Since its inception in 2000, the Canada Research Chairs Program has aided Canadian universities by increasing their research and training capacities to ensure Canada’s ability to compete internationally in varied areas of study.

Currently, 11 Laurier researchers hold Canada Research Chairs:

• Canada Research Chair in Cold Regions Water Science (tier 1), Philip Marsh (Geography and Environmental Studies)
• Canada Research Chair in Forests and Global Change (tier 1), Jennifer Baltzer (Biology)
• Canada Research Chair in Mathematical Modelling (tier 1), Roderick Melnik (Mathematics)
• Canada Research Chair in Community-Driven Knowledge Mobilization and Pathways to Wellness (tier 2), Melody Morton Ninomiya (Health Sciences)
• Canada Research Chair in Comparative Federalism and Multilevel Governance (tier 2), Jörg Broschek (Political Science)
• Canada Research Chair in Corporate Governance (tier 2), Daniel Waeger (Policy)
• Canada Research Chair in Financial Markets (tier 2), Andriy Shkilko (Business, Finance)
• Canada Research Chair in Global Adversity and Well-Being (tier 2), Bree Akesson (Social Work)
• Canada Research Chair in Global Political Ecology (tier 2), Audra Mitchell (Political Science)
• Canada Research Chair in Northern Wildlife Biology (tier 2), Frances Stewart (Biology)
• Canada Research Chair in Remote Sensing of Environmental Change (tier 2), Homa Kheyrollah Pour (Geography and Environmental Studies)

For more information about Laurier's commitment to equity in research, refer to the Canada Research Chairs Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.

Shohini Ghose, professor of Physics and Computer Science, was awarded the Ontario Chair for Women in Science and Engineering by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). In collaboration with her fellow chairs in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, the Prairies, British Columbia and Yukon, Ghose will lead a national and regional effort to increase the participation and retention of women in science and engineering.

The five-year chair appointment will provide Ghose with significant research funding and a network of collaborators across Canada as she works to develop and implement a communication and networking strategy to enhance national and provincial opportunities for women in science and engineering. 

Learn more: Laurier quantum physicist selected as NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering

The UNESCO Chair in Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies is held by Alison Blay-Palmer, Geography and Environmental Studies; School of International Policy and Governance.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies is part of the prestigious UNESCO Chairs program led in Canada by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO to promote international inter-university cooperation in key priority areas for the agency.

In addition to addressing key UN sustainable development goals relating to hunger, gender equality and climate change, the chair’s work tackles pressing and urgent issues relating to biodiversity, food security and sustainable development.

Learn more: Laurier’s Alison Blay-Palmer named UNESCO Chair in Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies.

Laurier recognizes and values its Canada Research Chairs (CRCs), who are committed to creating and mobilizing knowledge to achieve research excellence. In recognition of their research leadership, Laurier has developed the Laurier Research Chair program for Tier I and Tier II CRCs who have completed their second (or third) terms and who have achieved significant research recognition both nationally and internationally. This is a transition program for previous CRCs with the intention that a gradual return to teaching duties will ensure continued productivity following the completion of their CRC.

Individuals awarded a Laurier Research Chair will be entitled to hold the Laurier Research Chair title in perpetuity. They will be entitled to one course remission per year for a period of three years immediately following the completion of their CRC terms.

Laurier Research Chair Award Recipients

• 2021
  • Laurier Research Chair in Consumer Insights and Innovation: Tripat Gill (Marketing)
  • Laurier Research Chair in Global Migration: Alison Mountz (Geography and Environmental Studies)
• 2019
  • Laurier Research Chair in Group Dynamics and Physical Activity: Mark Eys (Kinesiology and Physical Education)
  • Laurier Research Chair in Cold Regions Hydrology: William Quinton (Geography and Environmental Studies)
  • Laurier Research Chair in Social Psychology: Anne Wilson (Psychology)

The position of university research professor is awarded every year through a competitive process to a Laurier professor who has achieved a continuous record of scholarly excellence over an extended period of time as exemplified by receiving external grants, publishing in peer-reviewed scholarly journals, having books or monographs published by scholarly presses, presenting invited lectures at scholarly conferences, and/or receiving scholarly honours.

The award was created to:

• Recognize and reward a continuous record of outstanding scholarship or creativity by a full-time member of the Laurier faculty.
• Enable an accomplished scholar or composer to complete a major program or piece of research.
• Emphasize the importance of research at Laurier and to highlight and promote the achievements of our outstanding scholars.

The University Research Professor Program is administered by the Office of Research Services and provides a $10,000 research grant and a two-course remission to the awardee.

The university research professor is honoured at convocation with a citation highlighting the scholarly accomplishments of the recipient, as well as his or her research agenda for the year of the award. The recipient is permanently recognized in the university calendar and on a plaque displayed in the Office of Research Services.

