Daniel Gillis

Dr. Daniel Gillis is an Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Guelph. He specializes in transdisciplinary research addressing ecological and public health challenges, community-engaged software design, and educational pedagogy. His work emphasizes collaboration across disciplines and communities, notably through projects like Farm to Fork (food security), ICON (transdisciplinary classroom), and the Wireless Mobile Mesh Network initiative to bridge Canada’s digital divide. Gillis holds a PhD in Statistics from the University of Guelph (2010) and has been recognized with awards including the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Teaching Award (2019) and a $2.13M MITACS grant (2018).

Education & Employment:

• PhD in Statistics, University of Guelph (2010)
• Joined University of Guelph School of Computer Science in 2011

Research Themes:

• Agent-based modeling for ecological risk assessment
• Community-led tech solutions in Indigenous communities
• Transdisciplinary education frameworks (e.g., ICON program)
• Climate change adaptation via integrated monitoring systems (eNuk program)

Grants & Awards:

• MITACS Accelerate Grant ($2.13M, 2018)
• Science Borealis 100 Voices recognition (2016)
• Teaching Excellence Award (2019)

Advising & Partnerships:

• Collaborations with Public Health Agency of Canada, Statistics Canada, Inuit communities in Labrador
• Advisor for undergraduate and graduate research projects (e.g., phishing detection, land observation tools)

Labs & Teams:

• ICON Transdisciplinary Classroom
• Wireless Mobile Mesh Network Research Group
• Rigolet Inuit Community Monitoring Initiative