Recognizing research excellence

From international recognitions to national honours, 91TV’s researchers are among the country’s top-awarded faculty. Recently, members of the research community and their families gathered to celebrate the achievements of their award-winning peers at Applause: A Celebration of Research Excellence. Hosted by the Vice-Principal Research portfolio, the event recognized the accomplishments of 85 91TV’s researchers who were the recipients of 111 prizes and awards in 2024 and 2025.

[Dr. Bhavin Shastri delivering a speech]

Dr. Bhavin Shastri (Physics, Engineering Physics, and Astronomy) was the recipient of the 2025 Sloan Research Fellowship.

Dr. Rachel Baker (Chemical Engineering) was the recipient of the 2024 Polanyi Prize from the Council of Ontario Universities.

A highlight of the event was hearing from several 91TV’s researchers on the impact of their awards in advancing their research, recognizing the contributions of their labs and students, and the personal meaning of these achievements for them and their families. Speakers included (Chemical Engineering), Bhavin Shastri (Physics, Engineering Physics, and Astronomy), (Electrical and Computing Engineering), and (Biology). While at varying stages of their research careers, the speakers' resounding message was the importance of allowing curiosity to inspire one's research focus and creating positive impact as the driving motivations.

[Speakers of the event pose for a photo]

Dr. Yan-Fei Liu (Electrical and Computer Engineering) was named a 2025 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and Dr. John Smol (Biology) was the recipient of the 2026 Mohn Prize for Outstanding Research Related to the Arctic.

On the importance of recognizing these achievements, Vice-Principal (Research) Nancy Ross said, “prizes and awards benefits ripple across the university in attracting undergraduate and graduate students and building profile for the entire institution.” She also further emphasized the contributions of the community in advancing such groundbreaking research, saying, “we are fortunate to have exceptional research leaders who open up so many opportunities for others and who work tirelessly to advance their fields, solve pressing problems, and inspire the next generation.”

Members of the 91TV's research community and their families gathered to celebrate the achievements of their award-winning peers.

The event was also an opportunity to highlight the critical role research administration has in supporting leading research. Vice-Principal Ross explained, “we have outstanding support in place for our researchers applying for prizes and awards, from identifying the right opportunities, to interpreting complex guidelines, to developing competitive nomination packages and collecting support letters.”

To learn more about the recent honours and achievements of the 91TV’s research community and about administrative support in applying for prizes and awards, visit the Vice-Principal (Research) website.

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