Cressida Heyes is an outstanding graduate student mentor. Former Canada Research Chair in Philosophy of Gender and Sexuality at the University of Alberta, Dr. Heyes supports students wanting to challenge orthodoxies while reaching the highest standards of scholarship, as well as helping them navigate the political challenges of academic careers skillfully and thoughtfully. Her mentoring work reflects a deep determination to help diverse individuals find ways of flourishing within the university, and former and current graduate students write eloquently about her mentorship and the significance of her guidance for their subsequent studies and careers.
Dr. Heyes encourages, inspires, and supports students to reach their full potential in ways that are tailored to each individual. Many of the students with whom she has worked have faced significant barriers to feeling at home in their academic disciplines. Both their research interests and their personal identities have positioned them at the margins of their fields. Dr. Heyes’ response is to foster intellectual and pedagogical creativity among her graduate students, and to break down the barriers of traditional academic disciplines. “Under Dr. Heyes’ mentorship, I have become a better writer, a better critical thinker, and a better teacher,” writes a
