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Click here to view a PDF version of the report.

Reputation and Community Highlights

�Ӱ�ԭ�� Research Funding Soars

�Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s focus on collaborative interdisciplinary research with social, environmental and economic impact is paying big dividends. Research funding at �Ӱ�ԭ�� has increased more sharply this year than at every other comprehensive and medical university in the country. Sponsored research income from external sources at �Ӱ�ԭ�� jumped to $70,298,000 in 2018 compared to $54,369,000 the previous year — a 29.3 per cent increase, according to the just-released annual rankings from Re$earch Infosource, one of Canada’s leading R&D analysis organizations. In addition, �Ӱ�ԭ��’s corporate research income growth (research support from the private sector that is included in the sponsored research income total) was third among comprehensive universities in 2018.

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Wellness Culture Wins Two National Awards

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s support for mental health and workplace wellness earned the university a pair of awards from Excellence Canada at the organization’s annual summit in Toronto on Nov. 5. �Ӱ�ԭ�� became the first post-secondary institution in the country to reach Gold Level certification in Mental Health at Work, and the university’s Students and Enrolment division earned Bronze Level certification in Excellence, Innovation and Wellness. Excellence Canada’s verification team noted that the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Mental Health Commission of Canada have identified �Ӱ�ԭ�� as a “trailblazer” for workplace mental health. Over the last several years, the university has implemented a number of initiatives to support the mental wellness of students, faculty and staff, including an award-winning student Mental Health Framework, training for faculty and staff, and the Not Myself Today campaign.

�Ѳ������𲹲�’s Rankings Confirm �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Momentum

The 2020 university rankings published in �Ѳ������𲹲�’s magazine on Oct. 3 show great results for �Ӱ�ԭ�� in a number of areas, including student satisfaction, research, entry averages, quality programs and overall ranking. Among comprehensive universities in Canada — those with a significant amount of research activity and a wide range of programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including professional degrees — �Ӱ�ԭ�� maintained its top-five overall ranking. With an entry high school grade average that hit a new high of 84.1 per cent, �Ӱ�ԭ�� students reported that they were generally very pleased with their �Ӱ�ԭ�� experience, leading to a top-three student satisfaction ranking in the comprehensive category. In particular, students cited excellent mental health services, experiential learning opportunities, the quality of residence living, student life support, the quality of instructors and steps taken to prevent sexual assault.

CUSC Survey Highlights High Student Satisfaction

�Ӱ�ԭ�� regularly participates in a number of surveys to better understand the characteristics, needs and perceptions of students. In January 2019, �Ӱ�ԭ�� was one of 46 institutions that participated in an undergraduate survey coordinated by the Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC). Compared to other institutions, first-year respondents from �Ӱ�ԭ�� were more likely to report that: they were satisfied with their decision to attend �Ӱ�ԭ�� (94 per cent); their expectations were met or exceeded (91 per cent); they were satisfied with the quality of teaching (90 per cent). �Ӱ�ԭ�� students were more likely than those at other institutions to say the main reason they chose �Ӱ�ԭ�� was based on having the programs they want, programs providing co-op or work experience, and scholarship opportunities.

Minding the Brain Podcast Voted Favourite Canadian Science Site

�Ӱ�ԭ�� Neuroscience Prof. Kim Hellemans’ and Cognitive and Computer Science Prof. Jim Davies’ podcast, “Minding the Brain,” has won the People’s Choice Award for Favourite Canadian Science Site from the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada. The podcast started in January 2018 and focuses on the science behind the human mind and brain. It has covered such topics as trauma, pet therapy and morning people versus night people.

Academics

Fall Convocation

More than 1,300 graduates were conferred with degrees during a pair of ceremonies at Fall Convocation on Nov. 9, including nearly 550 graduate students. An honorary doctorate was awarded to �Ӱ�ԭ�� alumna Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, a senior associate counsel at Woodward and Company with extensive experience in Indigenous law and a professor at the University of British Columbia, in recognition of her commitment to improving supports for Indigenous peoples and addressing the needs of children and youth involved in the justice system.

