Three Queen’s researchers will join the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), bringing expertise in operations research, exercise science, and educational assessment.

Vedat Verter (Smith School of Business) and Robert Ross (School of Kinesiology and Health Studies) have been elected Fellows, while Christopher DeLuca (Faculty of Education) has been elected to the College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists.

The RSC is a national organization that recognizes leading researchers, artists, and thinkers across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. This year, 105 individuals were elected Fellows and 54 were elected to the RSC College. Fellows are elected for their career achievements and hold membership for life, while the College recognizes mid-career leaders, who serve seven-year terms.

“Recognition like this is a moment to celebrate the people behind the research and the curiosity, commitment, and collaboration that have shaped their work throughout their careers,” says Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research). “Their achievements also reflect the breadth of research at Queen’s and the many ways our researchers advance their fields and contribute to society.”
 

Recognition as RSC Fellows

Dr. Verter’s election as a Fellow follows more than three decades of research using management analytics to address problems in health care, environmental safety, sustainability, and humanitarian operations. His early work on hazardous materials transportation helped develop methods to assess risk, and design safer transportation networks. 

Recently, teaming up with experts from Kingston Health Sciences Centre and a technology vendor, Dr. Verter helped develop an artificial intelligence-assisted triage tool that, in a large pilot study, reduced wait times for psychiatric care by 43 per cent, from 14 months to eight months. His work with the UN World Food Programme has also applied analytics to food-aid delivery and last-mile transportation procurement. 

Dr. Ross has built his career around understanding how physical activity and nutrition can prevent and manage chronic disease. Large, randomized trials he led showed that exercise can reduce abdominal obesity and insulin resistance with or without weight loss, helping change how researchers and health professionals understand the benefits of physical activity. 

Dr. Ross has also helped bring that evidence into clinical and public-health guidance. He led an American Heart Association scientific statement on assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical practice and chaired the development of Canada’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for adults, which combine recommendations for physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep. 
 

Joining the College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists

Dr. DeLuca was elected to the RSC College for his research on educational assessment and its role in shaping student learning and experiences in the classroom. His work examines how assessment can move beyond traditional tests and grades to support learning, inclusion, and student agency. 

His research has transformed how teachers learn to assess through tools such as the Approaches to Classroom Assessment Inventory, an open-access resource used in more than 25 countries to support teacher professional development. 

Dr. DeLuca serves as an advisor to the Ontario Ministry of Education on assessment policy renewal and represents Canada on the International Educational Assessment Network, extending the influence of his research into education policy in Canada and internationally. 

The RSC will induct its 2026 Fellows and College members on Nov. 13 at its annual Celebration of Excellence and Engagement in Ottawa.

Learn more about the Royal Society of Canada’s 2026 Fellows and College members.