Research Chairs
Our faculty members engage in projects following six strategic research and training priorities. This includes:
- Eleven Canada Research Chairs.
- Two Industrial Research Chairs.
- Two Endowed and Honorific Research Chair.
- Two Ontario Tech University Research Excellence Chairs.
- A strong cross-pollination of undergraduate and graduate students involved in research and collaborations with business, community and government partners.
Canada Research Chairs
The Government of Canada created the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program in 2000 to establish 2,000 research professorships at universities across the country by 2008. We have attracted the best and brightest minds from all over the world. These individuals help enrich our research capabilities; Chairholders are recognized for their commitment to advancing the frontiers of knowledge in their fields, not only through their own work but through the teaching and supervising of students and the
Ontario Tech U is committed to the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) in all matters, including in the selection and renewal of CRCs. Ontario Tech allows for only one renewal of a CRC and the renewals are not automatic, instead following a competitive process. One renewal criterion is that the candidate shows “Demonstrated commitment to priorities in the Ontario Tech's CRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusiveness Action Plan” (Renewal of Canada Research Chairs Procedure, s3..15).
More information and full details on the process are available in our Canada Research Chair Recruitment Procedure and our Renewal of Canada Research Chairs Procedure. Questions can be directed to research@ontariotechu.ca

Christopher Collins, PhD
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Linguistics Information Visualization
Faculty of Science
christopher.collins@ontariotechu.ca
905.721.8668 ext.6581

Pierre Côté, PhD
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation
Faculty of Health Sciences
pierre.cote@ontariotechu.ca
905.721.8668 ext.2629

Adam Dubrowski, PhD
Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Health-Care Simulation
Faculty of Health Sciences
adam.dubrowski@ontariotechu.ca
905.721.8668 ext.6221

Khalid Elgazzar, PhD
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Internet of Things (IoT)
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
khalid.elgazzar@ontariotechu.ca
905.721.8668 ext. 7365

Horia Hangan, PhD
Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Adaptive Aerodynamics
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
horia.hangan@ontariotechu.ca
905.721.8668

Janette Hughes, PhD
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Technology and Pedagogy
Faculty of Education
janette.hughes@ontariotechu.ca
905.721.8668 ext. 2875

Peter Lewis, PhD
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence
Faculty of Business and Information Technology
peter.lewis@ontariotechu.ca
905.721.8668 ext. 3577

Isabel Pedersen, PhD
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Digital Life, Media and Culture
Faculty of Social Science and Humanities
Isabel.pedersen@ontariotechu.ca
905.721.8668 ext. 5874

Markus Piro, PhD
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Nuclear Fuel and Materials
Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science
markus.piro@ontariotechu.ca
905.721.8668 ext. 5525

Denina Simmons, PhD
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Biology
Faculty of Science
denina.simmons@ontariotechu.ca
905.721.8668 ext. 5310

Sheldon Williamson, PhD
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Electric Energy Storage Systems for Transportation Electrification
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
sheldon.williamson@ontariotechu.ca
905.721.8668 ext. 5744
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Former Canada Research Chairs
- Douglas Holdway, PhD - Tier 1 CRC in Aquatic Toxicology (Faculty of Science)
- Shari Forbes, PhD - Tier 2 CRC in Decomposition Chemistry (Faculty of Science)
- Carolyn McGregor, PhD - Tier 2 CRC in Health Informatics (Faculty of Business and Information Technology)
- Greg Naterer, PhD - Tier 1 CRC in Advanced Energy Systems (Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science)
- Dan Zhang, PhD - Tier 2 CRC in Advanced Robotics and Automation (Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science)
- Endowed, Sponsored and Honorific Research Chairs
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Industrial Research Chairs
Our university focuses on fundamental and applied research that directly benefits end users, including the following Industrial Research Chairs:
- Ed Waller,
PhD , Senior Chairholder, NSERC/UNENE Industrial Research Chair in Health Physics and Environmental Safety (Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science) - Kirk Atkinson, PhD, Associate Chairholder, NSERC/UNENE Industrial Research Chair in Health Physics and Environmental Safety (Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science)
- Ed Waller,
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Former Industrial Research Chairs
- Christopher Collins,
PhD , Shared Hierarchical Academic Research Computing Network Research Chair in Information Visualization (Faculty of Science) - Brian Ikeda,
PhD , Cameco Research Chair in Nuclear Fuel (Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science) - Scott Nokleby,
PhD , Associate Cameco Research Chair in Nuclear Fuel (Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science) - Remon Pop-Iliev,
PhD , Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)-OPG Chair in Innovative Design Engineering (Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science) - Vijay Sood,
PhD , NSERC-OPG Associate Chair in Innovative Design Engineering (Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science) - Anthony
Waker , , NSERC/University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) Industrial Research Chair, Senior Chairholder in Health Physics and Environmental Safety (Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science)PhD
- Christopher Collins,
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Ontario Tech University - Research Excellence Chairs
Ontario Tech University has established a Research Excellence Chairs Program to recognize and reward the high-quality research and scholarly achievements of Ontario Tech faculty members. The program is designed to enable accomplished scholars to complete a major research program or project. Further, the program is meant to emphasize the importance of research at Ontario Tech in strategic areas, while
highlighting and promoting the outstanding achievements of our scholars and the university’s commitmentto Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).This year, the program expanded to six awards, two of which will be housed in the Brilliant Energy Institute (BEI) and awarded to researchers who align their applications with the strategic priority areas of energy and clean tech.
After a very competitve process, which attracted 18 high-quality applications, the committee made their difficult choices and awarded the 6 Chairs as follows:
Dr. JoAnne Arcand, Assistant Professor Faculty of Health Sciences 2021 Research Excellence Chair in Nutrition Policy and Implementation
Dr. Jean-Paul Desaulniers, Professor, Faculty of Science 2021 Research Excellence Chair in Chemical Biology
Dr. Ibrahim Dincer, Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science 2021 Brilliant Energy Institute Research Excellence Chair in Development of Clean Hydrogen Energy Technologies
Dr. Bill Kapralos, Associate Professor and Program Director, Faculty of Business and Information Technology 2021 Research Excellence Chair in Virtual Psychomotor-Bsed Skills Development Using Pseudo-Haptics
Dr. Jennifer McKellar, Associate Professor, Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science 2021 Brilliant Energy Institute Research Excellence Chair in Techno-Economic and Environmental Assesment of Energy Systems
Dr. Olena Zenkina, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science 2021 Research Excellence Chair in Advanced Functional Materials