OCUFA Awards celebrate academic achievement, community contributions

Press Release

TORONTO, June 15, 2026 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is proud to announce its annual awards in recognition of outstanding teaching and academic librarianship, equity and social justice, collective bargaining, service to the academic community, graduate student achievement, and investigative journalism.

“These accomplished award recipients represent diverse, significant contributions to our public postsecondary university system,” said OCUFA President Rob Kristofferson. “We are proud to honour their work and celebrate their commitment to OCUFA’s values of community-building, advocacy, and academic excellence.”

OCUFA Equity and Social Justice Award

This award celebrates the outstanding contributions of OCUFA members whose work has contributed meaningfully to the advancement of members of the academy (professors, academic librarians, and other academic staff) who belong to historically marginalized groups. This year’s recipient is:

• Enakshi Dua, Professor, School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, York University

OCUFA Teaching and Academic Librarianship Awards

These awards celebrate excellence in teaching and the contributions of academic librarians to student learning and the academic mission. This year’s recipients are:

• Alyssa Counsell, Associate Professor, Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University
• Barbara Moktthewenkwe Wall, Lecturer/Professor Indigenous Language and Culture, Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, Trent University
• Charys Martin, Assistant Professor, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Western University

OCUFA Henry Mandelbaum Graduate Fellowships for Excellence in Social Sciences, Humanities, or Arts

These fellowships honour graduate students demonstrating academic excellence and a commitment to community engagement and social justice. This year’s recipients are:

• Master’s Level: Spencer Leonard, Master’s Student, Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University
• PhD Level: Victory Angeli, PhD Student, Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto

OCUFA Mark Rosenfeld Fellowship in Higher Education Journalism

The OCUFA Mark Rosenfeld Fellowship in Higher Education Journalism is intended to help address this gap, and support those wishing to pursue in-depth journalism on higher education. This year’s recipients are:

• Alicia Wang and Andres Fuentes

OCUFA Lorimer Collective Bargaining Award

This award was established in honour of Joyce and Doug Lorimer of the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association and was instituted to honour and recognize outstanding contributions to improving the terms and conditions of employment of Ontario university faculty through bargaining. This year’s recipient is:

• Johanna Weststar, Associate Professor, DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies, Western University

OCUFA Service Award

The Service Award was established to honour individuals who have done, or continue to do, exceptional work on behalf of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations and its member associations.

• Terezia Zorić, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto

“This year, OCUFA recognizes faculty, academic librarians, journalists, and graduate students who are shaping the future of university life from the classroom to the bargaining table,” said OCUFA Executive Director Jenny Ahn. “Their work also expands beyond campuses, and we are pleased to support such meaningful contributions to Ontario communities.”

OCUFA will hold its annual Awards Ceremony event on Saturday, October 24, 2026, in Toronto.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents more than 18,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 30 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at media@ocufa.on.ca

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