The Faculty of Science celebrates award winners at Dean's reception

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

This afternoon, Bob Lemieux, Dean of Science celebrated the amazing faculty and staff of the Faculty of Science that have received awards for teaching and research in the last four years (2018-2021), in addition to introducing the new faculty members, as well as recognizing faculty and staff who have retired since June 2018.

Lemieux started by thanking everyone from the Faculty for their exceptional work during the past 14 months, noting that all of our faculty and staff should be getting an award for their work to ensure that our teaching, research, and student support continued throughout the transition to online.

Faculty and Staff Awardees

Department of Biology


Paul Craig–2018 Outstanding Performance Award; 2019 Early Researcher Award

VivianDayeh–2020 Outstanding Performance Award

Brian Dixon–2020 Annual Award of Excellence by the Cuban National Academy of Science

Andrew Doxey–2020 University Research Chair; 2020 Outstanding Performance Award

Heidi Engelhardt–2018 Outstanding Performance Award

BarbKatzenback–2020 Early Researcher Award

Jen Lehman–2019 Lili Pasternak Staff Excellence Award

Kirsten Muller– 2019 Outstanding Performance Award

Josh Neufeld–2019 University Research Chair; 2020 Elected Member of the College of New Scholars of the Royal Society of Canada

Marcel Pinheiro–2019 Jack Carlson Teaching Excellence in Biology Award; 2020 Outstanding Performance Award

Bruce Reed– 2020 Rosi and Max Varon Visiting Professorship, Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

Rebecca Rooney– 2018 Outstanding Performance Award

Mark Servos–2019 Stephen J. Klaine Environmental Education Award from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; 2019 Outstanding Performance Award

Heidi Swanson– 2019 Outstanding Performance Award

Department of Chemistry

Carey Bissonnette–2018 Outstanding Performance Award

Laura Deakin– 2019 Outstanding Performance Award; 2020 Excellence in Teaching Award

Jean Duhamel–2018 Outstanding Performance Award; 2021 CIC Macromolecular Science and Engineering Award

Steven Forsey– 2020 Outstanding Performance Award

Mario Gauthier– 2019 Outstanding Performance Award

Tadeusz Gorecki–2020 Marie Curie Global Fellowship

Scott Hopkins–2018 Outstanding Performance Award; Young Investigator Award

JuewenLiu– 2019 Outstanding Performance Award

Graham Murphy–2018 Outstanding Performance Award; 2021 CSC KeithFagnouAward

Rick Marta (joint between Chemistry and Physics and Astronomy)–2020 Distinguished Teacher Award; 2020 Outstanding Performance Award

LizMeiering– 2020 Outstanding Performance Award

Linda Nazar–2019 CIC Medal; 2020 MRS Medal; 2020 Outstanding Performance Award

Pavle Radovanovic–2019 CSC Keith Laidler Award

Rodney Smith–2021 Early Researcher Award

Shirley Tang–2019NanoOntarioWomen’s Achievement Award

Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences


NanditaBasu–2018 Outstanding Performance Award; 2018 Faculty of Engineering Graduate Supervision Award; 2019 University Research Chair; 2019 Borland Lecture, Hydrology Days; 2019 Member, Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists; 2020 President’s Excellence in Research and Teaching Award; 2020 Sulzman Award in Education and Mentoring; 2021 Fellow, Earth Leadership Program

David Blowes - 2020 Outstanding Performance Award

John Cherry– Stockholm Water Prize

Keith Delaney– 2019 Outstanding Performance Award

Shaun Frape– 2019 Jane Lang Excellence in EES TeachingAward;2019 TU Delft Global Drinking Water Best Paper Award

Brian Kendall– 2019 W.W. Hutchinson Medal; 2019 Canada Research Chair Tier 2

JenineMcCutcheon– 2018 ANSTO Australian Synchrotron Stephen Wilkins Thesis Medal; European Association of Geochemistry Early Career Science Ambassador

FereidounRezanezhad– 2019 Yangtze Water Award – GlobalWaterTechChallenge (with Philippe Van Cappellen); 2019 Technical University of Munich August-Wilhelm Scheer Visiting Professor Award

David Rudolph– Robert N.FarvoldenAward

Saru Saraswati– 2019BiogeosciencesBest Student Presentation

Colby Steelman–2020 Outstanding Performance Award

Philippe VanCappellen– 2018 Honorary Professor at Tianjin University; 2020 Excellence in Graduate Supervision Award

ChrisYakymchuk– 2018 Outstanding Performance Award; 2020 Jane Lang Excellence in EES Teaching Award; 2020 Young Scientist Award, Mineralogical Association of Canada

