Faculty of Science, University of Alberta

10/16/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Mark Boyce and Dr. Lise Gotell, the 2026 recipients of the University Cup! Read more: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/2026/10/celebrating-the-2026-university-cup-recipients.html

10/16/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 Killam Laureates. Celebrating 28 doctoral students, postdoctoral scholars and academics from across the U of A who have been recognized with a Killam award for their outstanding work.

A special shout out to Laura C. Petrich, Andrew Simon, Natasha Klappstein, Dr. Hao Wang, Dr. Tamzin Blewett, Dr. David Scott Wishart and Dr. Lisa Y. Stein in the Faculty of Science.

Read more: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/the-quad/2026/10/congratulations-to-the-2026-killam-laureates.html

10/15/2026

We were happy to welcome Dr. Alejandro Adem, president of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Manal Bahubeshi, vice-president of the Research and Technology Partnerships Directorate, to the University of Alberta yesterday. Fostering these relationships helps showcase our institute and cultivate valuable partnerships that expand the way we think, research and teach.

The group toured the Mahal Lab with Lara Mahal and the Ultracold Quantum Gases Laboratory with Lindsey LeBlanc. Thank you to all who attended, and a special thanks to everyone who helped make the day a success!

Back row: Ivan Fair, Ian Winship, Alejandro Adem, Thomas Hillen, Karim El-Basyouny, Ben Willing, Lisa Stein

Front row: Lindsay Komar, Declan Ali, Manal Bahubeshi, Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell, Nat Kav, Lianne Lefsrud, John Veinot

Faculty of ALES, University of Alberta
Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta

10/10/2026

Where the wild things are! University Cup winner Dr. Mark Boyce turns a love of outdoors into a globally influential 50-year career.

Boyce's devotion to ecology traces back to his childhood on a farm in northern Iowa, where he spent every spare moment hunting and fishing. When he discovered that his love for wildlife could become a career, his future was set. “I learned this could be a profession, and from that point on, I put my blinders on and I still haven’t changed my mind about it,” he muses. “It couldn’t have turned out better.”

Read the full article by Donna McKinnon in the U of A Faculty of Science news: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/science/news/2026/october/where-the-wild-things-are.html

10/07/2026

New research out of the University of Alberta reveals a 70-million-year-old prehistoric cold case discovered in the Alberta badlands near Drumheller, where either a small-time raptor scavenged on an apex predator, or a baby Albertosaurus engaged in a shocking act of cannibalism.

Remarkable work by paleontology master’s student Joshua Doyon, supervised by world-renowned paleontologist Dr. Philip Currie, alongside collaboration with the Royal Tyrrell Museum!

Read more: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2026/10/a-jaw-dropping-discovery-on-the-badlands.html

10/07/2026

Incredible work bridging AI, robotics and agriculture! Computing science master’s student Curtis Kennedy and plant biologist Glen Uhrig in the Faculty of Science say blending machine and human intelligence could dramatically speed up the painstaking process of quality control to protect crops.

Read more: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2026/10/student-invention-combines-ai-and-robotics-to-rapidly-analyze-crop-seeds.html

09/15/2026

The University of Alberta's placement in the global top 10 for artificial intelligence is incredible news, and the Faculty of Science is shining bright across multiple fields.

In addition to leading the world in AI, the U of A has secured spots in the global top 50 for both biological sciences, earth sciences and environmental sciences.

Proud to see the U of A leading the way on the global stage. Congratulations to all researchers, faculty, staff and students driving world-class innovation right here in Alberta!

09/10/2026

An entire ecosystem, gone in just a few months.

Canada’s last "epishelf" lake — a rare phenomenon where freshwater floats directly above a marine one — has completely drained, forever destroying a unique Arctic ecosystem.

New research co-authored by Arctic oceanographer Andrew Hamilton details how this delicate freshwater environment washed away into the sea as climate change accelerates polar melting.

When these rare natural systems disappear, they take irreplaceable biodiversity and climate data with them.

Full story: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2026/09/canadas-last-epishelf-lake-drained.html

09/09/2026

Congratulations to Faculty of Science chemist Dr. Lara Mahal, who is among the seven leading University of Alberta researchers just named as new members of the The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) / La Société royale du Canada (SRC), the country’s oldest and most prestigious scholarly institute.

Acclaimed for her pioneering work in glycomics and chemical biology, Mahal, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, director of the Glycomics Institute of Alberta and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Glycomics, has opened up new avenues in biomedical research.

Full story: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/news/news-releases-and-statements/announcements/2026/09-sept/seven-uofa-standouts-named-to-royal-society-of-canada.html

09/02/2026

Congratulations, 2026 Schulich leaders! A special shoutout to computing science student, Kalyx Perea! Inspiring to see how he is combining a passion for music, community building and computer science to revolutionize the video game industry and build meaningful connections. Excited to see where his journey in computing science takes him.

The U of A’s six newest recipients of the coveted Schulich Leader Scholarship share a passion for shaping a better world through science and engineering.