Two Western professors who have re-shaped their fields with groundbreaking research have been awarded the highest honour faculty can receive.
Dr. Emil Schemitsch from Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and professor Xianbin Wang, in Western's Faculty of Engineering, have each earned the title of Distinguished University Professor (DUP). Schemitsch is globally renowned for his work on fracture repair and musculoskeletal injuries; Wang ranks among the world's most impactful researchers in electrical and computer engineering. Both are recognized for their exceptional achievements as researchers, scholars, teachers and innovators.
Western faculty members Dr. Emil Schemitsch and Xianbin Wang have earned the title of Distinguished University Professor for their exceptional contributions to research, teaching and service to the community throughout long careers at Western. (Schulich Communications, Colleen MacDonald/Western News)
Western colleagues, former and current students and academic peers from around the world lauded Wang and Schemitsch in detailed endorsements to support their nominations as a Distinguished University Professor.
"It's an incredible honour - a highlight of my time at Western," said Schemitsch, an orthopaedic surgeon and head of surgery at London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care London. He's also a researcher at London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute.
Wang greeted the recognition with equal enthusiasm.
"I'm quite excited for the honour and grateful to the nominators and my research team," he said.
Western is also celebrating 13 new Faculty Scholars, mid-career professors recognized for their outstanding academic work. All of them will be added to the President's Honour Roll of faculty, students, staff and alumni who exemplify excellence.
The public is invited to attend a lecture given by the newest Distinguished University Professors on April 23 at 3 p.m. in the Great Hall, Room 3326, Somerville House, Western University.
Emil Schemitsch
Dr. Emil Schemitsch is a highly esteemed expert in fracture repair and musculoskeletal injuries. His research has had a significant effect on mitigating the global burden of musculoskeletal conditions, which are leading causes of disability and long-term workplace absences.
Schemitsch's work has improved patient outcomes and quality of life for people suffering fractures due to thinning bones. He is the principal investigator for the WHERE study on wait times for hip and knee replacements, aimed at improving performance and addressing inequities in post-operative outcomes. He also leads or participates in over 20 randomized controlled trials, including a landmark study on intertrochanteric hip fractures that is expected to shape clinical care in treating this devastating injury.
His involvement in various prognostic studies have addressed inequities and also led to screening for intimate partner violence in orthopaedic fracture clinics. His patients remain top of mind throughout all Schemitsch's accomplishments.
"The opportunity to have a profound impact in the lives of patients is gratifying. Musculoskeletal conditions cause significant pain and impaired function. Being able to restore function and improve quality of life following these injuries is very rewarding."
Dr. Emil Schemitsch, Distinguished University Professor 2025
With over 650 publications and more than $36 million in funding, Schemitsch's research has led to groundbreaking findings and numerous awards. He's a five-time recipient of the Founder's Medal for Research. His research has been cited over 29,420 times, reflecting his significant influence in the field.
A colleague described Schmetish's contributions to orthopaedic trauma research and arthroplasty as unparalleled in a letter endorsing his nomination.
"I cannot think of a single other orthopaedic surgeon who has contributed more. It would require a book chapter to delve into all the details of his immense contributions."
Schemitsch's commitment to education and mentorship includes the supervision of over 500 trainees, including fellows and residents who say he provides an outstanding learning environment. He contributed to over 100 educational courses and has delivered numerous lectures worldwide.
As the Richard Ivey Chair of the Department of Surgery, Schemitsch has improved faculty diversity, increased research productivity and established novel models of care. His leadership roles extend nationally and internationally, having served as president of key professional organizations in orthopaedics.
"My roles as president of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association and president of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association bring me the most pride as they represent recognition from peers for my academic and research contributions," he said of the many milestones in his career.
Schulich Medicine & Dentistry dean, Dr. John Yoo, said Schemitsch's contributions have established Western as a leader in orthopaedics around the world.
"Dr. Schemitsch's academic program has been successful in addressing the burden of orthopaedic trauma globally and has led to Western University being internationally recognized as an eminent Canadian centre for research and education in this area," Yoo wrote.
