Killam Scholars

Celebrating our Killam Graduate Scholars

Emerging researchers and graduate mentors who are making a difference

The Killam Trusts make an enormous difference at the University of Alberta – not just to faculty researchers, but also to graduate students and faculty mentors.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research administers the Killam Awards that are conferred on the last two groups. The awards provide a unique opportunity to support emerging scholars and scientists as they embark on research careers. This site is dedicated to the special people who receive them.

The Dorothy J. Killam Memorial Graduate Prize

Three prizes are awarded annually to the most outstanding Killam Memorial Scholarship recipients. Here are the stories of the 2019 winners – and their thought-provoking research.

Arguing well can be good for your kids:
How children learn to manage emotions

Chelsea Durber, Educational Psychology

When kids grow up in larger bodies:
How young people experience weight bias

Alexa Ferdinands, School of Public Health

'Small things improve someone's life':
Helping stroke survivors walk again

Milad Nazarahari, Mechanical Engineering

The Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship

These prestigious scholarships are awarded to outstanding doctoral students. The 2019 winners are:

Brett Carnio, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Matthew Cormier, English and Film Studies
Chelsea Durber, Educational Psychology
Hongbing Fan, Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science
Alexa Ferdinands, Public Health
Elly Knight, Biological Sciences
Heather Morris, Public Health
Milad Nazarahari, Mechanical Engineering
Adriana Onita, Secondary Education
Neelam Punjani, Nursing
Sarah Raza, Pediatrics
Basem Reda, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Mark Segger, Music
Nathan Wispinski, Psychology

The Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring

This award recognizes academic staff members who demonstrate outstanding performance in mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in research, as well as postdoctoral fellows and visiting researchers.

‘Seeing them succeed is incredibly rewarding’:
On the joys, and challenges, of mentoring
Prof. Gregory D. Funk, Physiology (2018 winner)

‘A great opportunity, a great responsibility’:
Reflections on the science (and art) of mentoring
Prof. Eleni Stroulia, Computing Science (2019 winner)

The Killam bequest also supports a variety of prestigious awards for faculty members and postdoctoral fellows at the University of Alberta. These programs are administered by the Office of the Vice-President (Research and Innovation). The 2019 recipients are:

Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowships