Computer science prof, WGST coordinator receive U of S awards

College of Arts & Science faculty members Regan Mandryk and Marie Lovrod received two of the University of Saskatchewan’s top faculty awards at the 2015 Fall Convocation ceremony on Oct. 24.

Regan Mandryk, associate professor of computer science – New Researcher Award

In less than 10 years, Regan Mandryk has built a soaring reputation as a groundbreaking computer science researcher. Mandryk is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of human-computer interaction, and particularly in the area known as affective computing: developing systems that can read and interpret human emotions.

A breakthrough affective computing model built by Mandryk laid the foundation for tools and research now in use at major software companies such as Electronic Arts and Valve. These companies use the model to test video game and software prototypes, observing directly how much fun or frustration their users are experiencing. Future video games based on this approach might adapt in real-time to the user’s emotional responses.

Mandryk is also a leader in the “serious games movement,” which applies video games to address real-world issues. She has built methods to help children with neurological disorders regulate their emotions or perform therapeutic exercise through games, and has pioneered the design of exercise games that help elderly people and people in wheelchairs become active.

Mandryk’s achievements have been widely acknowledged by her international colleagues. She has received best paper awards at three of the top conferences in her field; has been invited to give keynote addresses at two international game research conferences; and in 2014 was among the first researchers inducted into the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

Marie Lovrod, assistant professor of women’s and gender studies / English – Award for Distinction in Community-Engaged Teaching and Scholarship

Marie Lovrod has devoted her career to community outreach and engaged learning. She seeks to better understand childhood and youth trauma, along with the effects of domestic and state violence. Through her scholarship and community work, she tirelessly endeavours to help traumatized people have their voices heard.

One example of Lovrod’s community-engaged scholarship was a project in which she helped assess the service needs of young people in crisis following violence in their lives. It led to the creation of a housing project and a support hotline for those youths, as well as a later collaboration with the Saskatchewan Youth in Care and Custody Network in which young adults formerly in government care were helped with their transition to independence.

Lovrod continues to build meaningful partnerships with community-based organizations including the Saskatoon Mothers’ Centre, Next UP and the Saskatchewan First Nations Family and Community Institute. She collaborates with international partners as well; recently, she established a research partnership between the U of S and Lanzhou University in China.

Lovrod fosters a passion in her students for helping others, as well. She works to give students an opportunity early in their education to complete research projects with real-world impact. In one of her courses, students have performed community research focused on examining food banks, urban accessibility for the blind, honoring residential school survivors, and more.

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