Faculty of Science profs receive Distinguished SFU Professorships

Eight Simon Fraser University faculty members have been honoured as the 2021 Distinguished SFU Professors. As a joint initiative of SFU’s Vice-President, Academic and Provost and the Vice-President, Research and International, the Distinguished SFU Professor program recognizes SFU research faculty members of distinction who have achieved exceptional performance and distinguished accomplishments relative to their rank and years of service.

The Distinguished SFU Professor title comes with a special requirement for members to share their work with the public through events such as lectures, panels and presentations. This recognition not only spotlights the contributions they have made to their fields in the past, but also helps them magnify that impact through public engagement and student and faculty mentorship.

“We began accepting nominations for the Distinguished SFU Professors program earlier this year,” says Catherine Dauvergne, SFU’s vice-president, academic and provost. “It is remarkable that in the midst of working remotely during a global pandemic, our academic community was committed to putting together an impressive number of strong nomination packages.”

For SFU faculty, the changes and challenges of life in the pandemic world have continued through 2021. However, this September the university community is looking forward to our full return to campus. It is critical during this time that we recognize and celebrate this group of SFU researchers who will continue to make an impact in their fields through their scholarship, student and faculty mentorship, and public engagement. Although 2020 and 2021 have had huge impacts on our personal and professional lives, the excellent research and work did not stop.

“A special congratulations to all of our 2021 recipients,” says Dugan O’Neil, SFU’s vice-president, research and international. “You deserve this spotlight on the contributions you have made in your fields, and we look forward to seeing more of your research, innovations and achievements in the future.”

Faculty of Science awardees:

Nick Dulvy, Faculty of Science, Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (pictured top right)

Nick Dulvy is a marine ecologist whose research focuses on the effects of climate change and overfishing on marine biodiversity, particularly sharks and rays. Recognized by Clarivate Analytics as a Highly Cited Researcher, his papers are in the top one per cent of citations, demonstrating the worldwide influence of his research. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation and co-chaired the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Shark Specialist Group for 12 years. He is training the next generation of conservation biologists, equipping them with tools to secure a future for life on earth and in our oceans.

Bojan Mohar, Faculty of Science, Mathematics (pictured top left)

A world leader in graph theory and former Canada Research Chair, Bojan Mohar has won many awards for his transformative contributions to discrete mathematics, theoretical computing, and mathematical chemistry. His outstanding publication record includes over 270 journal publications and he actively serves the mathematical and computational scholarly community as editor-in-chief on many international academic journals.

Read about all eight Distinguished SFU Professors here.