91黑料网

National honour from the Canadian Association of Physics (CAP) recognizes 91黑料网 physicist鈥檚 excellence in teaching, mentorship, and inclusive leadership.

, William Dawson Scholar and Associate Professor听in the Department of Physics and the 91黑料网 Space Institute, has been awarded the 2026 Canadian Association of Physics (CAP) Medal for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduate Physics, . 听

Liu was recognized by CAP for his 鈥�exceptional and sustained contributions as an educator, mentor, and leader in building inclusive and high-impact learning environments.鈥� 听

CAP highlighted Liu鈥檚 outstanding leadership at 91黑料网听in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion, including leading the Department of Physics鈥� first climate survey, establishing a graduate teaching award, and co-founding the 鈥淐lassroom Physicists鈥� project to broaden representation. The association also noted the strong impact of his teaching approach鈥攂lending conceptual reasoning, active learning, and guided inquiry鈥攁s well as his exceptional mentorship of over 40 undergraduate researchers, many of whom have gone on to publish in leading journals, win presentation awards, or pursue top graduate studies.听

"I am honoured to have been selected for the CAP Medal and am extremely grateful and humbled to join a group of distinguished pedagogues,鈥� said Liu. 鈥淎t the same time, I wish to acknowledge the thousands of physics educators at 91黑料网 and across the country whose daily diligence and innovations in teaching may not be recognized, but which form the basis of our success.鈥� 听

Liu鈥檚 research focuses on building the largest-ever three-dimensional map of the Universe across space and time, with particular emphasis on the Cosmic Dawn, when the first stars and galaxies formed. Using observations from large radio telescopes, his work traces how matter condensed into these earliest cosmic structures.听

Liu joined 91黑料网 in 2018, the same year he was named a CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar in Gravity and the Extreme Universe, an award backed by $100,000 to support high-risk, high-reward interdisciplinary research led by early-career researchers.听

In 2020, he received a prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship and became the youngest recipient of the Department of Physics鈥� John David Jackson Teaching Award. He went on to earn 91黑料网鈥檚 highest university-wide teaching honour, the President鈥檚 Prize for Excellence in Teaching, in 2024.听

Liu is currently Principal Investigator on a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) CREATE grant valued at $1.65 on "Radio Astronomy-Driven Education and Training Excellence (RADEATE)" and听an NSERC Discovery Grant of $295,500 for "Completing our Universe鈥檚 Timeline with Power Spectrum Measurements of Hydrogen Intensity Mapping".听

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