Concordia professors Charles Acland, Fariborz Haghighat and Martha Langford are pioneers in their respective disciplines — and their countless career accomplishments have not gone unnoticed.
They have now each earned the university’s highest form of recognition for overall research achievements: Distinguished University Research Professor (DURP).
“We are very proud to present this award to three prolific Concordia researchers,” says Christophe Guy, vice-president of Research and Graduate Studies.
“Their outstanding work in communication studies, engineering and art history has helped shape the direction of these important fields. Their acclaimed research is as impactful as the inspiration they offer the students and peers who surround them.”
This is the second year that Concordia has conferred DURPs to a select group of faculty members who demonstrate outstanding and sustained excellence in research. Nominees must also be recognized nationally and internationally for both impact and leadership in their fields.
Award laureates retain the title until retirement.
‘His research output is remarkable and sustained’
Communication studies professor Charles Acland has taught full-time at Concordia for the last 26 years in areas including media and cultural theory, culture of modernity, popular culture, media industries, film exhibition, ephemeral film, blockbusters and Canadian media industries.
He joined Concordia in 1999, was named Concordia University Research Chair (CURC) in Communications Studies (2004-15) and has served as chair of the Department of Communication Studies since 2017.
In their nomination letter, Peter van Wyck, Krista Lynes and Elizabeth Miller emphasized Acland’s impressive publishing history.
“His research output — both in its pace, and its gravity — is remarkable and sustained,” they wrote.
At last count, he is author or editor of seven books — a remarkable achievement, amounting to an edited or single authored book every three and a half years. He has published more than 20 book chapters in edited collections, 24 peer-reviewed journal articles, nine non-peer-reviewed articles, a half-dozen encyclopedia entries, a UNESCO report and seven book reviews.
During his time as a CURC, Acland was co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Film Studies, founder and co-director of the Media History Research Centre and, for three years, graduate program director of the MA in Media Studies program.
Acland supervised to completion seven PhD candidates, with four more ongoing, and 33 MA students, with five more in process. He also contributed to many graduate proposal, exam and thesis and dissertation defense committees.
“His dedication to the profession, to scholarship and to the craft of teaching and mentoring mark him as a most distinguished professor and colleague indeed,” added the nomination committee.