Championing Equity in Higher Education: Dr. Juan Carlos López Receives CAUT Equity Award

Dr. Juan Carlos López receives CAUT Equity Award from Mayurika Chakravorty (Carleton University Academic Staff Association), Co-Chair of the CAUT Equity committee

At the 99th Council Meeting of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), Juan Carlos López, PhD, Assistant Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Acadia University and Director of the Maple League Teaching & Learning Centre, was honored with the CAUT Equity Award—a national recognition that celebrates exceptional efforts to make post-secondary education in Canada more inclusive.

The CAUT Equity Award, established in 2010, acknowledges academic staff or groups who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to challenging exclusionary behaviors and practices such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. Recipients are recognized for contributions that have regional or national impact, whether through a single transformative project or sustained advocacy over time.

For Dr. López, this achievement reflects years of dedicated work in fostering equity and inclusion within academia. Nominated by the Acadia University Faculty Association (AUFA), his efforts have focused on dismantling systemic barriers and creating spaces where all voices are heard. “As a soil microbial ecologist, I see soil as a living system… teeming with life! I have always been fascinated by the study of mycorrhizal fungi, the ‘friendly fungi’ that form a symbiotic relationship with most land plants. Over the years, we have learned that these fungi not only contribute to plant nutrition, but also contribute to the survival of ecosystems,” says Dr. López. “The notion of creating strong relationships that allow systems and individuals to survive, thrive and be resilient is a guiding principle of my work in higher education. I strive to make seen and unseen allies, and alliances, explicit and visible.”

Since 2022, Dr. López has served as the co-chair of the Employment Equity Committee at Acadia, a joint committee between faculty and administration that works to ensure that no systemic barriers exist to the full participation of people from equity-deserving groups in our workplace. At the regional level, he serves as an AUFA representative in the Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers, and at the national level, he was appointed as a Racialized Academic Staff member in CAUT Equity Committee. Each of these roles illustrate Dr. López’s steadfast commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. 

Dr. Juan Carlos López with representatives from Nova Scotia higher education institutions at CAUT

Receiving the award at CAUT’s national council meeting underscores the broader impact of López’s leadership—not only at Acadia University and in the Maple League, but across Nova Scotia and Canada. His work exemplifies how equity initiatives can transform institutional culture, inspire collective action, and advance social justice in higher education.

This recognition is a testament to the power of collaboration and the ongoing commitment required to challenge exclusionary practices. Looking towards the future, Dr. López remains steadfast in his commitment to advancing equity in academic spaces and beyond: “I will continue my journey in allyship, in kinship and - why not - in coconspiratorship forging a better and brighter, democratic, non-polarizing, but rather inclusive future for everyone.”