CONVOCATION Awards
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GLEN BRYAN BAKER Glen Bryan Baker, BSP'70, MSc'72, PhD'74, DSc'00, is this year's recipient of the Alumni Award of Achievement. A scientist with an international reputation in biological psychiatry and neuropsychopharmacology, Baker's most significant contributions have come exploring the involvement of amines and amino acids in the etiology and pharmacotherapy of psychiatric disorders, and in drug metabolism. The Director of the Neurochemical Research Unit at the University of Alberta and former holder of McCalla and Killam Professorships, Baker was the chair of the U of A's Department of Psychiatry from 2000-05, the only non-psychiatrist to hold such a position in Canada. |
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ENGINEERS |
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BRAD STEEVES There are three words that appear over and over in descriptions of the winner of the President's Service Award - go-to guy. In his 29 years with the U of S and the College of Medicine, Brad Steeves has focused mainly on instructing students and research administration, including responsibility for the Laboratory Animal Services Unit. His University service included a term as president of the Administrative and Supervisory Personnel Association (ASPA), and work on the ASPA Job Evaluation project team. Well known for his attention to detail, his problem-solving skills and his dedication to the task at hand, one department head said hiring Steeves was “probably the smartest thing that I ever did.” |
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MARTHA BLUM Martha Blum, recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree, is a multilingual writer, pianist, singer, and voice teacher who pursued her artistic and cultural work through decades of work as a pharmacist. After immigrating to Canada, and Saskatoon, Blum actively participated in theatre here, and was a co-founder of both the Opera Association of Saskatoon and the Alliance Francaise. Her first novel, The Walnut Tree, was published in 1999 when she was 86 years old, and won two Saskatchewan Book Awards as well as a spot among the finalists for the Canadian Bookseller Association's Libris Award. Her second book, Children of Paper, appeared in 2002 and her third, The Apothecary, came out in August. |
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CHILAKAMARRI RANGACHARYULU At the heart of Chilakamarri Rangacharyulu's record of professional and public service is a commitment to promoting youth science education at home and around the world. A faculty member in the Department of Physics & Engineering Physics in the College of Arts & Science and this year's recipient of the Outreach and Public Service Award, Rangacharyulu has participated in every Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) since 1999, co-chaired the successful effort to bring the 2002 event to Saskatoon, and then co-chaired the organizing committee. Rangacharyulu has also become involved with the International Biology Olympiad and was a key driver in bringing the IBO competition to Saskatoon in 2007. These and his many other efforts and partnerships serve as a model for all. |
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WENDY DUGGLEBY Lauded by her colleagues as a driven and passionate worker, Wendy Duggleby has compiled a lengthy record of scholarly achievement in the area of end-of-life issues and care for seniors, which will be recognized with the University's Distinguished Researcher Award. In the College of Nursing, she is currently exploring the relationship between the patient, the family caregiver and the formal caregiver (doctors and nurses). Duggleby received much recognition for her part in producing the video Living with Hope as well as for numerous papers, posters and book chapters. She is also firmly committed to her students and her belief education and research are interconnected. |
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MENARD GERTLER A distinguished cardiologist and recipient of an honorary Doctor of Science degree, Dr. Menard Gertler obtained his pre-medical education at the University of Saskatchewan (MED'40 and BA'40) and his M.D. in 1943 and a M.Sc in 1949 from McGill University. It was at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School where he helped identify and define risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis, and during his academic career, he has lectured internationally on epidemiology and therapy in cardiac disease. Currently at Weill Medical College at Cornell University, Gertler has given generously to his alma maters, including establishing the Clara & Frank Gertler Lectureship in Medicine at the U of S in honour of his parents. |
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RANDY GILLIES This fall's earned Doctor of Science degree goes to Randy Gillies in recognition of an engineering career focused on the transport of mixtures in pipelines. The manager of the Saskatchewan Research Council's Pipe Flow Technology Centre, Gillies and his team have researched the operation of pipeline transport systems for several Canadian industries including those that produce metallurgical minerals, potash, uranium, and heavy crude oil. Their work has received international recognition and is used in Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has maintained close ties with the U of S Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering where he earned a BE ('73), MSc ('75) and a PhD ('93). |
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DAN PENNOCK Dan Pennock, professor of soil science in the College of Agriculture & Bioresources, has a well-established reputation for teaching excellence and is a recognized expert in his field, qualities that earned him the Master Teacher award. Described as having a natural talent for communication, Pennock works diligently at his craft, preparing for classes, searching for new methods, and developing instructive resource materials. He also injects humour to ensure his students are smiling as they learn. The Agriculture Students Association recognized Pennock as Professor of the Year in 1996 and 2005, and the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) awarded him a teaching award of merit in 2005. |
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DALE WARD Dale Ward believes the legacy of academic researchers lies in those they train. The Graduate Chair in Chemistry, director of the Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Centre, and the recipient of the Distinguished Graduate Supervisor award has supervised eight Ph.D. and eight M.Sc. theses, and currently supervises eight doctoral students. Including undergraduate researchers and post-doctoral fellows, there are about 40 past and present members of the 'Ward Group' representing 15 different countries. Although some remain in academia, the majority of group graduates work in the pharmaceutical industry in Canada, the USA or abroad, and all of the undergraduates have gone on to pursue chemistry graduate degrees in Saskatchewan or elsewhere. |
Congratulations to all distinguished Fall 2006 Convocation award recipients.