From launching mentorship programs to creating inclusive spaces and tackling food insecurity, 12 91ÑÇÉ« students are being recognized with the Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award for leadership that contributes to the growth, development and vitality of the University. Lee’s passion for health sciences is apparent through her leadership in the field. As president of the Kinesiology and Health Sciences Graduate Student Association, Lee expanded outreach, strengthened the academic and professional community within the department and launched a new mentor-mentee program.

Four undergraduate and six graduate students have been awarded the Lillian Meighen Wright Scholarship, recognizing academic excellence, leadership and growing contributions to maternal and child health research. The scholarship is awarded to Faculty of Health students who demonstrate excellence in interdisciplinary education and research in the field of maternal and child health. The 2026 recipients are undergraduate students Sobi Mohan, Sana Ebadi, Aaliyah Daruwala and Sarah Belvedere; and graduate students Estreya Cohen, Paul De Luca, Haleh Hashemi, Anh Nguyen, Gillian Shoychet and Vanessa Tassone.

91ÑÇÉ« graduate students Martin Barakov, Massimiliano Muci and Sepideh HajiHosseinKhani may have different focus points for their studies, but they will all pursue research in Germany this year as recipients of an academic exchange grant. DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service, is the world's largest funding organization for international academic exchange. Through its Research Grants program, it provides funding to support doctoral students and post-doctoral research at a German university. For Barakov, a political science PhD candidate with a master’s degree from 91ÑÇÉ«, the funding will help enhance his dissertation via archival research and interviews with local residents.Ìý

Two 91ÑÇÉ« chemists are among the recipients of one of NASA's highest honours for their role in a major North American air quality campaign – work that could help improve how wildfire smoke risks are understood and communicated in Canada. Faculty of ScienceÌýProfessorÌýCora YoungÌýand Associate ProfessorÌýTrevor VandenBoerÌýwere recognized through the NASA Group Achievement Award for their contributions to the Atmospheric Emissions and Reactions Observed from Megacities to Marine Areas (AEROMMA) campaign, a joint effort between NASA and the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study air quality and climate interactions across North America.

Ronald Pearlman, University Professor emeritus and senior scholar at 91ÑÇɫ’sÌýFaculty of Science, has been recognized for his contributions to molecular bioscience, mentorship and scientific leadership. The Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences (CSMB) has elected Pearlman as one of three 2026 CSMB Fellows. The designation honours senior faculty who have advanced molecular bioscience through research and service to the science community. Over a distinguished academic career, PearlmanÌýpioneered expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis inÌýtheÌýsingle‑celled organismÌýTetrahymenaÌýthermophila.

Two projects involving 91ÑÇÉ« researchers have received more than $14.5 million in research infrastructure funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), supporting advances in global biodiversity monitoring and particle physics. The CFI invests in state-of-the-art research facilities and equipment at institutions across the country, enabling projects that address international challenges and deliver meaningful societal impact. 91ÑÇÉ« researchers will play key roles in two newly funded initiatives – one focused on mapping life on Earth, and another on probing the fundamental structure of the universe.