Awards and honours

See also: Book prizes and past distinguished awards and honours

 Psychology professor Igor Grossmann awarded presitigous Humboldt Prize 

Igor Grossmann receiving his award at the Humboldt Foundation meeting

Dr. Igor Grossmann (centre) receiving his award at the Annual Meeting of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation award ceremony. Photo credit: AvH/Benjamin Pritzkuleit

Congratulations to Dr. Igor Grossmann, Professor in Psychology, for winning the prestigious Humboldt Research Award, also known as the Humboldt Prize, from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The award recognizes him as one of the most innovative behavioural scientists of his generation.

The Humboldt prize is awarded for fundamental discoveries, new theories, or insights with lasting impact. It also provides funding to build sustained research partnerships with Germany.

The Humboldt site notes Grossmann’s work has transformed the study of wise reasoning by showing how intellectual humility, cultural context, and metacognitive calibration improve judgment under uncertainty. His work integrates approaches from cognitive and social psychology, computational modeling, and big-team science.

Recent distinguished awards and honours

  • Andrew Cooper, Political Science (SSPHR) – Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2026)
  • Myra Fernandes, Psychology – Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2026)
  • Geoffrey Fong, Psychology – Royal Society of Canada Eric Jackman Prize in the Human Behavioural and Social Sciences (2026)
  • Igor Grossmann, Psychology – Humboldt Prize (2026)
  • Igor Grossmann, Psychology – Visiting Fellowship, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute (2026)
  • Christine Purdon, Psychology – Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Fellow (2026)
  • Bessma Momani, Political Science (SSPHR) – Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst Fellowship (2026)
  • Lai-Tze Fan, Sociology and Legal Studies (SSPHR) – Canadian Society for Digital Humanities/Society for Computers in Human-Computer Interaction Outstanding Early Career Award (2026)
  • Tara Cooper, Fine Arts (SCCH) – Artist in Residence, Kitchener (2026)
  • Alexis Dolphin, Anthropology (SSPHR) – 2026 Amman Prize, American Center of Research in Amman (2026)
  • Seçil Daǧtaș, Anthropology (SSPHR) – Germaine Tillion–Région Sud, Iméra Chair Fellowship (2026)
  • Carla Fehr, Philosophy (SSPHR) – FAUW Award for Equity and Inclusivity (2026)
  • Jonathan Fugelsang, Psychology – The Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science Mid-Career Award (2025)
  • Ramona Bobocel, Psychology – Distinguished Contributions Award, Canadian Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (2025)
  • Meg Gibson, – King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025)
  • Dillon Browne, Psychology – Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists (2025)
  • Geoffrey Fong, Psychology – King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025)
  • Geoffrey Fong, Psychology – inductee, Canadian Medical Association Hall of Fame (2025)
  • Efrim Boritz, Accounting and Finance — ISACA Educational Excellence Award (2025)
  • Joanne Wood, Psychology – Distinguished Lifetime Career Award, International Society for Self and Identity (2024)
  • Alan Webb, School of Accounting and Finance – Lifetime Contribution to Management Accounting Award, Management Accounting Section of the American Accounting Association (2024)
  • Ken Hirschkop, English Language & Literature  –  Sebeok-Love Award for Best Article in Language Sciences 2023 (awarded in 2024)
  • Logan MacDonald, Fine Arts  –  Ontario Early Researcher Award (2024)
  • Karen Cochrane and Daniel Harley, Stratford School  – Google Academic Research Awards (GARA) in Society-Centred AI (2024)   
  • Ramona Bobocel, Psychology  –  Fellow, Canadian Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (CSIOP) (2024)
  • John English, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, History – Order of Ontario (2024)
  • Guy Poirier, French Studies  –  Canadian Society for Renaissance Studies Lifetime Achievement Award, Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences (2023)
  • Igor Grossmann, Psychology –  College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, Royal Society of Canada (2023)
  • Naila Keleta-Mae, Communication Arts –  Dorothy Killam Fellowship, National Science Foundation (2023)
  • Naila Keleta-Mae, Communication Arts – College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, Royal Society of Canada (2023)
  • Nicole Nolette, French Studies – College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, Royal Society of Canada (2023)
  • Hilary Bergsieker, Psychology –  Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW) Equity and Inclusivity Award (2023)
  • Allison Kelly, Psychology –  Class of Fellows of the Academy for Eating Disorders (2023)
  • Kristina Llewellyn, Renison University College– Renison Faculty Research Award (2023)
  • Colin MacLeod, Psychology – Clifford. T. Morgan Distinguished Leadership Award, Psychonomic Society (2023)
  • Evan Risko, Psychology –  Women in Cognitive Science – Canada 2023 Mentorship Award (2023)
  • Igor Grossmann, Psychology – Fellow, Social for Personality and Social Psychology (2022)
  • Kristina Llewellyn, Social Development Studies (Renison) – College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, Royal Society of Canada (2022)
  • Kristina Llewellyn, Social Development Studies (Renison) – Postsecondary Teaching Award, Oral History Association (2022)
  • Jasmin Habib, Political Science – Weaver-Tremblay Award, Canadian Anthropology Society (2022)
  • Margaret Insley, Economics – Fellow of the Canadian Resource and Environmental Economics Association (CREEA) (2022)
  • Ian Milligan, History – Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (2022)
  • Lai-Tze Fan, Sociology and Legal Studies – N. Katherine Hayles Award for Criticism of Electronic Literature, Electronic Literature Organization (2022)

