There’s never been a more important time than now to celebrate the contributions that research makes to improving society, according to Alan Wildeman.
In a climate of funding cuts and increased scrutiny, it’s critical for researchers to share their success stories with a broader audience to convince average Canadians of how it makes their lives better, the University of Windsor president told those who attended the Celebration of Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Monday.
“It’s important to articulate how research informs the quality of your teaching and it’s our duty to articulate why what you do is important to society,” Dr. Wildeman said. “Get out there and talk about it. It’s an important time to be doing it.”
The annual event, held in Ambassador Auditorium, honours faculty, student and staff researchers for their accomplishments throughout the year, including academic journal publications, securing new funding and receiving accolades from other outside organizations.
Ranjana Bird, VP Research, likened the university’s research community to an ecosystem, noting that academics grow and develop throughout various stages of their career much in the same way a tree does. The celebration acknowledges researchers in those stages, with awards being presented to established, mid-career and emerging scholars and researchers, as well as to outstanding graduate and undergraduate student researchers.
Provost Leo Groarke acknowledged that these are challenging times for university researchers, but said celebrating accomplishments is one way of dealing with the difficulties of those times.
During his address, Wildeman noted that the university will host the annual conference of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association June 2 to 5, providing a perfect opportunity to share successful research stories with an even wider audience.
Click on the image above to view an enlarged photo of honourees at Monday's Celebration of Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity.
View a list of all the recipients.
