Photo by Judith Brunton
“There comes a point in a professor’s career—and it may come earlier than we might expect—where the most important work we can do is to help build up the next generation of scholars.”
The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Pamela E. Klassen, Professor and Chair in the Department for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto, has been awarded the 2025 Dr. Suning Wang Award for Outstanding Graduate Mentorship. CAGS received a record 16 nominations from across Canada this year, which were reviewed by a committee of 8 independent judges.
Dr. Pamela Klassen is an internationally renowned scholar of the anthropology and history of Christianity and colonialism in North America, with an extensive record of work on colonialism, treaties, museums, and public memory. Her recent projects explore Christianity, colonialism and media technologies, contraception and religious freedom, and questions of difference and belonging in multicultural societies. Her research has been supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Fulbright Program, the Canada 150 Foundation, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. From 2022–2023, she served as the William Lyon Mackenzie King Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Harvard University. At the University of Toronto, she has supervised 15 doctoral students, 14 master’s students, and seven postdoctoral scholars to completion, and is currently supervising eight doctoral and four master’s students.
A Model of Ethical, Student-Centred Supervision
A leader in collaborative pedagogy and mentorship, Dr. Klassen treats her students as respected emerging scholars from the very start of their programs. She meets with them collectively and one-on-one, offering consistent guidance and building relationships founded on trust, integrity, and shared intellectual purpose. Working across disciplinary boundaries, she supports a wide range of research topics and methods, tailoring her approach to help each student achieve their academic and professional goals. Her rigorous editorial mentorship, often involving multiple drafts and many hours of feedback, encourages students to develop their own voice on complex and sensitive subjects.
Dr. Klassen’s students benefit not only from her scholarly expertise but also from her deeply ethical and inclusive approach to supervision. Her Humanities Lab model – a rarity in non-STEM fields – fosters collaboration among graduate and undergraduate students while creating fruitful opportunities to work with community partners. The ethics of community-engaged and land-based research, and a commitment to partnerships with Indigenous communities, are central to both her scholarship and her mentorship.
A Champion of Graduate Student Excellence
Dr. Klassen has developed an innovative model of effective supervision in the Humanities. Testimonials highlight how consistently she champions her students, from recognizing their work at major conferences to hiring and training them as RAs and TAs. Her many grants and funded projects provide students with paid research opportunities, as well as valuable international networks and travel experiences. A standout example is Kiinawin Kawindomowin Story Nations, a digital storytelling website co-developed with more than 10 graduate students and postdocs in partnership with the Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung Historical Centre. Dr. Klassen has also led over 30 students on funded research trips and international workshops, from the Rainy River First Nations in Treaty #3 territory to the University of Tübingen, creating transformative experiences and relationships that extend well beyond the academy.
As students progress through their programs, Dr. Klassen helps them build the skills and experience needed to thrive in today’s complicated job market. She provides close support as they apply for funding and engage in research collaborations in the community and abroad, and fully exploits a wide range of vehicles to foster opportunities for students to fund and disseminate their research. The impact of Dr. Klassen’s highly personalized mentorship is clear. Many of her graduate students publish peer-reviewed research during their program, and Dr. Klassen herself has published with more than 20 graduate students as co-authors. Her students have also secured competitive grants, awards, and fellowships from the University of Toronto, the Jackman Humanities Institute, the Louisville Institute, and SSHRC. Dr. Klassen’s graduate students have gone on to find successful, meaningful careers, including tenure-track positions and diverse roles beyond the academy.
Throughout her career, Dr. Klassen has shown a sustained and transformative commitment to graduate supervision. As former Director of Graduate Studies and now Chair of her department, she has supported mentorship across the University of Toronto through workshops, committee service, and graduate student initiatives. Dr. Klassen’s important contributions to mentorship have been widely recognized: in 2015 she received the University of Toronto Alumni Association’s Northrop Frye Award of Excellence, and in 2019 she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
CAGS instituted the Award for Outstanding Graduate Mentorship in 2018 to highlight and celebrate faculty members who exemplify the highest standards in teaching, training, and mentoring. The Award was renamed in 2020 in honour of the inaugural winner, the late Dr. Suning Wang of Queen’s University. CAGS is delighted to showcase the hard work and dedication of Dr. Pamela Klassen, and we hope that her strong commitment to graduate students will inspire supervisors to reach similar heights.
“Dr. Klassen stands out in her ability to create a community of mutual care, support, and generative collaboration among her students, a community that endures far beyond graduation.”
“Pamela is a champion of her students and their work, and does not shy away from tooting their horn among the broader network of scholars to which she is connected…These seemingly small acts of generosity and support are invaluable to graduate students who are at the beginning of their careers.”
On the banks of Manidoo Ziibi, Rainy River, from left: Frieda Simmons, Sarina Simmons (current PhD student), Pamela Klassen, Art Hunter (Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung Historical Centre), Magdalene Klassen, Lachlan Kelly (baby), and Meaghan Weatherdon (former PhD student, professor at San Diego University)
Pamela Klassen is Professor of the Study of Religion at University of Toronto and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She is the author or co-author of 10 books, a digital exhibit, and almost 50 articles and chapters, many of which include her graduate students as co-authors or contributors. She has supervised 23 PhD and 18 MA students, and has served as committee member or external examiner for over 30 students at universities across the world. From 2015-2020, she held the Anneliese Maier Research Award from the Humboldt Foundation and in 2022-23 was the W.L.M. King Visiting Professor at Harvard University, both of which included significant engagement with graduate students.
