2025 Arts Award Recipients

Connection, Community and Culture

Sally Chivers, Alumna

"Chivers is truly a prolific public intellectual and researcher, whose work has advanced and ignited public and scholarly conversations on aging, care and disability."

Justice, Equity and Transformation

Federica Gowen, Graduate Program Advisor

“Federica Gowen has demonstrated outstanding excellence and unwavering dedication throughout her career, making significant contributions to our graduate program.”

Connection, Community and Culture

Lisa Young, Professor, Political Science

“Young’s achievements in graduate education in the form of both leadership and research/publishing have positively impacted national graduate education. Her leadership is formidable.”

Climate, Energy and Sustainability

Melanie Kloetzel, Dance Division Lead, Creative and Performing Arts

“Dr. Melanie Kloetzel is an active artist and scholar with a dedication to practice-as-research methodologies.”

Justice, Equity and Transformation

Jamie Michaels, PhD Candidate, English

“Demonstrates a deep commitment to advancing the principles of EDIA in both his scholarship and creative practice.”

Justice, Equity and Transformation

Uchechukwu Umezurike, Assistant Professor, English

“Diversifies syllabus content in his teaching to reflect our hybrid world and Canadian multiculturalism.”

Justice, Equity and Transformation

Pallavi Banerjee, UCalgary Research Excellence Chair, Sociology

“Dr. Banerjee exemplifies the university’s commitment to Justice, Equity and Transformation through her innovative, community engaged, intersectional, award-winning research and scholarship.”

Justice, Equity and Transformation

Adela Kincaid, Associate Professor (teaching), Political Science

“Dr. Kincaid’s Indigenous community-focused research and teaching has led to changes in thinking, understanding practices and policies that have contributed to lasting changes.”

Health and Wellness

Jennifer Leason, Canada Research Chair, Indigenous Maternal Child Wellness

“Dr. Leason’s research projects engage in Indigenous perspective, evoke indigenous knowledge systems, and spark changes for the betterment and future of Indigenous communities.”

Health and Wellness

Arielle Perrotta, PhD Candidate, Anthropology and Archaeology

“Arielle has demonstrated a deep commitment to promoting wellness through multidisciplinary, collaborative, evidence-based approaches and its priority of addressing health inequities.”

Digital Futures

Nikki Reimer, Senior Digital Specialist, Communication and Marketing

“Nikki is our de facto web and digital expert, patiently supporting pod colleagues, training staff members across departments and troubleshooting on a host of issues.”

Learn more about our strategic priorities

The UCalgary Faculty of Arts’ Strategic Plan is a roadmap detailing our commitments and priorities through a consideration of our strengths and challenges, and establishing where we want to go as a Faculty. Our plan identifies thematic priorities that will help to steer our decisions as we move into the next five years.

Justice, Equity and Transformation

Derritt Mason, Acting Senior Director, Taylor Institute

“Dr. Mason creates learning environments where students from diverse backgrounds feel valued, supported and empowered.”

Connection, Community and Culture

Amelia Kiddle, Associate Dean, Research and Communities

“Kiddle’s work in both the fore- and background of so many grant preparation initiatives, staff development workshops, and stewardship of our grants and nomination submissions…is outstanding.”

Connection, Community and Culture

Wei Cai, Professor, Languages, Linguistics, Literatures and Cultures

“Dr. Wei Cai has significantly advanced the field of Chinese language education in Canada by building a unified academic community, advancing research and scholarly excellence. ”

Connection, Community and Culture

Kinga Olszewska, Senior Research Advisor, Research

“Her vast experience and strong engagement with faculty, research students, and academic staff has greatly benefitted a tighter and more active academic community to emerge at UCalgary.”

Connection, Community and Culture

Annie Steep, MSc Student, Psychology

“Annie strives to support equity and build community through efforts to foster increased connection between individual and programs.”

Previous Arts awards and winners

Starting in 2017, every year the Faculty of Arts honours a few of its best and brightest teachers, researchers, staff members and champions of internationalization at the Faculty of Arts Awards Ceremony and Celebration, while also recognizing the achievements of alumni.

Connection, Community and Culture

Nisha Abraham, PhD Candidate, English

“Nisha Abraham exemplifies teaching excellence by fostering student engagement, innovation, and inclusivity in creative writing.”

Justice, Equity and Transformation

Safaneh Neyshabouri, Assistant Professor (teaching), Philosophy

“Dr. Neyshabouri’s work powerfully demonstrates how thoughtful pedagogical approaches can create transformative learning experiences that promote social cohesion and address systemic inequalities.”

Digital Futures

Annette Tézli, Associate Professor (teaching), Sociology

“Dr. Tézli relies on transformative teaching strategies that enhance students’ learning experiences and outcomes.”