Faculty of Arts Awards and Celebration of Excellence 2026

The Faculty of Arts Awards and Celebration of Excellence recognize the outstanding achievements of Faculty of Arts members across the visual, creative, and performing arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and health domains.  

This year’s celebration, held at the MacEwan Hall Ballroom on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, celebrated 17 members and groups from the UCalgary Arts community whose work reflects the faculty’s commitment to innovative scholarship, meaningful partnerships and positive change for individuals and communities within and beyond academia. 

There were four award themes Creativity, Impact, Leadership/Mentorship and Career Achievement, with sub-categories prioritized in the Faculty of Arts strategic plan; Connection, Community and Culture; Digital Futures; Health and Wellness; and Justice, Equity and Transformation. 

2026 Arts Awards Recipients 

Creativity Awards 

Creativity Award in Connection, Community and Culture 

Judy Anderson, MFA, Professor, Art and Art History  

As an artist and educator, grounded in nêhiyaw (Cree) knowledge systems, Judy Anderson fosters meaningful space for advancing creativity as a community‑rooted, culturally accountable practice. Her beading, performance, and collaborative installations foreground Indigenous ways of knowing while challenging colonial frameworks within artistic and academic contexts.
View Judy Anderson’s award video. 

Dr. Julia Chan, PhD, Assistant Professor, Communication, Media and Film 

Dr. Chan's accomplishments exemplify leadership in research-creation and a commitment to creativity, connection, and community engagement. Her interdisciplinary and multi-platform creative practice uses feminist, queer, and Black creative approaches to show that pleasure itself can be a way to resist surveillance culture.
View Dr. Julia Chan’s awards video. 

Carlos Foggin, Graduate Student, School of Creative and Performing Arts  

Carlos Foggin’s creative practice reimagines classical and sacred music as a site of dialogue, collaboration, and cultural connection. He has earned major recognition for his contributions to music. Through his artistic work and his leadership in community music organizations, Foggin advances creativity as an inclusive, living practice that builds belonging and fosters cultural exchange.
View Carlos Foggin’s awards video. 

Ian G. Kinney BA’10, MA’12, English, Alumnus  

Ian Kinney is a published poet, performer, and community-engaged scholar whose work advances disability poetics, trauma-informed practice, and inclusive arts accessibility. Ian’s ongoing service across UCalgary departments and Calgary organizations demonstrates exceptional commitment to community well-being, creative innovation and inclusive leadership. 
View Ian Kinney’s award video. 

Tim Lee, Communications Specialist, Office of the Dean 

As a visual storyteller in the Faculty of Arts, Tim Lee amplifies diverse voices and ensures accessibility is embedded at every stage of content creation. His creative leadership demonstrates a values‑driven commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility by using inclusive technologies, accessible design practices and empathetic storytelling to connect communities, elevate underrepresented narratives and broaden public engagement. 
View Tim Lee’s award video. 

Impact Awards 

Connection, Community and Culture 

Dr. Motilola Akinfemisoye-Adejare, PhD, Assistant Professor (Teaching), Anthropology and Archaeology 

Motilola Akinfemisoye‑Adejare creates spaces where Black and African diasporic students see their histories, identities, and lived experiences treated as central rather than marginal. Her work reflects a commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility by advancing inclusive pedagogies, fostering belonging, and strengthening connections between the university and broader communities.
View Dr. Akinfemisoye-Adejare’s award video. 

Dr. James Ellis, PhD, Director, Calgary Institute for the Humanities 

Through his direction of the Calgary Atlas Project and his leadership of the Calgary Institute for the Humanities, James Ellis works collaboratively with community historians, artists and activists to centre marginalized perspectives in ways that challenge dominant narratives of place and belonging. 
View Dr. Ellis’ award video. 

Vincent Nwosu, PhD Candidate, School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures and Cultures 

Vincent Nwosu centres marginalized languages and cultural knowledge systems that have historically been excluded from linguistic scholarship. His work demonstrates a commitment to equity through collaborative research practices that treat cultural practitioners as co‑knowledge holders and ensure research outcomes benefit both academic and community audiences. 
View Vincent Nwosu’s award video. 

