By Michele Charlton for Dal News

A stellar group of researchers is being celebrated by Dalhousie through the President’s Research Excellence Awards.

Established in 2018, these awards recognize the research achievements of Dalhousie faculty members. The award for emerging investigators recognizes early-career researchers (within seven years of their first academic appointment) who have demonstrated a high level of achievement in their field, while the award for impact celebrates researchers at any career stage who are having substantial, current impact on their field of research.

“We are proud to recognize this talented group of individuals who are leaders in their fields,” says Alice Aiken, Dalhousie’s vice president research and innovation. “They have played a key role in making us the world-leading research and innovation institute we are today.”

Several alumni are among those recognized

Naiomi Metallic (BA’02, LLB’05) with the Faculty of Law has received an Emerging Investigator award. Professor Metallic’s research seeks to harness the law to advance the well-being of Indigenous peoples. She strives to integrate three branches of research in support of the following goals: essential service delivery to Indigenous communities, Aboriginal and treaty rights, and Indigenous law. Her research into problems in the delivery of Indigenous essential services is ground-breaking and she is a leading legal expert in this field. She has authored and contributed to numerous reports, academic articles, book chapters, and knowledge mobilization projects calling attention to these problems. Notably, her work with the Yellowhead Institute, an Indigenous-led think-tank has been viewed over 33,000 times.

Both Elaine Craig (LLB’04, JSD’10) in the Faculty of Law and Mark Obrovac (MSc’07, PhD’01) in the Faculty of Science were bestowed Research Impact awards.

Dr. Craig’s research focuses on the relationship between legal norms and concepts of sexual integrity and the development of a theory of sexuality that could foster law’s capacity to promote justice. Her scholarship confronts some of the most difficult conceptual issues that arise with respect to the legal regulation of people’s identities, relationships, and intimate lives. She has authored twenty-six articles published in Canada’s leading law journals, two books and numerous reviews. Her work is highly cited by other academics and has been cited at every level of court in Canada, including multiple times by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Dr. Obrovac has extensive industrial experience in the research, development, and manufacture of battery materials. His lab develops next generation materials and innovative processes that enable the production of Li-ion batteries at reduced cost, with less waste and greater sustainability. Despite their simplicity, these new processes have the ability to make never-before-possible designer materials that can improve battery performance while reducing cost. His work is leading to better energy storage which, in turn, is changing how society moves, works and communicates.

Read about the full group of awarded researchers or learn more about the President’s Research Excellence Awards.