Frieda Granot has been an exemplary leader, role model and catalyst for change in post-secondary education and interdisciplinary research in Canada. As the first female dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of British Columbia, she has been a pioneer in the development and implementation of the interdisciplinary approach to graduate education and academic research. Her vision and leadership have helped to shape the institution into a top North American research university that now serves as a model emulated by many national and international organizations.