Craigdarroch Research Awards 2011

The 2011 Craigdarroch Research Awards, which recognize research excellence at UVic in six categories of achievement, were presented at a celebration event on May 3. “Our university continues to be ranked nationally and internationally as a top research institution because of the talent, creativity and passion of our faculty and students,” says Dr. Howard Brunt, UVic’s vice-president research. “The accomplishments of these award recipients exemplify that excellence and clearly demonstrate how new knowledge is being applied to improve the world around us.”

Craigdarroch Gold Medal for Career Achievement in Research

Dr. Andreas Antoniou

Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

In the early 1970s, engineer Andreas Antoniou recognized the enormous potential of digital technology and dedicated his research career to digital signal processing and especially analog and digital filter design. His invention of an electrical circuit known as the “Antoniou gyrator” paved the way for the miniaturization of circuits for everyday devices such as cell phones and high-definition TVs. Symbolic of Antoniou’s far-ranging impact on his field is his classic 1979 textbook on digital filters, still in use around the world.

Craigdarroch Silver Medal for Excellence in Research

Dr. Alexandre Brolo

Department of Chemistry

Imagine a gold cube so small that its cross-width is about 5,000 times thinner than a human hair. The colour is not the usual yellow we associate with gold because metals at those dimensions change colour when molecules stick to their surface. Chemist Alexandre Brolo looks for new ways to fabricate very small metallic structures and explores their interesting properties in a variety of applications, such as sensors for cancer diagnostics and the fabrication of more efficient solar cells.

Craigdarroch Silver Medal for Excellence in Research

Dr. Reuven Gordon

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

When it comes to his research, engineer Reuven Gordon thinks big—but on a very small scale. Gordon is a rising star in the emerging field of nanoplasmonics, which studies the interaction of light with metal surfaces at scales as tiny as atoms and molecules. Advances by Gordon, who is the Canada Research Chair in Nanoplasmonics, may lead to the development of sensors for the early detection of cancers, new tools to study viral infection and more efficient solar devices.

Craigdarroch Award for Societal Contribution

Dr. Eric Roth

Department of Anthropology

For two decades, physical anthropologist Eric Roth has quietly and methodically helped improve lives in several parts of the world. Much of his fieldwork has been in northern Kenya, where he has collaborated with physicians, economists, statisticians, epidemiologists and community-based researchers on projects related to maternal-child health, childhood growth and economic recovery from drought. He currently works on HIV/AIDS risk factors and prevention in Kenya and BC. Roth’s commitment to making a difference extends through his mentorship of many students.

Craigdarroch Award for Excellence in Communicating Research

Dr. Eric Sager

Department of History

Promoting research in the public sphere has always been a priority for historian Eric Sager. Whether he’s publishing in journals and books, writing op ed columns, speaking to the news media or preparing briefs for parliamentary committees, Sager works tirelessly to ensure that we appreciate the relevance of history to our daily lives. He is particularly well known for his sustained efforts to connect historical research on the Canadian census to public policy decisions.

Craigdarroch Award for Excellence in Artistic Expression

Lorna Crozier

Department of Writing

Poet, essayist, teacher and public speaker, Lorna Crozier is at the forefront Canadian literature. Winner of the 1992 Governor-General’s Award for Poetry for Inventing the Hawk, she continues to captivate readers across Canada and around the world with her poetry and creative non-fiction. The arresting, lyrical honesty for which she is best known infuses her 15 verse collections, as well as her 2009 memoir, Small Beneath the Sky. Last year she was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada.

Craigdarroch Award for Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Dr. Caren Helbing

Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology

Pesticides, drugs and industrial effluents are being released into the environment daily, yet we know little about their adverse effects. Biochemist Caren Helbing is working hard to change that. Over the past decade, she has provided advanced scientific tools and technical training to regulatory agencies and private sector companies to help them generate meaningful environmental assessment information. She continues to develop new technology for environmental monitoring, which includes a US patent for tissue culture.