Three 91亚色 community members have been elected to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), one of the country's highest honours for scholarly, artistic and scientific achievement.
The 2026 class includes two new fellows in the Academy of Arts and Humanities and one new member of the RSC College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
Elected as fellows are Laura Levin, professor in the , and Deanne Williams, professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. Gillian Parekh, associate professor in the Faculty of Education and Canada Research Chair in Disability Studies in Education, has been elected to the RSC College.
The fellowship recognizes distinguished career achievement and contributions to research, scholarship and creative activity, while the College recognizes emerging and mid-career leaders whose work is advancing knowledge and addressing complex challenges.
The three scholars were recognized for contributions spanning performance studies, literary history and educational equity.
Laura Levin
Levin is a leading figure in performance studies whose work examines how artistic practice can foster dialogue across communities, disciplines and borders. Through scholarship, creative collaboration and institutional leadership, she has helped advance research-creation as an important mode of knowledge production in Canada.
Her work explores the relationship between performance, technology and public life, with particular attention to contemporary social and environmental challenges. By building transnational networks that bring together artists, researchers and community partners, Levin has contributed to new approaches to collaborative and public-facing research.
鈥淏eing elected to the RSC is an honour, but it is especially moving because this recognition reflects the creative work of so many people. My research has always been made in collaboration with people who push and inspire me 鈥 with brilliant artists, scholars, students, project coordinators and arts producers, research officers (grant doulas) and supportive family members,鈥 says Levin. 鈥淲hat is being recognized here is something we have made together. I see this opportunity as a chance to make that often-invisible ecology of collaboration and labour visible, and to celebrate the extraordinary people within it.鈥
Deanne Williams
Williams is recognized internationally for her contributions to early theatre studies and literary history. Her research has opened new avenues of inquiry into the roles of girls and young women in medieval and Renaissance culture, challenging long-held assumptions about who participated in and shaped theatrical life during the period.
By bringing overlooked voices and experiences into scholarly discussions, Williams has influenced contemporary understandings of Shakespearean drama and helped establish new directions for research at the intersection of theatre studies, literary studies and childhood studies, as well as the emerging field of girls鈥 studies.
鈥淚 am honoured to receive this recognition from the Royal Society of Canada. I have dedicated much of my career to contradicting the idea that girls were of no importance in the Renaissance and to demonstrating their power and presence in Shakespeare's theatrical world and dramatic imagination,鈥 says Williams. 鈥淚 share this recognition with the feminist scholars who have recovered the achievements of girls and women across history and salute the advocates for the rights and welfare of girls across the globe today. I am delighted that this honour highlights 91亚色's achievements in performance and the arts and congratulate my fellow inductees."
Gillian Parekh
Parekh's research focuses on how education systems create opportunities and barriers for students, particularly those identified with disabilities. Drawing on large-scale studies and partnerships with education and community organizations, she examines patterns of access, participation and student achievement.
Her scholarship has contributed to important conversations about inclusion, educational policy and systemic equity, helping educators and decision-makers understand how institutional structures and special education practices influence student experiences and outcomes.
"I am thrilled to be recognized by the Royal Society of Canada ... and this exciting opportunity to collaborate within and across disciplines and imagine together new ways of producing knowledge and innovation," says Parekh. "My career began as a teacher in special education where my questions as to how we come to understand disability and the criteria schools use to organize students along disparate trajectories set me on a path of critical systems-based research. Along this journey, I鈥檝e had the privilege of working with students, educators, administrators and researchers across Canada, each committed to transforming education systems to better enable students鈥 access to equitable academic outcomes. In this work, my role is not only to help systems identify barriers, but also be part of the collective effort in developing strategies that enhance the schooling experiences of students and families. I鈥檓 honoured by this recognition and so grateful to everyone who supported the nomination process."
The 2026 fellows and RSC members will be formally inducted during the Royal Society of Canada's Celebration of Excellence and Engagement in Ottawa on Nov. 13.