Professors holding regular APUO positions are eligible to submit their application. Exceptionally, clinical professors who are particularly active in the supervision of graduate and postdoctoral students and who have significantly contributed to the University's visibility may also be considered. The number of such distinctions should be no more than 25 regular tenured faculty. This number would not include persons who retain the title after retirement.
Source: Guidelines (updated in 2023)
Ranked as one of the top one percent of scientists in the world by Elsevier Publisher in 2022, Professor Mamadou Fall is a world-renowned researcher in Geotechnical Engineering, specializing in technologies that are critical for the construction and maintenance of sustainable structures and materials. Through his invaluable work, he strives to address the challenges still plaguing low-clean energy technologies. He has dedicated his career to creating scientific knowledge and developing innovative tools and techniques to help the country achieve zero net emissions by 2050.
Professor Jan Grabowski has revolutionized our understanding of the history of the Holocaust in rural Poland by focusing on the margins of the conflict and revealing the complicity of Polish collaborators in the eradication of Jewish people. His work has been actively discussed in mainstream media, reaching beyond purely academic spaces and having a powerful impact on social perceptions of this crucial historical period. While his research sparked heated debates, he displayed unfaltering commitment and courage in his pursuit of historical truth.
Professor Keiko Hattori has made seminal contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the Earth and atmosphere, the mechanism for continual discharge of gases from volcanoes, and the origin and distribution of critical metal resources. Over a career spanning more than 40 years, she has become one of the world’s leading geochemists, with a demonstrated devotion to science and academic excellence, including supervision of more than 90 students. As the first woman to graduate from Geology Department of the University of Tokyo, and the first female Economic Geology Professor in Canada, she has paved the way for many young women in science.
A nominee will have demonstrated:
pre-eminence in a particular field or fields of knowledge,
a significant international impact in one or more fields,
an exemplary level of commitment to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in their academic and teaching activities,
an exemplary level of commitment to the mission, vision and values of the University of Ottawa.
The nomination process will be open, with requests for nominations coming from all members of the University community. A candidate may not apply on his or her own behalf. Members of the Selection Committee may not submit nominations.
Nominations will be addressed to the Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs, chair of the Selection Committee, and must include:
four external letters of recommendation addressed directly to the attention of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs and signed by scholars of international standing in the nominee’s field, preferably scholars who have never collaborated with the nominee;
a condensed and up-to-date curriculum vitae (max. five pages) outlining the nominee’s body of work and highlighting his/her ten most significant scholarly publications;
a short (max. one page) non-technical description of the nominee’s contribution to his or her field of expertise and teaching.
The Selection Committee will be appointed by the Joint Committee of the Senate and the Board of Governors, on the recommendation of the President. The Provost and Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs will chair this committee.
The Selection Committee will comprise six internal University of Ottawa members and two members from other universities. The membership of the committee will be made up of distinguished scholars and will be as broadly based as possible.
The Selection Committee will meet to review and rank the applications according to their compliance with selection criteria. It may request reports on each nominee from such additional outside referees as it believes are warranted. The final selection will be made by consensus after all documentation has been considered.
The Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs, on behalf of the Selection Committee, will present the recommendations for the title of Distinguished University Professor to the President and to the Joint Committee of Board and Senate for consideration. Such recommendations will be accompanied by a written statement outlining the accomplishments of each nominee.
Nominations not accepted by the Committee may be held active for up to three years. Nominators are responsible for providing an updated dossier in each year that the application is under consideration.
No candidate may be nominated a second time until at least two years have elapsed since the last consideration by the committee.
The number of full-time Distinguished University Professors will be no more than 25.
A modest fund for research will be provided to each Distinguished University Professor for the first five years of the designation.
A Distinguished University Professor will retain the title on retirement.
Professors will be recognized at a ceremony organized by the university to celebrate excellence in teaching and research.
Distinguished University Professors will receive special recognition at convocation and, given their status as role models within the institution, should play a visible role in the formal affairs of the University.
Should you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