The Pod Administrative Team in ANAR, GEOG, and PSYC 
Manager: Shelley Wind Team members: Alice Gao, Barsha Rimal, Karen Tablazon, Madison Trifaux, Rofina Bauer, Sakura Aoyama and Shirin Inanloo 

The POD Administrative Team supporting Anthropology and Archaeology, Geography, and Psychology supports every member of their departments and advances the academic mission of the University. They contribute to an environment of excellence in learning, teaching, and research through their commitment to shared goals, professionalism, and continuous pursuit of efficiencies. As a high-performing team, they hold one another accountable, value diverse perspectives, and celebrate collective achievements. 
View The Pod Administrative Team’s award video. 

Digital Futures 

Dr. Darren Sjogren, PhD, Associate Professor, Geography 

Dr. Sjogren has advanced equity and inclusion by reimagining how students access field‑based and digital learning. His integration of geospatial technologies, virtual field modules and flexible assessment pathways has removed physical and logistical barriers, enabling students with diverse abilities and circumstances to participate fully in experiential education. 
View Dr. Darren Sjogren’s award video. 

Health and Wellness 

Dr. Perri Tutelman, PhD, Assistant Professor, Psychology 

Dr. Perri Tutelman’s work reflects a sustained, values‑driven commitment to patient‑oriented, community‑engaged scholarship that elevates the voices of adolescents and young adults with lived experience of cancer. Her work identifies health research priorities and transforms them into equitable, actionable outcomes. 
View Dr. Tutelman’s award video.  

Leadership/Mentorship Awards 

Justice, Equity and Transformation 

Dr. Ariel Ducey, PhD, Department Head, Sociology 

Across her roles as Undergraduate Program Director, Graduate Program Director and Department Head, Ariel centres the needs and voices of vulnerable and marginalized community members. She is an intellectual and administrative leader who takes on a collaborative, equitable and relational approach to leadership and leads with deep empathy, mentorship, and a concern for wellbeing and health. 
View Dr. Ducey’s award video. 

Mark Grosjean Awards Team 
Dr. Joshua Goldstein, PhD, Associate Professor, Political Science 
Dr. Maureen Hiebert, PhD, Associate Professor, Political Science 
Dr. Pablo Policzer, PhD, Associate Professor, Political Science 
Concetta Sonnenberg, Director, Annual and Leadership Giving 

The Mark Grosjean Awards team has transformed a tragic loss into a legacy that supports student scholarships and a postdoctoral fellowship. The team is actively involved in research, leadership, teaching and mentorship in work that promotes equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. 
View the Mark Grosjean Awards Team’s award video. 

Dylan Martin, Graduate Student, School of Creative and Performing Arts 

Dylan Martin has secured, funded and developed a dedicated graduate student space, enhancing accessibility, connection and wellbeing for students. He has further strengthened student experience by improving accessibility in the printmaking studios and founding a monthly jazz jam that fosters confidence and creative belonging. 
View Dylan Martin’s award video. 

Career Achievement Awards 

Digital Futures 

Anthony Reimer, MMus, Lead Technician, Integrated Arts Media Lab 

Since 1996, Anthony Reimer has transformed the Faculty of Arts’ digital and creative environment with his technical expertise, innovation and mentorship. His knowledge, inclusive digital workflows, and accessibility-focused resources have elevated creative practice across the university.  
View Anthony Reimer’s award video. 

Health and Wellness 

Dr. Mary McDonald Pavelka, PhD, Professor, Anthropology and Archaeology 
Established Scholar, Teaching Award

Dr. Pavelka’s scholarship in biological anthropology has reshaped our understanding of primate sociality, menopause, aging and ecological disruption. Her critical insights into the social and biological determinants of health, inform academic inquiry and broader societal conversations. Her legacy reflects a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility through inclusive field‑based learning, ethical research practices and the cultivation of diverse scholarly communities.
View Dr. Pavelka’s award video.  

Dr. Keith Yeates, PhD, Professor, Psychology 

Dr. Keith Yeates’ pioneering research on traumatic brain injury and concussion has shaped international practice guidelines, advanced family-centred rehabilitation and improved diagnostic assessment. His sustained, high-impact scholarship and advocacy has fundamentally altered the provision of health care to children and adolescents with brain disorders. 
View Dr. Yeates’ award video.