Dr. Joy Morris to receive the 2026 Graham Wright Award

Ottawa, ON – The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Joy Morris (University of Lethbridge) has been named the recipient of the 2026 Graham Wright Award for Distinguished Service in recognition of her exceptional and sustained contributions to the Canadian mathematical community and to the Society. Dr. Morris will be receiving her prize at the 2026 CMS Winter Meeting in Montréal, Québec.

Reflecting on the significance of this award, Dr. Morris shared:

“I’ve come to recognise that an award for service is particularly meaningful to me as I’ll always strive (and fail) to live up to my mother’s example – although her contributions were all about social justice, she was awarded the Order of Canada shortly before her death in 2001 and her citation begins, “She is a model for those who seek to serve others.” Obviously, she was a model for me.”

Dr. Morris has been a faculty member at the University of Lethbridge since 2000, becoming an Associate Professor in 2005 and a Full Professor in 2015. She earned her PhD in Mathematics from Simon Fraser University in 2000. Her research focuses on combinatorics and algebraic graph theory, including Cayley graphs, automorphism groups, and graph symmetries. In addition to her research accomplishments, Dr. Morris is widely respected for her mentorship, teaching excellence, outreach work, and longstanding service to the Canadian mathematical community.

Dr. Morris has demonstrated dedication to the CMS through many years of volunteer leadership and service. She served as a member of the CMS Board of Directors from 2017 to 2023 and currently serves on the Executive Committee as Vice-President (West). She has also contributed to different committees’ work, including the Education Committee and the Distinguished Awards Selection Committee, and has supported CMS meetings as a session organizer. 

Colleagues describe Dr. Morris as a thoughtful, principled, and steady leader whose commitment to the long-term health of the Society has been especially important during periods of organizational challenge and transition. Her leadership on the CMS ad hoc Human Resources Committee has been helping guide the Society through a complex governance review process with professionalism, fairness, and care.

In supporting Dr. Morris’s nomination, colleagues said:

“Dr. Morris has strengthened the Society not only through committee and governance work, but also through the kind of thoughtful, stabilizing leadership that institutions depend on.” 

“Dr. Morris is a quiet leader whose fairness, steadiness, and generosity of service have earned the trust and respect of colleagues across the Canadian mathematical community.”

In addition to her distinguished service to the CMS, Dr. Morris is internationally recognized for her research contributions in combinatorics and algebraic graph theory, particularly in the study of automorphism groups of graphs and Cayley graphs. Her research has helped solve longstanding open problems in the field and has earned her international respect as a leading scholar in algebraic graph theory.

Dr. Morris has a strong reputation as an educator, mentor, and community leader. Her outreach initiatives include the creation of “Parent Math Help” drop-in sessions, a community program designed to help parents support middle-school students in mathematics. The initiative received the “Friends of 51” award from School District 51 (Lethbridge, Alberta) for its impact on the community.

Her many honours include the inaugural Sutherland Service Award for outstanding union service in 2022, the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union Excellence in Teaching Award in 2018, and the Prairie Baseball Academy’s “Professor of the Year” teaching award in 2002.

In conclusion, the CMS is proud to recognize Dr. Morris with the 2026 Graham Wright Award in acknowledgement of her exceptional leadership, sustained commitment to the Society, and lasting contributions to the Canadian mathematical community.

About the Graham Wright Award for Distinguished Service
The Graham Wright Award for Distinguished Service is presented annually to an individual who has made sustained and significant contributions to the Canadian mathematics community, particularly through their involvement with the CMS. This award is named in honour of Dr. Graham Wright (Ottawa) who served as the CMS Executive Director and Secretary from 1979 to 2009.

About the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)
The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is the main national organization whose goal is to promote and advance the discovery, learning and application of mathematics. The Society’s activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics competitions that recognize outstanding student achievements. The CMS is a registered non-profit, charitable organization and depends on grants, funding, and generous donations from sponsors, benefactors and community members to be able to carry out its activities.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Ilia Binder (University of Toronto) President Canadian Mathematical Society president@cms.math.ca

or

Dr. Termeh Kousha Executive Director Canadian Mathematical Society tkousha@cms.math.ca