Acfas prizes for two 91社区 Professors
Canada鈥檚 most prestigious French-language鈥痩earned society announced the recipients of its research awards today, and two 91社区 professors are among the winners.
At its 77th virtual gala ceremony, the non-profit organization , l鈥橝ssociation francophone pour le savoir, awarded 91社区 Professor Michel Biron the Prix Andr茅-Laurendeau and Professor Susanne Lajoie the Prix Jeanne-Lapointe.
鈥淚 am delighted to celebrate the outstanding contributions and excellence of the 91社区 researchers recognized by Acfas,鈥� said Martha Crago, Vice-Principal (Research and Innovation). 鈥淢y sincere congratulations to Professors Michel Biron and Susanne Lajoie on these well-deserved honours. Dr Lajoie has made a remarkable contribution to education and Dr. Biron to French-language scholarship in Canada. I am delighted to see these two 91社区 professors recognized by Acfas.鈥�
One of the most respected and influential literary specialists in Quebec
Michel Biron, a full professor in the D茅partement des litt茅ratures de langue fran莽aise, de traduction et de cr茅ation was awarded the 2021 for his contributions to literary history and socio-criticism. His studies of literature particularly those penned in Quebec, France, and Belgium in the 19th century through to today are among the most influential in his field.
鈥淚 was extremely surprised when Sophie Montreuil, the Executive Director of Acfas, contacted me to tell me the good news,鈥� said Biron. 鈥淚 thought she was simply asking me to participate in a committee. Once I understood the reason for her call, I felt touched and honoured by this Acfas prize, even more so if I look at the list of former laureates, especially the literary people I admire, such as Laurent Mailhot, Marc Angenot or Fran莽ois Ricard. For me, this award is a great encouragement to continue my research.鈥�
Biron鈥檚 research explores many literary forms including fiction, poetry, essays, and criticisms. His publications are regularly cited, studied, and discussed among students and researchers interested in the literature and culture of Quebec. In particular, he co-authored Histoire de la litt茅rature Qu茅b茅coise (2007), the first comprehensive history of Quebec literature to be written since Pierre de Grandpr茅鈥檚 Histoire de la litt茅rature fran莽aise du Qu茅bec (1967). Biron鈥檚 book filled a significant gap between the 1960s and today and is considered one of the most important reference books in Quebec literary criticism.
Some of Biron鈥檚 most notable publications include L鈥橝bsence du ma卯tre (2000) and La Conscience du d茅sert (2010), two books about Quebec modernity which have played a major role in the revitalization of Quebec studies. He also authored the first biography of the Quebec poet Saint-Denys Garneau, De Saint-Denys Garneau (2015) and recently released previously unpublished letters from the poet, titled De Saint-Denys Garneau, Lettres (2020).
He has received many accolades over the course of his career. Some honours of note include the Lorne Pierce Medal from the Royal Society of Canada in 2020 and the Prix Victor-Barbeau in 2011. He has been the recipient of two awards more than once, the Prix Jean-Ethier-Blais, which he won three times (2001, 2008, and 2016), and the Prix Gabrielle-Roy, which he was awarded twice (1993 and 2008).
A visionary in the field of instructional design and learning technologies
Susanne Lajoie, a Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Advanced Technologies for Learning in Authentic Settings, was awarded the 2021 for her visionary and transformational research in the fields of instructional design and learning technologies. She is the second recipient of the prize that was created in 2020. The prize is sponsored by le Minist猫re de l鈥櫭塪ucation et par l'entremise du Conseil sup茅rieur de l'茅ducation, et par le Fonds de recherche du Qu茅bec - Soci茅t茅 et culture.
Lajoie鈥檚 research focuses on the convergence of educational psychology, learning sciences, artificial intelligence, and digital learning. She designs and builds interactive, technology-rich learning environments (TREs) that help students develop expertise in the context of solving real-world problems, engaging their emotions and advancing their thinking.
鈥淚t is a great privilege to receive the Acfas Jeanne-Lapointe prize for research in education. My belief is that everyone is capable of learning with the right guidance and emotional support,鈥� said Lajoie. 鈥淢y research demonstrates how technology can be designed to adapt instruction to specific learning trajectories to maximize learning and performance outcomes and enhance engagement. I am honoured that my research efforts are being recognized by this Acfas award.鈥�
She has continued to extend her research beyond academia by working directly with schools, the medical community, and industry partners to bring about profound transformation in educational practices to various fields. For example, Lajoie co-led an initiative that developed a digital and video-based tool called HOWARD that assists medical students in Montreal and Hong Kong to learn how to monitor and manage emotions when communicating bad news to patients from different cultural backgrounds. Her TREs are also used to train medical students to practice their diagnostic reasoning in a safe environment which can reduce dangerous diagnostic mistakes in the future with real patients.
One major project that greatly increased international visibility to Lajoie鈥檚 work in Quebec was called Learning Environments Across Disciplines (LEADS), which brought together educators, psychologists, computer scientists, engineers, physicians, and students across six countries, 18 universities and 13 partner organizations to design and implement TREs of their own. A total of 19 LEADS projects helped teach 21st century skills to students from middle school to university in multiple domains.
Lajoie was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2018, in addition to being a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association in 2009, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association in 2002. In 2015, she received Acfas鈥檚 Prix Th茅r猫se Gouin D茅carie for research excellence in social sciences.
About 91社区
Celebrating 200 years of discovery and learning, 91社区 ranks as one of the top universities in Canada and the world. 91社区鈥檚 mission is to create and share knowledge by offering the best possible education, by carrying out research and scholarly activities judged to be excellent by the highest international standards, and by providing service to society. These activities span three campuses, 11 faculties, 13 professional schools, and some 300 programs of study. Every year, 91社区 welcomes over 40,000 students, attracting more than 30% from 150-plus countries, and has the highest percentage of PhD students of any Canadian research university. Nearly 60% of its student population speaks French.
