2022 winners and nominees of the Distinguished Academics Awards
Meet the winners and learn how their work is making an impact in the non-academic world, demonstrating the vitality of university-based research and scholarly activity.
The Distinguished Academics Awards promote the value of university research in advancing the public good. Nominees hail from various institutions and disciplines, often working in very different domains—yet they’re united by a passion for meaningful research that fuels our economy, democracy, and intellectual life.
WINNERS
Early in Career Award
Dr. Travis Salway
Simon Fraser University
Dr. Travis Salway, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, has been awarded the Early in Career Award, which recognizes contributions to the non-academic community made by faculty members who are at an early point in their academic careers. As a social epidemiologist, Dr. Salway investigates structural health inequities in the context of stigma, focusing on Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (2S/LGBTQ) people. His research has resulted in an improved understanding of patterns and causes of mental health outcomes among 2S/LGBTQ people. He was also integral in providing evidence-based recommendations to strengthen Canada’s anti-conversion therapy legislation. Dr. Salway’s commitment to advance health equity and social justice exemplifies the academic citizenship recognized by the CUFA BC Distinguished Academics Awards.
Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award
Dr. Sarah Wright Cardinal
University of Victoria
Dr. Sarah Wright Cardinal, Assistant Professor in the School of Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria, has been awarded the Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award, which recognizes a specific and recent outstanding contribution to the community beyond the academy through research or other scholarly activity by an individual at any stage of their career. Dr. Wright Cardinal is a Cree educator from northern treaty 8 territory with Coast Salish, Dene, and Nuu-chah-nulth, extended family relations. Her work centres the importance of healing from colonial disruptions to Indigenous identities, and addresses these fractures with land, water and spirit-based teachings and practices that contribute to children, youth, and community wellness. In 2020, Dr. Wright Cardinal was awarded a SSRHC Partnership Development Grant entitled “Reclaiming Nuu-chah-nulth teachings to empower and strengthen the roles and responsibilities of Pacheedaht young men.” This two-year project involved documenting the carving of a 33-foot cedar dug-out canoe by a Master Carver and youth apprentices, as well as building language and cultural mentorship, and developing a youth wellness model for rural and remote Indigenous communities.
Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award
Dr. Colin Bennett
University of Victoria
Dr. Colin Bennett, Professor of Political Science at the University of Victoria, has been awarded the Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award, which is awarded to a faculty member who has shown sustained outstanding contributions to the community beyond the academy through research or other scholarly activities by an individual over the major portion of their career. Dr. Bennett is world renowned for his contributions to the global effort to protect privacy over the course of his thirty-plus year career. Dr. Bennett’s work reminds us that privacy is not just a legal and technical issue of interest to governmental and corporate elites, but an intrinsic human right under threat from a range of powerful institutional and technological forces. He regularly provides reports and expert testimony to provincial, national, and international governments, and has a reputation for independence and impartiality. While Dr. Bennett’s research addresses some of the most significant privacy issues of the day, his research methods involve extensive collaboration across twenty-five countries with leading scholars, public and private organizations, and civil society groups.
NOMINEES
Early in Career Award Nominees
Dr. Katya Rhodes
University of Victoria
Dr. Katya Rhodes
Dr. Katya Rhodes is Assistant professor at the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria. Dr. Rhodes was nominated for her work on low-carbon economy transitions from the perspective of climate policy design. Her work draws on energy-economy models, statistical models, and comparative policy analysis methods. Dr. Rhodes prepares all-encompassing best practices that help reduce climate change while promoting policy acceptability, inclusivity, and reconciliation.
Dr. Mahmudur Fatmi
University of British Columbia Okanagan
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 advancing transportation and climate action research by developing innovative models and simulation tools for effective planning and policy-making for equitable, economic and sustainable travel options, mitigating transportation emissions. Dr. Fatmi has developed state-of-the-art travel demand models that recognize the complexity associated with travel decisions. He has created a national and international network of multidisciplinary researchers, government agencies, and industry partners to decarbonize the transportation sector of Canada and beyond by advancing climate science and translating knowledge to practice.
Dr. Nancy Clark
University of Victoria
Dr. Nancy Clark
Dr. Nancy Clark is Assistant Professor at the Department of Human and Social Development at the University of Victoria. Her work on refugee women, their health and experience of integration in Canadian Society has impacts beyond the academic field into the larger community. With her work, Dr. Clark aims to better the mental health and wellbeing of Canada’s newcomers and therefore strengthen the Canadian Society.