School of Optometry & Vision Science


Jenna Bright–2019 Johnson & Johnson Vision Care OD 4040 Award

Lisa Christian–2021 Science Excellence in Teaching Award (ESTA); 2020 Outstanding Performance Award

Kristine Dalton–2019 Distinguished Instructor Award (UWOSS)

Anne Girling–2019 Administrative Assistant Award

Lacey Haines–2019 Global Specialty Lens Symposium, 1stPlace Poster (Scientific Category); 2020 UW Trailblazer Award

JeffHovis– Fellowship, Aerospace Medical Association

Natalie Hutchings–2019 Excellence in Science Teaching Award (ESTA); 2019 Diplomate of Optometric Education – American Academy of Optometry

PatriciaHrynchak–2018 Michael G. Harris Family Award for Excellence in Optometric Education; 2018 Outstanding Performance Award; 2021 President’s Excellence in Teaching Award

Lyndon Jones–2018 Contact Lens Educator of the Year for the Americas Region – IACLE; 2019 Global Specialty Lens Symposium, 2ndPlace Poster (Scientific Category); 2019 British Contact Lens Association Medal “Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Contact Lenses”; 2019 AOCLE Lester Janoff Cornea and Contact Lens Memorial Award; 2019 German Contact Lens Association Peter Abel Award; 2020 UW Trailblazer Award; 2020 Distinguished Instructor Award (UWOSS); 2019 Outstanding Performance Award

ShamrozeKhan–2019 Outstanding Performance Award; 2020 OAO Public Education Award

Tammy Labreche–2020 OAO Public Education Award; 2020 Outstanding Performance Award

VenguLakshminarayanan–2019 International Research Travel Award from the American Physical Society; IEEE Ambassador, Region 7; 2019 Fellow Lecturer – Optical Society of America; 2019 Executive Committee of the APS Forum on International Physics

Susan Leat–2020 OAO Public Education Award

Ernest Luchetti–2020 Distinguished Clinical Instructor Award (UWOSS)

William Ngo–2020 Korb-Exford Dry Eye Career Development Grant

Jenny Oliveira-Kane–2020 Administrative Assistant Award

LisaProkopich–2020 OAO Distinguished Service Award

MarleeSpafford– 2019 Outstanding Performance Award

Ben Thompson–2018 Bernard Gilmartin Award, Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics; 2018 Outstanding Performance Award

Stanley Woo–2020 OAO President’s Award


School of Pharmacy

MikeBeazely–2018 Community Leader Award, UW

Feng Chang, Kelly Grindrod, Sherilyn Houle, Nancy Waite–2019 Canadian Pharmacists Journal 2019 Best Paper Award

Barb Coulston–2020 Excellence in Pharmacy Teaching Award (EPTA)

Sarah de Waal–2018 Best Poster, Lifelong Learning in Pharmacy Conference(with Nardine Nakhla, FeliciaPantazi, Rosemary Killeen, Lacey Haines, Sarah MacIver, Sruthi Srinivasan, Alisa Sivak and Karen Walsh)

Andrea Edginton–2018 Outstanding Performance Award

Dave Edwards–2018 Honorary Life Award, Canadian Pharmacists Association; 2020 Outstanding Performance Award

Kelly Grindrod– Pharmacist of the Year Award

Emmanuel Ho– 2018 School of Pharmacy Outstanding Faculty Mentor in Graduate Program Award; 2019 Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology Research Leader Award; 2020 Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology Research Leader Award

Rosemary Killeen–2018 Best Poster, Lifelong Learning in Pharmacy Conference(withNardine Nakhla, FeliciaPantazi, Sarah de Waal, Lacey Haines, Sarah MacIver, Sruthi Srinivasan, Alisa Sivak and Karen Walsh); 2020 Best Credit Programming under 48 hours award(with Brett Barrett and FeliciaPantazi)

Elaine Lillie –2018 Excellence in Pharmacy Teaching Award (EPTA)

Ken Manson– 2020 AFPC/PEBC Award for Excellence in Research or Innovation in Assessment of Competence (for the development and stewardship of the Ontario Pharmacy Practice Clinical Assessment Tool

Nardine Nakhla– 2018 Best Poster, Lifelong Learning in Pharmacy Conference(withRosemary Kileen, FeliciaPantazi, Sarah de Waal, Lacey Haines, Sarah MacIver, Sruthi Srinivasan, Alisa Sivak and Karen Walsh)2019 Excellence in Pharmacy Teaching Award (EPTA); 2019 Outstanding Performance Award; 2020 Excellence in Science Teaching Award (ESTA); 2020 Ontario Bowl of Hygeia Award from OPA

PraveenNekkar–Honored Professor of Overseas Expertise from November 2018 to October 2021, Zhejiang University of China

