Arts celebrates three new Royal Society of Canada honours

Dr. Andrew Cooper (BA ‘72, MA ‘73) is a University Research Chair in the School of Social, Political and Historical Research, and a Professor at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA). An internationally recognized scholar of diplomacy, global governance and international institutions, his research examines how ascendant powers are reshaping world politics and multilateral cooperation. 

Cooper’s work has influenced scholarship and policy discussions on major international summit forums, including the G20 and BRICS, as well as the recalibrated role of middle powers. Throughout his career, Cooper has held visiting appointments at a wide number of institutions including Harvard University, the Australian National University and Stellenbosch University in South Africa. In 2009 Cooper was selected as the Canada-US Fulbright Research Chair, Annenberg Center, University of Southern California.

“Being elected to the Royal Society of Canada brings the immense satisfaction of peer validation from the premier assembly of intellectual leadership in Canada,” said Cooper. “The stature of this fellowship allows both greater access to policy makers and - especially relevant at my stage of career - an enhanced role in mentoring the emerging generation of scholars.” 

Cooper has contributed more than 250 total publications, including nine sole-authored books. Standing out among his 30 edited collections is The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy. His work has generated more than 12,500 total citations (Google Scholar), with an h-index of 53, reflecting its extended reach and impact on the study of international relations. In 2019 he was honoured as the inaugural recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Diplomacy Section of the International Studies Association. 

Dr. Myra Fernandes is a Professor in the School of Psychology. Her work integrates psychology, neuroscience, and gerontology to understand how the brain dynamically coordinates systems to optimize memory. Her pioneering research has developed cognitive methods that enhance memory in younger and older adults, individuals with a history of concussion, and people living with dementia, pinpointing its brain basis using functional neuroimaging.

Fernandes’ multidisciplinary research addresses a pressing global health challenge: population aging and the associated rise in dementia and other forms of cognitive decline. Her work draws on a combination of behavioural, neuroimaging, and developmental methods to advance understanding of how memory works and build models of how it functions. Her research is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.

“I am deeply honoured to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada,” said Fernandes. “This recognition reflects not only my own work, but the dedication of the many students, trainees, collaborators and mentors who have shaped my research over the years. It also reflects the support of my parents and their advice to make sure what I did mattered to the lives of others. That advice guided my career and research focus: memory is one of our most fundamental human resources. Understanding how memories are created and retrieved, and how to protect them as we age, isn't just a scientific pursuit, it's about preserving what makes us ourselves.”

Fernandes has co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, four books, and five book chapters. She is a past president of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science, recipient of the inaugural Women in Cognitive Science Canada Mentorship Award and the Canadian Psychological Association’s President’s Researcher Award, and currently serves as Chair of the internationally renowned Psychonomic Society, reflecting her worldwide impact on the study of memory, cognition and aging.

Dr. Geoffrey Fong, FRSC, is University Professor of the School of Psychology and School of Public Health Sciences, and is also Senior Investigator at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. He is the second recipient of the Eric Jackman Prize in the Human Behavioural and Social Sciences, which “celebrates path-breaking and sustained scientific contributions to preventing harm, strengthening resilience, or otherwise benefiting humankind through research in one or more behavioural and social science fields.” This prize recognizes Fong’s international leadership in tobacco control research and its impact on public health policy worldwide. He is Founder and Chief Principal Investigator of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC Project), the world’s first international cohort study of tobacco use and tobacco control policy, which he built by integrating theories and methods from the behavioural and social sciences into public health surveillance systems.

Through a collaboration of more than 150 researchers across 31 countries, the ITC Project has evaluated the effectiveness of tobacco-control policies implemented under the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the world’s first public health treaty. The ITC Project examines the behavioural and psychosocial impact of major tobacco-control measures, including health warning labels, smoke free legislation, taxation policies, cessation programs, and nicotine-product regulation.

“I am deeply honoured to receive the Eric Jackman Prize,” said Fong. “This recognition highlights the essential role of the behavioural and social sciences in public health and global health. The ITC Project has shown how understanding behaviour and the social environments, policies, and systems that shape it can generate evidence to strengthen public health policies and improve health around the world.”

Fong has authored or co-authored more than 600 publications and received more than 51,800 citations, with an h-index of 105. Fong has received numerous award and recognitions, including the Governor General’s Innovation Award (shared with Waterloo faculty members Mary E. Thompson and David Hammond), the WHO World No Tobacco Day Award, and the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health Senior Trailblazer Award. In 2021, Fong was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.