University Research Professor Recipients

• 2023: Jenna Hennebry, Communication Studies; Kim Roberts, Psychology
  • Jenna Hennebry and Kim Roberts named Laurier's 2023-24 University Research Professors
• 2022: Stephanie DeWitte-Orr, Health Sciences and Biology
  • Virologist Stephanie DeWitte-Orr named Laurier’s 2022-23 University Research Professor
• 2021: Hind Al-Abadleh, Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • Chemist Hind Al-Abadleh named Laurier's University Research Professor
• 2020: Jennifer Baltzer, Biology
  • Ecologist Jennifer Baltzer named Laurier's University Research Professor
• 2019: Vladimir Kitaev, Chemistry and Biochemistry
• 2018: Jonathan Crush, International Policy and Governance
• 2017: Alexandra Gottardo, Psychology
• 2016: Nicole Coviello, Marketing
• 2015: Eleanor Ty, English and Film Studies
• 2014: Kaiming Zhao, Mathematics
• 2013: Juanne Clarke, Sociology
• 2012: Dmitri Goussev, Chemistry
• 2011: Lucy Lee, Biology
• 2010: Not awarded
• 2009: Thomas Hueglin, Political Science
• 2008: Eileen Wood, Psychology
• 2007: Philip Servos, Psychology
• 2006: Peter Hatch, Music
• 2005: Marek Wartak, Physics and Computer Science
• 2004: Geoffrey Nelson, Psychology
• 2003: Linda Parker, Psychology
• 2002: Barry Boots, Geography and Environmental Studies
• 2001: Michael Pratt, Psychology
• 2000: Pierre Siklos, Economics
• 1999: Mathias Guenther, Sociology and Anthropology
• 1998: Glenn Buhr, Music
• 1997: Ronald Grimes, Religion and Culture
• 1995: James Blackburn, Physics and Computer Science
• 1994: Barry Gough, History
• 1993: Hamid Noori, Business
• 1992: Russell Rodrigo, Chemistry
• 1991: Terry Copp, History
• 1990: Marc Kilgour, Mathematics
• 1989: Baldev Raj, Economics
• 1988: Ken Hewitt, Geography

Laurier Distinguished Research Chairs recognize the research excellence of mid- to late-career faculty who have proven records of distinguished and sustained scholarly work. Appointees are prominent researchers who have received significant recognition on both a national and international level.

Each Laurier Distinguished Research Chair is tenable for five years, with the possibility of renewal.

Laurier Distinguished Research Chair Recipients

• Laurier Distinguished Research Chair in Aquatic Sciences: Dirk Wallschläger, Chemistry and Biochemistry (2021)

M. Fabricio Perez (Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Finance)

This professorship is made possible by a generous gift from an anonymous donor. The professorship enables Laurier to continue to provide top quality education in finance.

Sarah Wilner (Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Marketing)

Canada’s first chair in Brand Communication was established in 2011 by 45 leading Canadian brands and brand marketing professionals to establish Laurier as a national centre for brand education. It is the intent of this chairship to provide leadership in university-level brand communication education by fostering greater and more active partnership between the university and industry and other leading academic partners to raise the quality and profile of brand communication education across Canada.

Mary Kelly (Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Finance)

The Chair in Insurance is responsible for developing curricula to train undergraduate business students for employment in the property and casualty insurance industry. The chair holder will also conduct research on insurance and risk management and help raise the profile of the property and casualty insurance industry among students and the broader community.

Michael Haughton (Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Operations and Decision Sciences)

This fellowship is made possible by CN Canada. The CN Fellow in Supply Chain Management will engage with CN to manage the relationship between Laurier's Centre for Supply Chain Management and CN.

Christopher Lemieux (Geography and Environmental Studies)

Funded by an anonymous alumnus donation of $2.5 million in 2009, the Dr. John McMurry Research Chair in Environmental Geography is named in honour of one of Laurier’s most celebrated geography professors and former chair of the department, now retired.

Diego Amaya (Finance)

This fellowship is made possible by a generous gift from the Goldberg Family Foundation. The fellowship enables one professor to pursue research in finance and to instruct students in the theoretical nuances and practical skills of the field.

Lan Guo (Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Accounting)

This fellowship is made possible with a generous gift from Grant Thornton LLP. The fellowship allows one professor to pursue research in accounting and to instruct students in the theoretical nuances and practical skills of this field.

Heidi Swanson (Biology)

The Jarislowsky Chairholder in Sustainable Water Futures endowed research chair was established through a transformational $2-million gift from the Jarislowsky Foundation – matched by Laurier, for a cumulative $4-million endowment. It is focused on sustainable resource management and adaptation to climate change.

• Laurier appoints aquatic ecologist Heidi Swanson as inaugural Jarislowsky Chair in Sustainable Water Futures

Leslie Berger (Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Accounting)

These fellowships are made possible thanks to a generous gift from the KPMG Foundation. The incumbents are responsible for organizing two annual educational events for undergraduate accounting students.

Nicole Coviello (Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Marketing)

The Lazaridis Chair of International Entrepreneurship and Innovation was established in 2020 and is funded by the Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises. This Chair is the first of its kind at Laurier, mandated to provide leadership in the development of a research program on the growth and internationalization of scaling firms.

Robert Mathieu (Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Accounting)

This fellowship is made possible by a generous gift from Linamar Corporation. The fellowship supports a professor who is pursuing research in accounting.

Gus Hill (Social Work)

This chair is made possible by the late Lyle S. Hallman, a prominent businessman and philanthropist in the Waterloo Region. The chair is focused on exemplary teaching and research in the area of child and family welfare.

Michael Pavlin (Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Accounting)

This fellowship is made possible by the William Birchall Foundation. The William Birchall Foundation Fellow will pursue research in finance and instruct students in the theoretical nuances and practical skills of the accounting field.