06/10/2026
🎉 Congratulations to the PRSSS 2026 Student Award Winners! 🎉
We are proud to recognize four outstanding students whose research, leadership, and dedication are advancing soil science across Canada.
Victoria Pitsiaeli – UBC student, youth agriculture advocate, and BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food co-op student. Victoria is passionate about inspiring the next generation through hands-on soil science and agriculture education.
Erica Kreitz – MSc candidate at UNBC studying soil biogeochemistry and soil health. Through her work with ranchers, producers, and the BC Forage Council, Erica helps connect soil science research with on-the-ground agricultural management.
Matthew Kyriakides – Professional Agrologist and PhD candidate at the University of Victoria. His research focuses on restoring degraded agricultural land and supporting healthy soils, productive farms, and resilient food systems.
Emma Tutt – MSc student at Simon Fraser University and co-first author of the recent Hydrological Processes publication, “Hydrophysical Properties of Peat in Undisturbed and Smelter-Impacted Peatlands: Implications for Moss Recovery, Drought and Wildfire.” Her research advances our understanding of peatland hydrology and supports peatland conservation efforts across Canada.
Read the paper: https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70034.
Congratulations to Victoria, Erica, Matthew, and Emma on their outstanding achievements and contributions to the future of soil science! 👏