Distinguished honours and prizes (2007-2021, selected)
  • Igor Grossmann, Psychology – Site of the day for WorldafterCovid.info (2021)
  • Igor Grossmann, Psychology – Nominee for The best of the web 2021 — Developer Site of the Year (awwwards.com) for WorldafterCovid.info (2021)
  • David Moscovitch, Psychology – Elected Fellow, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) (2021)
  • Derek Besner, Psychology – Donald O. Hebb Distinguished Contribution Award (2021)
  • Anna Esselment, Political Science – Mallory Grant, Canadian Study of Parliament Group (2021)
  • Geoffrey Fong, Psychology – Officer of the Order of Canada (2021)
  • Geoffrey Fong, Psychology – O. Harold Warwick Prize, Canada Cancer Society (2021)
  • Geoffrey Fong, Psychology – Governor General’s Innovation Award (ITC Project) (2021)
  • Kenneth Klassen, School of Accounting and Finance – Haim Falk Award for Distinguished Contribution to Accounting Thought, Canadian Academic Accounting Association (CAAA) (2021)
  • Bessma Momani, Top 50 Influencing Canadian Foreign Policy, Hillman Times (2021)
  • Guy Poirier, French Studies – Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2021)
  • Abigail Scholer, Psychology – Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) (2021)
  • Abigail Scholer, Psychology – Early Career Award, Society for the Science of Motivation (2021)
  • Igor Grossmann, Psychology – Societies 2019 Young Investigator Award from the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MIDI) (2020)
  • Eric Helleiner, Political Science – IPE Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Studies -Association (2020)
  • Kristina R. Llewellyn, Social Development Studies (Renison) – Teaching Excellence Award, Renison University College (2020)
  • Dillon Browne, Psychology – Ontario Early Researcher Award (2020)
  • Jay Dolmage, English Language & Literature — College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, Royal Society of Canada (2020)
  • Geoffrey Fong, Psychology – Fellow, Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (2020)
  • Ian Milligan, History – Honorary Archivist Award, Association of Canadian Archivists (2020)
  • Imre Szeman, Communication Arts — Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2020)
  • Imre Szeman, Communication Arts – Fellow, Canadian International Council (2020)
  • Andrew Cooper, Political Science – Distinguished Scholar Award from the Diplomating Studies Section, International Studies Association (2019)
  • Geoffrey Fong, Psychology – Health Research Foundation (HRF) of Innovation Medicines Canada Medal of Honour (2019)
  • Igor Grossmann, Psychology – Sage Young Scholars, Society for Personality and Social Psychology (2019)
  • Allison Kelly, Psychology – Ontario Early Researcher Award (2019)
  • Aimée Morrison, English Language & Literature – Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Fellowship (2019)
  • Winfried Siemerling, English Language & Literature – Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2019)
  • Jessica Thompson, Fine Arts – Ontario Early Researcher Award (2019)
  • J. Efrim Boritz, School of Accounting & Finance – Haim Falk Award for Distinguished Contributions to Accounting Thought (2018)
  • Geoffrey Fong, Psychology – Alton Ochsner Award Relating Smoking and Disease (2018)
  • James Skidmore, Germanic & Slavic Studies – Innovate German Award, DAAD and Canadian Association of University Teachers of German (2018)
  • Eric Helleiner, Political Science – Canada Council for the Arts Killam Research Fellowship (2017)
  • John Turri, Philosophy – Member of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists (2016)
  • Colin MacLeod, Psychology – Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) (2016)
  • John English, History – Officer of the Order of Canada (2016) 
  • James Walker, History – Member of the Order of Canada (2016)
  • Eric Helleiner, Political Science – Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) (2015)
  • Bessma Momani, Political Science – Trudeau Foundation Fellow (2015)
  • Chris Eliasmith, Philosophy – NSERC John C. Polanyi Award (2015)
  • Chris Eliasmith, Philosophy – Inaugural Member of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists (2014)
  • James Walker, History – Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) (2013)
  • Paul Thagard, Philosophy – Canada Council for the Arts Killam Prize (Humanities) (2013)
  • Geoffrey Fong, Psychology – Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) Knowledge Translation Award (2011)
  • Mark Zanna, Psychology – Canada Council for the Arts Killam Prize (Social Sciences) (2011)
  • François Paré, French Studies – Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) (2010)
  • Geoffrey Fong, Psychology – Canadian Medical Association Journal’s Top Canadian Achievements in Health Research award (2010)
  • William Coleman, Political Science – Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) (2009)
  • William Coleman, Political Science – Trudeau Foundation Fellowship (2007)
  • Eric Helleiner, Political Science – Trudeau Foundation Fellowship (2007)
  • Paul Thagard, Philosophy – Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prize (2007)

Book prizes (2010-recent, selected)

  • 2025 Association of Asian American Book Award for Outstanding Achievement in the area of Literary Studies, Lived Refuge: Gratitude, Resentment, Resilience (University of California Press, 2023) by Vinh Nguyen, English.

