A Brandon University professor known for her groundbreaking research and mentorship of young women has been named one of the University of Regina’s outstanding young alumni.
Dr. Sarah Plosker was announced as a ‘Crowning Achievement’ award recipient on Monday.
Award recipients are honoured for their outstanding achievements and innovation, commitment to excellence, community engagement and leadership, and impact on the social, cultural, and economic well-being of society. Awards will be formally presented in October.
“I’m grateful for my time at the University of Regina, which goes far beyond just the courses I took,” said Dr. Plosker, who is an Associate Professor in Mathematics and Computer Science at Brandon University, as well as a Canada Research Chair in Quantum Information Theory. “The other students I met, the faculty members who took me under their wing, the extracurriculars, and my two degrees all set me up for success. I am so proud to be receiving this award from the Alumni Association; I am truly honoured.”
“This is a wonderful and well-deserved award for Dr. Plosker and everyone at BU shares in offering her our congratulations,” said Dr. Kofi Campbell, BU’s Provost and Vice-President (Academic). “Every professor was also once a student, and it is gratifying to see in Sarah someone who was such an excellent student at the University of Regina being recognized for her continued excellence as a professor, researcher, and mentor here at Brandon University. We’re deeply proud to work alongside such a strong role model for women and girls in STEM.”
Dr. Plosker received her Bachelor of Science from the U of R in 2008, followed by her Master of Science in 2010.
University of Regina – Outstanding Young Alumni
Dr. Sarah Plosker BSc ’08, MSc ’10
When she graduated from the University of Regina, Sarah’s instructors were confident that the bright, industrious and articulate student was destined for greater achievements. Her instructors were not wrong. She graduated with more than a dozen awards, including the prestigious University Prize in Science.
Beyond her academic success at the University of Regina, Sarah was involved, and often led, events across campus. She organized “Pi Day,” volunteered at the graduate student conference, was the student representative on several committees and was an active member of the Women in Science group.
She continued her successes while she was a graduate student at the University of Guelph, winning the highly competitive Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. During her doctoral studies at the University of Guelph, she was recognized with the Governor General’s Gold Medal for the Most Distinguished Doctoral Graduate.
Sarah is a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in quantum information theory at Brandon University. As a CRC, she is considered among the nation’s best and brightest scholars, while at the same time she’s contributing to strengthening Canada’s research excellence and training a new generation of mathematical scientists. Her research is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, yet another indicator of the excellence of her program of research.
Sarah’s impact on the quantum information theory research community is significant. Her research is constructing the mathematical foundation for some ground-breaking future developments. It is notable that her research appears not only in high-profile journals in mathematics (such as the Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications) but also in physics (such as Physical Review Letters). Consequently, Sarah’s work is making an important impact in both disciplines.
Sarah is often singled out as a role model for other young women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). In this regard, she has been active herself, for example, project leader and mentor at the Banff International Research Station in 2018 with the specific aim of engaging young women in the field and helping them achieve their professional and academic goals.
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