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Faculty of Science alumni

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The Faculty of Science honours alumni

Created in 2015, these awards of excellence recognize the outstanding achievements of Faculty of Science alumni. In 2016, the Faculty introduced a new category aimed at recognizing young alumni.

Cathleen Crudden

2023 Alumni Award of Excellence

Cathleen Crudden (PhD in Chemistry - 1995)

Dr. Cathleen Crudden is the A.V. Douglas Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in metal organic chemistry at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She holds a Research Professorship at the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM) in Nagoya, Japan, where she runs a satellite laboratory. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Chemical Institute of Canada, the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) and an elected member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Crudden has made significant impacts on diverse areas of science. She described one of the first cross-coupling reactions with chiral, enantiopure molecules that has made considerable impact on the preparation of pharmaceutical compounds. More recently, she has demonstrated the strength and versatility of N-heterocyclic carbene ligands in materials science, showing these ligands to be viable and versatile alternatives to thiolates as ligands for planar metal surfaces, nanoparticles and nanoclusters. This work has been called "game changing", "elegant" and "the new gold standard" by experts in the field.

Crudden has served as President of the Canadian Society for Chemistry and Chair of the Chemical Institute of Canada. She is currently Scientific Director of the Carbon to Metals Coatings Institute (C2MCI) at Queen's University and Editor-in-Chief for ACS Catalysis. She has won numerous awards including the 2023 John Polanyi Award, a 2019 Cope Scholar award of the American Chemical Society, the Montreal Medal (2019), and the 2018 Carol Taylor award from the International Precious Metals Institute.

Titel Jurca

2023 Young Alumni Award of Excellence

Titel Jurca (BSc in Chemistry - 2008, MSc  in Chemistry - 2009, PhD in Chemistry - 2012)

Professor Titel Jurca has earned the Faculty of Science Young Alumni Award for 2023 due to his outstanding contributions in the fields of chemistry and materials science.

Titel initially pursued chemical engineering at the University of Ottawa where his passion for chemistry blossomed and inspired him to move to the Faculty of Science and pursue a BSc in chemistry. His early research experiences under the guidance of Professors Deryn Fogg and Doug Stephan yielded three influential publications, collectively cited over 900 times.

Continuing his academic journey, Titel pursued a PhD under Professor Darrin Richeson at uOttawa, resulting in 15 publications, including two in the esteemed Journal of the American Chemical Society. His scholarly pursuits also took him to Taiwan, where he collaborated on three papers with the Ong group.

As a Marie Curie Fellow, Titel conducted postdoctoral research with Professor Ian Manners at the University of Bristol, contributing to ten impactful publications. His research interests diversified into metal-catalyzed hydrogen generation and nanoscience. He followed up with a postdoctoral fellowship with ProfessorTobin Marks at Northwestern University, where he contributed to six impactful publications.

In 2017, Dr. Jurca joined the faculty at the University of Central Florida, building a successful research program. His work combines molecular inorganic synthesis, atomic layer deposition, and heterogeneous catalysis. His commitment to sustainability and community outreach has attracted numerous collaborators and garnered recognition within the scientific community.

Titel's dedication extends to teaching, with the creation of new courses and active engagement in outreach activities, earning him accolades from the American Chemical Society, including a 2022 Outreach Volunteer of the Year award.

Professor Titel Jurca's impressive career as a researcher, educator, and community advocate makes him more thant deserving of the Young Alumni Award.

Past Recipients

Over the years, the Faculty of Science has honored alumni who have distinguished themselves through their achievements and contributions.

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Faculty initiatives

The Faculty of Science brings together some of the best minds in the world and provides them with the specialized technology they need to make life-changing discoveries. Curious, inventive and never satisfied with the status quo, our faculty members probe the mysteries of science and turn their discoveries into advances in fields such as medicine, telecommunications and green chemistry. Outside the lab, many of our professors undertake field research across Canada and around the world.
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Learn more about the Faculty initiatives