  • 2024 Eisner Award for Best Academic/Scholarly Work for The Claremont Run: Subverting Gender in the X-Men (University of Texas Press, 2023) by Andrew Deman, English.

  • 2024 Outstanding Book Award, Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender, for Mean Girl Feminism: How White Feminists Gaslight, Gatekeep, and Girlboss (University of Illinois Press), by Kim Hong Nguyen, Communication Arts.
  • 2023 International Political Economy Best Book Award, International Studies Association, for The Contested World Economy: The Deep and Global Roots of International Political Economy (Cambridge University Press, 2023), by Eric Helleiner, Political Science.
  • 2023 Outstanding Book Award, International Writing Centers Association for  CounterStories from the Writing Center, co-edited by Frankie Condon, English Language and Literature and Wonderful Faison.
  • 2023 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Titles 2023: Psychology for On expertise: cultivating character, goodwill, and practical wisdom by Ashley Rose Mehlenbacher, English Language and Literature.
  • 2022 Rik Davidson/Studies in the Political Economy Book Prize for Capitalist Political Economy: Thinkers and Theories, by Heather Whiteside, Political Science.
  • 2022 Honorable Mention from the German Studies Association/DAAD book prize committee for Mediaeval Badges: Their Wearers and Their Worlds by Ann Marie Rasmussen, Germanic and Slavic Studies.
  • 2021 Outstanding Book Award, Society of Professors of Education for Oral History, Education, and Justice: Limitations and Possibilities for Redress and Reconciliation, edited by Kristina R. Llewellyn, Renison University College (and Nicholas Ng-A-Fook, University of Ottawa).
  • 2021 Publication Award for Edited Book, Canadian Association of Foundations of Education (CAFE) for Oral History, Education, and Justice: Possibilities and Limitations for Redress and Reconciliation, edited by Kristina R. Llewellyn, Renison University College (and Nicholas Ng-A-Fook, University of Ottawa)
  • 2021 Donald Smiley Prize, Canadian Political Science Association for Fossilized: Environmental Policy in Canada’s Petro-Provinces, by Angela Carter, Political Science
  • 2020 Waterloo Centre for German Studies Book Prize for Mobilizing Black Germany: Afro-German Women and the Making of a Transnational Movement, by Tiffany N. Florvil
  • 2019 CAS/Taylor & Francis Book Prize (Canadian Association of Slavists) for The Portrayal of Jews in Modern Belarusian Literature, by Zinaida Gimpelevich, Germanic & Slavic Studies
  • 2019 Canadian Shortlist, Griffin Poetry Prize (The Griffin Trust) for The Art of Dying, by Sarah Tolmie, English Language & Literature
  • 2017 C. P. Stacey Prize (Canadian Committee for the History of the Second World War) for Crerar’s Lieutenants. Inventing the Canadian Junior Army Officer, 1939-1945, by Geoffrey Hayes, History
  • 2016 Gabrielle Roy Prize (Association of Canadian and Quebec Literatures) for Canadian Graphic: Picturing Life Narratives, co-edited by Linda Warley, English Language & Literature (with Candida Rifkind, University of Winnipeg)
  • 2016 Francesco Guicciardini Prize for Best Book in Historical International Relations (International Studies Association) for The Forgotten Foundations of Bretton Woods: International Development and the Making of the Postwar Order, by Eric Helleiner, Political Science
  • 2015 Gabrielle Roy Prize (Association of Canadian and Quebec Literatures) for The Black Atlantic Reconsidered: Black Canadian Writing, Cultural History, and the Presence of the Past, by Winfried Siemerling, English Language & Literature
  • 2015 Prose Award (Association of American Publishers) for Disability Rhetoric (Syracuse University Press, 2013), by Jay Dolmage, English Language & Literature
  • 2011 John Porter Tradition of Excellence Award for Measuring the Mosaic: An Intellectual Biography of John Porter (University of Toronto Press, 2010), by Rick Helmes-Hayes, Sociology & Legal Studies
  • 2010 John Porter Tradition of Excellence Award for The Prestige Squeeze: Occupational Prestige in Canada Since 1965 (McGill-Queen’s UP, 2009), by John Goyder, Sociology & Legal Studies
  • 2010 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing for Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 1968-2000 (Knopf Canada, 2009), by John English, History (Just Watch Me was also a finalist for both the 2010 Charles Taylor Award and the 2010 Governor General’s Literary Award – Non-fiction)

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