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 may be submitted by a former UVic graduate student (not currently supervised by or enrolled in a graduate program with the nominee) or a UVic alum, faculty colleague or academic administrator, or by any combination of up to three co-nominators belonging to these groups, and ideally across groups. If the Department Chair is not a co-nominator, the Chair must review and sign to endorse the nomination.

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 (500 words maximum) including:

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

One letter of support

• The letter of support must be written primarily by a graduate program chair or department chair and can include additional authors (ie. previous graduate students, faculty members). (500 words maximum)  
• The letter of support 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)

Narrative Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A narrative CV, following the Tri-Agency guidelines. The maximum length is 5 pages. 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

Additional supporting materials

You can upload up to 3 optional files, such as a teaching dossier, CES, course syllabi, additional letters of support*, websites, media clips, or articles that focus on educational leadership and development of graduate students.
Supporting evidence should be referenced in the nomination letter and depending on the length of materials may not be thoroughly reviewed (e.g., books or manuscripts).

*Note: While only one letter of support is required for this award, subsequent national awards—such as the CAGS Dr. Suning Wang Award for Outstanding Graduate Mentorship—require between two and five letters from current or former graduate students. As such, nominees and nominators may wish to use the optional supporting materials section to include additional letters, which can help build a strong foundation for future nominations.

Past recipients

• 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