Ilene Busch-Vischniac appointed to national council

"I am truly honoured to be a part of this distinguished council and look forward to continuing the momentum created by the extraordinary work of those members before me," said Busch-Vishniac in a media release about her appointment. "I will bring renewed perspectives while contributing to the expertise, knowledge and experience on the council as a whole."

Council members are selected from across the country and represent many sectors of the Canadian economy. Speaking in the release about Busch-Vishniac's appointment, STIC Chair Howard Alper said a strong science, technology and innovation system "is critical to Canada's economic and societal well-being. The experience and insights that Ilene brings to STIC will make a great contribution to our work."

In addition to providing advice to government, the council also produces biennial state-of-the-nation reports on Canada's science, technology and innovation performance against international standards of excellence.

Busch-Vishniac holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is an accomplished acoustics researcher, holding nine patents on electromechanical sensors, and a strong advocate for engineering education.

Monique Haakensen, an adjunct professor in the School of Environment and Sustainability at the U of S, was also recently appointed to the council.