Dr. Ellen MacEachen honoured for excellence in graduate supervision
Dr. Ellen MacEachen, director of the School of Public Health Sciences, is one of four Waterloo recipients of the 2025 University of Waterloo Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision.
Since joining the School in 2014, MacEachen has demonstrated a unique blend of characteristics that serve her well as mentor, supervisor, advocate and career advancer for graduate students and others. Letters of support for her nomination note that she is dedicated, encouraging, inspiring and responsive, but also pushes students to reach their potential in a caring and productive way.
Even as MacEachen became head of the School in 2021, she has continued to prioritize student advancement and gives meaningfully of her valuable time. She has simplified many administrative processes and created new learning avenues for students, including opening up opportunities to engage with her extensive international networks in academic and non-academic settings.
“From my observation, Dr. MacEachen provides outstanding support to students without creating a reliance that would be to their detriment,” said Dr. Samantha Meyer, the School’s associate director of graduate research programs. ”She has high expectations, and those who know her will easily envision her wide smile in greeting students as she provides a welcoming environment and sense of belonging.”
Despite her heavy administrative duties over the last five years, MacEachen has maintained a large graduate lab, supervising eight to 10 graduate students and doctoral fellows in any given year. She has also served on numerous thesis committees, research projects and external examination defences.
I am incredibly honoured to receive this award. Seeing my students grow and thrive is the best part of my career.
Earlier this year, MacEachen received the 2024 Faculty of Health Senior Graduate Mentorship Award. Her research examines the design and performance of work and health systems to identify how they can be improved and adapted to fast-changing economic, social and technological environments of our global economy.
Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) established the Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision in 2005 to recognize exemplary faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in graduate student supervision. The other recipients this year are Susan Elliott, Department of Geography and Environmental Management; M. Tamer Özsu, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science; and Evan Risko, Department of Psychology.