Research Supervisors

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The supervisor is the key person in a thesis-based graduate degree program. The principal role of the supervisor is to help students achieve their scholastic potential and to chair the student’s Supervisory Committee. The Supervisor will provide reasonable commitment, accessibility, professionalism, stimulation, guidance, respect and consistent encouragement to the student. Learn more

Graduate programs have different expectations regarding prospective students contacting faculty members. Some require commitment of a faculty member as thesis supervisor prior to applying while others assign supervisors in the first year. Please review the requirements for each program in the degree listing under the heading "Admission Information & Requirements" in step 3 "Prepare Application" under "Thesis Supervision".

Advice on how to reach out to supervisors

 
Name Rolesort ascending Faculty Academic Unit
Gick, Bryan Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Linguistics
Lavoie, Pascal Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
Wood, Frank Donald Professor Faculty of Science Department of Computer Science
Kremen, Claire Professor Faculty of Science Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Department of Zoology
Young, Margot Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law
Auld, Vanessa Professor Faculty of Science Department of Zoology
Hodgson, Elizabeth Professor Faculty of Arts Department of English Language and Literatures
Abraham, Ninan Professor Faculty of Science Department of Zoology
Krassioukov, Andrei Professor Faculty of Medicine Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
McKay, Heather Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Family Practice, Department of Orthopaedics
Blouin, Jean-Sebastien Professor Faculty of Education School of Kinesiology
Giammarino, Ronald Professor Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration Division of Finance
Robinson, Sandra Professor Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration Division of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources
Marra, Marco Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Medical Genetics, Michael Smith Laboratories
Schulte, Patricia Professor Faculty of Science Department of Zoology
Sin, Donald Professor Faculty of Medicine Division of Respiratory Medicine
Hermiston, Nancy Jane Professor Faculty of Arts School of Music
Chen, Jinhua Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Asian Studies
Madzwamuse, Anotida Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Shmerkin, Pablo Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Balmforth, Neil Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Tworek, Heidi Professor Faculty of Arts Department of History, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
Shuler, Charles Professor Faculty of Dentistry Department of Oral Biological & Medical Sciences
Nicol, Cynthia Professor Faculty of Education Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy
Coops, Nicholas Charles Professor Faculty of Forestry Department of Forest Resources Management
Craig, Ann Marie Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Psychiatry
Granville, David Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Rottler, Joerg Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Horwitz, Marc Professor Faculty of Science Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Beznosov, Konstantin Professor Faculty of Applied Science Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Kwon, Brian Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Orthopaedics
Li, Kai Professor Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration Division of Finance
Churg, Andrew Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Ripeanu, Matei Professor Faculty of Applied Science Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Rogak, Steven Professor Faculty of Applied Science Department of Mechanical Engineering
Hepburn, John Professor Faculty of Science Department of Chemistry
Maxwell, Christopher Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
Wylie, Alison Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Philosophy
Effros, Bonnie Professor Faculty of Arts Department of History
Clark, Penney Professor Faculty of Education Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy
Helsley, Robert Professor Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration Division of Strategy and Business Economics
Young, Mary-Lynn Professor Faculty of Arts School of Journalism, Writing, and Media
Condon, Patrick Michael Professor Faculty of Applied Science School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture
MacVicar, Brian Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Psychiatry
Jan, Eric Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peacock, Simon Professor Faculty of Science Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Hatala, Rose Professor Faculty of Medicine Division of General Internal Medicine
Moritz, Orson Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
Jefferies, Wilfred Arthur Professor Faculty of Science Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Medical Genetics
Mostow, Joshua Scott Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Asian Studies

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Reaching Out Tips

Complete these steps before you reach out to a faculty member!

Check requirements
  • Familiarize yourself with program requirements. You want to learn as much as possible from the information available to you before you reach out to a faculty member. Be sure to visit the graduate degree program listing and program-specific websites.
  • Check whether the program requires you to seek commitment from a supervisor prior to submitting an application. For some programs this is an essential step while others match successful applicants with faculty members within the first year of study. This is either indicated in the program profile under "Admission Information & Requirements" - "Prepare Application" - "Supervision" or on the program website.
Focus your search
  • Identify specific faculty members who are conducting research in your specific area of interest.
  • Establish that your research interests align with the faculty member’s research interests.
    • Read up on the faculty members in the program and the research being conducted in the department.
    • Familiarize yourself with their work, read their recent publications and past theses/dissertations that they supervised. Be certain that their research is indeed what you are hoping to study.
Make a good impression
  • Compose an error-free and grammatically correct email addressed to your specifically targeted faculty member, and remember to use their correct titles.
    • Do not send non-specific, mass emails to everyone in the department hoping for a match.
    • Address the faculty members by name. Your contact should be genuine rather than generic.
  • Include a brief outline of your academic background, why you are interested in working with the faculty member, and what experience you could bring to the department. The supervision enquiry form guides you with targeted questions. Ensure to craft compelling answers to these questions.
  • Highlight your achievements and why you are a top student. Faculty members receive dozens of requests from prospective students and you may have less than 30 seconds to pique someone’s interest.
  • Demonstrate that you are familiar with their research:
    • Convey the specific ways you are a good fit for the program.
    • Convey the specific ways the program/lab/faculty member is a good fit for the research you are interested in/already conducting.
  • Be enthusiastic, but don’t overdo it.
Attend an information session

G+PS regularly provides virtual sessions that focus on admission requirements and procedures and tips how to improve your application.