2024 Award for Excellence in Supervision: Ruth Joy 

As an Assistant Professor and Graduate Program Chair for SFU’s Master’s of Ecological Restoration program in the School of Environmental Science, Dr. Ruth Joy has built an impressive record of graduate mentorship and research innovation since joining Simon Fraser University in 2018. Joy embodies exceptional mentorship by supporting, inspiring, and challenging her students to achieve both academic and professional excellence.

Joy’s dedication to her students extends beyond traditional supervision, as she works to create an inspiring environment. She empowers her students to lead their own research projects, building crucial problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

School of Environmental Sciences Graduate Program Chair, Dr. Chelsea Little, shares how Joy has not only supervised a number of students and postdocs since starting with the School, but does so with intention, care, and dedication.

Says, Little, “We are all aware that quantity alone does not create excellent mentorship; quality depends on creating a supportive environment in which trainees can develop as scholars. Dr. Joy’s commitment to her students’ personal and professional growth truly stands out. Dr. Joy has demonstrated exceptional commitment to graduate mentorship by fostering academic and professional competencies,  providing inspiring leadership in research and graduate training, and creating exciting networking opportunities for her mentees. Her sustained record of high-quality graduate mentorship makes her an outstanding candidate for this award.”

Joy’s mentorship goes beyond SFU’s walls, including institutions such as Dalhousie University and France’s La Rochelle University. Through her efforts, Joy has created a multi-institutional research speaker series that turned into a bi-weekly, vibrant interdisciplinary virtual community with 25-40 participants. These sessions foster knowledge exchange among students, faculty, and researchers from a variety of backgrounds, enriching the academic experiences of all involved, and showcasing her students’ work to a wide audience.

Joy’s students share how her commitment to fostering a supportive and enriching environment for graduate students has helped them become strong candidates for future roles in academia, industry, and public service.

Shares former student, Janine McNeilly, “Ruth has many connections with organizations across British Columbia, from local non-profits to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. These partnerships give students the opportunity to work alongside experts in their field and create meaningful connections of their own. These roles often involve significant fieldwork components that give students the chance to apply their knowledge in a practical setting. My fieldwork experience was the opportunity of a lifetime and a position I would not have been selected for without Ruth’s industry connections and ongoing support. Selecting Ruth as my supervisor was the best decision I made during my graduate program.”

Joy ensures that her students’ well-being and belonging is also nurtured as a part of her mentorship.

Says current student, Rachel Fairfield Checko, “Ruth works actively to go above and beyond in support of her students. In addition to weekly meetings with all lab members to connect and collaborate, Ruth coordinates many after-hours, off-campus gatherings. Year after year, Ruth has opened her home to her graduate students for gatherings during the holidays, and to celebrate students’ achievements. These gatherings help students to get to know one another better and foster friendships and connections. Additionally, it helps students get to know Ruth outside of the academic environment. Ruth truly gets to know her students, even at the undergraduate level, and has coached and encouraged undergrad lab members to pursue their masters, and master’s level students to pursue their PhDs.”

Through her dedicated mentorship and innovative teaching, Dr. Ruth Joy has created a lasting legacy of professional and personal growth among her students. We congratulate Dr. Ruth Joy on this well-deserved honor and celebrate her outstanding contributions to SFU’s graduate community.

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