Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Supervision and Mentorship

This award recognizes graduate-level supervision and mentorship that fosters intellectual, professional, and personal development of graduate students at the University of Victoria.

The Office of the Vice-President Academic and Provost administers the award in collaboration with the Division of Learning and Teaching Innovation (LTI) and the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS).

Eligibility

This award is open to:

• all faculty members as defined in the Collective Agreement
• those currently holding a regular faculty position and anticipate continuing in that position for the next academic year; and,
• have supervised graduate students for a minimum of five years at the University of Victoria, and currently active as a graduate supervisor.

Award criteria

Nominations will be assessed based on evidence of outstanding contributions in the following areas:

• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of the field and fosters an inspiring research culture.
• Promotes critical thinking, creativity, scholarly rigour, and provides timely, high-quality feedback.
• Models excellence in scholarship, teaching, professional conduct, and cultivates respectful supervisory relationships.
• Develops students’ professional skills, including communication, for academic and career success.
• Integrates students into the discipline’s culture and encourages dissemination of their work.
• Supports students’ academic and career goals through guidance, development opportunities, and connections.
• Ensures timely thesis/dissertation completion through consistent mentorship and availability.

Nomination components

Submit your nomination through the online form. Submit all the nomination components in one combined PDF.

Nominations must be submitted by a graduate program chair, graduate advisor or department chair. Up to three co-nominators may be included, including a former UVic graduate student (not currently supervised by or enroled in a graduate program with the nominee), a UVic alumni, faculty colleague or academic administrator, or by any combination belonging to these groups, and ideally across groups. 

Nominee bio

Include a summary of the nominee’s distinctive contributions, including their teaching practices and philosophy. This will be used to brief the adjudicators and for promotional purposes if the nominee is the successful candidate. 100 words maximum.

Nomination letter

A signed written statement including:

• achievements in supervision;
• demonstrated impact on graduate student success; and,
• commitment to professional and research development.

Two pages maximum with 12pt font, 1-inch margins.

Three letters of support

• At least two of the three letters of support must be written primarily by a former student who has been supervised by the nominee and can include additional authors, including students or faculty members. 
• The third letter may to be from faculty, staff, community partners or alumni, or another former student.
• Letters should address nominees' effective supervision and mentorship practices (e.g., demonstration of knowledge and expertise in field, encouragement of critical thinking and scholarly rigor, excellence in scholarship and professional conduct, professional skill development, support for academic and career goals; consistent mentorship and timely completion of research).

Each letter is two pages maximum with 12pt font, 1-inch margins.

Narrative Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A narrative CV, following the Tri-Agency guidelines. Please also include courses taught, relevant teaching awards, as well as list all graduate students supervised (including: name, degree, thesis title, program start and end date, current position if known, as well as any awards or special recognitions received by students).

• Tri-Agency narrative CV template and instructions

Five pages maximum with 12pt font, 1-inch margins.

Demonstration of Excellence in Teaching (NEW)

A demonstration of excellence in teaching, presented as a selectively curated set of evidence demonstrating the impact of the nominee's teaching on student learning. The nomination letter should explicitly reference the evidence included in this supporting document, as well as clearly connect it to the award criteria. 

Appropriate evidence or demonstration may include excerpts or selections from:

• course syllabi
• assignment descriptions and rubrics
• lesson plans or instructional materials
• samples of current work
• photos of cultural or creative works
• transcript excerpts from videos or oral submissions
• excerpts from cultural stories or photo essays
• community-based validation (e.g., evidence of relationships, demonstrated impact, community voice) 

Two pages maximum with 12pt font, 1-inch margins.

Past recipients

• 2025 | Dr. Heather Buckley, Civil Engineering
• 2024 | Prof. Kim Venn, Physics and Astronomy
• 2023 | Dr. Yang Shi, Mechanical Engineering
• 2022 | Dr. Fraser Hof, Chemistry
• 2021 | Dr. Mauricio Garcia-Barrera, Psychology
• 2020 | Dr. Stephen Ross, English
• 2019 | Dr. E. Paul Zehr, Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education
• 2018 | Dr. Brian Starzomski, Environmental Studies
• 2017 | Dr. Lynne Marks, History
• 2016 | Dr. Catherine Costigan, Psychology