Research Supervisors

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 Role Facultysort descending Academic Unit
Leander, Brian Professor Faculty of Science Department of Botany, Department of Zoology
Smit, Matthijs Associate Professor Faculty of Science Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Solymosi, Jozsef Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Stairs, Ingrid Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Hauert, Christoph Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Folk, Joshua Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Hu, Alan Professor Faculty of Science Department of Computer Science
Milner, Valery Associate Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Bonn, Douglas Andrew Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Waterman, Stephanie Associate Professor Faculty of Science Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Brumer, Harry Professor Faculty of Science Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Chemistry
Loewen, Philip Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Haynes, Charles Professor Faculty of Science Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Gay, Colin Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Boyd, David Associate Professor Faculty of Science Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
Auger-Methe, Marie Associate Professor Faculty of Science Department of Statistics, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Marshall, Katie Associate Professor Faculty of Science Department of Zoology
Seltzer, Margo Professor Faculty of Science Department of Computer Science
Ameli, Ali Assistant Professor Faculty of Science Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Rosen, David Assistant Professor Faculty of Science Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Nichols, Eva Assistant Professor Faculty of Science Department of Chemistry
Leslie, Sabrina Associate Professor Faculty of Science Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Physics & Astronomy
Barker, Shaun Associate Professor Faculty of Science Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Hoang, Nguyen Phong Assistant Professor Faculty of Science Department of Computer Science
Chan, Kai Professor Faculty of Science Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability
Berciu, Mona Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Bryan, Jim Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Brauner, Colin Professor Faculty of Science Department of Zoology
Cronk, Quentin Charles Professor Faculty of Science Department of Botany
Ward, Michael Jeffrey Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Unruh, William Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Graham, Sean Professor Faculty of Science Department of Botany
Kronstad, James Professor Faculty of Science Michael Smith Laboratories
Osborne, Lisa Associate Professor Faculty of Science Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Hallam, Steven Professor Faculty of Science Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Stamp, Philip C Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Algar, Russ Professor Faculty of Science Department of Chemistry
Xiao, Robert Assistant Professor Faculty of Science Department of Computer Science
Reid, Jolene Assistant Professor Faculty of Science Department of Chemistry
Sutherland, Danica Assistant Professor Faculty of Science Department of Computer Science
Orsi, Anais Assistant Professor Faculty of Science Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Wang, Daochen Assistant Professor Faculty of Science Department of Computer Science
Gustafson, Stephen James Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Jones, David Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
McGrenere, Joanna Professor Faculty of Science Department of Computer Science
Friedman, Joel Professor Faculty of Science Department of Computer Science
Jellinek, Mark Professor Faculty of Science Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Hancock, Robert E Professor Faculty of Science Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Ghioca, Dragos Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Evans, William Professor Faculty of Science Department of Computer Science

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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.