Leadership Team
Aminah Robinson Fayek, Vice-President (Research)
Appointed July 1, 2021.
A professor of civil engineering, Aminah is a renowned expert in construction engineering and management. Her research focuses on fuzzy logic and fuzzy hybrid modeling techniques, and the application of artificial intelligence for intelligent decision support in construction. Her work has changed how the construction industry models operations and decisions and helped solve delivery-related issues, improved productivity and outcomes, increased profitability, technological sophistication, and competitive performance in design and construction.
She holds a Canada Research Chair in Fuzzy Hybrid Decision Support Systems for Construction, and is currently serving her third term as NSERC Senior Industrial Research Chair in Strategic Construction Modeling and Delivery.
Her passion for research is complemented by her passion for working with graduate students, and industry collaboration. A respected member of Alberta's construction industry, Aminah has developed extensive and long-standing industry and public sector partnerships in Alberta and beyond. In addition to her work with industry and academic partners, she has served on many external policy and research committees, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, where she served three years on the Advisory Committee on University-Industry Grants. Aminah is also a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, and a member of the National Academy of Construction.
vpri@ualberta.ca | 780-492-5353
Ian Winship, Associate Vice-President (Research Development and Services)
Dr. Winship leads a team that offers administrative services to support researchers and help increase sponsored research funding success. He provides leadership and oversight to Research Administrative Services (including CFI) and to researcher development programs and resources to strengthen pathways for success across the research life cycle. He also champions the promotion of Indigenous initiatives in research (in collaboration with the Vice-Provost, Indigenous Programming and Research) and equity, diversity and inclusion (in collaboration with the Vice Provost, Access, Community and Belonging).
Dr. Winship oversees research recognition awards and internal funding programs, and works with the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) on the Canada Research Chairs program.
Dr. Winship is a neuroscientist and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry, and a former Alberta Innovates Health Solutions (AIHS) Scholar. His research uses model systems and advanced imaging to evaluate pathophysiology and novel therapies for brain disorders. Over the past decade, Dr. Winship has worked extensively to strengthen research and education in neuroscience and mental health via leadership positions in the Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI), the Neurochemical Research Unit (NRU) in the Department of Psychiatry.
iwinship@ualberta.ca | 780-492-5320
Jason Acker, Associate Vice-President (Research Integrity Support)
Jason is responsible for building, implementing and managing a framework that supports programs and services encompassing all research integrity areas, including compliance, ethics certification, clinical trials monitoring, human and animal ethics, safeguarding research, and legal requirements related to research
A graduate of the 天涯社区, Jason is currently a professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. He and his team perform discovery research in low temperature biology and translation studies on the collection, manufacturing and storage of cell-based therapeutics.
jason.acker@ualberta.ca | 780-492-8342
Courtney Thomas, Chief of Staff
Courtney is the Chief of Staff for the Office of the Vice-President (Research), where she manages major projects, oversees administrative operations, and provides strategic advice to the Vice-President. Since joining the office in 2024, she has been instrumental in managing emerging issues and information for the portfolio.
Prior to this role, Courtney held diverse positions on campus since 2012, including Executive Director of the Graduate Students’ Association and Academic Department Manager for the Humanities Division in the Faculty of Arts.
She holds a Ph.D. in History and Renaissance Studies from Yale University. As a scholar, she's published a book on the social history of honour among the early modern English elite with the University of Toronto Press, along with several academic articles.
Julie Stephens, Director, Research Partners Network
In her 30 years at the U of A, Julie has served in numerous research administration and support roles. In this role, she established and lead a new research support approach, and developed new standards to help foster and grow an environment that helps researchers and innovators to do their best work. The Research Partner's Network team has streamlined research administration via one-stop-shop access to Vice-President (Research) portfolio services and resources, as well as proactive and responsive activities to address the U of A research community’s emerging needs.
julie.stephens@ualberta.ca | 780-492- 9189