Each year, the York University Research Award Celebration celebrates York's scholars across all faculties and schools for their remarkable achievements. The President and Vice-President Research and Innovation take the opportunity to recognize their efforts and contributions to the world as drivers of positive change.
These researchers in diverse areas - including disability studies, environmental biotechnology and conservation studies, among others - work to address pressing issues like climate change, global health and inequity, and are praised for their mobilization efforts to create change in their communities and beyond.
Previous York U Awards Winners
The President's Awards recognize outstanding achievements among York’s community of researchers and celebrate emerging scholars, senior scholars and highly impactful research.
Aleksander
Czekanski
Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
Recognized with the President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award (PERLA) in STEM
The PERLA recognizes two full-time faculty members—one in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and one in the social sciences, humanities and arts (SSHA) – within 10 years of their first academic appointment, who have had a notable impact on their field and made a significant contribution to advancing the University’s international reputation for research excellence while significantly and positively contributing to one or more aspects of the York community’s intellectual life.
Czekanski is a mechanical engineer whose research interests include the design optimization and development of light-weight structures for aerospace and automotive systems, material characterization and AI. He serves as the co-Director of the Manufacturing Technology and Entrepreneurship Centre at York, and previously held the NSERC Chair in Design Engineering.
Gillian
Parekh
Associate Professor, Faculty of Education
Recognized with the President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award (PERLA) in SSHA
The PERLA recognizes two full-time faculty members—one in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and one in the social sciences, humanities and arts (SSHA) – within 10 years of their first academic appointment, who have had a notable impact on their field and made a significant contribution to advancing the University’s international reputation for research excellence while significantly and positively contributing to one or more aspects of the York community’s intellectual life.
Parekh is an educator and Canada Research Chair in Disability Studies in Education. Her work examines how schools construct and respond to disability as well as how students are organized across programs and systems. She has conducted extensive system and school-based research in Toronto in the areas of structural equity, special education, and academic streaming.
Satinder Kaur
Brar
Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
Recognized with the President’s Research Excellence Award (PREA)
The PREA recognizes senior established, full-time, active faculty members at the rank of Professor, with distinguished scholarly achievements, who have had a notable impact on their field(s) and made a significant contribution to advancing the University’s international reputation for research excellence while significantly and positively contributing to one or more aspects of the York community’s intellectual life.
Brar is a civil engineer and the James and Joanne Love Chair in Environmental Engineering at York. Her leading expertise is in environmental biotechnology and sustainability, including research on antibiotic resistance, wastewater treatment and waste valorization. Brar’s work with biopesticides and biofertilizer using wastewater has been applied worldwide. She is also the director of OneWATER, one of York’s newest Organized Research Units.
Sheila
Colla
Associate Professor, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change
Recognized with the President’s Research Impact Award (PRIA)
The PRIA recognizes full-time, active faculty members whose body of research or scholarship has translated into a notable impact on communities, individuals, public policies or practice beyond academe, or translated successfully into impactful commercial or other applications, while significantly and positively contributing to the University’s research culture and reputation.
Colla is a conservation scientist whose research uses ecological studies and community science programs to better understand species declines and design conversation management plans. Her work specifically focuses on quantifying the decline of wild bees, leading to the Rusty-patched Bumblee’s endangered status designation, and has directly influenced government policies in Canada and the United States. She is a York Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Conservation Science.
The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) recognizes leading intellectuals, scholars, researchers and artists to help them build a better future in Canada and around the world. Fellows have made remarkable contributions in the arts, the humanities and the sciences, as well as in Canadian public life. The College of the New Scholars, Scientists and Artists recognizes emerging research excellence. The RSC also recognizes outstanding achievement through awards and medals. The RSC also recognizes outstanding achievement through awards and medals. This year, York added four new Fellows, and two new College Member.
Joshua
Fogel
Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being elected as a Fellow to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) for remarkable contributions in the field of Asian studies.
