January Message from Matina

Dear CNAS community,

Welcome to 2026! It’s an exciting year ahead for the college and the faculties of ALES, engineering and science.

This spring the university community will celebrate the completion of the AI + X Cluster Hire in partnership with Amii as part of the CIFAR Pan-Canadian AI Strategy. This historic recruitment of AI experts from around the world puts us at the forefront of the artificial intelligence frontier. Science and engineering are highly represented with 15 CIFAR AI Chairs hired since 2023 as part of this initiative. The research projects vary from AI and biological cognition, to robotics and automation, to AI in space and much more. Stay tuned for the announcement and opportunities to learn more about our new faculty members who will lead the charge in these breakthrough projects. 

We’re also pleased to announce approval of the course-based Master of Sustainability. The recently launched online Graduate Certificate in Sustainability will ladder into this graduate program providing credentials for professionals across every industry to lead sustainability initiatives that will provide economic, environmental and ethical improvements for organizations. We will officially launch the program in the coming months alongside founding faculties ALES and science, and the Sustainability Council. 

Many of you have worked tirelessly on keeping the momentum going on these new programs, which is no small feat. Thank you for working collaboratively to bring these to fruition! These are valuable contributions to our students, society and the University’s Integrated Enrolment Growth Plan. 

I wanted to share that I am also participating in a college-level master planning committee to determine how the institution will accommodate growth and optimize physical space within our existing footprint. Many of you have asked whether this is being considered and it definitely is. This work will help us implement the intentions set out in Built for Purpose and reach the goals outlined in Shape: A Strategic Plan of Impact. We are assessing current space use, working to understand what is needed going forward, and proposing actions to reach our goals. This process is in its early stages, and I will continue to share updates as the steering committee and college working group is formulated. 

I’m also looking forward to seeing students, staff and faculty at the inaugural CNAS Research Day on March 4. Please reach out to our research team if you have questions or want to get involved. It’s going to be an inspiring day showcasing the fascinating research happening across all three faculties. 

I look forward to our continued work together this year. As always, if you would like to share any thoughts or ask questions, please reach out to me at deancnas@ualberta.ca.

Sincerely, 

Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell
Dean and Vice-Provost, College of Natural and Applied Sciences