Strategic Integrated Planning

Since the official launch of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s strategic planning process in September, the Strategic Integrated Planning (SIP) Task Force has been actively engaging the �Ӱ�ԭ�� community in interactive discussions about �Ӱ�ԭ��’s strengths and vision for the future. The SIP Task Force invited all members of the �Ӱ�ԭ�� community to contribute their insight, their bold thinking and their big ideas to the development of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s next plan. They have engaged more than 1,000 members of the �Ӱ�ԭ�� community through more than 40 consultations, and have received more than 100 online submissions. Based on the information gathered during the open consultation phase, the task force identified broad themes to help define conversations in the themed consultation phase. A campus-wide consultation was held on each of these themes in November. The Task Force co-chairs are now synthesizing the feedback, comments and ideas shared in the first two rounds of consultation, which will drive the development of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s next Strategic Integrated Plan.

Indigenous Initiatives

Since the �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Committee (CUISIC) was formed in December 2018, the co-chairs have conducted more than 40 consultations — on campus and off — that included more than 450 people. Based on the feedback gathered, the CUISIC co-chairs have published a set of 41 draft �Ӱ�ԭ��-specific Calls to Action as part of an institutional response to the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The draft Calls to Action are aspirational recommendations that have continued to evolve throughout a fully consultative and iterative process. Once the draft Calls to Action have been finalized, a full report will be prepared and an implementation committee will be formed to carefully consider each recommendation and to establish timelines and paths forward. The Calls to Action will provide a roadmap as we revitalize our Indigenous initiatives and our relationships with Indigenous peoples on- and off-campus. Additional updates are available on the CUISIC website: �Ӱ�ԭ��.ca/indigenousinitiatives

New Academic Programs

Ontario’s Ministry of Colleges and Universities has approved funding for the
following new programs:

• Master of Arts in Migration and Diaspora Studies
• Graduate Diploma (Type 2 and Type 3) in Migration and Diaspora Studies
• Graduate Diploma (Type 2) in Linguistics
• PhD in Linguistics, Language Documentation, and Revitalization
• Master of Arts in Linguistics

New Co-op Programs

New co-op options have been added to our roster of 149 co-op programs, streams and concentrations. Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Media Production and Design (BMPD) co-op option will be looking to begin their first work term in Winter 2021; both the M.A. Migration and Diaspora Studies program and the M.Eng. Sustainable Energy program will see students seeking their first co-op work term in Summer 2021; and the Interdisciplinary Science and Practice (ISAP) co-op option will see its first cohort of students seeking co-op employment for Summer 2022.

Sustainability

The new �Ӱ�ԭ�� Sustainability website officially launched on Oct. 3. This brings together all the initiatives, research and accomplishments within one website and emphasizes �Ӱ�ԭ��’s commitment to moving towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient campus and to help address climate change globally. The university’s goal to achieve carbon-neutral status by 2050 is laid out in the longterm Energy Plan and includes reducing the university’s environmental footprint, reducing utility operational costs and increasing reliability and safety. For more information, visit: �Ӱ�ԭ��.ca/sustainability

Psychology Mental Health Day

The Department of Psychology hosted its second annual Psychology Mental Health Day on Oct. 10 to end the stigma around mental illness and bridge the gap between education and services. More than 500 mental health advocates, students and researchers gathered for the full-day session held on World Mental Health Day, an international initiative by the World Health Organization. Speakers included President Benoit-Antoine Bacon and Indigenous Liaison Officer Benny Michaud.

Experiential Learning

The second round of funding through the �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Experiential Learning Fund is being awarded in December. The fund supports course projects and program-level projects and was established in October 2018 in recognition of the fact that the development of experiential learning opportunities in academic courses and programs requires support. In addition, �Ӱ�ԭ�� has launched the Students as Partners program to offer �Ӱ�ԭ�� educators the opportunity to provide a paid work experience to undergraduate students who are interested in teaching innovation.

Teaching Awards and Appointments

• Fiona Wright (�Ӱ�ԭ�� University Art Gallery) received the Excellence in Learning Support Award.
• Prof. Jonathan Malloy (Political Science) was appointed as the Honourable Dick and Ruth Bell Chair for the Study of Canadian Parliamentary Democracy.
• Prof. Manuel Báez (Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism) received an unprecedented three awards at the 2019 Ottawa Urban Design Awards for the Gather-Ring, a collaborative project with Ottawa glass artist Charlynne Lafontaine.
• Film Studies master’s student Kagiso Lesego Molope has won the 2019 Ottawa Book Award in English Fiction for her novel This Book Betrays My Brother, and Prof. Tim Cook (History) won the English Non-Fiction award for his book The Secret History of Soldiers: How Canadians Survived the Great War.
• CTV Chair in Digital Science Journalism Prof. Sarah Everts (Journalism and Communication) received the Alumni Award of Distinction from the University of British Columbia.
• Prof. James K. Wright (Music) has been named the Louis Applebaum Distinguished Visitor in Composition (2019-20) at the University of Toronto. Wright’s research focuses on film music, post-tonal music theory and analysis and 20th-century music, and he is also well known as a prolific composer of vocal and choral works, many of which involve the integration of music with visual art and dance.
• Prof. Daniel McNeil (History; Migration and Diaspora Studies) is the inaugural recipient of the Visiting Public Humanities Faculty Fellowship. McNeil will build upon his award-winning teaching, research and outreach work on Black identities that work within, across, outside and against the nation-state.
• Profs. Melanie Adrian (Department of Law and Legal Studies) and Mira Sucharov
  
