TORONTO, February 28, 2013 – Professor Roger Keil of the Faculty of Environmental Studies has been named the 2013 President’s Research Excellence Award recipient, for his significant contributions to York University’s research community.
“I am deeply honoured to receive this prestigious award. I have been extremely fortunate to work on many research projects with faculty, staff and students at York University who have provided inspiration and support for the work that is being celebrated here,” says Keil, who is also the director of the City Institute at York University (CITY), an Organized Research Unit at the University.
Introduced four years ago coinciding with York U’s 50th anniversary, the award recognizes established, full-time, active faculty members with outstanding research achievement and significant contributions to advance the University’s international reputation for research excellence. It was announced yesterday, at York’s inaugural Research Gala, held in recognition of student and faculty research success and to celebrate York’s 2012-2013 research.
“I am thrilled that Roger was named the recipient of this award,” says Mamdouh Shoukri, President and Vice-Chancellor. “Roger is a highly-respected researcher and mentor, and one of many of our leaders here at York making great strides in issues of global importance.”
The Senate Committee on Awards selected Keil from the nine nominations for this year’s award — a $10,000 internal research grant — for his many achievements as an internationally renowned scholar who has shaped the interdisciplinary study of global urbanism.
Keil who leads the $2.5 million Major Collaborative Research Initiative (MCRI), Global Suburbanisms: Governance, Land and Infrastructure in the 21st Century, has published 11 books and more than 150 articles, and was the editor of the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, a premier journal in his field. He has also been a visiting scholar and professor at prestigious international institutions.
York University is helping to shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. York’s unwavering commitment to excellence reflects a rich diversity of perspectives and a strong sense of social responsibility that sets us apart. A York U degree empowers graduates to thrive in the world and achieve their life goals through a rigorous academic foundation balanced by real-world experiential education. As a globally recognized research centre, York is fully engaged in the critical discussions that lead to innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global social challenges. York’s 11 faculties and 28 research centres are thinking bigger, broader and more globally, partnering with 288 leading universities worldwide. York's community is strong − 55,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and more than 250,000 alumni.
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Media Contact: Gloria Suhasini, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 2100 x22094 / suhasini@yorku.ca
