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Five professors who perform at the top of their field have been awarded ����ɫ�� Killam Annual Professorships for excellence in research and teaching. To hear it from the recipients though, it’s clear none of them consider their success a solitary accomplishment.

All five — Nigel Bankes, Dr. Herman Barkema, Dr. Warren Piers, Dr. Hude Quan, and Dr. Keith Yeates — reflected on the importance of their mentors, colleagues, and students in shaping their career paths and research programs, and expressed gratitude for their contributions.

“The dedication that our Killam Annual Professors show to their research teams and students does not come as a surprise,” says Dr. Andre Buret, interim vice-president (research) and chair of the ����ɫ�� Killam Selection Committee. “These individuals represent academic excellence at its finest — pursuit of new knowledge that improves peoples’ lives. They think about the big picture every day, and recognize that collaboration is what takes a research and teaching program to its highest level.”

Nigel Bankes was drawn to natural resources and energy law because of his interest in sustainability and the environment. “My graduate supervisor at UBC convinced me that I needed to understand the resources and energy industries if I really wanted to get at the drivers of environmental degradation and identify opportunities for a more sustainable future,” he says.

Bankes has been internationally recognized for his work on Canadian oil and gas law, and legal and policy issues related to the Arctic, the Columbia River Treaty, and the resource rights of Indigenous people. During his time at UCalgary, he has also served as the director of graduate studies in the Faculty of Law, and led the creation and implementation of a Master of Laws program that specializes in energy, environmental, and natural resources law.

“The variety and change that is inherent in these areas of law has kept me interested in them throughout my career,” he says. “It is always dynamic as we change our energy mixes, and move to decarbonize our economies.”