UVic Salutes Its Top Researchers For 2010

 

Whether it’s battling a devastating tropical disease, making computers easier to use or inspiring a worldwide audience with the genius of Shakespeare, University of Victoria researchers are making a difference in the lives of Canadians and people around the world.

To honour the achievements of its researchers the university will present its 2010 Craigdarroch Research Awards at a celebration tomorrow evening at the University Club on campus.

“These awards shine a light on research excellence across several fields of specialization and, as always, our award recipients are outstanding,” says Dr. Howard Brunt, UVic’s vice-president research. “This year we’re pleased to present the inaugural award for excellence in artistic expression, acknowledging a significant body of work that furthers our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.”

The 2010 award recipients are:

Dr. Terry Pearson
Craigdarroch Gold Medal for Career Achievement in Research
Biochemist Terry Pearson is an international leader in the use of immunological approaches to combat disease. He has devoted much of his career to thwarting African sleeping sickness, a deadly parasite-borne disease that afflicts hundreds of thousands of Africans every year.

Dr. Margaret-Anne (Peggy) Storey
Craigdarroch Silver Medal for Excellence in Research
Computer scientist Margaret-Anne Storey designs software that helps people organize, analyze and better comprehend large amounts of information. Her research has been applied in many areas, including software engineering, biomedicine and education.

Dr. Cecilia Benoit
Craigdarroch Award for Societal Contribution
Working closely with those on the front line of service delivery, sociologist Cecilia Benoit develops client-centred models of care for street-involved youth, sex workers, substance-using pregnant women and other stigmatized groups in BC and other regions of Canada.

Dr. Neena Chappell
Craigdarroch Award for Excellence in Communicating Research
Social gerontologist Neena Chappell studies quality of life for seniors, caregiving, and the health care system. Through community linkages, media interviews, publications and speaking engagements, Chappell is influencing decision-makers and the public in Canada and around the world.

Lafayette String Quartet
Craigdarroch Award for Excellence in Artistic Expression
For almost 20 years, the Lafayette String Quartet has been making beautiful music together as artists-in-residence in UVic’s School of Music. The quartet is world-renowned for its musical vitality, technical mastery and insightful interpretation of classical to contemporary works.

Dr. Michael Best
Craigdarroch Award for Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The genius of Shakespeare has reached across centuries and cultures. Thanks to the vision of English scholar Michael Best, the widely popular Internet Shakespeare Editions (ISE) website gives fans, scholars and actors around the world unprecedented access to the works of the Bard and related resources.
 

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