Dr. Pavlina Radia, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, is the recipient of the 2025 Angela Hildyard Recognition Award for Influential Leadership.
Presented annually by the Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada (SWAAC), this award honours senior women administrators who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in Canadian postsecondary education, fostering positive and lasting impact at the institutional level.
This year’s award recognizes Dr. Radia for her inclusive leadership, efforts to enhance the student experience, and commitment to championing equity, diversity, and inclusion.
“This national recognition is a well-deserved honour for Dr. Radia,” said Dr. Todd Mondor, President and Vice-Chancellor. “Since she joined UWinnipeg in 2023, her commitment to collaboration and student success has had a meaningful impact on many in our community. We’re grateful for her innovative leadership and everything she has done to help shape a stronger, more vibrant future for our university and Canadian higher education.”
Dr. Radia has advanced a variety of UWinnipeg initiatives to foster diverse and innovative learning environments—including introducing an institutional EDI framework to guide academic decision-making and, together with the Office of Indigenous Engagement, completing a cluster hire of eight additional Indigenous faculty members.
Before coming to UWinnipeg, Dr. Radia served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science at Nipissing University, where she co-founded the Centre for Interdisciplinary Collaboration in the Arts and Sciences. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Toronto and a Certificate in Human Rights for Education Professionals from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.
“Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada is honoured to recognize the contributions and leadership of Dr. Radia,” said Dr. Donna Kotsopoulos, President of SWAAC and Dean of the Faculty of Education at Western University. “This Influential Leader award represents our highest honour. Dr. Radia’s contributions to her institutions, her sector, and other women leaders are noteworthy and impactful. Her nominees from both in her institution and beyond acknowledge her exceptional listening skills, strategic insight, mentorship, and ability to unite stakeholders. She is recognized as an influential leader, fitting for this award.”
SWAAC was founded in 1987 to provide a forum for senior women leaders in academia to connect, share insights, and support each other’s professional development. The organization advocates for gender equity in leadership roles and creates opportunities for mentorship and networking among women in senior academic positions across Canada.
