Prof. Anita Anand of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law has been awarded the Yvan Allaire Medal by the Royal Society of Canada.

The medal recognizes an individual’s outstanding contribution in the governance of private and public organisations, a statement from the university said. The RSC, in partnership with the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organisations, established the award to promote healthy governance practices in public and private organizations of all sizes, it said.

“Professor Anand’s foundational research has significantly altered global thinking about best practices for boards of directors, including the importance of diversity on boards,” the award’s citation said. “She has identified gaps in the law that undermine investors’ interests and has proposed effective solutions to ensure that their rights are protected.”

Anand and other winners will formally receive their honours at an awards ceremony on Nov. 22 in Ottawa.

According to her profile on the university’s website, Anand is the academic director of the faculty’s Centre for the Legal Profession’s program on ethics in law and business, and holds the J.R. Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance. From 2007 to 2009, she was associate dean at the faculty.

She holds bachelor’s degrees in political studies and jurisprudence from Queen’s University and University of Oxford, respectively. She obtained an LLB from Dalhousie University and an LLM from the University of Toronto, and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1994.