º£½ÇÉçÇø

Selena's research activities and output aim to demonstrate ways to expand our understanding of the past while correspondingly developing methodologies to work across differences and create spaces of mutual understanding and aid as we face the climate crisis. Charismatic performance has long been used as a method to seize attention and power, often disregarding the good of the majority of people and the ecological balance of the earth. Her research shows that there have also always been effective ways of turning such tides that could be adapted to our current moment. The award will support archival research travel, the mentorship of research assistants and knowledge dissemination. It will also fund performative events to create collaborative networking that will enable people to better prepare for, live through and recover from impending catastrophes — without further harming the planet and other-than-human beings — and in order to assist with the birth of something new.

This award will support Lana's creative academic goals to begin and maintain integrity in ceremony with Elders, language mentors and community as she expands her nêhiyawêwin bundle with words for body sovereignty, pleasure and the body itself — activating pathways of leadership, autonomy and governance through re-matriation. nêhiyawêwin is a relational language, carrying both beauty and responsibility; Lana will translate these words into a series of visual stories and create community resources such as a website, digital stories and a book to ensure this knowledge remains accessible and alive. Her studio becomes a place of transformation, where language, paint and story interlace to honour nêhiyawêwin, self-determination and autonomy. This award will sustain the heart of the project — studio space, art materials and the honouring of Elders and mentors — and support travel to conferences and artist residencies, allowing these teachings to ripple outward and nourish our communities.

Toshi is a Professor of Medical Genetics at the º£½ÇÉçÇø and holds the Friends of Garrett Cumming Research & Muscular Dystrophy Canada Endowed Research Chair. Research in the Yokota Lab focuses on developing genetic medicines for devastating diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. The lab is internationally recognized for pioneering RNA-based therapies, such as antisense oligonucleotides and peptide-conjugated oligonucleotides, and for advancing patient-customized therapeutic strategies. Toshi’s group successfully bridges fundamental science, translational research and patient-centered innovation, with the goal of improving treatment options for rare genetic diseases. This recognition as a Distinguished Professor further strengthens his commitment to fostering collaborative research, mentoring the next generation of scientists and advancing the university’s global leadership in precision medicine.

Geoff holds a strong commitment to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. He has demonstrated a dedicated interest in leveraging technology to enhance teaching and learning practices. This award will support the development of a process for faculty to develop assessment items and parallel test forms using generative AI. Up until recently, faculty were required to consult with experts and specialized automated item generation programs. With effective prompt engineering, faculty will be empowered to quickly generate large item banks with greater autonomy and confidence in the quality of the items. Large item banks enable faculty to rapidly produce assessments and easily accommodate students who require deferred or alternate assessments. This appropriate and ethical leveraging of generative AI, with clear and reproducible processes, opens numerous opportunities for formative assessment and competency-based education.

As a leading scholar of students’ motivation, emotions and wellbeing, there is no shortage of applications for Lia’s research in the realm of higher education. This award will support Lia in creating and curating resources that connect classroom assessment with wellbeing, reframing assessment as both rigorous and supportive rather than punitive. This includes developing a diverse library of Teacher Talk videos, exploring the potential for a Graduate Certificate in Assessment and co-creating a digital platform to share knowledge and advance new narratives about assessment. Together, these initiatives will provide preservice teachers, practicing educators and the broader community with accessible, evidence-based tools for using assessment in ways that enhance learning and wellbeing.

David has spent his over 30-year career transforming how we understand the chemistry of life. Widely known as one of the founders of metabolomics, he realized how studying the small molecules that connect our genes, our environment and our health could revolutionize life science. That vision grew into world-renowned resources like the Human Metabolome Database, DrugBank and MetaboAnalyst — open tools that scientists, clinicians and educators across the globe now rely upon every day. David was instrumental in building the Metabolomics Innovation Centre, which has made the university and Canada a global leader in this rapidly growing field. Alongside his groundbreaking research, David is a passionate teacher and mentor. He has mentored hundreds of students, written influential textbooks and created training programs that blend discovery with hands-on learning. A proud member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, he is also a strong advocate for open science and Indigenous knowledge, ensuring that discovery benefits everyone.

Janet’s overarching goal is to enable students to use their university education as a route to liberation. She is committed to engaging students as a whole person, moving beyond imparting knowledge to educating resilient people who are equipped to make contributions to society. Given her commitment to situatedness and belonging, Janet intends to use this award to bring the benefits of the study-abroad program to a wider student body. She plans to host a colleague from the Universidad de Oriente in Cuba on the Augustana campus for an immersive, intercultural teaching experience. This flips the traditional study abroad approach and provides a high-impact learning opportunity to students who may otherwise lack the means to participate, deepening their understanding of their own situatedness in the world.