Four of UWaterloo’s faculty members have been appointed to the Order of Canada. The UWaterloo members were appointed by Governor General Julie Payette on Dec. 28, 2019, among 120 new appointments to the Order.
“Created in 1967, the Order of Canada is one of our country’s highest honours. Presented by the governor general, the Order honours people whose service shapes our society, whose innovations ignite our imaginations, and whose compassion unites our communities,” an Order of Canada media release described.
Donna Strickland, Physics and Astronomy Professor was appointed a Companion of the Order for her innovative work on lasers.
In 2018, she became the first Canadian woman to receive a Nobel Prize for Physics. Her invention of the Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA), a method of making pulses of laser light of high power and short duration won her the honour. Strickland developed the technology in 1985 as a PhD student. Today, her research has applications in laser eye surgery and the machining of small cell phone parts.
Stuart McGill, Kinesiology professor was appointed as a Member of the Order for his contributions to the understanding of the biomechanics of the spinal column and to the development of rehabilitation programs.
McGill spent over 30 years in his Spine Biomechanics lab employing spine specimens and modelling approaches on real people to determine the effects of different forces on the spine and how the risk of spinal injury can be reduced.
Anne Innis Dagg, at UWaterloo Independent Studies faculty member and revolutionary work in zoology and animal behaviour was also appointed a member of the Order of Canada for her research in the modern scientific understanding of the giraffe.
Her contributions helped enhance the field of animal behaviour science.
Founder and chief executive officer of the Tamarak Institute, based at the Kindred Centre for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel University College, Paul Born was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada.
This honour was appointed to him due to his his contributions to his community and for his large-scale initiatives to reduce poverty.
Nearly 7,500 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order on the recommendation of the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada since its conception. “They have all enriched the lives of others and have taken to heart the motto of the Order: DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM (“They desire a better country”),” the Order stated in a release.
