Fourteen honoured by Royal Society of Canada
Three win medals, 11 elected as fellows
The University of Toronto has had a banner year in the number of faculty selected as fellows in the Royal Society of Canada and in those awarded medals from the prestigious organization.
Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada is the country's oldest and most prestigious scholarly organization. Its official name is RSC: Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (SRC: Académies des Arts, des Lettres et des Sciences du Canada).
The 2009 medal winners are:
University Professor Richard Bond of the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics is the winner of the Henry Marshall Tory Medal. The medal recognizes outstanding research in astronomy, chemistry, mathematics or physics. One of the world's leading cosmologists, Bond is responsible for major new insights into dark matter, black holes and the structure and evolution of the universe. He has been honored with a wealth of important prizes, including the 2008 Cosmology Prize of the Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation, the Humboldt Award and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council's Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal.
Professor Barth Netterfield of astronomy and physics is the winner of the Rutherford Memorial Prize in physics. This award recognizes outstanding research in any branch of physics. Netterfield is an observational cosmologist. His research is in the construction and use of balloon borne telescopes, which can achieve many of the benefits of space-based telescopes. His other prestigious honours include a EWR Steacie Memorial Fellowship and a Sloan Foundation Fellowship.
Professor Paul Young of civil engineering, physics and geology is the winner of the Willet G. Miller Medal for outstanding research in any branch of earth sciences. Young is the Keck Chair of Seismology and Rock Mechanics, inaugural director of the Lassonde Institute for Engineering Geoscience and U of T's vice-president (research). He has pioneered many of the techniques used today in monitoring induced seismicity in the mining, petroleum and nuclear waste disposal industries. His other honours include the Franklin Award for outstanding contributions in the field of rock engineering and fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Faculty members elected as fellows of the society are: Professors Raymond Carlberg of astronomy, a theorist and observational astronomer who is Canadian project director for Canada's contribution to the Thirty Metre Telescope, the largest ever built; J.K. Chambers of linguistics, an internationally recognized sociolinguist and the leading authority on Canadian English; and Anthony Doob of the Centre of Criminology, one of Canada's leading criminologists whose specialties are in juvenile justice and the development of criminal justice policy in this country.
And Professors George Eleftheriades of electrical and computer engineering, who is making seminal contributions to the new subject of metamaterials -- human-made materials that have electromagnetic properties not found in nature; Andres Lozano of the Faculty of Medicine/University Health Network, who is developing novel surgical approaches to treat Parkinson's disease, depression and Alzheimer's disease; and Robert Orr of physics, U of T's team leader on the ATLAS project, a component of the renowned Large Hadron Collider.
Also Professors Robert Reisz of biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, a pioneering paleontologist who has conducted innovative work on various reptiles, fossilized embryos and the origin of the turtle; Gregory Scholes of chemistry, a solar energy expert who is conducting breakthrough work that could lead to building efficient organic solar cells; Philip Sohm of art, a distinguished scholar of Italian Renaissance and Baroque art; Germaine Warkentin of Victoria College English, an expert on Renaissance writing and early Canadian literature; and Min Zhuo of physiology, who recently led a team that uncovered a link between dopamine and the variation that causes the mental impairment known as Fragile X syndrome.
"Recognition by the Royal Society of Canada is one of the great honours of a scholar's life," said President David Naylor. "Each of these research leaders is richly deserving of these awards and appointments, not only for their expertise and innovation in their specific fields but also for creating knowledge on which the next generations of scholars can build and, of course, for the positive impact of their work on society."