FASS celebrates outstanding faculty and staff at 2022 Fall Reception

John McDonald

John McDonald is a professor and Canada Research Chair in cognitive neuroscience at the Department of Psychology where he teaches courses on behavioural neuroscience and cognitive processes. His research focuses on human electrophysiology, attention, multisensory perception, executive function, and error processing. 

Vaibhav Saria 

Vaibhav Saria is an assistant professor at the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies where they teach and conduct research in global health issues, trans health, gender and sexuality in South Asia, and medical anthropology. 

Mary-Ellen Kelm

Receiving this year’s Dean’s Medal - Lifetime Achievement Award is Mary-Ellen Kelm. She recently completed her term as Associate Dean, Research, and is also a professor at the Department of History. In addition to her contributions to the Faculty, Mary-Ellen has conducted research examining the way power flows through relationships that seem unequal, such as the unexpected agency of women in an early twentieth century mental hospital to Indigenous individuals using athletics to leverage themselves.

Individual Work Performance Award

Lauren Gilbert, Global Humanities

This award recognizes a FASS staff member who demonstrates work performance that is consistently above and beyond their job description.

Team Award

FASS Managers, FASS Dean's Office 

This award recognizes a high-performing team which exemplifies collaboration and cooperation, and which demonstrates a significant contribution with results on behalf of their department/unit and FASS.

• Tracey Anbinder, Mike Perry, Lynn Kool, Leena Edmeads, Valerie Ceppi, Roberta Neilson, Anne Marie Barrett, Judi Fraser, Cristina Serverius, Phil Cunningham, Ellen Yap, Rita Parmar, Laura Bologea, Brian Chand, Tara Smith, Dawn Allison, Sylvia Chow, Karen Sawatzky, Maria Hamilton

Lifetime Contribution Award

Jasper Stoodley, the FASS IS and FASS TRACS team, FASS Dean's Office 

This award recognizes sustained leadership and commitment to FASS over the course of their employment. 

• Jasper Stoodley, Tess Williams, Edward Molina, Michel Hasrouni, Harry Janke, CJ Ng, Elise McClay, Michael Hsu, David Deng, Jianping Chen, Erik Tryggvason, Jiansen Lu, Chiyoko Kawano

Term Teaching or Research Faculty Award

Sepideh Fotovatian, Economics

This award recognizes an exceptional instructor who engages students in discovery of new knowledge or introduces innovative pedagogical approaches.

Heather Bliss 

Heather Bliss is a lecturer at the Department of Linguistics where she currently serves as the Graduate Studies Chair, and as an instructor for the Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Languages and Linguistics program. She works closely with Indigenous communities throughout Alberta and BC for her research which focuses on Indigenous language documentation, analysis, and revitalization. 

Suzanna Crage

Suzanna Crage is a university lecturer at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Her nominator notes that Suzanna redeveloped the core of the department's methods training, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, she generously served as point person for technical and pedagogical questions when the university pivoted to remote instruction.

Nicolas Kenny

A professor at the Department of History, a distinguishing feature in Nicolas’ teaching has been his commitment to community engagement and active learning, which he incorporates into his teaching approaches. In his courses, he includes components such as walking tours, museum visits, film screenings, and talks by guest lecturers. All of which have been well-received by his students, who praise his knowledge, passion, and constructive feedback.

Martin Santamaria

As lecturer at the Department of Economics, Martin Santamaria regularly teaches some of the department's highest-enrollment and most demanding courses, which he does with great skill and compassion. Despite the challenging materials in his courses, the feedback from students has been consistently positive — a testament to his excellent teaching skills.

Rylan Simpson

Rylan Simpson joined the School of Criminology in 2019 as an assistant professor. He was nominated by one of his students, who praised his dedication in providing a positive student learning experience, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Luke Clossey

As associate professor with the Department of History. Students have called Luke Clossey a passionate, enthusiastic, and engaging instructor. His nominator seconds this by describing him as a "highly innovative teacher whose creative and experimental approaches to pedagogy engage and involve students in the learning process at all steps and levels".