Sara
Horowitz
Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being elected as a Fellow to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) for remarkable contributions in Jewish studies.
Ali
Kazimi
Professor, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
For being elected as a Fellow to the Royal Society of Canada (RCS) for remarkable contributions in the field of cinema and media arts.
Debra
Pepler
Professor, Faculty of Health
For being elected as a Fellow to the Royal Society of Canada (RCS) for remarkable contributions in the field of psychology.
This prestigious national program aims to attract and retain some of the world's most promising minds from all disciplines to institutions across Canada. This year, York has welcomed five new and three renewed Canada Research Chairs for a total number of 35 chairholders.
Peter
Backx
Professor, Faculty of Science
For a renewed appointment as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Biology, reflecting internationally-recognized leadership in the field.
Godfred
Boateng
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health
For appointment as a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Global Health and Humanitarianism, , recognizing emerging international leadership in the field.
Steven
Connor
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science
For a renewed appointment as a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Synaptic Basis of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, recognizing emerging international leadership in the field.
Isaac
Smith
Associate Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For a renewed appointment as aTier 2 Canada Research Chair in Planetary Science, recognizing emerging international leadership in the field.
Ethel
Tungohan
Associate Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional
For a renewed appointment as a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Canadian Migration Policy, Impacts and Activism, recognizing emerging international leadership in the field.
The YRC program recognizes the University’s outstanding researchers and is the internal counterpart to the Canada Research Chairs program. These five-year awards provide resources to accelerate and facilitate the Chairholder’s international research profile. They are awarded for established research leaders (Tier 1) and emerging research leaders (Tier 2). This award recognizes the 9 new YRCs appointed in 2022.
Robert
Allison
Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For being named a Tier 1 York Research Chair in Stereoscopic Vision and Depth Perception, reflecting internationally-recognized leadership in the field.
Jacob
Beck
Associate Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being named a Tier 2 York Research Chair in the Philosophy of Visual Perception, reflecting emerging international leadership in the field.
Gene
Cheung
Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For being named a Tier 2 York Research Chair in Graph Signal Processing, reflecting emerging international leadership in the field.
James
Elder
Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For being named a Tier 1 York Research Chair Human and Computer Vision, reflecting emerging international leadership in the field.
Denielle
Elliott
Associate Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being named a Tier 2 York Research Chair in Injured Minds, reflecting emerging international leadership in the field.
Andrea
Emberly
Associate Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being named a Tier 2 York Research Chair in Children's Musical Cultures, reflecting emerging international leadership in the field.
Jimmy
Huang
Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being named a Tier 1 York Research Chair Big Data Analytics, reflecting internationally-recognized leadership in the field.
Taien
Ng-Chan
Assistant Professor, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
For being named a Tier 2 York Research Chair in Marginal & Emergent Media, reflecting emerging international leadership in the field.
Marie-Christine
Pioffet
Professor, Glendon College
For being named a Tier 1 York Research Chair in Franco-Indigenous Relations in the Americas, reflecting internationally-recognized leadership in the field.
Poonam
Puri
Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School
For being named a Tier 1 York Research Chair in Corporate Governance, Investor Protection and Financial Market, reflecting internationally-recognized leadership in the field.
Lauren
Sergio
Professor, Faculty of Health
For being named a Tier 1 York Research Chair in Brain Health and Gender in Action, reflecting internationally-recognized leadership in the field.
Sapna
Sharma
Associate Professor, Faculty of Science
For being named a Tier 2 York Research Chair in Global Change Biology, reflecting emerging international leadership in the field.
Hina
Tabassum
Associate Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For being named a Tier 2 York Research Chair in 5G/6G-enabled Wireless Mobility and Sensing Applications, reflecting emerging international leadership in the field.
Sue
Winton
Professor, Faculty of Education
For being named a Tier 2 York Research Chair in Policy Analysis for Democracy, reflecting emerging international leadership in the field.
