New Researcher Award
Minahil Asim is an early-career professor and recipient of the New Researcher Award for her work on decision-making, program evaluation and public policy in the education sector. Asim’s research has an international scope, involving direct collaboration with education policymakers in Pakistan and Ghana to help them develop evidence-based policy. Her work explores how school leaders’ decisions influence student learning outcomes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. As principal investigator on a project exploring post-secondary education and social mobility, Asim received an Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). This research aims to help researchers better understand how to support students’ transition to post-secondary studies and improve their job prospects. The New Researcher Award also recognizes Asim’s mentorship of graduate researchers under her supervision and their direct, hands-on participation in her research.
Award for Excellence in Research
Isabelle Bourgeois is a leading scholar in the discipline of evaluation. From theory to practice, her work centres on promoting evidence-informed decision-making in public and community-based organizations. She founded the SSHRC-funded LaboÉval initiative, which helps organizations use evaluation to improve their impact in the communities they serve. The Award for Excellence in Research is one of many honours Bourgeois has received since joining the Faculty, including being named the inaugural holder of the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue Professorship on Public Policy. She has also recently earned a Knowledge Mobilization Award from the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, as well as the Contribution to Evaluation Award from the Canadian Evaluation Society.
Award for Excellence in Teaching
Marie-Hélène Brunet is an accomplished researcher and educator who’s passionate about equipping future teachers to build a more equitable society. This philosophy shapes the way she approaches all aspects of teaching and learning. She designs and delivers courses in social science, history and citizenship education that consistently earn outstanding teaching evaluations from undergraduate and graduate students. Brunet draws on the latest research on gender, Indigenous perspectives and Franco-Ontarian contexts to make her courses into vibrant and thoughtful learning communities. She’s also known for using technology-driven teaching practices. Brunet is a past recipient of the Excellence in Education Prize from uOttawa’s Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs.
Support Staff Award for Excellence
Jacques Touré is a senior specialist in academic program management for the Faculty’s Formation à l’enseignement program. His leadership directly supports the training of future teachers for careers in schools across Francophone Ontario and beyond. Touré was instrumental in reviving the Association des étudiantes et étudiants à la formation à l'enseignement. Under his guidance, the group has grown into a vibrant hub for students to connect and support one another. He also established a mentorship program, pairing up first- and second-year students, and he has contributed to initiatives addressing racism and celebrating cultural diversity within the Faculty. Touré earned the Support Staff Award for Excellence in recognition of how his work has strengthened inclusive learning environments and inspired students to thrive academically and personally.
