More than 100 University of Waterloo researchers spanning all six Faculties have been recognized over the past year for their achievements by being honoured with a prestigious award.
The President’s Reception for Excellence in Research celebrated these Waterloo researchers for their impressive accomplishments.
“You are the reason that the University of Waterloo continues to be recognized as one of the most innovative universities, not just in Canada, but in the world,” said Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Waterloo during his opening remarks. “You are helping to address the world’s greatest challenges and, in the process, helping to shape the future of humanity and our planet for the better.”
Waterloo has a strong culture of supporting researchers in applying for prestigious awards. A few of the recent awardees invited to the reception for research excellence included:
- Sepehr Assadi, Faculty of Mathematics Research Chair, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Waterloo
- Geoff Fong, 2023 Highly Cited Researcher (Social Sciences), Clarivate, Institute for Scientific Information
- Liping Fu, Thomas C. Keefer Medal, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering
- Rhona Hanning, Distinguished Professor Emerita, University of Waterloo and 2024 Fellow, Canadian Nutrition Society
- Ellsworth LeDrew, 2024 Massey Medal, Royal Canadian Geographical Society
- Rebecca Rooney, 2024 Leadership Award, Invasive Species Centre
Prestigious awards not only contribute to the reputation of our Departments, Faculties and University, they have a substantial impact on a researcher’s career. A culture that encourages and supports prestigious awards contributes to making Waterloo an attractive place in the recruitment of outstanding trainees and early career researchers. The Waterloo Awards Committee (WAC) was established to promote and facilitate the submission of high-quality nominations of Waterloo scholars across all disciplines for prestigious awards, prizes, and honorific titles, all through the lens of inclusivity, diversity and equity. The committee exists to support any member of our community considering applying for a research award – or a colleague who wants to nominate one.
“It’s a huge part of our job to recognize incredible work. I think nominating someone is a direct way of signaling to them how valued they are and recognizing them as exceptional,” said Heather Henderson, Professor and Chair, Psychology, and member of the Waterloo Awards Committee.
While the reception recognized a wide range of award recipients, nominators were also acknowledged and thanked for their efforts in supporting the prestigious awards process – and awardees were encouraged to continue the cycle by supporting other researchers.
“We are immensely grateful to those who took the time to nominate our award winners. It takes time and commitment to put together a successful nomination application,” said Charmaine Dean, Vice-President, Research and International, University of Waterloo. “Award winners, we now look to you to become nominators yourselves.”
Recognition by means of a prestigious award can open doors to future awards and opportunities. Researchers who would like to pursue a prestigious award that recognizes their commitment to research excellence can choose to nominate themselves (or ask a colleague to nominate them) and embark upon the application process, but they can also turn to the WAC for support and guidance.
“Sometimes people are surprised when they’re chosen to be nominated,” said Tamer Özsu, University Professor, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science and a member of the WAC. “I see it as my duty to nominate researchers for prestigious awards but more importantly I really get a lot of joy when I see colleagues get the awards.”
For early career researchers, it’s never too early to start laying the groundwork for an awards trajectory by starting with what the WAC refers to as stepping-stone awards before applying for highly prestigious awards; in fact, WAC refers to this as a “scaffolding process,” and members are always happy to discuss it with anyone who would like to get the process started.
“Academics as a whole are humble, and we don’t think to put ourselves forward,” said Merrin Macrae, Professor, Geography and Environmental Management and former member of the Waterloo Awards Committee. “It can be such an amazing boost to your confidence to have your colleagues recognize the amazing work that you’re doing.”
“The Waterloo Awards Committee is a dedicated resource to support the recognition of our outstanding colleagues and we are here to serve. ‘Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the committee’ is the take home message from Susan Elliott, Professor and University Research Chair and Co-Chair, along with Ian Milligan, an AVP in the Office of Research, and members of the Waterloo Awards Committee.
Read more about Prestigious Awards at Waterloo and the Waterloo Awards Committee.
View a PowerPoint slide deck of the Prestigious Award winners at Waterloo.