Cary
Wu
Associate Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being named a Tier 2 York Research Chair in Political Sociology of Health reflecting emerging international leadership in the field.
Awards in this category recognize artistic and creative accomplishments that enrich creative and cultural expression and understanding. It includes accomplishments in film, dance, art and more.
Patrick
Alcedo
Professor, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
For winning the International Council for Traditions of Music Dance Documentary Film or Video Prize for the film "A Will to Dream".
Christina Petrowska
Quilico
Professor Emerita, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
For winning the Ontario Arts Council Oskar Morawetz Award for Excellence in Music Performance in the field of classical music, recognizing talent and commitment to Canadian music.
Tim
Whiten
Professor Emeritus, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
For receiving the Gershon Iskowitz Prize from the Art Gallery of Ontario and Gershon Iskowitz Foundation for outstanding contributions to visual arts in Canada.
This category recognizes York’s scholars who have produced outstanding publications lauded by their peers.
Philip
Girard
Professor Emeritus, Osgoode Hall Law School
For winning the W. Wesley Pue Book Prize from the Canadian Law & Society Association for the best book on law and society published in the previous year in English or in French titled "A History of Law in canada Volume Two: Law for the New Dominion, 1867-1914".
Marie-Christine
Pioffet
Professor, Glendon College
For winning the Jean-Éthier-Blais Prize from the Lionel-Groulx Foundation for the best work of literary criticism written in French, "Histoire du Canada et voyages que les Frères Mineurs Recollects a fait y pour la conversion des Infidelles (Les Éditions du Septentrion, 2022)".
This category recognizes York researchers who have demonstrated outstanding knowledge mobilization and impact through important connections outside of academia to disseminate and translate research results to the benefit of society.
Kristen
Andrews
Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being named a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Future Flourishing Program.
Russell
Belk
Professor, Schulich School of Business
For winning of the Association for Consumer Research Film Award for the film "Face Value".
Elizabeth
Clare
Associate Professor, Faculty of Science
For winning the Gizmodo Science Fair for the groundbreaking research on Air eDNA.
Sherry
Grace
Professor, Faculty of Health
For receiving the KITE Innovation and Impact Award from the University Health Network's Knowledge, Innovation, Talent, Everywhere (KITE) Research Institute for the global impact of the work done in the field of cardiac rehabilitation.
Roger
Keil
Professor, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change
For being named a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Future Flourishing Program.
Hélène
Mialet
Professor, Faculty of Science
For co-directing a new Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Program, Flourishing Future.
Poonam
Puri
Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School
For being recognized on the Women's Executive Network Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards as a female leader in Canada who works to build positive change and empower others.
Sapna
Sharma
Associate Professor, Faculty of Science
For leading a delegation at the UN 2023 Water Conference and working with the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
This category reflects York scholars whose leadership in the field is reflected by election to academic societies in their field and awards from these bodies.
Susan
Pond
Director, Glendon School of Public & International Affairs
For being appointed as a Senior Fellow to the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence (SFA COE).
Peter
Backx
Professor, Faculty of Science
For being elected as a Fellow to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences for contributions to the promotion of health science.
Thomas
Baumgartner
Professor, Faculty of Science
For being elected as a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada for outstanding contributions in chemistry.
Aleksander
Czekanski
Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For winning the Engineering Medal for Engineering Excellence in Industry from the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers in recognition of substantial contributions to advancing the engineering profession and improving our quality of life.
Tesh
Dagne
Associate Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being named as an Ontario Research Chair in Governing Artificial Intelligence.
Andrea
Davis
Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being given an honorary doctor of laws degree in recognition of pioneering work bringing Black studies programming to Canadian academia and research leadership in organizing Congress 2023.
Robert
Gehl
Associate Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being named an Ontario Research Chair in Digital Governance for Social Justice.
Wenona
Giles
Professor Emerita, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For being appointed as an Officer to the Order of Canada for significant contributions to refugee and migration studies and efforts to increase access to higher education among those living in refugee camps.
