2024 Award for Excellence in Leadership: Igor Shinkar

Assistant Professor, Dr. Igor Shinkar came to SFU’s School of Computing Science in 2018. Over the past two years, Shinkar also served as the Graduate Program Chair for the School, and completed his term in August 2024.

In the time he served as Graduate Program Chair, he helped to foster significant improvements to Computing Science’s graduate students’ experience. These include: proposing and leading an initiative (that was approved) to increase student funding guarantees; leading and initiative (that was approved) that helped to reduce the required course load for master’s and PhD students; organizing seminars and social events for graduate students; creating ways to celebrate the diversity of students’ various cultural holidays; and he did all this (and more) with compassion and understanding to ensure that the well-being of graduate students was valued as much as their academic success.

The impacts of Shinkar’s work and advocacy can be felt across the school, particularly benefitting graduate students. These impacts include, higher guaranteed minimum financial support, more time for research with fewer course requirements, clear expectations and milestones for graduate students to complete their programs, and an improvement in student morale, social life and sense of community.

Associate Professor, Dr. Alaa Alameldeen, speaks strongly in his nomination and praise of Shinkar’s work in Computing Science.

Says Alameldeen, “I strongly support Igor’s nomination for the 2024 Dean of Graduate Studies Award for Excellence in Leadership. Igor’s exceptional leadership as graduate program chair, significant impact on supervised student’s academic development, and the general positive impact on graduate student experience in the School, make him an excellent candidate for this prestigious award.”

Parsa Rajabi, a graduate student in Computing Science and former chair of the Graduate Student Society, worked closely with Shinkar both on academic and non-academic aspects of their student experience. Rajabi speaks to the profound impact Shinkar had not only on their own student experience, but also the effect Shinkar’s leadership has also had on other graduate students in the School as well.

Says Rajabi, “Dr. Shinkar consistently went above and beyond to ensure these events [traditional cultural celebrations] were well funded and successful, exemplifying his exceptional leadership and support for student initiatives.”

“As the graduate chair and primary point of contact for students, Dr. Shinkar provided invaluable guidance on course selections, helping me tailor my academic path to best suit my career goals. He also supported my directed readings request, allowing me to pursue a course in Computer Science Education, an emerging area at SFU,” adds Rajabi.

Rajabi also adds, “Furthermore, Dr. Shinkar led significant changes in the department's graduation requirements. These changes were very well received, and many students have expressed their gratitude for his efforts in making the curriculum more flexible and accommodating.”

We congratulate Dr. Igor Shinkar on receiving this award and for the support he helped to provide Computing Science graduate students during his tenure as Graduate Program Chair and beyond.

The 2025 Dean of Graduate Studies Awards for Excellence are open for nominations until May 15, 2025.