Photo of Professor Pamela Klassen by Jenna Muirhead

Story by Siri Hansen originally appeared in Current News, Department for the Study of Religion, Faculty of Arts & Science.

We are delighted to announce that Pamela Klassen, Professor, Chair and Graduate Chair in the Department for the Study of Religion is the recipient of the 2025 Dr. Suning Wang Award for Outstanding Graduate Mentorship from the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS).

Established in 2018, the award recognizes faculty who inspire graduate students by providing outstanding mentorship that simultaneously guides and challenges, while supporting creativity and encouraging students to share their work both within the academy and more broadly. 

CAGS notes the impact of Klassen’s “highly personalized mentorship,” noting that she has published with more than 20 graduate students as co-authors and over her career has demonstrated “a sustained and transformative commitment to graduate supervision.” In reflecting on the role of graduate supervisors, Klassen observes that “our words and actions matter into the future in ways we cannot know. I try my best to speak and act with integrity, recognizing that I do not have all the answers for my students. I strive for a balance among listening, evaluating, advising, and knowing when to encourage them to find other sources of advice and support.”

“I am thrilled to see Professor Klassen celebrated for her devotion to the development of tomorrow’s researchers and teachers,” says Professor Kimberly Strong, acting vice-dean of graduate education at the Faculty of Arts & Science. “Treating her students as emerging scholars from the start, and providing guidance and support of their ideas and abilities throughout their graduate work, she champions their achievements and models graduate supervision that is centered on students.”

“Professor Pamela Klassen exemplifies the very best of graduate mentorship,” adds Professor Joshua Barker, dean of the School of Graduate Studies and vice-provost, graduate research and education. “She has guided and inspired a generation of graduate students at the University of Toronto. This national recognition is richly deserved, and we are proud to celebrate her achievements.”

Read the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) announcement.