Dr. Theodore Cosco
Simon Fraser University
Dr. Theodore Cosco
Dr. Theodore Cosco is an Associate Professor of Mental Health & Aging at the Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University and Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, University of Oxford. Dr. Cosco was nominated for his innovative work in gerontology and public health, especially his community-engaged research, demonstrates his significant contributions to both academia and the wider community. His recently funded projects on ‘Co-creating the future of older adults’ mental health’ include the development of an online mental health peer-support platform for older adults. These initiatives have provided practical, tangible benefits to the community, particularly in improving the mental health and social connectedness of older adults.
Professor Hannah McGregor
Simon Fraser University
Professor Hannah McGregor
Professor Hannah McGregor has contributed 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.
Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award Nominees
Dr. Catherine Costigan
University of Victoria
Dr. Catherine Costigan
Dr. Catherine Costigan is Professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Victoria. Dr. Costigan’s research focus is on immigrant and refugee families new to Canada, addressing issues like social inequalities and oppressive attitudes that create barriers for these newcomer families. Dr. Costigan’s research identifies risk and protective factors within these vulnerable families and the ecological contexts that shape trajectories of health and wellbeing.
Dr. Catherine Nolin
University of Northern British Columbia
Dr. Catherine Nolin
Dr. Catherine Nolin is a Professor at the Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Northern British Columbia. Dr. Nolin was nominated for her work on gendered, political, and social aspects of state-sponsored structural and social violence. Driven by the belief that people should be allowed to lead a life within society that reflects their common values and aspirations, in spite of differences and inequalities, Dr. Nolin illuminates human rights violations and aims to promote the preservation of human dignity.
Dr. Danuta Skowronski
UBC School of Population & Public Health
Dr. Danuta Skowronski
Dr. Danuta Skowronski is the Epidemiology Lead of Influenza & Emerging Respiratory Pathogens at BCCDC, Clinical Professor in the UBC School of Population & Public Health and Principal Investigator, Canadian SPSN. Dr. Skowronski was nominated for her work understanding the effects of immunity on the epidemiology of respiratory viral diseases using influenza as a model. Dr. Skowronski’s research was instrumental in the global fight against COVID-19, informing public health recommendations that allowed BC and Canada maximize vaccine control and optimize reduction in mortality at a time when vaccine supplies were limited.
Dr. Jianbing Li
University of Northern British Columbia
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.
Dr. Mary Jung
University of British Columbia
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.
Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award Nominees
Dr. Faisal Khosa
University of British Columbia
Dr. Faisal Khosa
Dr. Faisal Khosa, MD, MBA is Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Khosa’s work on gender and racial disparities in academia helps ensure a sustainable legacy of inclusive excellence in academia and beyond in the larger community. Dr. Khosa’s relentless pursuit to elucidate inequalities in academia produced a multitude of evidence that has catalyzed initiatives to increase accessibility of higher education and achievement for underrepresented students.
Dr. Jonathan Moore
Simon Fraser University
Dr. Jonathan Moore
Dr. Jonathan Moore is Professor in Department of Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Professor Moore was nominated for his research in the conservation of BC’s aquatic eco-system, with a particular focus on BC’s salmon watersheds. Professor Moore has written more than 110 papers in top journals in the field, and he is widely seen as an international leader in the conservation and ecology of salmon ecosystems. Professor Moore contributed crucial research to support the conservation victories in the Skeena River estuary, where critical estuary habitat were protected from the proposed impacts of an LNG export terminal. Professor Moore connects his research discoveries beyond the scientific community to society, community leaders, and decision-makers through a strategic portfolio of science communication products, such as reports, press releases, op-eds, policy briefs, and presentations.
Dr. Lee Gunderson
University of British Columbia
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.
Professor Henry Daniel
Simon Fraser University
Professor Henry Daniel
Professor Henry Daniel is Professor in the Department of Contemporary Arts at the Simon Fraser University. Professor Daniel was nominated for his use of performance arts to foster discussion about challenging social issues. Over the last twenty years, this prolific dancer, choreographer, and scholar has gained an international reputation in bridging performance and scholarship, and positioning artistic practice as a valid research enterprise. He has helped scholars and members of the public articulate and engage in some of the most challenging issues facing society. Professor Daniel proves through his work that art and performance can provide space for essential conversations about issues facing society and the academy today, including the role of scholars in political efforts to decolonize and indigenize their institutions.
Dr. Travis Salway Interview Trailer
CUFA BC April 19, 2022 8:12 pm