Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision

• About

  One award is presented annually. The winner will represent excellence in an array of characteristics attributed to graduate supervision. It is a testament to the quality supervision and mentorship that inspires graduate students to become successful scholars and professionals. 

• Eligibility

  The nominee should hold a Graduate Faculty Appointment and must have supervised graduate students at the university for a minimum of six years. 

  Nominees not selected to receive an award may be nominated in a subsequent year.

  Previous recipients are not eligible for a period of 10 years following the year in which they received the award.

  Note: Faculty members who hold an Associate Graduate or Emeritus appointment are not eligible.
• Nomination process and deadline

  Nomination packages may be submitted by any currently enrolled graduate student.

  A complete nomination package will contain:

  • Nomination form completed by up to two student nominator(s).
  • Supporting documentation*:

  1. One (1) letter from the student nominator(s) describing the attributes of the faculty member's mentoring and supervision skills (maximum four pages) 
  2. Four (4) other letters of support, including:
     • Three (3) letters from graduate students (Master’s or Doctoral). At least one (1) letter should come from a student currently under the supervision of the nominee. The two (2) remaining letters may come from students who have been supervised as graduate students by the nominee in the past (maximum four pages each).
     • One (1) letter of support from the home faculty graduate program director or dean, including a rationale as to why the nominee qualifies for the award (maximum four pages).  
  3. The nominee's abbreviated CV including a summary of current and past graduate students and information on the years they were supervised or co-supervised, the degree type and their present position, and any awards or special recognitions received by those students (maximum eight pages). Note that the CV should be obtained directly from the nominee.

   *Supporting documentation may be submitted in one of two ways:

  • Upload the required documentation as one PDF document using the online form.
  • Email the required documentation to gradexcellenceawards@ontariotechu.ca.

  NOMINATION DEADLINE

  The award will normally be given out annually and will typically correspond to the SGPS Excellence Awards cycle. As such, the submission deadline for nomination packages will normally be the last week of May. The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies will announce the submission dates as part of the call for nominations.

  The 2025 nominations will open on Tuesday, February 4 and will close on Friday, March 7.

  Proceed to nomination form

• Selection process and award criteria

  Excellence is judged on the quality of supervision and mentorship that inspire graduate students to become successful scholars and professionals. Characteristics include engagement, availability, quality and timeliness of guidance and feedback, responsiveness to student needs, and enthusiasm for the pursuit of knowledge. In addition, the supervisor must promote timely completion of the thesis and encourage the career development of the student through the provision of leadership and support in academic matters such as publishing, presenting and applying for funding.  

  The Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies or their designate will chair a selection committee. The committee will consist of no more than three graduate faculty members. Committee membership will reflect the diverse research disciplines at the university and when possible should include at least one of the previous award winners. The committee will review the application packages and recommend the recipient to the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. 

  All nominees will be notified of their status after public announcement of the award recipients.

• Public recognition and value of the award

  Each award consists of a recognition plaque. The award will be publicly announced during the annual faculty/staff awards ceremony.

• Winners and nominees

   

  2025

  • Nisha Agarwal, PhD, Faculty of Science (FS)
  • Joseph Eastwood, PhD, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH)
  • Robin Kay, PhD, Faculty of Education (FE)
  • Sheldon Williamson, PhD, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS)
  • Theresa Stotesbury, PhD, Faculty of Science (FS)*
  • Jennifer Laffier, PhD, Faculty of Education (FE)
  • Khalid Elgazzar, PhD, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS)

  *denotes winner