Bhandari named Distinguished University Professor

Mohit Bhandari, professor and chair of the Department of Surgery is one of two professors who has been named Distinguished University Professor.

The Distinguished University Professor title was created to recognize exceptional McMaster faculty who lead in all the areas that make up a well-rounded scholar. Nominees need outstanding research with a global impact, as well as demonstrated excellence in teaching, mentorship, and community service throughout their careers.

The title, which is restricted to no more than two per cent of all full-time faculty members, is the highest honour McMaster university can bestow.

Bhandari is also known for putting his research into practice. As professor and associate chair of research in the Faculty of Health Sciences’ department of surgery, he has mentored over 200 students and over 100 faculty across many surgical disciplines. This commitment to his students and colleagues earned him the Mentor of the Year award from the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada.

“McMaster is well-recognized as the home of interdisciplinary innovation and evidence-based medicine, so I am deeply honoured to receive this appointment,” said Bhandari. “At the same time, I am astutely aware of—and want to thank—those exceptional mentors, peers and students who have contributed immensely to my personal growth and scholarship.”

Bhandari’s research is focused on the design and conduct of large, practice-changing multicentre randomized trials evaluating interventions in patients with musculoskeletal trauma. He holds a senior tier Canada Research Chair in evidence-based orthopaedics, acts as the current President of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association and was awarded membership to the Order of Canada in 2019.

He’s also occupied the role of chair of the violence against women working group of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association and is dedicated to educating medical colleagues about the unique position of orthopedic surgeons in identifying the physical signs of domestic violence.

The second professor given the title was Mahmut Parlar, a business research professor and a professor of management science in the operations management area.

Parlar’s research straddles both business and engineering, focusing on stochastic modelling, dynamic optimization and game theory applications.

“I am proud that my work has set the path for applying game theory modelling in retail operations management and opened the door for later developments in supply chain coordination,” he said.

“Professors Bhandari and Parlar are truly exceptional scholars who have significantly advanced their respective fields through innovation in research and dedication to knowledge translation,” said Susan Tighe, McMaster’s provost and vice-president, academic.

“Beyond this influence on their global scholarly communities, they have also brought their considerable expertise to McMaster through teaching, mentorship, and service. I would like to echo the gratitude of their students and colleagues for their work and congratulate professor Bhandari and professor Parlar on this extraordinary achievement.”