The Research Office established these awards to recognize the role of dedicated teaching, sustained and creative research and generous service to the community, the University and the Faculty of Law.
Congratulations to our very deserving winners and to all of those who were nominated!
Here are our 2026 winners:
The Excellence in Teaching Award, French Common Law Program
Awarded to a full-time faculty member of the French Common Law Program who has demonstrated outstanding performance in teaching through the development of innovative teaching methods and programs, and dedication to the student experience.
Suzanne Bouclin
Professor Suzanne Bouclin is an exceptional educator whose impact on the student community and the academic community is profound and lasting. She created and teaches a unique course in dispute resolution, offered annually to all students in the French Common Law Program and the Programme de droit canadien. If the PCLF/PDC offers a truly varied buffet of experiential learning courses, Professor Bouclin’s Dispute Resolution (DR) class is undoubtedly the main course. Her commitment to teaching is also evident in her authorship of a book on dispute resolution, the only one of its kind in French in Canada. This book has become an indispensable reference for students, professors, and practitioners.
The Excellence in Teaching Award, English Common Law Program
Awarded to a full-time faculty member of the English Common Law Program who has demonstrated outstanding performance in teaching through the development of innovative teaching methods and programs, and dedication to the student experience.
Chidi Oguamanam
Professor Oguamanam’s teaching is intellectually inspiring and deeply engaging. His vivid storytelling aids students in remembering important concepts for years following a lecture.
Professor Oguamanam also goes beyond his in-class lectures by hosting review sessions, dedicated Q&A sessions, sharing practice exams, and explicitly teaching fact-pattern analysis to equip students for success in law school. His course design demonstrates his mastery of the subject matter as well as a genuine investment in students’ learning outcomes. Beyond academia, he invests personally in his students’ careers by introducing them to his professional networks and writing impactful letters of reference for their job applications.
The Ian Kerr Award for Excellence in Teaching
Awarded to a full-time, pre-tenure professor in either the French Common Law Program or the English Common Law Program who has demonstrated outstanding performance in teaching through the development of innovative teaching methods and programs, and dedication to the student experience.
Julie Ada Tchoukou
Professor Julie Ada Tchoukou embodies the spirit of the Ian Kerr Award through her seamless blend of pedagogical innovation and unwavering dedication to her students. One of Professor Ada Tchoukou’s greatest strengths as an educator is her ability to humanize the learning process. Her classes regularly incorporate unconventional and reflective methods, including discussions on identity, connections between course material and personal experiences, and creative approaches to unpacking dense or technical concepts. These methods not only enhance comprehension but also create a classroom culture where students feel encouraged to participate, to question, and to grow.
Award for Significant Contributions to Graduate Studies
Awarded to a faculty member who has made significant contributions to the Graduate Studies program through exceptional commitment and ability in supervising graduate students, teaching graduate level courses or evaluating graduate work.
João Velloso
Professor João Velloso’s contributions to graduate studies and the training of legal professionals are remarkable and profoundly transformative. Beyond his academic expertise and the intellectual rigour he embodies, Professor Velloso stands out for his unwavering commitment to his students. He does not merely teach law: he shapes career paths, broadens horizons, and instills the confidence needed to undertake ambitious projects. Graduate studies require courage, perseverance, and vision. Professor Velloso cultivates these qualities in his students by giving them the tools, guidance, and confidence necessary to succeed and, above all, to innovate.
The Excellence in Research Award
Awarded to a member of the faculty who has earned distinction as a result of the importance and exceptional characteristics of their research over the past seven years.
Yan Campagnolo
Since the beginning of his academic career, Professor Yan Campagnolo has proven himself to be a profoundly innovative researcher. His work focuses primarily on comparative law, administrative law – particularly Cabinet secrecy – and constitutional law. A prolific researcher whose publications – always of exceptional quality – are available in both official languages, Professor Campagnolo stands out as one of Canada’s most influential legal scholars. Through the impact of his research, his intellectual leadership, and his impressive ability to secure funding, Professor Campagnolo perfectly embodies the highest standards of excellence in research.
