English professor Dr. Sherrill Grace has been awarded the distinguished title of University Killam Professor, the highest acclaim reserved for faculty members for teaching excellence and scholarly distinction.“I am very honoured to have received this recognition,” said Dr. Grace on being conferred the title. “I understand that there will be some duties attached to the title and I look forward to finding out more about what these are and doing my best to carry them out.”
Dr. Grace’s diverse research has won her many accolades, including the UBC Killam Teaching Prize and the UBC Killam Research Prize. She is the first scholar to publish a book on Margaret Atwood, and edited two volumes of Malcolm Lowry’s letters, making previously unpublished material available. Using an interdisciplinary approach, she examines twentieth-century Canadian literature alongside theatre, film, painting, music, and cultural history.
“The main point to stress is that we live in an age that is highly technological and scientific. In such a global context, it is easy to lose sight of the constant relevance and value of the humanities, the fine and performing arts, and the social sciences. With my award of this title, I feel that UBC is saying that we recognize the enormous importance of the ‘arts’ and the central role that ‘arts’ disciplines play in our world.”
Among Dr. Grace’s other distinctions are the Lorne Pierce Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canada Council Killam Prize in the Humanities and the Canada Council Killam Research Fellowship. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a recipient of the UBC Jacob Biely Faculty Research Prize, and a UBC Distinguished University Scholar.
