Cape Breton University Alumnus, Dr. Yurij Salmaniw, has recently been awarded the 2025 AARMS (Atlantic Association for Research in the Mathematical Sciences) Postdoctoral Award for excellence in mathematical research. This prestigious fellowship marks the first AARMS postdoctoral placement in mathematics at CBU, a milestone that reflects the University's growing impact in advanced research.
For Dr. Salmaniw, the award is both a professional achievement and a homecoming. A graduate of CBU's Bachelor of Science program in Mathematics, he first discovered his passion for research under the mentorship of CBU faculty. That spark led him across the country and around the world, to McMaster for a Master's, the University of Alberta for a PhD and the University of Oxford under an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship, before bringing him back to the campus where his academic journey began. In September 2025, he returned to CBU for a two-year postdoctoral position, collaborating with Dr. Scott Rodney and Dr. George Chen on the theory of partial differential equations.
Reflecting on his time as a student, Yurij says it had an incredible impact on his journey. "The close access I had to professors and the resources at CBU made it the perfect place to begin my studies," he shares. "That kind of mentorship and support set me on the path I'm still on today."
But the CBU connection doesn't stop there. During his undergraduate years, Yurij met fellow student Esther Abel, who would go on to earn her own degree at CBU before pursuing two master's and a PhD. The two built their lives together and have cultivated parallel callings in teaching and research. In a full-circle moment, both Yurij and Esther will soon be teaching at CBU as faculty, ready to give back to the same Caper community that shaped their early paths.
As alumni, they embody the strength of the CBU experience where lasting relationships, academic excellence and personal growth come together. They represent the bright horizon for current and future students who will benefit from their expertise and mentorship.
For CBU, welcoming Yurij and Esther back is a reminder that the University's influence travels far, preparing graduates to contribute to global scholarship, while always leaving the door open for them to return to Cape Breton.
