(clockwise from top left, supplied images): Timothy Chan, Alexandre Cavalcante, Chelsea Rochman, Anthony Ruocco, Cara Krmpotich (photo credit: Alysse Rich), Gisele Azimi

Six faculty members have been honoured with the School of Graduate Studies Supervision Awards in recognition of their outstanding and thoughtful supervision and mentorship of graduate students.

The annual awards celebrate faculty members whose dedication to graduate education has had a lasting impact on students’ academic, professional and personal development. This year’s recipients represent a range of disciplines and career stages, reflecting the exceptional graduate supervision taking place across the University of Toronto.

“Our supervision awards have long celebrated excellence among early-career and long-time faculty, and this year we are proud to introduce a mid-career award to more fully reflect the breadth of outstanding graduate supervision at the University of Toronto,” says Joshua Barker, vice-provost, graduate research and education and dean, School of Graduate Studies. “I am pleased to announce this year’s recipients and to thank them for their commitment to supporting graduate students at U of T.”

Cara Krmpotich, professor and associate dean, faculty life, in the Faculty of Information, and Timothy Chan, associate vice-president and vice-provost, strategic initiatives and professor in the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, received JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Awards, which recognize excellence in supervision over a minimum 15-year period.

Chelsea Rochman, associate professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and Alexandre Cavalcante, assistant professor of mathematics education, director of the SMT Centre, and coordinator of the graduate program in curriculum and pedagogy, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, received Early Career Supervision Awards, which recognize pre-tenure faculty members who have been supervising graduate students for up to six years.

Introduced this year, the Mid-Career Supervision Awards recognize graduate faculty members who have been supervising doctoral students for between seven and 14 years. The inaugural recipients are Gisele Azimi, professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, and Canada Research Chair in Urban Mining Innovations, and Anthony C. Ruocco, professor in the Department of Psychological Clinical Science at the University of Toronto Scarborough, where he serves as graduate chair and director of clinical training.

The following profiles highlight the accomplishments, approaches and contributions that earned each recipient recognition for excellence in graduate supervision.

JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Awards

“Supervision is where I’ve grown the most in my career. I learned from amazing mentors who challenged and trusted me in equal measure. Every day, with my students, we work to create a community that is both challenging and trusting—a space of inquiry, accountability, generosity, curiosity and joy. Thank you, research posse, for this nomination!”

— Cara Krmpotich

Cara Krmpotich is a professor of museum studies and associate dean, faculty life, at the Faculty of Information. She researches and teaches in the areas of critical collections management, repatriation, digital heritage, and decolonial and Indigenous museologies. With Professor Heidi Bohaker, she co-directs the Great Lakes Research Alliance, and is responsible to over 500 researchers located in Indigenous nations, museums and universities, providing access to Great Lakes belongings dispersed globally, organizing research gatherings in Indigenous communities, securing funding for community-led collections research and maintaining digital research infrastructure. She also maintains research partnerships with colleagues in Scotland and Haida Gwaii, supporting reparative approaches to repatriation within museums. She has supervised nine doctoral students, 15 master’s students, and 26 research assistantships, and has supported an additional nine students as a committee member.

“Graduate student mentorship is where my passions for research and teaching intersect, making this recognition especially meaningful to me. Mentoring students is one of the greatest joys of my work. They inspire and challenge me, and I learn from them every day. It is a delight to watch them grow, explore, and succeed.”

— Timothy Chan

Timothy Chan is the associate vice-president and vice-provost, strategic initiatives and a professor of industrial engineering. His research interests are operations research, optimization, and applied machine learning, with applications in healthcare, medicine, sustainability and sports. He received his BSc in Applied Mathematics from UBC and his PhD in Operations Research from MIT. Before coming to Toronto, he was an Associate at McKinsey and Company. Professor Chan holds editorial roles in several journals, including Operations Research and Management Science. He is co-author of the upcoming book “Markov Decision Processes and Reinforcement Learning.” He has mentored 50+ graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and takes great pride in cultivating a healthy, inclusive, and productive research environment. His recent honours include the CORS Award of Merit (2026), INFORMS Innovative Applications in Analytics Award (2026), CORS Practice Prize (2025), UofT President’s Teaching Award (2024), and INFORMS Prize for Teaching OR/MS Practice (2023).

