Faculty Advisor Award

Previous winners of the CSC Faculty Advisor Award  

The 2011 winner is:

Kristopher Ooms
King’s University College

Kristopher Ooms received a BSc in chemistry from The Kings University College in 2001. During the summer of his third year he discovered a passion for chemistry research at the National Research Council Canada under the supervision of John Ripmeester. In 2001 he joined the solid-state NMR group at the University of Alberta and completed his PhD in 2006 under the supervision of Roderick Wasylishen. He undertook a NSERC funded post-doctoral fellowship in the NMR group of Tatyana Polenova at the University of Delaware where he applied his NMR expertise to study biologically relevant systems. In 2008 Ooms began his academic career as an assistant professor of chemistry at The King’s University College in Edmonton.

Ooms is deeply committed to undergraduate education and the formation of undergraduate chemists. His teaching, mentorship, research, and volunteer work are all centered on undergraduates. Through his teaching and mentoring Ooms strives to teach both the content of chemistry as well as the culture and process by which chemistry is advanced in the 21st century. Through his NSERC funded research program Ooms employs undergraduate researchers to study molecular structure and dynamics in modern materials and biological systems. Projects are designed so that undergraduate researchers can experience real scientific research and participate in the entire scientific process from project planning to the dissemination of results. In his first two and half years at King’s, students from his group have presented their work 20 times at national and local conferences. He also has two publications with undergraduate students based on his research program at King’s.

Ooms has demonstrated his commitment to chemistry and the community through volunteer work. He has participated as judge at Western Canada Undergraduate Chemistry Conference, has organized The King’s Undergraduate Research Symposium, and has been engaged in chemistry outreach to elementary and junior high schools. He is faculty advisor for The King’s Science Society and vice-chair of the Edmonton CIC Local Section.

Ooms has demonstrated his commitment to chemistry and the community through volunteer work. He has participated as judge at Western Canada Undergraduate Chemistry Conference, has organized The King’s Undergraduate Research Symposium, and has been engaged in chemistry outreach to elementary and junior high schools. He is faculty advisor for The King’s Science Society and vice-chair of the Edmonton CIC Local Section.

Terms of Reference

The award shall be presented on an annual basis to one faculty advisor from the Canadian Society for Chemistry who has demonstrated exceptional performance working with students to plan and implement Student Chapter activities.

Nominations for this Award shall be made by the Student Chapter at the university at which the faculty advisor teaches.

Deadline: March 31 of every year

Award: A commemorative plaque

Eligibility: The criteria for the award shall include the following:

• Evidence of outstanding leadership by the faculty advisor in creating enthusiasm among Student Chapter members;
• Evidence of creating sustained interest in professional societies;
• Evidence of continuing involvement in Student Chapter affairs.

The award will be presented annually at the annual conference or symposium for the Society. The award winner shall be selected from the teaching faculty at any Canadian university that has a Student Chapter in chemistry.

Nomination: A nomination letter shall be signed by the Chapter President and one other member of the Student Chapter and the head of the department.

Nomination letters shall be accompanied by supporting documentation, including:

• Biographical sketch;
• Curriculum vitae;
• Other pertinent information about the nominee;
• Summary of Student Chapter activities over the past three years, especially those attributable in whole or in part to the efforts of the faculty advisor;
• List of Student Chapter involvement in public or off-campus activities.
• Previous winners of the award shall not be eligible to receive the award. Faculty advisors currently serving as Directors or as Officers of the CIC or any of its Constituent Societies shall not be eligible until they have completed their terms.

Each nomination shall remain in force for three years and will be considered annually by the Selection Committee.

Send to: Awards Manager at awards@cheminst.ca.