January 14, 2021
Dr. Dominique Weis has been appointed as a 2021 University Killam Professor. This designation is the highest academic honour awarded to faculty members at the University of British Columbia, in recognition of exceptional and sustained excellence in research, teaching and mentoring.
Congratulations, Dominique!
Dr. Weis holds a Tier I Canada Research Chair, and is internationally renowned for the elegance, precision and impact of her geochemical studies of the Earth. Her research applications of cutting-edge mass spectrometry span a wide range of topics, from the characterization of geochemical signatures in mantle plumes and volcanic hotspots, to the use of biological materials (salmon, honey, human teeth) for environmental monitoring, to the analysis of lithic (stone) archaeological artifacts. She has an outstanding publication record of over 200 international journal articles, reports and book chapter. Dr. Weis has been recognized with numerous research and scholarly awards, including fellowships in the Royal Society of Canada, the American Geophysical Union and the Geochemical Society. She is also a highly sought-after lecturer, having been invited to give presentations around the world, including a recent series of high-profile lectures at the Collège de France in Paris. Dr. Weis has a strong commitment to promoting women, diversity and fairness in the sciences, and she is highly sought out for many leadership roles in international organizations.
As an educator, Dr. Weis has an exceptional track record of mentoring students and early career researchers, acting as a primary or co-supervisor for 37 graduate students, 20 post-doctoral fellows (PDFs) and 19 research associates throughout her distinguished career. She also led a major training network, the “Multidisciplinary Applied Geochemistry Network” or MAGNET (supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada), that provided research training, industry exposure and career development for 71 students and PDFs from across Canada from 2012 to 2018. Her commitment to excellence in teaching is exemplified by the time she devotes to her students, her enduring relationships with past students and PDFs, and her indefatigable involvement in curriculum and teaching committees at the departmental, faculty and university levels. Dr. Weis was awarded the 2020 Mentorship Medal from the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences, was recognized as a UBC “Great Supervisor” in 2018 and 2019, and was named the 2019 Undergraduate Instructor of the Year in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences.
For profiles on all of this year’s Killam Professors, go to: https://academic.ubc.ca/academic-community/news-announcements/news/2020-21-university-killam-professors