A professor who is cross-appointed to the Faculty of Engineering has won the top award in science and engineering in Canada for more than three decades of groundbreaking research on batteries.
Dr. Linda Nazar, a chemistry professor who also has cross-appointments in electrical and chemical engineering, was awarded the 2026 Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
“To be recognized alongside scientists whose discoveries I have admired for so many years is both thrilling and deeply humbling,” she said.
“What has always driven me is the excitement of discovering something new and exploring bold ideas that can open doors to technologies we once thought impossible and contribute to a more sustainable energy future.”
The award comes with up to $1 million in funding over five years, which Nazar said she plans to use to expand her research into new directions in solid-state and aqueous batteries.
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