The Emerging Researcher Award
Awarded to a member of the faculty who has earned distinction as a result of the importance and exceptional characteristics of their research. At the time of nomination, the nominee must have completed at least two years, but no more than seven years as a full-time professor at the University of Ottawa or elsewhere.
Doug Sarro
In just three years, Professor Doug Sarro has left an indelible mark on Canada’s legal landscape in business and innovation law – and beyond. When you look at the significant impact of his research, it is hard to believe that he is just an “emerging” researcher. Beyond “traditional” scholarship, his leading research has informed the creation or reimagination of essential courses to our curriculum for the benefits and pleasure of our students. Professor Sarro brings to his scholarship a depth of practical experience and intellectual curiosity, engaging with the practical effects of policy on the public interest in a manner that is rare in the legal academy.
Award for Excellence in Knowledge Mobilization
Awarded to faculty members who have demonstrated creativity, innovation and/or impact in the realization of knowledge mobilization activities and/or products.
Co-recipients:
Anne Levesque
Professor Anne Levesque’s work aims to transform the law and improve access to justice for marginalized people. As the Gordon F. Henderson Chair in Human Rights at the University of Ottawa’s Human Rights Research and Education Centre, Professor Levesque has established herself as one of Canada’s most influential legal scholars. Her publications on The Conversation platform are among the most widely read by contributors from the University of Ottawa and are notably available in both official languages. Through her knowledge mobilization initiatives related to the Equality Law Clinic and those benefiting the wider university community, she perfectly embodies the spirit of excellence in knowledge mobilization.
Amy Salyzyn
Professor Amy Salyzyn has made exceptional contributions to the Canadian justice system through sustained, innovative, and high-impact knowledge mobilization. Her work exemplifies how rigorous legal scholarship can be translated into practical guidance that improves professional practice, informs judicial decision-making, shapes regulatory policy, and enhances access to justice for the public. Through public legal education, applied research, and service to courts and regulators, Professor Salyzyn has ensured that complex issues – particularly those arising from artificial intelligence and other technologies – are understood, debated, and addressed responsibly across the justice system.
The Greenberg Prize for Feminist Research
Awarded by the Shirley Greenberg Chair for Women and the Law, the annual Greenberg Prize for Feminist Research recognizes the most significant article, book chapter or monograph published in the last 3 years on women and the law.
Julie Ada Tchoukou
“The Silences of International Human Rights Law: The Need for a UN Treaty on Violence Against Women”
Human Rights Law review, Volume 23, Issue 3, September 2023
This article examines a significant gap in international human rights law: despite the widespread and disproportionate impact of violence against women, there is still no binding international treaty that explicitly recognizes such violence as a human rights violation in its own right. As a result, legal protections often depend on complex interpretive work to fit violence against women within other rights regimes. Professor Ada Tchoukou’s article argues that this approach is insufficient. It calls for a fundamental rethinking of how international law conceptualizes violence against women, advocating for a clear and explicit legal framework that defines it as a standalone human rights violation. Such a shift would strengthen accountability mechanisms for states, provide more coherent legal protections, and better reflect the lived realities of women worldwide.
Nicole LaViolette Award for Distinguished Service
Awarded to a faculty or staff member who has earned distinction as a result of outstanding service to the Faculty or the University
David Fewer
As General Counsel at the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), David Fewer brings over twenty-five years of experience to CIPPIC’s advocacy on intellectual property and technology law matters. Beyond his advocacy work, he engages with a broad range of students who work with the clinic on real-life, cutting-edge issues arising from the use of new technologies. For students, CIPPIC and Professor Fewer’s office have become a place of refuge. He gives each student his full attention, carefully assessing their strengths and areas for growth to help them succeed both academically and professionally. He consistently creates meaningful experiences, taking notice of his students’ interests and ensuring they have the opportunity to explore them.
Together, these award recipients embody the excellence, innovative spirit, and dedication that continue to define the Common Law Section.