College of Arts professor Dr. Ajay Heble will appear on CBC Radio’s Ideas this weekend for an episode celebrating this year’s Killam Prize laureates.

A professor in the School of English and Theatre Studies, Heble was one of five Canadians awarded this year’s Killam Prize, which is among the most distinguished research awards in Canada. It recognizes Canadian scholars with sustained impact in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences and engineering. 

As well as serving as the founding artistic director of the Guelph Jazz Festival, Heble helped launch of G’s renowned International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI), which has created a new field of critical theory focused on improvisation in music. 

The Killam Prize citation noted Heble is “a globally renowned scholar, visionary arts leader and innovative community builder” who “has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of musical and other forms of improvisation as vital models for social change.”   

Ideas will air on CBC Radio One and Sirius XM on Friday, June 23 at 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. Saturday. It will also be available on CBC Listen.