2026 – Geoff Rayner-Canham, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University
The College Chemistry Canada (C3) Educator’s Award is the highest award given by the organization and is awarded to a person who has made substantial contributions to chemical education at the college or university level. This year, the nominators and awards committee also agreed that a C3 Lifetime Membership award will also be given to recognize Geoff’s numerous contributions to C3.Geoffrey Rayner-Canham has opened many doors for people to benefit from learning chemistry. He has worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for Indigenous students to be teaching assistants, lab assistants, and ambassadors for STEM within Inuit communities to local students and to the broader science community. He has made science accessible to many by building bridges between chemistry and local culture.
Geoff is devoted to telling the stories of the people involved in science. He helped bring the Inuk chemistry series authored by two Inuit women (Chaim Christiana Andersen and Rosalina Naqitarvik) to a wide science and education audience so that many may learn about the science that has been practiced in traditional Inuit communities. Since then, the chemistry series has been curated into a Chem13 special edition entitled “Chemistry and Inuit Life and Culture”. Geoff has also authored many books about the people involved in science with an interest in telling the stories of women and others who faced challenges and were not always recognized for their achievements. His books, co-authored with Marelene Rayner-Canham, include: Harriet Brooks: Pioneer Nuclear Scientist (1992), A Devotion to Their Science: Pioneer Women of Radioactivity (1997), Women in Chemistry: Their Changing Roles from Alchemical Times to the Mid-twentieth Century (1998), and Allies of Pioneering Women Chemists (2024).
Within the C3 community, Geoff is a valued colleague and leader who has been involved in hosting three C3 conferences and was pivotal in the 2026 conference taking place in Iqaluit. The C3 conference attendees were humbled by the heartwarming welcome of the Inuit people and were greatly thankful for the Inuit cultural practices we were fortunate to participate in. This could not have happened without Geoff’s vision to host the conference in Iqaluit. At every conference, Geoff always takes time to share his many stories of travels and experiences of sharing science while visiting communities in Nunavut, Newfoundland, and Labrador. Awarding the 2026 C3 Educator’s Award to Geoff in Iqaluit, on the traditional and unceded lands of the Inuit people, is especially meaningful since Geoff has formed such a deep connection with the Inuit people and their traditions.
2025 – Bruno Cinel, Thompson Rivers University
Bruno has been sharing his instructional experiences and stories in engaging and humorous ways as part of the C3 Conferences and during the extra-curricular activities. As the chair of the 2010 Conference at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), he brought together instructors to share knowledge and to discuss ideas for the improvement of chemical education. From that point, Bruno has been a major part of the executive that helped with recruitment of future members, C3 executive and conference chairs.
Bruno co-chaired the BC-Integrated Lab Network (BC-ILN). This project provided remote access to analytical equipment. Students from high schools or colleges could send in samples to TRU and use remote access to run their lab samples.
Within the BC Chemistry post-secondary articulation, Bruno was apart of the committee for many years. This has helped students that can easily transfer their 1st, 2nd year chemistry from sending institute to a receiving institute.
TRU also hosts annual Chemistry contests when high school students can compete to demonstrate their knowledge of the curriculum. Bruno was part of the organizing group and grader for submitted exams.