National Awards and Honours

Canada's Top 40 Under 40 Award 2007

Dr. Sherah VanLaerhoven, Department of Biological Sciences and Academic Chair, Forensic Sciences Program was named a recipient of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 award. The annual awards program, established in 1995 by The Caldwell Partners, is designed to celebrate the achievements of 40 Canadians in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, who have reached a significant level of success before age 40. Dr. VanLaerhoven is one of only two forensic entomologists in Canada, and is a pioneer in the field. Forensic entomology involves the use of insect evidence in forensic investigations. VanLaerhoven’s research has been used in a number of homicide cases and she has served as a expert witness for over a decade, most recently in the Regina vs. Truscott case.

Canadian Association of Physicists Outstanding Achievement Award 2007

Dr. Roman Maev, Daimler/Chrysler Industrial Research Chair in Applied Solid State Physics and Material Characterization, Department of Physics, was the recipient of the Canadian Association of Physicists 2007 Outstanding Achievement Award in Industrial and Applied Physics. The citation on the Award reads: " for his outstanding work in the field of acoustic microscopy. His research interests include the fundamentals of physical acoustics and ultrasonic imaging as well as studies of properties of heterogeneous micro-structures of materials and biomaterials. His inventions are now widely used in a range of assembly line manufacturing processes."

Chemical Institute of Canada 2006 Fellow

Dr. Ricardo Aroca, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been named a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada for his exceptional contribution to the chemical profession. In the nomination process, the four areas of achievement recognized are CIC, CSC, CSChE and CSCT activities, scientific and technical contributions, management of science or technology, teaching and promotion of chemical public awareness. In general, candidates should have made contributions in all four areas or outstanding contributions in at least one area. Since 2002, Dr. Aroca has contributed over 265 research publications and monographs on many aspects of spectroscopy and has recently published a book entitled Surface Enhanced Vibrational Spectroscopy (SEVS), promoted as the definitive resource on SEVS.