  (Department of Political Science) will be appointed as the inaugural Chairs in Teaching Innovation for 2019.

Research

Four �Ӱ�ԭ�� Researchers Elected as Fellows to the Royal Society
of Canada

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Norman Hillmer, Robert Letcher, Tim Cook and Rianne Mahon have been elected as Fellows to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) in recognition of the high level of excellence demonstrated during their careers. Hillmer has been elected as a RSC Fellow by his peers in the Humanities Division of the Academy of Arts and Humanities. Letcher has been elected as a RSC Fellow by the Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Division of the Academy of Science. Cook has been elected as a RSC Fellow by his peers in the Humanities Division of the Academy of Arts and Humanities. Mahon has been elected as a RSC Fellow by her peers in the Academy of Social Sciences.

Philosophy Professor Joshua Shepard Named CIFAR Azrieli Global
Scholar

Prof. Joshua Shepherd has been selected as one of 14 scholars in the esteemed 2019-2021 CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars program. CIFAR is a Canadian-based global charitable organization focused on addressing questions facing science and humanity. Shepherd has been appointed a scholar in their Azrieli Program in Brain, Mind & Consciousness and was chosen among 217 eligible applications from 37 countries for the coveted spots. His research looks at how parts of the brain, and parts of conscious experience, support and control complex skilled action such as playing the piano, shooting a basketball or performing a ballet dance.

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Stephan Gruber is Key Contributor to New IPCC Report

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Stephan Gruber is a key contributor to the new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, which highlights the urgency of prioritizing timely, ambitious, coordinated and enduring climate action. Gruber is a lead author on chapter two of the report focusing on high mountain areas and he participated in the drafting and government approval process for the report’s Summary for Policymakers. The report highlights that the choices made now are critical for the future of the ocean and cryosphere.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� Researchers Developing New Technology to Protect
Military Assets

A �Ӱ�ԭ�� research team led by Shulabh Gupta, a professor in the Department of Electronics, has received funding of $1.5 million from the Department of National Defence’s Innovation for Defence, Excellence and Security program to create the next generation technology for electronic camouflaging. The project will develop an artificial electromagnetic veil to protect military assets from enemy detection based on cutting-edge metamaterial technology. The intelligent veil would cover the surface of the asset and hide it from a range of detection methods operating in various spectral bands, including radio frequencies, infrared and optical.

Six �Ӱ�ԭ�� Faculty Members Receive Ontario Early Research
Awards

Six �Ӱ�ԭ�� researchers — looking at everything from transgender films, skull evolution and high-speed X-rays to autonomous spacecraft, health service planning and comic books — have been awarded funding from the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade through the Early Researcher Awards program. Researchers Laura Horak (Film Studies), Hillary Maddin (Earth Sciences), Oren Petel (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering), Paul Peters (Health Sciences), Steve Ulrich (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) and Benjamin Woo (Communication and Media Studies) will each receive $100,000 from the ministry and $50,000 in matching funds from �Ӱ�ԭ��.

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Bernard Choi Receives Highest Recognition Award
from AMNET

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Bernard Choi, professor in the Department of Health Sciences, received the Highest Recognition Award during the 16th Americas’ Network for Chronic Disease Surveillance (AMNET) International Conference held in Medellín, Colombia. The award was given to Choi by the AMNET board of directors for his contributions as a founding member of the Americas’ network. AMNET is a network of public health professionals from the 35 countries that make up the region of the Americas who aim to enhance the capacity of chronic disease surveillance.

