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Adrian Liu appointed Associate Dean, Graduate Education and Equity

Published: 28 July 2026

The Faculty of Science is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Adrian Liu as Associate Dean, Graduate Education and Equity. 

He began his five-year term on July 15, succeeding Biology Professor Laura Nilson in this role following 𳦱ԳǾԳٳԳ as Chair of the Department of Biology.

“I am pleased to welcome Professor Liu as our new Associate Dean, Graduate Education and Equity,” said Alanna Watt, Dean of the Faculty of Science. “His leadership, commitment to student success, and dedication to equity and inclusion make him an outstanding choice for this role.” 

A William Dawson Scholar and Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and the Trottier Space Institute, Liu conducts large surveys of the Universe across space and time using datasets from 21cm cosmology to expand our understanding of how the first stars and galaxies formed and evolved. 

Since joining 91˿Ƶ in 2018, Liu has received numerous accolades for his teaching and research. In 2020, he was named a Sloan Research Fellow and became the youngest recipient of the Department of Physics’ John David Jackson Teaching Award.In 2024, he was awarded 91˿Ƶ’s highest university-wide teaching honour, .Earlier this year, he received the 2026 Canadian Association of Physics (CAP) Medal for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduate Physics.

Beyond his contributions as a researcher and educator, Liu brings years of experience in supervising and mentoring graduate students to his new role as Associate Dean, Graduate Education and Equity.

This past May, he received the Carrie M. Derick Award for Graduate Supervision and Teaching from the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in recognition of his outstanding commitment to graduate student success.He has also been a leader in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives, having led the Department of Physics’ first climate survey, establishing a graduate teaching award, and serving on the Faculty of Science’s Equity and Climate Committee.

“I’m honoured to take on this role. Graduate students are a perfect representation of the intersection between training and research that we value so much at a research-intensive university like 91˿Ƶ,” said Liu. “I’m therefore deeply committed to the hard work that it takes to ensure that all our graduate students have the right environment to succeed. Science is driven by humans, and it is incumbent upon us to ensure equitable access to opportunities for our students as they embark on their scientific journeys.” 

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