University celebrates 2020 Killam Laureates with online event for all

The annual Killam awards celebration opens a window on the astonishing range of research at the University of Calgary. The 2020 celebration recognizes the work of leading scholars who are, among other things, uncovering the dinosaurs who once ruled the land, documenting the record of Alberta’s earliest human residents, and improving oilsands extraction methods for future developments.

The 2020 Killam Laureates, a select group of faculty, postdoctoral scholars and doctoral students, were celebrated with a virtual event Oct. 15. The event is typically closed, but with this year’s event taking place online, a much broader audience was invited to join the university’s leadership and the Killam trustees to applaud the work of more than 40 researchers.

In addition to awards in teaching, research, mentorship and supervision, the university celebrated five new Killam Annual Professors, a Killam Postdoctoral Laureate and an astonishing 26 graduate students named as Killam Pre-doctoral Laureates.

The Killam Trusts were established by Dorothy J. Killam in 1965 in honour of her late husband, Izaak Walton Killam. The Killam Trusts are Canada’s largest private endowment for higher education. Since 1966, the University of Calgary has been one of five Canadian universities whose leading researchers benefit from the recognition and support of the Killam Trusts.

“The Killam Laureates represent many of our best and brightest scholars,” says Dr. Ed McCauley, president and vice-chancellor. “The awards shine a light on the innovation and ingenuity that they contribute to our university, enabling us to lead transformative change on the local, national and international stage."

Mohammadali Ahmadi, a doctoral student in chemical and petroleum engineering, is one of the university’s first-year pre-doctoral laureates for his work on chemical steam co-injection methods in bitumen recovery. “Being named a Killam Laureate is an immense honour for me,” says Ahmadi. “Receiving this award gives me confidence in knowing that my research is important and valued.”

Learn more about a few of our 2020 Killam Laureates, and visit this page to learn about the history of the Killam Laureates at the University of Calgary. 

The 2020 Killam Laureates and award winners include:

Killam Undergraduate Mentorship Award

• Dr. Fabiola Aparicio-Ting, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine

Killam Graduate Supervision and Mentorship Award

• Dr. Adam Kirton, MD, Cumming School of Medicine

Killam Emerging Research Leader Award

• CIHR: Dr. Marie-Claire Arrieta, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine
• NSERC: Dr. Tricia Stadnyk, PhD, Faculty of Arts
• SSHRC: Dr. Melanie Noel, PhD, Faculty of Arts

Killam Research Excellence Award

• Dr. Julie Drolet, PhD, Faculty of Social Work

McCaig-Killam Teaching Award

• Dr. Reed Ferber, PhD, Faculty of Kinesiology

Killam Annual Professors

• Dr. Zhangnxing (John) Chen, PhD, Schulich School of Engineering
• Aritha van Herk, Faculty of Arts
• Dr. Keith Dobson, PhD, Faculty of Arts
• Dr. Raylene Reimer De Bruyn, PhD, Faculty of Kinesiology
• Dr. Deborah Marshall, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine

Killam Postdoctoral Laureate (2020-22)

• Dr. Abhijeet Alase, PhD, Faculty of Science

Killam Postdoctoral Laureates (2019-21)

• Dr. Jordan Squair, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine (honourary)
• Dr. Ashley Ware, PhD, Faculty of Arts

Killam Postdoctoral Laureate (2018-2020)

• Dr. Hailey Jansen, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine

Killam Pre-doctoral Laureates (first year)

• Milad Ahmadi Khoshooei, Schulich School of Engineering (Chemical and Petroleum Engineering)
• Mohammadali Ahmadi, Schulich School of Engineering (Chemical and Petroleum Engineering)
• Galina Belolyubskaya, Faculty of Arts (Anthropology)
• Kathryn Blair, Faculty of Arts (Computational Media Design)
• Pablo Danilo Borja Padilla, Faculty of Arts (Geography)
• Kirsty Brown, Cumming School of Medicine (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases)
• James Bull, Faculty of Science (Biological Sciences)
• Crystal Chokshi, Faculty of Arts (Communication, Media and Film)
• Meagan Cloutier, Faculty of Arts (Political Science)
• Ali Fatehi Hassanabad, Cumming School of Medicine (Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sciences)
• Kaltrina Kusari, Faculty of Social Work
• Chelsea Moran, Faculty of Arts (Psychology)
• Emiko Muraki, Faculty of Arts (Psychology)
• Dusan Nikolic, Faculty of Arts (Linguistics)
• Osin Oluwatomiwa, Faculty of Science (Chemistry)
• Brit Paris, Werklund School of Education (Educational Research)
• Kelsey Pennanen, Faculty of Arts (Archaeology)
• Abdullah Sarhan, Faculty of Science (Computer Science)
• Mason Stothart, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
• Carieta Thomas, Faculty of Arts (Sociology)
• Leah Van Dyk, Faculty of Arts (English)
• Jared Voris, Faculty of Science (Geology and Geophysics)

Killam Pre-doctoral Laureates (second year)

• Sarthak Sinha, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
• Roberta Cabral Ramos Mota, Faculty of Science (Computer Science)
• Celso Neto, Faculty of Arts (Philosophy)
• Joshua Whitehead, Faculty of Arts (English)

Visiting Killam Scholar

• Dr. Don Anderson, PhD, University of Iowa (hosted by the Faculty of Kinesiology)

Killam Memorial Chair

• Dr. Walter Herzog, PhD, Faculty of Kinesiology