Five USask scholars named distinguished professors

This year’s distinguished professors are Dr. Claire Card (PhD), Dr. Daniel Chen (PhD), Dr. Miroslaw (Mirek) Cygler (PhD), Dr. Curtis Pozniak (PhD), and Dr. Barbara von Tigerstrom (PhD). 
 
“Congratulations to this year's distinguished professors, who have each made a lasting impact in their fields through their teaching, research, and scholarly contributions,” said Dr. Patricia McDougall (PhD), USask interim provost and vice-president academic. “These scholars exemplify the many ways excellence is expressed in academics and research. They have been leaders, collaborators, and innovators in their disciplines, industry, classrooms, and labs. They now join a legacy of scholars whose impactful work spans local to global communities and reflects the core mission of the University of Saskatchewan.” 
 
Professors emeriti and current USask faculty members who hold academic qualifications corresponding with an appointment at the rank of full professor are eligible for appointment to the distinguished professor position. Recipients of this lifetime award become distinguished professors emeriti upon retirement. This year’s recipients were selected by a committee made up of senior leaders, faculty and community members, who undertook an extensive review of all submitted nomination packages. 
 
“From innovative teaching practices to impactful research and dedicated service, this year’s nominees reflected the depth and diversity of talent across the University of Saskatchewan faculty community,” said Dr. Scott Walsworth (PhD), USask vice-provost, faculty relations. “This year’s high calibre of nominations made the selection process exceptionally difficult. After careful and thorough consideration by a dedicated selection committee, five professors were selected for this highest honour within the professorial ranks in recognition of their exceptional contributions. I am pleased to congratulate each of this year’s distinguished professors.” 
 
More information about the Distinguished Professorship Program, including a list of past recipients, is available online. 

Card is a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the WCVM at USask, and an internationally recognized leader in equine reproduction and theriogenology. She earned her BSc with Honours, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with Distinction, and PhD in Physiology from Cornell University, followed by post-doctoral training in animal science. Card became a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists (ACT) in 1991 and joined WCVM that year, attaining the rank of full professor in 2000. 
 
Over a 35‑year academic career, Card has made seminal contributions to understanding maternal recognition of pregnancy in the mare, identifying key physiological regulators essential to early pregnancy maintenance. Her research bridges fundamental reproductive biology with clinical innovation, leading to the development of hysteroscopic low‑dose insemination techniques, transvaginal ovarian and luteal biopsy methods, and clinically meaningful benchmarks for endometrial inflammation. She has also advanced knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of congenital hypothyroidism in foals and the impact on neonatal skeletal development.  
 
Card has been active as a partner in development assisting rural women headed HIV-AIDS affected families in Uganda since 2008 to improve their lives and livelihoods using a one health approach. For this work, she was given the George Ivany Internationalization Award in 2022.  She is currently the principal investigator on a $4-million grant from Global Affairs Canada that broadens the work to include additional projects in Ghana and Ethiopia.  
 
Card’s scholarly output includes more than 80 peer‑reviewed publications and conference proceedings, 15 book chapters, 53 invited international presentations, and over 570 citations. She has supervised dozens of graduate students, residents, and interns, and was awarded the Provost's Teaching Award in 2025. In 2020, she was named ACT Theriogenologist of the year. Card was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee for Science in 2022 and received the Saskatchewan Vet Med Association's J.J. Murchison Distinguished Veterinarian Award in 2024. Her sustained excellence in research, mentorship, and global engagement exemplifies the highest standards of academic leadership and impact. 

Chen, a professor in USask’s College of Engineering, is an internationally renowned leader in bioprinting and tissue engineering whose work has redefined the state of the art in biofabrication and regenerative medicine. Chen received his PhD in mechanical engineering from USask in 2002 and then pursued his post-doctorate at Queen’s University. In 2003, he was appointed as an assistant professor with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at USask. He was subsequently promoted to associate professor and then full professor in 2007 and 2010, respectively. 

Chen’s research integrates advanced manufacturing technologies, biomaterials, and cell engineering to create functional living tissues. His work has addressed critical medical challenges, including peripheral nerve repair, cartilage regeneration, and myocardial infarction, significantly advancing the clinical potential of engineered tissues and disease models. He has authored more than 270 peer-reviewed publications and high-impact studies, and has an h‑index of 74, reflecting the global influence of his scholarship. 
 
