UTM Research Excellence Celebration

Join us to honour the contributions and achievements of UTM researchers.

In Spring 2026 we are delighted to welcome our community to the first-ever UTM Research Excellence Celebration, where we will gather to celebrate the recipients of the 2024-25 Desmond Morton Research Excellence Award and UTM Annual Research Prizes.

The inaugural Research Excellence Celebration will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Come hear them speak about their award-winning research, ask questions during our Q&A, and enjoy some refreshments and time with friends and colleagues at our reception.

Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026
Time: 12:30-3:15 p.m. EST → (Talks: 12:30-2:15 p.m. | Reception: 2:15-3:15 p.m.)
Place: Third floor atrium, New Science Building

All are welcome. Please RSVP using the event registration form below.

About the Desmond Morton Research Excellence Award

The Desmond Morton Research Excellence Award recognizes outstanding achievement in research and scholarly activity by faculty members of the University of Toronto Mississauga. The award winner is selected by one of the three disciplinary divisions at UTM, namely Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences, in a three-year cycle.

This year, we're pleased to celebrate University Professor Kent Moore from the Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences. Prof. Moore is recognized for his groundbreaking climate science research, which has helped shaped Canada's global leadership in the field.

He will be introduced by his friend and colleague, CPS professor Claudiu Gradinaru.

About the UTM Research Prizes

The UTM Annual Research Prizes were established in 2016 by the Office of the Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation and UTM’s Research Council to recognize outstanding contributions of early career researchers and scholars in the Humanities, Sciences, and Social Sciences.

This year, the Research Prize in the Social Sciences is awarded to Professors Julie Yujie Chen and Alexander Reisenbichler for their impactful work on digital labour and political economy respectively.

An associate professor in UTM’s Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology (ICCIT), Prof. Chen has spent her career uncovering the material realities behind digital technologies.

She is co-editor of the Sage Handbook of Digital Labour, which brings gender and racial inequalities into digital labour debates and includes chapters on mining, e-waste, and more, along with a robust section on methodology. Chen is also founding editor of Platforms & Society journal, and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Cultural Economy and the Chinese Journal of Communication.

She will be introduced by Brett Caraway, Associate Professor and ICCIT's Acting Director.

→ Read her story here.

Prof. Reisenbichler is an associate professor in UTM’s Department of Political Science and research coordinator of the Joint Initiative of German and European Studies (JIGES) at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. His research explores the politics of housing, financial, and labour markets in Western Europe and North America.

In his new book, Through the Roof: Housing, Capitalism, and the State in America and Germany, Reisenbichler traces the political history behind major housing programs in the two economic powerhouses and reveals how different policy choices have shaped economic growth, inequality, and long-term affordability.

He will be introduced by Janine Clark, Professor and Associate Chair, Research.

→ Read his story here.

Please note that photos and video will be taken at this event. If you do not wish to be on camera, simply connect with a member of our team and we will ensure your photo is not shared on our digital platforms.

Have questions or need assistance? Email us at events.ovpri.utm@utoronto.ca and a member of our organizing committee will be in touch.