McCalla Recipients and Abstracts
McCalla Professorship
The McCalla Professors are outstanding academics who have made (and continue to make) significant contributions to the integration of teaching and research, and educational leadership. The McCalla Professorship also provides recipients with a venue for further educational leadership through the McCalla Professor Group.
Current Projects
Dr. Normand Boulé, Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation - 2024 McCalla Professor
Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Research
A renowned kinesiologist, Normand leads a research program that focuses on the pivotal role of exercise in the multidisciplinary approach to preventing and managing diabetes. With the support of this award, Normand plans to establish a Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Research at the University of Alberta. The project will be designed to meet the needs of graduate students and supervisors, filling critical gaps in current local and global diabetes research opportunities. By leveraging existing courses and resources, this new certificate will elevate training, enhance student recruitment, and equip future leaders in diabetes research.
Dr. Ben Dyson, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts - 2024 McCalla Professor
Extending a Magic Circle: Interactions between games, science and education
As the director of the Re:Cognition Lab, Ben has led a diverse research and teaching career taking a multifaceted approach to psychology. With the support of this award, his project will harness the educational power of games to transform STEM learning. The project will create three immersive teaching games: Total Chaos, which explores the pedagogical possibilities of a mathematical card game; Tight Rope, a flexible game system tailored to specific educational content; and Publish or Perish, a game designed to teach the scientific publication process. This initiative aims to integrate gamification as a valuable tool, promote scientific literacy, and build vibrant communities around the intersection of games, science, and education.
Dr. David Stuart, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - 2024 McCalla Professor
Multi-disciplinary Graduate Training Program
David is well known for his research in synthetic biology and engineering microbial cells for therapeutic and biotechnology applications. This award will support David’s development of a multi-disciplinary graduate training program, integrating teaching and research in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering for biomedical and bioindustrial applications. In addition to the development of program structure, courses and content, this project will further identify key partners — laying the groundwork for a network of research and teaching groups that can share knowledge, resources and even a trainee exchange program. This cutting-edge initiative will provide invaluable education, support and professional development to students in this rapidly growing field.
Dr. Thao Tran-Minh, Professor, Campus Saint-Jean, University of Alberta - 2024 McCalla Professor
French Engagement Program (FEP)
Thao’s extensive expertise in language education and innovative teaching methods has made a profound impact on her students. With the support of this award, Thao will develop a new guided French program, culminating in a certificate of completion for Campus Saint-Jean students. Founded in Thao’s highly successful teaching practices, this program will accompany and encourage students to live a real experience of French outside the classroom. The French Engagement Program will emphasize linguistic engagement and linguistic risk-taking both of which are key to fostering motivation and autonomy in new language learners. Using diverse methods of integration, the program aims to enrich, complement and transform academic French into a social and cultural exploration that enhances the student experience.