Frederic Wien champions capacity building in First Nations communities. A professor emeritus at Dalhousie University, he is highly regarded for collaborating with Indigenous leaders and scholars to undertake the research they need in order to create evidence-based policies and practices. His research has contributed to the design of social welfare programs, community-based loans for Aboriginal businesses, and poverty reduction initiatives. He also created a specialized degree program at Dalhousie that provides a culturally relevant education for First Nations social workers employed with Mi’kmaq family services.