A defining strength of Chen’s career is his commitment to mentorship and training. For more than two decades, he has supervised and mentored over 60 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, many of whom now hold leadership positions in academia, industry, and research organizations worldwide. Chen’s sustained excellence has been recognized through numerous prestigious honours, including Fellowships in the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Engineering Institute of Canada, and the International Association of Advanced Materials, exemplifying scholarly impact, innovation, and academic leadership. 

Cygler is a professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology at the College of Medicine and an internationally renowned leader in structural biology. He received his PhD in crystallography in 1976, following earlier graduate training in theoretical physics, and has devoted more than five decades to advancing molecular medicine through structural science. He joined USask in 2011 as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Molecular Medicine Using Synchrotron Light, a position he held through two highly successful terms. 
 
Cygler’s research program leverages the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron to elucidate the structural basis of enzymatic function, host–pathogen interactions, and protein–carbohydrate recognition. His work has revealed key molecular mechanisms used by bacterial pathogens to subvert host defenses, advanced understanding of iron–sulfur cluster assembly, and identified novel carbohydrate processing enzymes with implications for antibiotic, anticancer, and precision therapeutic development. He has authored more than 270 peer‑reviewed research papers and 33 review articles, with over 23,000 citations worldwide and an h-index of 73. 
 
Beyond his research contributions, Cygler has played a foundational role in building Canada’s structural biology infrastructure. He was instrumental in the development of the CLS and the Canadian Macromolecular Crystallography Facility, founded the PRISM research centre, and established major protein characterization facilities at USask. His scientific leadership, mentorship, and community building have left a lasting legacy for health research in Saskatchewan and internationally. 

Pozniak is a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and Director of the Crop Development Centre (CDC) in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at USask. A USask alumnus, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1999 and his PhD in Plant Genetics and Breeding in 2003. He joined USask that same year and has since become one of Canada’s most influential wheat geneticists and breeders. 
 
Pozniak’s research has fundamentally advanced understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of disease and insect resistance, end-use quality, and resistance of abiotic stresses in wheat. His work integrates cutting-edge genomic technologies with field-based breeding to deliver high-yielding, resilient cultivars for producers. He has played a pivotal leadership role in landmark international initiatives, including serving as a lead scientist for the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, which produced the first wheat reference genome. He also led the international 10+ Wheat Genomes Project, which delivered the first and most comprehensive analysis of multiple wheat genomes, a global resource that supports modern wheat breeding. 
 
Pozniak has released 22 wheat cultivars since 2008, several of which are grown on more than one million acres annually and have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars in farmgate value. He has secured prestigious research funding including multiple multimillion dollar Genome Canada projects and established the Wheat Molecular and Functional Genomics Laboratory at USask. He has authored more than 185 peer-reviewed scientific publications that have been cited more than 23,200 times, placing him among Canada’s most highly cited academics. 
 
A highly regarded teacher and mentor, Pozniak has supervised graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who now lead programs worldwide, exemplifying sustained excellence in research, leadership, and impact. He has earned numerous awards, most notably the prestigious Bertebos Prize in Agriculture, the Outstanding Leadership Award from the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, and Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for service in agriculture. He holds an Honorary Lifetime Membership with the Saskatchewan Seed Growers Association and as a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Agronomy. 

Von Tigerstrom is a professor in the College of Law at USask and one of Canada’s most influential scholars in health law, privacy law, and the regulation of biomedical technologies. She holds a PhD in Law from the University of Cambridge, an LLB and MA from the University of Toronto, and a BA with Distinction from the University of Alberta. She has been a member of the USask faculty since 2005 and has served in senior leadership roles including associate dean and acting associate dean, Research and Graduate Studies. 
 
Von Tigerstrom’s research has shaped legal scholarship, public policy, and regulatory practice nationally and internationally. A leading authority on health and public health law, she was appointed in 2016 as one of two legal scholars on the federal Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation. Her research on food labelling, taxation, and chronic disease prevention has informed policy making and advocacy, while her work on stem cell technologies, tissue engineering, and regulation of medical products has helped define legal frameworks for emerging biomedical innovations. She is the author of the foundational textbook Information and Privacy Law in Canada and of widely cited works on international law relating to health and human security. Her publication record includes two authored and two edited books, 24 book chapters, 46 peer-reviewed journal articles, 12 public reports, and nearly 90 presentations. 

An award‑winning educator, von Tigerstrom has received five institutional teaching awards and national recognition from the Canadian Association of Law Teachers. Her sustained excellence in research, teaching, mentorship, and public service exemplifies the highest standards of scholarly distinction.