Tejal Patel– 2020 MINT Memory Clinic Future Innovator Award, from The Change Foundation

Cynthia Richard– 2018 Outstanding Performance Award; 2020 Distinguished Teaching Award

Alana Rigby– 2019 Gold Prixd’ExcellenceAward, Canada Council for the Advancement of Education

Nancy Waite–2020 Outstanding Performance Award

William Wong–2018 Early Researcher Award; 2019 Outstanding Performance Award

Department of Physics & Astronomy


NiayeshAfshordi–2019 Buchalter Cosmology Prize (1stplace), Buchalter Research Foundation

Michael Balogh– 2020 Outstanding Performance Award; 2020 Executive Award for Outstanding Service Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA)

AntonBurkov– 2019 Outstanding Performance Award

Melanie Campbell– 2019 Laird Lectureship, Western University

Michel Gingras– 2019 Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada; 2020 New Frontiers in Research Fund; 2020 Research Leaders Award, WIN

Michael Hudson– 2019 Outstanding Performance Award

RajibulIslam– 2019 Outstanding Teaching Award, Department of Physics and Astronomy; 2019 Early Researcher Award; 2020 President’s Excellence in Research Award

Brenda Lee–2019 Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Award for Teaching Excellence; 2019 Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association; 2020 Outstanding Performance Award; 2021 Excellence in Science Teaching Award (ESTA)

ZoyaLeonenko– 2019 President, Biophysical Society of Canada; 2020 University Research Chair; 2020 New Frontiers in Research Fund; 2020 NSERC Engage Grant

NorbertLutkenhaus–2018 Outstanding Performance Award

Robert Mann– 2019 Outstanding Performance Award; 2019 C.A.P. Medal of Excellence in Teaching Undergraduate Physics, Canadian Association of Physicists; 2020 Distinguished Referee Award, European Physical Journal

Brian McNamara– 2020 NASA Group Achievement Award

Roger Melko–2018 Outstanding Performance Award

Christine Muschik–2019 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship; 2019 NSERC Discovery Grant Supplement; 2019 New Frontiers in Research Fund; 2020 CIFARAzrieliGlobal Scholar; 2020 UW President’s Research Excellence Award

Will Percival– 2020 Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year

Crystal Senko– 2020 Canada Research Chair

Donna Strickland– 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics; 2018 Outstanding Performance Award; 2019 Companion of the Order of Canada, The Governor General of Canada; 2019 inducted into the International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame; 2019 Fellow, Royal Society of Canada; 2019 Golden Plate of Achievement Award, Academy of Achievement; 2019 Honorary Fellow, Institute of Physics (IoP) (UK); 2019 Honorary Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE); 2019 Honorary Doctorate, International University Menendez Pelayo (UIMP); 2019 Honorary Doctorate, McMaster University; 2019 George Eastman Medal, University of Rochester; 2019 Distinguished Scholar Award, University of Rochester; 2019 Honorary Doctorate Institute National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS); 2019 Fellow, The International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE); 2020 Photonics Pioneer Award, Fitzpatrick Institute of Physics, Duke University; 2020 International Member, National Academy of Science; 2020 Fellow, The Royal Society (UK)

Faculty members who have joined the Faculty of Science

  • Dale Martin – Biology
  • Liam McGuire - Biology
  • Julie Messier Biology
  • Jozef Nissimov - Biology
  • Sarah Ruffell Biology
  • Adam Yates Biology
  • Laura Ingram – Chemistry
  • Subha Kalyaanamoorthy Chemistry
  • Andrea Brookfield Earth & Environmental Sciences
  • Tonya Del Sontro Earth & Environmental Sciences
  • Jenine McCutcheon Earth & Environmental Sciences
  • Maddy Rosamond Earth & Environmental Sciences
  • Colby SteelmanEarth & Environmental Sciences

  • Randy StotlerEarth & Environmental Sciences

  • William NgoOptometry & Vision Science

  • Chau-Man PhanOptometry & Vision Science

  • Julie ShalhoubOptometry & Vision Science

  • Brett BarrettPharmacy

  • Aravindhan GanesanPharmacy

  • Karen CummingsPhysics & Astronomy

  • Alan JamisonPhysics & Astronomy

  • Brenda LeePhysics & Astronomy

  • PooyaRonagh– Physics & Astronomy

Faculty members who have retired from the Faculty of Science

  • Barb Butler Biology

  • Bruce Greenberg Biology

  • Ralph Smith Biology

  • Janet Waite Biology

  • Guy Guillemette Chemistry

  • Susan Mikkelsen - Chemistry

  • Barry Warner Earth & Environmental Sciences

  • Susan Leat Optometry and Vision Science

  • Luigina Sorbara Optometry and Vision Science

  • Ken Potvin Pharmacy