Professor and Associate Dean, Graduate Education, Dr. Immaculate Namukasa.
Immaculate Namukasa earns national award for leadership
Western Education’s Associate Dean of Graduate Education has received national recognition for her exceptional leadership.
Dr. Immaculate Namukasa was named the recipient of the Angela Hildyard Recognition Award by the Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada (SWAAC). Her achievement exemplifies the incredible contributions women are making in leadership and academia.
The award recognizes a leader who has consistently demonstrated innovative and impactful leadership in advancing their institution’s mission and making a lasting impact on higher education by setting a benchmark for excellence.
Two categories of the award, one for established and influential leaders and another for emerging leaders, are presented each year.
Namukasa was presented with the latter award during SWAAC’s 2025 conference at Concordia University in Montreal last month.
“I am overwhelmingly honoured to receive an award from the Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada,” said Namukasa.
“Accepting this award is a monumental milestone in my journey toward leadership. Thank you to the selection committee for recognising and believing in my potential.”
Namukasa completed her undergraduate studies at Uganda’s Makerere University and later obtained a PhD degree in Secondary Education and Teaching at the University of Alberta. Soon after, she joined Western University’s Faculty of Education in 2004.
An inspiring figure for any academic, Namukasa has built an extensive research resume, edited numerous journals and developed open-source resources for school education and teacher professional development.
Elsewhere, Namukasa has lent her expertise to more than 20 university and Faculty of Education committees, task forces and advisory boards.
She has also served as a distinguished teaching fellow for Western’s Centre for Teaching and Learning, a role reserved for outstanding educators who are tasked with providing educational leadership to the university community, performing research on teaching and learning, and sharing the outcomes of their work locally, nationally and globally.
A full professor in the areas of mathematics education as well as curriculum and pedagogy, Namukasa has served as Associate Dean of Graduate Education since July 2021.
Namukasa says the significance of memories made in Quebec with her loved ones makes the award even more special. She fondly recalls attending a conference in Quebec alongside her mother and oldest daughter, who was a toddler at the time.
“I am very thankful to my family: my spouse, our 3 children and my mother for their enduring support,” said Namukasa.
“I acknowledge my former Dean and Professor Kathy Hibbert, my current Dean Professor Donna Kostopoulos, and my close colleague, mentor and collaborator Dr. George Gadanidis. I thank so much George and Kathy for nominating me for this award. This award is also dedicated to the Dean who Chaired the committee which hired me at Western, the late Dean Allen Pearson.”
When she reflects on the award and the leaders who inspired her, Namukasa says there is a quote from American memoirist, poet and activist Maya Angelou that comes to mind: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
“Thank you SWAAC community for fostering a culture of inclusivity, excellence, and leadership development,” Namukasa added.
“I am excited to continue my journey, striving to give back to higher education.”