Schemitsch's desire to drive further change in the field - and in the lives of the people he serves - keeps him motivated.
"I'm propelled by the continued opportunity to provide clinical care, improve the lives of patients and participate in research that can change clinical practice."
*With files from Megan Stacey
Xianbin Wang
Professor Xianbin Wang is a world-renowned expert in wireless communications, machine learning and Internet of Things. He has secured over $20 million in funding for dozens of projects and published more than 600 papers. His research has not only advanced technologies in the wireless forefront, but also has shaped industry standards, government policies and academic thought worldwide.
Wang said close collaboration with his research team is critical to his success.
"You may have lots of ideas as an active researcher, but you can't do everything by yourself. I deeply appreciate the dedication of my team members who keep up on the latest developments and explore possible directions, enabling us to collaborate effectively as a team in tackling complex technical challenges."
Wang is a prolific inventor. Five of his 35 patents and many related designs have been adopted by industry. His concept of superimposed signal transmission, interference cancellation and signal reconstruction was adopted in HDTV standards across North America, increasing communication efficiency by over 60 per cent.
Wang's other pioneering invention in physical layer security significantly reduced security vulnerabilities in wireless networks by leveraging device-specific, situation-related and multi-attribute authentication techniques, further influencing the ongoing 5G/6G standardization process. This achievement remains one of his proudest innovations.
"It's exhilarating to find effective solutions that eventually improve people's lives and support industry, not just through technological innovations but also by nurturing the next generation of talent."
Xianbin Wang, Distinguished University Professor 2025
Wang is also recognized for his dedication to teaching, research training and inclusivity. Since joining Western in 2008, he has received outstanding teaching evaluations and trained more than 230 grad students, postdocs and other researchers, many of whom are now industry leaders. He increased female representation on his research team from 15 to 40 per cent through coordinated outreach.
Wang credits Stanford University professor John Cioffi with inspiring him from the time they first met 25 years ago.
"Professor Cioffi published extensively, mentored a younger generation and successfully translated his innovations to real-world industry applications. He even received a National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Joe Biden. As a truly exceptional engineer, educator and inventor, he has long been an inspiring role model to me."
Cioffi was among those who submitted a letter of support, describing Wang's extensive professional service, within Western and around the world, as a reason for the university to be proud.
"Dr. Wang has left an indelible mark on the global engineering community," he wrote. "His altruistic contributions to the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) include organizing over 50 conferences, 10 editorial roles for leading IEEE journals and sharing his research as an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer."
Early in his career, Wang worked in government and industry, but returned to the university environment for the freedom it offers academics to explore the directions of their research. He considers that aspect essential for dynamic technical areas that evolve quickly. Wang's current work is focused on developing trusted communications and computing techniques that ensure data governance, accountability and reliability of future intelligent systems.
"I just renewed my Tier-1 Canada Research Chair at Western, now titled Trusted Communications and Computing'. With the unprecedented technological evolution, convergence and adoption, we need to ensure future technologies are trustworthy, human-centric and bring true value to people as the end users."
Wang's public remarks on April 23 will include an outline of his roadmap for realizing value and trusted collaboration in 6G enabled intelligent systems.
The following 13 professors were named 2025 Faculty Scholars:
Joshua Schuster, Arts and Humanities/English and Writing Studies
Maxwell Smith, Health Sciences/Health Studies
Diane-Laure Arjaliès, Ivey Business School
Athanasios (Akis) Psygkas, Law
Kelly Anderson, Schulich/ Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Aaron Ward, Schulich/Medical Biophysics and Oncology
Silvia Penuela, Schulich/Anatomy and Cell Biology
Jessica Prodger, Schulich/Microbiology and Immunology
Peter Stathopulos, Schulich/Physiology and Pharmacology
Anwar Haque, Science/Computer Science
Stanimir Metchev, Science/Physics & Astronomy
Alex Benson, Social Science/Psychology
Jed Long, Social Science/Geography and Environment
