Research chairs

The Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo is home to exceptional scholars who hold a variety of prestegious research chairs and fellowships. View the categories below for our national and university-level research chairs and fellows. 

Canada Research Chairs

Introduced by the federal government in 2000 to retain and attract exceptional research faculty.

Current Canada Research Chairs

  • Ian Goldberg, 2019-2026
    • Canada Research Chair in Privacy Enhancing Technologies (Tier 1)
  • Anita Layton, 2018-2025
    • Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematical Biology and Medicine
  • Jun Liu, 2017-2027
    • Canada Research Chair in Hybrid Systems and Control (Tier 2)
  • Luke Postle, 2015-2025
    • Canada Research Chair in Graph Theory (Tier 2)
  • Karen Yeats, 2017-2027
    • Canada Research Chair in Combinatorics of Quantum Field Theory (Tier 2)

Past Canada Research Chairs

  • Cam Stewart, 2017-2024
    • Canada Research Chair in Number Theory (Tier 1)
  • Ming Li, 2016-2023
    • Canada Research Chair in Bioinformatics (Tier 1)
  • Ian Munro, 2015-2022
    • Canada Research Chair in Algorithm Design (Tier 1)
  • David Landriault, 2016-2021
    • Canadian Research Chair in Risk Theory (Tier 2)
  • Richard Cook, 2005-2019
    • Canada Research Chair in Statistical Methods for Health Research (Tier 1)
  • Jim Geelen, 2003-2013
    • Canada Research Chair in Combinatorial Optimization (Tier 2)
  • Achim Kempf, 2004-2014
    • Canada Research Chair in the Physics of Information (Tier 2)
  • Srinivasan Keshav, 2004-2014
    • Canada Research Chair in Tetherless ComputingCanada Research Chair in Tetherless Computing (Tier 2)
  • Debbie Leung, 2005-2015
    • Canada Research Chair in Quantum Communication (Tier 2)
  • Michele Mosca, 2002-2015
    • Canada Research Chair in Quantum Computation (Tier 2)
  • Justin Wan, 2006-2016
    • Canada Research Chair in Scientific Computing (Tier 2)

University Research Chairs

The University of Waterloo recognizes exceptional achievement and pre-eminence in a particular field of knowledge with the designation 'University Research Chair' - a title which may be held for up to seven years, with the possibility of re-nomination.

Find more information on the selection process on theUniversity Research Chairs webpage.

Current University Research Chairs

  • William Slofstra, Pure Mathematics
  • Chaitanya Swamy, Combinatorics and Optimization
  • Shai Ben-David, Computer Science
  • Raouf Boutaba, Computer Science
  • Sue Anne Campbell, Applied Mathematics
  • James Geelen, Combinatorics and Optimization
  • Penny Haxell, Combinatorics and Optimization
  • Lila Kari, Computer Science
  • Achim Kempf, Applied Mathematics
  • Matthew Kennedy, Pure Mathematics
  • Kate Larson, Computer Science
  • Debbie Leung, Combinatorics and Optimization
  • Bin Ma, Computer Science
  • Sri Namachchivaya, Applied Mathematics
  • Alexander Schied, Statistics and Actuarial Science
  • Ruodu Wang, Statistics and Actuarial Science

Past University Research Chairs

  • Chris Bauch, Applied Mathematics
  • Jason Bell, Pure Mathematics
  • Carole Bernard, Statistics and Actuarial Science
  • Timothy Chan, Computer Science
  • Thomas Coleman, Combinatorics and Optimization
  • Bill Cunningham, Combinatorics and Optimization
  • Ian Goldberg, Computer Science
  • Michele Mosca, Combinatorics and Optimization
  • Tamer Ozsu, Computer Science
  • Sivabal Sivaloganathan, Applied Mathematics
  • Doug Stinson, Computer Science
  • Ken Seng Tan, Statistics and Actuarial Science
  • Stephen Vavasis, Combinatorics and Optimization
  • Grace Yi, Statistics and Actuarial Science

Industry and Named Chairs

Thanks to generous industry partners and donors, faculty members with extensive expertise can be awarded a Chair which allows for increased research resources and support.

Current Industry and Named Chairs

  • Florian Kerschbaum, NSERC/RBC Industrial Research Chair in Data Security
  • Johnny Li, Munich Re Chair in Insurance
  • Jimmy Lin, David R. Cheriton Chair in Software Systems
  • N. Asokan, David R. Cheriton Chair in Software Systems
  • Ihab F. Ilyas, NSERC Thomson Reuters Research Chair in Data Quality

Past Industry and Named Chairs

  • Frank Tip, David R. Cheriton Chair in Software Systems
  • Gord Willmot, Munich Re Chair in Insurance

Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada

Election to the academies of the Royal Society is "the highest honour a scholar can achieve in the Arts, Humanities and Sciences". Inductees have been "elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievement". Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada have been "elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievement".

  • Anita Layton, 2022
  • Richard Cook, 2021
  • Raouf Boutaba, 2019
  • Srinivasan Keshav, 2019
  • Tamer Ozsu, 2016
  • Douglas Robert Stinson, 2011
  • Richard Cleve, 2010
  • Ian Goulden, 2010
  • Ming Li, 2006
  • Mary Thompson, 2006
  • David Jackson, 2005
  • J. Ian Munro, 2003
  • Vidyadhar P. (VP) Godambe, 2002
  • Jerald Lawless, 2000
  • Scott Vanstone, 1998
  • Jack Kalbfleisch, 1994
  • Kenneth Davidson, 1992
  • J. Alan George, 1992
  • Cameron Stewart, 1989
  • Jiri Cizek, 1988
  • Joseph Paldus, 1983
  • David Sprott, 1975
  • János Aczél, 1971

University Professors

The University of Waterloo recognizes exceptional scholarly achievement and international pre-eminence through the designation “University Professor”. Once appointed, a faculty member retains the designation until retirement.

  • Cameron Stewart, 2005
  • Ken Davidson, 2007
  • Ming Li, 2009
  • Ian Munro, 2009
  • Doug Stinson, 2013
  • William Cook, 2015
  • Tamer Ozsu, 2018
  • Richard J. Cook, 2020

Retired University Professors

  • Mary Thompson, 2004

Faculty of Mathematics Research Chairs

The Faculty of Mathematics recognizes exceptional scholarly achievement and pre-eminence in a particular field of knowledge through the designation “Math Faculty Research Chair.” The number of such appointments does not generally exceed 5 per cent of the tenured faculty, underlining the highly prestigious nature of the Math Faculty Research Chair designation. Find more information on the awards and nomination process on the Internal Awards and Opportunities webpage.

Current Faculty of Mathematics Research Chairs

  • Sophie Spirkl, Combinatorics and Optimization, 2023-2026
  • Aissa Wade, Pure Mathematics, 2023-2026
  • Sepehr Assadi, Computer Science, 2023-2026
  • Pengfei Li, Statistics Actuarial Science, 2022-2025
  • Rahim Moosa, Pure Mathematics, 2022-2025
  • Kirsten Morris, Applied Mathematics, 2021-2024
  • Matthew Satriano, Pure Mathematics, 2021-2024
  • Richard Cook, Statistics Actuarial Science, 2019-2024

  • Levent Tunçel, Combinatorics and Optimization, 2019-2024