Celebrating the Recipients of the 2026 Faculty Excellence Awards

NSERC Senior Industrial Research Chair in Oil Sands Tailings Water Treatment Senior University of Alberta Engineering Research (UAER) Chair in Wastewater Management

Dr. Gamal El-Din is the Director of the Water Research Centre and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sustainable and Resilient Wastewater Treatment for Reuse. His research program focuses on developing innovative, low-energy technologies for water and wastewater treatment, including oil sands process-affected water. Grounded in circular economy principles and supported by industry and municipal partnerships, his work bridges fundamental discovery with scalable engineering solutions to advance water reuse, protect environmental and public health, and promote sustainable water management. Over his career, he has mentored more than 220 trainees, supported inclusive mentorship and Indigenous representation in research, and advanced environmental stewardship. 

This recognition as a Distinguished Professor highlights his dedication to empowering future engineers, fostering research excellence and strengthening the university’s leadership in water sustainability. 

Dr. Harde is an internationally recognized scholar in American, children’s and Indigenous literatures. With over 70 peer-reviewed publications and eight books, her research examines how literature critiques power structures, builds empathy, and shapes understandings of citizenship, identity and social justice. She leads innovative pedagogical practices through community-service learning and project-based capstone courses, while actively advancing Indigenous inclusion, decolonization and international trainee mentorship. Her planned research investigates nineteenth-century children’s literature to uncover the historical roots of xenophobia and immigrant representations. 

Recognition as a Distinguished Professor celebrates her commitment to transformative teaching, rigorous humanities scholarship and empowering students to become empathetic, critical thinkers. 

A scholar of classical Chinese literature and philosophy, Dr. Fried approaches teaching by balancing rigorous academic structure with compassionate, inclusive support. Drawing on his rich cross-cultural background, he fosters low-threat, accessible learning environments that meet diverse student needs, earning recognition as an award-winning graduate supervisor. 

This award will support the expansion of EASIA 550, a flexible, blended-learning graduate seminar designed to bridge key gaps in Asia-focused research methods. Through customized modules spanning literature, history, religion and gender studies, the project combines asynchronous instruction with cross-disciplinary dialogue. Together, these initiatives will deepen graduate training, empower student success and foster vibrant interdisciplinary collaboration across the Faculty of Arts.

A Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Ecology, Dr.Guillette integrates active, hands-on inquiry with inclusive, scaffolded mentorship to make science accessible and collaborative. Her teaching connects foundational theory with real-world research, empowering students through low-stakes assessments, peer learning and tiered mentorship. 

This award will support her project, “Building nests to bridge the gap between the laboratory, the classroom and the community.” Leveraging the behaviour of nest-building zebra finches, the initiative introduces live-streamed lab research, Grade 1–12 curriculum-aligned modules and a global citizen science platform for nest classification. By directly involving students and the public in data collection and analysis, the project collapses boundaries between research, education and community engagement.

A Distinguished University Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, Dr. Wishart integrates his Métis heritage with interdisciplinary science, blending experiential, hands-on learning with Socratic mentorship to empower students across computing, biology and health sciences. Guided by a commitment to reconciliation and accessible education, he fosters inclusive environments that connect analytical scientific inquiry with Indigenous knowledge systems.

This award will support the establishment of North America’s first multidisciplinary graduate training program in metabolomics and exposomics. Building on Canada’s national metabolomics platform, the initiative combines classroom theory with direct, hands-on laboratory experience. These efforts will position the University of Alberta as a global leader in metabolomics education while equipping future scientists to address complex health and environmental challenges.

Driven by a passion for creating inclusive, inquisitive learning communities, Dr. Meagher uses intersectional feminist pedagogy to help students think critically about power, privilege and societal assumptions. Known for her dynamic, student-centred approach, she fosters supportive educational environments grounded in trust and mutual care. 

This award will help establish an innovative peer-mentorship model that integrates senior undergraduate students into teaching teams for large first-year courses. By training senior undergraduates as tutorial leaders and mentors alongside instructors and GTAs, the project bridges the gap between beginning and graduating students. This initiative transforms large introductory classrooms into connected, supportive learning communities while equipping graduating seniors with practical leadership skills and high-impact educational experience.

Dr. Altamirano-Jiménez, a Canada Research Chair in Comparative Indigenous Feminist Studies, embodies interdisciplinary excellence and transformative leadership. A professor of political science, her scholarship bridges Indigenous feminisms, cross cultural Indigenous political thought and international Indigenous research. She created, with the support of other colleagues, the first Indigenous Women and Politics course and helped establish Indigenous politics as a recognized subfield at the University of Alberta and Indigenous feminist studies more broadly. Her community-rooted research in Oaxaca and the NWT applies an innovative Indigenous feminist body-land methodology that delivers high-impact public scholarship.

As Director of Undergraduate Studies, and a leader on the CPSA Truth and Reconciliation Committee (2017-2020), she enhances the U of A’s reputation through transformative teaching, ethical research and dedicated institutional and community service. 

Dr. Dyson is a pioneer in experimental game science and cognitive neuroscience. His scholarship bridges psychology, education and game design. An award-winning educator and McCalla Professor, he has taught over 3,700 students, utilizing evidence-based pedagogy and creating transformative experiential learning through his course The Psychology of Board Games. With 75 peer-reviewed publications, substantial research funding and incoming Editorship of the Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, he drives impactful scholarship. 

Through his proposed "Games For All" interdisciplinary hub, administrative leadership and extensive community outreach, Dr. Dyson expands the university's impact through inventive play-centered inquiry, high-engagement teaching and inclusive service. 

Dr. Boyce, ACA Endowed Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife, has dedicated 50 years in academia to transforming wildlife ecology and conservation science. Recognized as the most cited wildlife ecologist globally, his pioneering quantitative methods for population ecology are utilized worldwide to guide wildlife management and natural resource conservation. Mark has mentored nearly 100 graduate students and taught over 2,000 undergraduates at the U of A, equipping the next generation with vital skills for environmental stewardship. 

A champion of Indigenous co-management, Dr. Boyce collaborates closely with First Nations — such as the Dene Tha’ and Lax Kw'alaams — to weave Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge into wildlife research. His sustained career excellence across research, teaching and community service embodies the true spirit of the University Cup.

Dr. Gotell, former Landrex Distinguished Professor, has devoted over three decades to bridging sexual assault law and survivors’ lived realities. An internationally recognized feminist legal scholar, her research on consent and evidentiary practices has informed national public policy and been cited by appellate courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Her advocacy with national women’s organizations has challenged systemic inequities facing Canadian women, particularly sexual assault survivors.

A Rutherford Teaching Award recipient and academic leader, Dr. Gotell spearheaded the creation of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies and served as Vice-Dean and Acting Dean of Arts. Her contributions to scholarship, teaching, leadership and commitment to advancing justice exemplify the transformative impact celebrated by the University Cup, the University of Alberta’s highest honour.