
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
From revitalizing Chinatown to campus cultural groups, U of A students Kelly and Melody share how they’ve explored pathways to connect with and celebrate Asian heritage in Edmonton.
https://www.ualberta.ca/en/youalberta/2025/05/building-bridges-of-heritage-finding-my-asian-community-in-edmonton.html
Did you know AI learns just like a human brain?
U of A researchers have developed an algorithm that mimics the brain by adding new neurons as it learns. Deep learning models power tools like smart assistants and self-driving cars, but over time, they can lose their ability to…
Meet Isabel Pi-Fen Chueh, curator of the Mactaggart Art Collection and the creative force behind Birds and Beasts: Wearing Honour and Order in the Qing Dynasty.
From her first snowy days on campus to finding inspiration from the river valley, Isabel shares how her journey at…
Birds and mythical beasts take centre stage in a new exhibition at the U of A. Curated by Isabel (Pi-Fen) Chueh, Birds & Beasts features intricate artifacts from national collections, revealing how civil and military officials of the Qing dynasty used embroidered rank badges to…
A U of A-led team has completed a 613-metre core, the deepest ice core ever drilled in the Americas, from the Müller Ice Cap in Nunavut.
The core, along with three shallower ones, will help uncover up to 20,000 years of Arctic climate and ocean history.
https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2025/05/deepest-ice-core-in-the-americas-drilled-in-canadian-arctic.html…
The U of A’s new interdisciplinary AI + Health Hub brings together experts from 10 faculties to turn advanced research into practical health-care solutions.
From disease diagnosis to hospital management and drug discovery, the initiative invites leading AI expertise to improve…
U of A researchers are uncovering how genes and lifestyle factors interact to influence stroke risk and outcomes.
Using “multiomics” methods to analyze DNA, proteins and metabolites, the team aims to identify biomarkers that could lead to faster diagnosis, improved prediction…
Judge Gurcharan Singh Bhatia has spent a lifetime advancing human rights and championing the importance of educating future generations.
A longtime supporter of the U of A, he continues to inspire students through awards and initiatives that help build a more inclusive society.…
What does hydrogen research look like at the U of A? We asked Dr. Amit Kumar to break down his research in 60 seconds.
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41,000 students at five separate campus locations
University of Alberta students, faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and staff have received many academic awards and distinctions over the history of the university, including 71 Rhodes Scholarships, 15 Banting Post-doctoral Fellowships, 41 3M National Teaching Fellowships, and three Governor General Awards for Literature
More than 300,000 alumni in 140 countries
The University of Alberta has won 78 National Athletics titles.
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.