W100 Representative
Andrea SmithSENIOR ADVISOR (PORTFOLIO STRATEGY)
Andrea Smith is the Portfolio Strategy Senior Advisor for External Relations. Andrea uses her extensive leadership experience building businesses from strategic assessment through to realization to enrich External Relations’ vibrant and dynamic work environment. A civil engineer with an MBA, Andrea’s professional skills, coupled with her eclectic leadership experience in corporate, not-for-profit and public institutions (universities), provide important insight and direction to the External Relations portfolio.
Since its inception in 1908, the University of Alberta has had the vision to be one of the world’s great universities for the public good. The university is dedicated to the promise made by founding president Henry Marshall Tory that “knowledge shall not be the concern of scholars alone. The uplifting of the whole people shall be its final goal.” This promise endures as the university strives to improve the lives of people in Alberta, across Canada, and around the world.
The Latest from University of Alberta
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A new University of Alberta study shows that partially removing food sources such as hay bales and grain bins can actually make chronic wasting disease (CWD) transmission worse. When only some attractants are cleared, mule deer may concentrate more tightly, which increases the…
Meet Shayleen Ghassemi, a PhD student at the University of Alberta exploring how space affects brain health.
Her research on microgravity and cosmic radiation is heading to the International Space Station. From undergrad to pioneering neuroscience in space, Shayleen is making an…
As migration season returns, a new study from the U of A shows that the Least Flycatcher leaves earlier each fall, now about 14 days sooner than 30 years ago. The shift is likely driven by climate change and adds pressure to a species already in decline, raising concerns about…
A recent U of A study shows that rural Albertans with multiple sclerosis are less likely to receive treatments that prevent relapses than urban patients. The results point to gaps in access to care and the need for greater use of clinical technology to support patients across the…
Tulips with red-and-white stripes puzzled scientists for centuries. Now, U of A researchers have cracked the case… with math. 🌷
https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2025/04/mathematicians-solve-centuries-old-mystery-of-how-broken-tulips-get-stripes.html
We’re on North Campus today with Minister Sawhney to celebrate a major investment in the future of innovation at the U of A.
The $100M LIFT Centre will double lab space and expand access to high-demand programs, fueling discovery in health, biotech, sustainability, and more.
U of A economics professor Alex Gainer partnered with the Online Learning team to reimagine how entry-level economics courses are taught online. Their innovative approach earned international recognition and strong student demand, with redesigned courses offering flexible,…
New research from the U of A’s Augustana Campus is helping to inform how we manage muskrat populations in freshwater ecosystems. A study in Miquelon Lake Provincial Park reveals how muskrats choose their food and build their shelters, offering data-driven insight for conservation…
U of A graduate student Arne Andres is helping develop an AI-powered app that maps mobility barriers on campus in real-time.
By combining machine learning with community-sourced data, the project aims to give people with disabilities better tools to plan their routes and inform…
A place where good ideas havea strong chance to become reality
The U of A has close to 400 teaching and research agreements with governments and partner institutions in nearly 50 countries. Key examples include Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, and Fudan University/Shanghai Medical College in China.
The Helmholtz-Alberta Initiative is an independent research partnership between the U of A and the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres. The U of A’s largest international collaboration, which was recently renewed until 2020, merges scientific and technical expertise to develop innovative solutions for today’s challenges in energy and the environment, terrestrial ecosystem and resource informatics, and health. The initiative is expanding into infectious disease research.
Mission and vision
- To be a vibrant and supportive learning environment
- Discover, disseminate, and apply new knowledge through teaching and learning, research and creative activity, community involvement, and partnerships
- To give a national and international voice to innovation in our province, taking a lead role in placing Canada at the global forefront
- To inspire the human spirit through outstanding achievements in learning, discovery, and citizenship in a creative community, building one of the world’s great universities for the public good
Home to leading experts in both established and emerging fields
$12.3b
Annual impact on Alberta economy
$500+m
Annual research funding 2019
The University of Alberta is one of Canada’s top teaching and research universities, with an international reputation for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering, and health sciences. In particular, the University of Alberta is internationally recognized as a world leader in diabetes research, energy and environment, virology, food security, nanotechnology, humanities computing, printmaking, artificial intelligence, family business research, carbohydrate chemistry, and circumpolar research.
Our expertise and strength attracts over $500 million annually from various research funders and partners including federal and provincial government, industry, foundations and other organizations.
Become a Member
The World 100 Reputation Network is a group of the best universities in the world, delivering research that enhances reputation and offering leaders the chance to develop their own careers on a global stage. Members benefit from events and study tours, training, monthly media monitoring, and unique reputation research to provide institutional advantage.