Carl
James
Professor, Faculty of Education
For being named as a Distinguished Research Professorship in recognition for outstanding contributions to York University through research as well as work within and outside of the University.
Stanislav
Kirschbaum
Professor, Glendon College
For receiving the Daniel Rapant Prize from Matica Slovenská for contributions to the development of the historical sciences and efforts to make Slovak history and the life of Slovaks known at home and abroad.
Yong
Lian
Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For winning the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Circuits and Systems Society Mac Van Valkenburg Award, recognizing years of technical excellence, global impact, and research contributions as one of the pioneering researchers who founded and established the evolving field of biomedical circuits and systems.
Linda
Peake
Professor, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change
For being bestowed the American Association of Geographers' Lifetime Achievement Honors for scholarly contributions to feminist and urban geographies, and for a career dedicated to extending equity, diversity and inclusion institutionally and across the discipline of geography.
Jinjun
Shan
Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For being elected as a Fellow to the Canadian Academy of Engineering for shaping the future of engineering, exemplifying leadership, integrity and strategic applications of knowledge.
Leah
Vosko
Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For winning the Canadian Industrial Relations Association Gérard Dion Award in recognition of extensive contributions to research, teaching and service to the filed of Industrial Relations.
Zheng Hong (George)
Zhu
Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For being inducted as a Full Member to the International Academy of Astronautics for outstanding contributions to astronautics and the exploration of space.
This category recognizes researchers who are leading major research initiatives that can advance our understanding of the world and address societal challenges. These researchers have brought in large-scale funding and secured awards in highly competitive programs.
Ali
Abdul Sater
Associate Professor, Faculty of Health
For receiving a major grant from the Krembil Foundation to develop more effective therapies for psoriatic arthritis.
David
Hood
Professor, Faculty of Health
For receiving a major Project Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to study the role of exercise, sex and age on muscle decline.
Anna
Hudson
Professor, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
For receiving a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Grant on "Curating Indigenous Circumpolar Cultural Sovereignty: advancing Inuit and Sámi homelands, food, art, archives and worldviews."
Carl
James
Professor, Faculty of Education
For securing a large-scale donation from the Walmart Foundation to advance groundbreaking research exploring social capital within Black and racialized communities.
Sergey
Krylov
Professor, Faculty of Science
For receiving a Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to train the next generation of technologically advanced graduates and enhance pharmaceutical drug discovery and vaccine development in Canada.
Andrew
Maxwell
Associate Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For securing a major Ontario Research Fund - Research Excellence program grant on creating a new category of micro-mobility electric vehicles.
Chun
Peng
Professor, Faculty of Science
For winning a large-scale Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project grant research on "NLRC5" isoforms in placental development and pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia".
Richard
Saunders
Associate Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For receiving a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Grant to explore "African Extractivism and the Greener Transition."
John
Tsotsos
Distinguished Research Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For securing a major grant for research on Computational Cognition and Machine Intelligence "Embodied Visual Intelligence".
Peter
Victor
Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change
For receiving a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Grant to support the "The International Ecological Footprint Learning Lab."
Leah
Vosko
Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
For receiving a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Grant for examining "Liberating Migrant Labour?: International Mobility Programs in Settler-Colonial Contexts."
Woldegebriel Assefa
Woldegerima
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science
For securing a large-scale Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant for "Modelling, predicting and risk assessment of mpox and other (re)emerging zoonotic threats to inform decision-making and public health actions."
Jianhong
Wu
Distinguished Research Professor, Faculty of Science
For securing a major NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Partners grant for advanced mathematical technologies in respiratory illness.
For receiving the Melanie O'Neill Young Investigator Award in Biological Chemistry from the Canadian Society for Chemistry for distinguished contributions to biological chemistry.
Hossein
Kassiri
Associate Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering
For winning an Ontario Early Career Researcher Award for research on the next generation of wireless optogenetic implants to help people with neurological disorders.
