CUFA BC Announces Recipients of the 2026 Distinguished Academics Awards

(For Immediate Release – Port Moody, BC, March 5, 2026) – The Confederation of University Faculty Associations of British Columbia (CUFA BC) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Distinguished Academics Awards, recognizing faculty members whose research and scholarship have made significant contributions to the public interest. The winners are:

• Early in Career Award: Anne-Sofie Ahm (University of Victoria)
• Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award: Tammara Soma (Simon Fraser University)
• Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award: Mark Jaccard (Simon Fraser University)

Since 1995, CUFA BC has honoured academics whose work strengthens our economy, democracy, and intellectual life. The ideas that flow from British Columbia’s universities are the lifeblood of our society. Through new discoveries and deeper understandings of the world around us, faculty research directly benefits communities across the province and beyond.

CUFA BC Acting President Ken Christie emphasized the importance of these contributions:

“The Distinguished Academics Awards celebrate the extraordinary impact that academic research has beyond the university walls. This year’s recipients exemplify the spirit of these awards. Their scholarship strengthens communities, informs public policy, and addresses some of the most pressing challenges of our time. We are proud to recognize their leadership and innovation.”

 

Award Recipients

 

Dr. Anne-Sofie Ahm – Early in Career Award

 

Dr. Anne-Sofie Ahm is an Assistant Professor in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences (SEOS) at University of Victoria. She was nominated for her groundbreaking working on sediment alteration. She uses novel geochemical and numerical techniques to study the geochemistry of ancient sedimentary rocks and create new and more robust records of our planet’s history. She recently revolutionized a new approach that allows us to see though the ‘geologic noise’ and generate more robust records of past climate change.

 

 

Dr. Tammara Soma – Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award

 

Dr. Tammara Soma is an Associate Professor in the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University. She was nominated for her research on issues pertaining to food system planning, Indigenous food sovereignty, food loss and waste, food systems resiliency and the circular food economy. Dr. Soma was recently inducted into the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. She served on the United Nations’ High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition, co-authoring a groundbreaking report on equitably transformative resilience. She co-founded the Food System Labs, a research and innovation hub that explores solutions for a sustainable food system that enhances ecosystems, conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change.

 

Dr. Mark Jaccard – Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award

 

Dr. Mark Jaccard is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Resource and Environment at Simon Fraser University. He was nominated for his career contributions in designing and evaluating climate policies. He has served on many international and Canadian climate policy processes, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the China Council, Canada’s National Roundtable and the CD Howe Institute. Three of his books were shortlisted for the Donner Prize, with one winning. His career contributions have been recognized with fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada, the King Charles III Coronation Medal and the Order of British Columbia.

 

 

Awards Gala and More Information

The awards will be presented at a gala reception on April 23 at the Inn at Laurel Point in Victoria, BC. Guests will include government officials, university administrators, faculty members, union groups, and allied organizations.

Congratulations to the winners and all the nominees for their outstanding achievements. For more information about the Distinguished Academics Awards and this year’s recipients, please visit www.cufa.bc.ca/awards/2026-winners-and-nominees-of-the-distinguished-academics-awards.

For further information or media inquiries, please contact:
Annabree Fairweather
Executive Director, CUFA BC
Phone: 604-367-5856
Email: [email protected]

 

CUFA BC represents over 5,500 faculty members, professional librarians, lecturers, instructors, and other academics at the five research-intensive universities in British Columbia, which include University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, Royal Roads University and University of Northern British Columbia.

CUFA BC celebrates over fifty years of working closely with the member Faculty Associations at each institution. Our purposes are to support high-quality post-secondary education and research in British Columbia and to advocate for the interests of our members.

 

 

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