Concordia Journal Home > Archives > March 20, 2008 issue >

A celebration of internal research awards 

By Dawn Wiseman

Synergy is that wonderful thing that often happens when you bring people together.

On March 11, the Office of Research brought together members of Concordia’s research community to celebrate the recipients of this year’s internal research awards.

At the reception, Petro-Canada Award winner Christine DeWolf (see next article) met University Research Award winner Simon Bacon and discovered that her research on the effect of ozone on lung surfactants has direct links to Bacon’s research on asthma and stress.

“We definitely need to work together,” she told the gathering.

The Petro-Canada Young Innovator Awards Program recognizes, promotes, and supports outstanding emerging faculty researchers whose academic work is particularly innovative, impacts positively on the learning environment of their departments, and has the potential to be of significance to society at large.

Tina Ackermans, a 1997 Concordia graduate in marketing who is now retail market manager at Petro-Canada, said the program highlights the company's commitment to research and researchers across the country. “We are very proud of it,” she said.

The reception also celebrated recipients of the 2008 University Research Awards (URAs).

Established by Senate in 1998 to recognize research or creative achievements of full-time faculty in tenure-track or tenured positions, the university now awards four $5,000 research recognition prizes in two distinct categories: emerging and established.

Bacon received the award as an emerging researcher, as did Erin Manning (Cinema) for her interdisciplinary work, which emphasizes the senses, the body, philosophy and the political. URAs for established researchers went to Raymonde April (Studio Arts) for her groundbreaking work in photography, and Ann English (Chemistry and Biochemistry) for her pioneering research in bioinorganic chemistry.

English, who joined Concordia in 1982, expressed great pleasure in the university’s renewed commitment to research. This sentiment was echoed by President Michael Di Grappa.

“The creation of a vice-presidency under the leadership of Dr. Louise Dandurand has created a strong impetus for the research profile of Concordia and for attracting high quality, researchers and graduate students from around the world,” Di Grappa said.