Mid-Career Supervision Awards

“Receiving this award is especially meaningful because it recognizes an aspect of my career that I value most: mentoring students. I find great joy in helping trainees discover their potential, overcome challenges, and achieve goals they once thought were beyond reach. The strongest supervisory relationships are built on trust, support, high expectations, and genuine care.”

— Gisele Azimi

Gisele Azimi is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry and Canada Research Chair in Urban Mining Innovations. She leads a multidisciplinary research program focused on developing sustainable technologies for recovering and recycling critical materials from batteries, electronic waste, and industrial residues. Her work integrates chemical engineering, materials science, and electrochemistry to support a more sustainable and circular economy. Dr. Azimi has published more than 120 peer-reviewed papers, holds multiple patents, and has secured over $28 million in research funding through collaborations with industry and government partners. Her innovations have contributed to cleaner approaches for critical materials recovery and resource sustainability. An award-winning educator and mentor, Dr. Azimi is deeply committed to training the next generation of engineers and scientists. Her graduates have gone on to leadership positions in academia, industry, and government, extending the impact of her research through their own careers.

“This recognition is deeply meaningful to me because mentorship is something that is carried forward: from graduate mentor to student, and from that student to future trainees, peers, and colleagues. In that sense, the influence of graduate supervision can be far-reaching and enduring, making it especially rewarding to help others grow into independent thinkers and compassionate leaders, grounded in relationships built on trust, rigour, and mutual respect.”

— Anthony C. Ruocco

Anthony C. Ruocco is a professor in the department of psychological clinical science at the University of Toronto Scarborough, where he serves as graduate chair and director of clinical training. A founding faculty member of the clinical psychology graduate program, he has played a central role in developing its curriculum, policies, and research training culture since its inception. Professor Ruocco is an internationally recognized clinical scientist whose mentorship emphasizes rigorous, theory-driven research and supportive, inclusive training environments. His trainees consistently secure competitive national awards, publish impactful research, and pursue careers across academic, hospital, and community settings. As a supervisor and program leader, he has advanced equity-focused admissions, strengthened student supports, and fostered interdisciplinary and international collaborations, shaping a research-intensive, student-centered graduate training model that reflects excellence in clinical psychology education.

Early Career Supervision Awards

“This recognition is especially meaningful because it celebrates a shared journey with graduate students. I value creating space for diverse academic pathways and aspirations. The most fulfilling supervisory relationships are grounded in trust, openness, and a commitment to learning from one another. Together, we explore how mathematics education can respond to contemporary challenges and help shape a more just and meaningful future.”

— Alexandre Cavalcante

Alexandre Cavalcante is assistant professor of mathematics education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), where he has served as director of the SMT Centre and coordinator of the graduate program in curriculum and pedagogy. His research focuses on numeracy for citizenship, financial literacy, and mathematics education, examining how people use mathematics to understand and engage with contemporary social issues. Through the Mathematizen Lab, which he founded in 2022, he leads research on topics such as financial literacy, technology education, critical numeracy, and authentic learning experiences in schools and communities. His work has been supported by national funding agencies and has informed curriculum development, teacher education, and public-facing educational initiatives, including museum exhibitions and community partnerships. As a teacher educator, he is committed to preparing reflective, research-informed educators who can connect mathematics learning to students’ lives and foster meaningful participation in society.

“I have found mentoring students in research and helping them find the next steps on their career paths to be among the most rewarding aspects of my job. How to do it right is something I constantly think about. To have my students send a signal that I’m doing okay is a gift!!”

— Chelsea Rochman

Chelsea Rochman is an aquatic ecotoxicologist, interested in how anthropogenic pollutants interact with and affect ecosystems at all levels of biological organization. Rochman has spent most of her career assessing the sources, fate and effects of plastic pollution. In addition to her research, Rochman works hard to translate science into policy. She leads working groups around the world to inform monitoring and risk assessments for microplastics. She communicates her work to several levels of government to inform policy. Through the U of T Trash Team, she actively reduces plastic pollution in the City of Toronto through cleanup and works with students to pilot solutions that affect policies to prevent future plastic pollution emissions.

Learn more about the SGS Supervision Awards.

OISE faculty Alexandre Cavalcante wins early-career supervisor award
Chelsea Rochman Earns 2026 SGS Early Career Supervision Award