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Tony Bailetti Wins Community Entrepreneurship Award

�Ӱ�ԭ�� Prof. Tony Bailetti has won the 2019 Contribution to Entrepreneurship Award from TiE Ottawa. The award was handed out during the TiECon Canada 2019 Conference gala dinner on Nov. 1. TiE Ottawa launched the Contribution to Entrepreneurship Award in 2017 to highlight and recognize the contribution of individuals who foster entrepreneurship in the region by supporting entrepreneurs and engaging in initiatives to support entrepreneurship, including acting as role models and mentors.

Tim Patterson Receives Funding to Make Mining More Sustainable

The Department of Earth Sciences’ Tim Patterson has received funding from the NRCan Clean Growth Program to develop rapid, cost-effective protocols and technology for the mining sector to determine environmental baseline conditions, conduct land-use impact monitoring, and to better protect aquatic ecosystem health.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� Researchers Receive Four SSHRC Partnership Engage
Grants

Four �Ӱ�ԭ�� researchers have been awarded Partnership Engage Grants by SSHRC. The grants will provide nearly $100,000 in funding to support �Ӱ�ԭ�� research in the fields of workplace inclusion, climate-resilient housing, crosssector partnerships and diversity in space research. Recipients include Luciara Nardon, Ruth McKay and Andrew Webb from the Sprott School of Business and Victoria McArthur from the School of Journalism and Communication.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� Researcher Receives Banting Fellowship

�Ӱ�ԭ�� postdoctoral researcher Kathryn Desplanque from the School for Studies in Art and Culture has received a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship. Desplanque’s research project is called “Papermania: The Popular Printed Image and the Nineteenth-Century Consumer” and will focus on the historic use of images in popular communication.

Trudeau Fellows

Two doctoral students (Patricia Bérubé in Cultural Mediations and Abigail Curlew in Sociology) were among 20 recipients of a scholarship presented by The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

Advancement

Much of University Advancement’s focus in this term has been on its Community Liaison and Holistic Partnership initiatives, both of which are unique and innovative in the Canadian post secondary sector. Working in collaboration with the Community Engagement Steering Committee and the Office of the Vice-President (Research and International), we have been developing processes, priorities and communication plans that are designed to broker new partnerships with individuals, community organizations and corporations. Early successes with both a local organization and a major international company illustrate the broad potential of our new models.

Within our philanthropic focus, we are continuing our “Campaign for Good” to build financial support (at both annual and major giving levels) for five key fundraising priorities. These plans connect to and are strengthened by our annual Giving Tuesday outreach (Dec. 3). We have also worked closely with our FutureFunder champions to help share the opportunities and projects across a larger network.

To help build awareness, we organized a “Race for Good” — an Amazing Racestyle event where FutureFunder champions complete a series of challenges in locations throughout Ottawa. The first team across the finish line received extra support for their project, along with the chance to meet Nav “Superfan” Bhatia, who later shared his perspective on philanthropy with an audience of students, staff and alumni.

In the meantime, we continue to recognize and celebrate the ideas, contributions and support of our donors and graduates. Our semi-annual Leadership Luncheon showcased the ideas and expertise of �Ӱ�ԭ�� graduates who are at the forefront of autonomous vehicle technology in Ottawa. At a special event in the �Ӱ�ԭ�� Dominion-Chalmers Centre, we celebrated the contributions of Elaine Keillor, who has been a leader and tireless champion for �Ӱ�ԭ��’s music program.

Through a successful Throwback homecoming, our annual Impact Report mailing to donors, and culminating in our annual Holiday Reception, we thank all our partners for being “Together for Good,” and for supporting our mission to serve the greater good of our community.

Student Life

The SOAR 2020 Student Leadership Conference is pleased to announce and welcome Tessa Virtue, a two-time gold medal winning former Canadian Olympic figure skater, as the guest speaker on Jan. 18, 2020. SOAR is an opportunity for students to develop their leadership skills, attend workshops hosted by their peers, campus leaders, staff, faculty, alumni and community members, all in support of their co-curricular learning.

Nearly $30,000 was raised by the new student orientation Shinerama program, with a cheque presentation in late September at an Ottawa Redblacks game to Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

Third-year Criminology student Jasmine Linton was a contestant on season three of The Great Canadian Baking Show airing on CBC. Linton was the show’s youngest baker competing in the Baking Tent. From Richmond Hill, Ont., Linton represented �Ӱ�ԭ�� with pride as one of the 10 contestants chosen from among hundreds of applications from across Canada.

