authored book “Testimonio: Canadian Mining in the Aftermath of Genocides in Guatemala” with her long-time research partner Grahame Russell of Rights Action draws on over thirty years of community-based research and Rights Action’s direct community support work in Guatemala to expose the ruthless state machinery that benefits the Canadian mining industry.

Toggle below to see more conversation with Dr. Catherine Nolin.

Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award – Dr. Jonathan Moore, Simon Fraser University

Dr. Jonathan Moore is the recipient of the Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award. Dr. Moore is Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and School of Resource of Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University. He is an international leader in the ecology and conservation of aquatic ecosystems, and a champion for salmon, rivers, and estuaries. His work advances the science underpinning key environmental laws and policies. His activities have contributed to significant legislative reform and public policy outcomes with tangible impacts for the conservation of wild salmon and their ecosystems, including on contentious energy development that affect aquatic environments. Dr. Moore fosters an exceptional approach to connecting management and policy-relevant science with collaboration, communication, and engagement.

Toggle below to see more conversation with Dr. Jonathan Moore.

Photos from the awards gala celebration!

Recognizing the Nominees

The Awards Selection Committee had the extremely difficult task of selecting award recipients from the many outstanding nominees, whose excellence is indicative of the high quality of British Columbia’s faculty and of their many contributions to the life in British Columbia. From one year to another, the nominees hail from different institutions and disciplines, and conduct research in very different domains. However different their work may be, they are united by their passion for rigorous and meaningful scholarship – and for research that contributes to the public good. We congratulate all of the nominees who have clearly earned the deep respect of their colleagues, both inside and outside of the academy.

Dr. Sean Irwin is Assistant Professor at the School of Business at Royal Roads University.  Dr. Clark was nominated for his work on international and community development and his continuous efforts in improving the health, livelihoods and wellbeing of some of the world’s most disadvantaged communities. This has included the co-creation and implementation of innovations to improve health, as well as collaboration with governments and decision makers to create sustained impacts, his overall goal, to make the world a little bit better.
Dr. Mahmudur Fatmi
Dr. Mahmudur Fatmi is Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the School of Engineering at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Dr. Fatmi was nominated for his work on econometric and microsimulation modelling techniques in the effort to improve the accuracy of travel demand forecasting procedures. His findings have had a direct impact on the policymaking decisions of municipalities across British Columbia.
Dr. Hany Fahmy
Dr. Hany Fahmy is Associate professor at the School of Business at Royal Roads University. Dr. Fahmy was nominated for his work on Energy Finance, Energy Economics and the Economics of climate change. Dr. Fahmy’s work demonstrates an outstanding research track and significant contributions to the global effort to mitigate climate change. He is an advocate for student mental health, particularly working to alleviate math anxiety for students. Dr. Fahmy is also recognized for contributing to the improvement of health care quality in Malawi and economic growth in Egypt, and for capacity building in rural and remote Indigenous communities in New Brunswick.

The following faculty members were nominated for the 2023 CUFA BC Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award:

Dr. Madjid Mohseni

Dr. Madjid Mohseni is Professor at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Mohseni was nominated for his work on advanced water treatment processes, specifically on physical-chemical treatment processes and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection and oxidation technologies. He is the Co-founder f RESEAU-CMI, a non profit that has made significant efforts in the improvement of drinking water and community health in Indigenous and rural communities.

Dr. Jordan Stanger-Ross

Dr. Jordan Stanger-Ross is a Professor at the Department of History at the University of Victoria. Dr. Stanger-Ross was nominated for his work in advancing social justice and anti-racist education in Canada. His award-winning public history project, Landscapes of Injustice (LOI), a SSHRC partnership initiative, highlights the enduring harm caused by state violence on over 22,000 Japanese Canadians and illuminates the complicity of bystanders, witnesses and beneficiaries of the dispossession as well as the variety and complexity of responses by victims of injustice.

Dr. Mary Jung

Dr. Mary Jung is Associate Professor at the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Jung was nominated for her program with Kelowna YMCA, Small Steps for Big Changes, through the delivering of evidence based research, behaviour-change counselling and health coaching has helped people diagnosed with pre-diabetes reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This program has scaled to more than 12 communities in BC and across Canada and has demonstrable impact on the health and lives of people living with pre-diabetes.

Dr. Jianbing Li

Dr. Jianbing Li is a professor and professional engineer at the School of Engineering at the University of Northern British Columbia. Dr. Li was nominated for his work on marine oil spill cleanup and waste water treatment processes. He is the co-lead of the Decanting and Oily Waste Management program which has made significant strides in methods used to separate oil from water. Dr. Li also works on researching the development of an effective, low-cost, portable water treatment for remote and rural communities where the consumption of untreated water poses health risks.

Professor Hannah McGregor

Professor Hannah McGregor is Assistant Professor of Publishing at Simon Fraser University. Professor McGregor was nominated for her contributions to transforming the landscape of public scholarship through the development of scholarly podcasts that engage thousands of listeners around the world. Co-creator of the Amplify Podcast Network, Canada’s first scholarly podcast network. Professor McGregor has emerged as a leader in areas of feminist theory, critical media, publishing, literary and gender studies. She is also the creator of Witch, Please, a feminist rereading of the Harry Potter series.

The following faculty members were nominated for the 2023 CUFA BC Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award:

Professor Grace Iarocci

Professor Grace Iarocci is a Professor at the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University. Professor Iarocci was nominated for her research in typical and atypical development of selective attention and its relationship to social competence, mental health, and family and societal well-being. Co-editor of three books with
Oxford University Press and 80 journal articles, Professor Iarocci is recognized as one of BC’s key researchers on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and has improved access to diagnostic and treatment services for BC immigrant and Indigenous communities.

Dr. Lee Gunderson

Dr. Lee Gunderson is Professor in Department of Language and Literary Education at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Gunderson was nominated for his work in promoting success and opportunity through literacy for immigrant students in Canada. Dr. Gunderson’s work saw to the development of his research-based literary teaching strategies for both ESL and non-ESL students, knowing that children’s ability to read and write is foundational to their educational success, integration to society and the future mental and social wellbeing. Dr. Gunderson was instrumental in developing strategies for public schools to support student learning, as well as developing policies and assessment practices that contributed to the success of students across British Columbia and elsewhere.

Dr. Faisal Khosa

Dr. Faisal Khosa, MD, MBA is Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Khosa was nominated for his work on gender and racial disparities in academia. His work helps to ensure a sustainable legacy of inclusive excellence in academia, increasing accessibility of higher education and achievement for underrepresented students. Dr. Khosa has shown exemplary initiative and leadership through actions that epitomize altruism, integrity, persistence, and perseverance in serving those in need. His research has catalyzed academic and social change.

* NOTE: Not all nominees for this category are listed due to personal privacy reasons

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS AND NOMINEES!