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 descending Faculty Academic Unit
Boschma, Geertje Professor Faculty of Applied Science School of Nursing
Sherman, John Professor Faculty of Science Department of Chemistry
le Billon, Philippe Professor Faculty of Arts School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, Department of Geography
Hewitt, Paul Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Psychology
Beaudry, Paul Professor Faculty of Arts Vancouver School of Economics
Hamlin, Kiley Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Psychology
Foster, Leonard Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories
Gyenge, Elod Lajos Professor Faculty of Applied Science Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Kuhl, David Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Family Practice
Oxland, Thomas Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Orthopaedics, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Baker, Donald Leslie Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Asian Studies
Fedorova, Alexandra Professor Faculty of Applied Science Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Allen, Susan Professor Faculty of Science Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Aronson, Meigan Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Gusterson, Hugh Phillimore Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Anthropology, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
Nashon, Samson Professor Faculty of Education Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy
Prior, Jerilynn Professor Faculty of Medicine Division of Endocrinology
Anis, Aslam Professor Faculty of Medicine School of Population and Public Health
Kissoon, Niranjan Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
Leander, Brian Professor Faculty of Science Department of Botany, Department of Zoology
Lam, Frank Professor Faculty of Forestry Department of Wood Science
Olson, James Professor Faculty of Applied Science Department of Mechanical Engineering
Stairs, Ingrid Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Borgen, William Professor Faculty of Education Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education
Levings, Megan Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery, School of Biomedical Engineering
Mole, Christopher Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Philosophy
Lalji, Fawziah Professor Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Stockler-Ipsiroglu, Sylvia Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
Kelleher, Dermot Professor Faculty of Medicine Division of Gastroenterology
Loewen, Philip Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Haynes, Charles Professor Faculty of Science Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Baines, Donna Professor Faculty of Arts School of Social Work
Johnson, Mark Professor Faculty of Science Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Green, Sheldon Professor Faculty of Applied Science Department of Mechanical Engineering
Marziali, Andre Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Griffin, Dale Professor Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration Division of Marketing and Behavioural Science
Renwick, Kerry Professor Faculty of Education Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy
Cunliffe, Emma Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law
Hagerman, Shannon Marie Professor Faculty of Forestry Department of Forest Resources Management
Ichikawa, Jonathan Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Philosophy
Byers, Michael Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Political Science
Lightfoot, Sheryl Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Political Science, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
Poole, Warren Professor Faculty of Applied Science Department of Materials Engineering
Schaller, Mark Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Psychology
Jacobs, Alan Michael Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Political Science
Olson, Robert Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery
Sunderland, Terence Professor Faculty of Forestry Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences
King, Kayla Professor Faculty of Science Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Seltzer, Margo Professor Faculty of Science Department of Computer Science
Hopewell, Kristen Professor Faculty of Arts School of Public Policy and Global Affairs

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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.