The Community Connections mentorship program has launched for 2019-2020. This program allows students to access customized strengths-based peer support, gain a further understanding of and access to resources, develop a stronger sense of belonging in the community and strategies for building positive mental health, and discuss challenges, goals and areas of growth with a trained peer mentor.

The Transfer Student Peer Mentorship program matches incoming upper-year students with former transfer students to provide guidance and support. The number of students served by this program increased by 26 per cent and has helped this community successfully transition into the campus community.

As part of Alternative Spring Break program, 70 students will travel to five destinations in the United States, Guatemala and Costa Rica. Each experience is focused on a specific theme, including colonialism, emerging markets, environmental sustainability and immigration.

Campus Safety Services and the Office of the Vice-President (Students and Enrolment) oversaw the creation of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s first Emergency Preparedness Week, which took place from Oct. 7 to 11. The week included tabling stations with Campus Safety Services staff including Student Safety Patrollers and members of CUSERT, training sessions for students that were facilitated by students, a comprehensive communications campaign and a test of the Emergency
Notification System.

Consultations on the draft Campus Sexual Violence Prevention Strategy have begun and will serve as the starting point of our three-year road map to prevent sexual violence on our campus.

The Ravens men’s soccer team won the OUA Championships at the OUA Final 4 at York University and qualified as the top seed at the 2019 U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Championship in Montreal in mid-November. �Ӱ�ԭ�� won its quarterfinal matchup but then lost in the semi-finals to the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, the eventual national champion.

Women’s rugby won the RSEQ Consolation Final, defeating the Université de Montréal 50-24.

Men’s Soccer has received a number of accolades including head coach Kwesi Loney named OUA East Division Coach of the Year and U SPORTS Coach of the Year.

The Department of Recreation and Athletics hosted the Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada in the Field House. More than 4,000 people attended the event, which raised more than $357,000 to help find a cure for all blood cancers.

Enrolment Update

*Includes Graduate Diplomas/Certificates, excludes off-campus MBA and Dominican students
**Excludes Dominican University College
Office of Institutional Research and Planning, Nov. 1 provincial counts

Recruitment Update

The Ontario Universities’ Fair (OUF) was a big success where we saw an increase in attendance at the �Ӱ�ԭ�� booth and in the �Ӱ�ԭ�� presentation room. More than 130 faculty, staff and students travelled to Toronto from Sept. 27 to 29 to answer questions from prospective students about �Ӱ�ԭ��, our innovative academic programs and strong student support services.

We have fully implemented �Ӱ�ԭ�� 360 for the 2020 admissions cycle. While reducing the number of paper documents submitted, �Ӱ�ԭ�� 360 promises to be transformational in improving the way students interact with their application, providing them with the ability to track their application in real time, view their offer letter, and respond to their offer of admission.

The Undergraduate Recruitment Office has installed a new video wall in Robertson Hall as part of the building’s recent lobby renovation. The wall of nine television screens play promotional videos about our programs and the campus. This provides a great way to welcome new students and families when they arrive at Robertson Hall for a campus tour.

Fall Open House was held on Oct. 19 (Engineering and Design, Science — 1,567 participants) and Oct. 26 (Arts and Social Sciences, Public Affairs and Sprott School of Business — 2,095 participants). At Fall Open House students have an opportunity to speak to faculty, student services and students, participate in academic sessions and campus/residence tours and find out everything they need to know to apply.

Partnerships and Pathways facilitated interactions with recruitment partners in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia, Mexico and the Indian subcontinent. These local partners complement our recruitment efforts and allow for broader engagement with excellent students in each of these locations.

The international admissions team has already undertaken 232 of the 500 or so high school visits and events planned for this cycle, speaking personally with more than 1,000 prospective students across the Indian subcontinent, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. October saw our first WhatsApp chat for over 100 prospective Computer Science students in India, just one event in a full complement of online activities and targeted student sessions scheduled for the coming months.

The annual Gairdner Lecture was held on Oct. 22. The Gairdner Lecture is an excellent opportunity for students who are interested in the fields of health or biomedical sciences to meet and learn from some of the most successful members of the scientific community. More than 300 grade 11 students participated from six local high schools.

The Undergraduate Recruitment Office hosted more than 100 guidance counsellors for our annual Guidance Breakfast on Oct. 25. Guidance counsellors joined us from Ottawa and surrounding areas, including the Ottawa Valley and Gatineau and were welcomed by President Bacon. The keynote was delivered by Dana Brown, Dean of the Sprott School of Business, and highlighted the many opportunities available to students in Sprott.