Leader of Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Wins Top Canadian SciencePrize/Queen's physicist awarded Canada's top science prize (Forwarded)

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Media Contacts:
Arnet Sheppard, Cell: (613) 294-8773
Francis Lionnet, Cell: (613) 761-0419

November 24, 2003

Leader of Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Wins Top Canadian Science Prize

Ottawa, Ontario -- Arthur McDonald was today named winner of the 2003 Gerhard
Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering.

The prize guarantees that Dr. McDonald, a professor at Queen's University, will
receive $1 million in research funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council (NSERC).

"Dr. McDonald was the driving force for the Sudbury Neutrino Project, which has
been such an outstanding international scientific success story and a source of
great pride for all Canadians," said Ottawa-Vanier M.P. Mauril Bélanger, who
announced the award on behalf of Allan Rock, Minister of Industry and Dr. Rey
Pagtakhan, Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development). "Like Gerhard
Herzberg, he has had an outstanding influence on science in Canada and also on
how Canadians perceive themselves as an innovative, science-friendly nation."

"Designing and building a large underground experiment to reveal the ultimate
truth about solar neutrinos was both a novel and high risk endeavour," said
NSERC President Tom Brzustowski. "Yet Art McDonald recognized that Canada had
the ingredients to pull it off, and he did. Thanks to his great abilities as a
scientist, mentor, leader and coordinator, we have an amazing scientific
facility in Sudbury, and Canada is recognized as a major training ground for
particle, nuclear and astrophysicists from around the world."

Dr. McDonald will receive the Herzberg Medal at a gala dinner tomorrow evening
at the National Gallery of Canada. The event will also feature an address by
Canadian entrepreneur Mike Lazaridis.

For more information on Dr. McDonald's achievements, visit
http://www.nserc.ca/about/award_e.htm

The three finalists for the 2003 Herzberg award were Arthur McDonald, John Smol,
also of Queen's University and Richard Bond of the University of Toronto. Each
receives the NSERC Award of Excellence which consists of a crystal sculpture.
Dr. Smol and Dr. Bond also receive an additional $50,000 each in research support.

Dr. Bond is one of the world's leading cosmologists. He is responsible for major
new insights into the nature of dark matter and black holes and for greatly
expanding our knowledge of the structure and evolution of the early universe.

Dr. Smol transformed paleolimnology and the study of ancient lake sediments into
one of the hottest fields in ecology and a powerful tool for revealing how
aquatic organisms interact with their environment and respond over time to
climate change.

The Medal selection process involved both international peer review of the
nominees and adjudication by a distinguished NSERC jury. This year's panel was
chaired by Dr. Gretchen Harris, a member of NSERC's Council and a professor at
the University of Waterloo.

Tomorrow night's event will also celebrate the achievements of major prize
winners announced earlier in the year.

NSERC Steacie Fellowships are awarded to outstanding Canadian university
scientists or engineers who have earned their doctorate within the last 12
years. The 2003 winners are Michel Gingras (University of Waterloo), Zongchao
Jia (Queen's University), Victoria Kaspi (McGill University), Molly Shoichet
(University of Toronto), Gary Saunders (University of New Brunswick) and Kim
Vicente (University of Toronto).

Ryan Gregory (who earned his doctorate at the University of Guelph ) is being
honoured as this year's recipient of the $20,000 NSERC Howard Alper Postdoctoral
Prize. The prize was created by the first winner of the Herzberg Medal.

The four NSERC Doctoral Prize Silver Medalists are David Bryce (doctorate from
Dalhousie University), Erik Demaine (doctorate from the University of Waterloo),
Martin Dvorak (doctorate from Simon Fraser University), and David Vocadlo
(doctorate from the University of British Columbia). The medals and a $10,000
cash prize are awarded for the best doctoral work completed in science and
engineering at a Canadian university last year.

NSERC is a key federal agency investing in people, discovery, and innovation.
Over the last 10 years it has invested $5 billion in basic research,
university-industry projects, and the training of Canada's next generation of
scientists and engineers.

For photos and more background information on all the award winners, visit
http://www.nserc.ca/about/award_e.htm

*****

News & Media Services
Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario

Contacts:
Nancy Dorrance, Queen's News & Media Services
613.533.2869

Lorinda Peterson, Queen's News & Media Services
613.533.3234

Monday November 24, 2003

Queen's physicist awarded Canada's top science prize

Kingston, ON -- Queen's Physics professor Art McDonald will receive the
country's top science award -- the prestigious Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold
Medal from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
(NSERC) -- at a gala ceremony in Ottawa Tuesday.

The announcement was made today by Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of
State (Science, Research and Development) Rey Pagtakhan.

Two of the three finalists for the distinguished national award are from Queen's.

An internationally-renowned sub-atomic physicist, Dr. McDonald is leader of the
large international scientific team that developed the Sudbury Neutrino
Observatory (SNO) to provide answers to some very fundamental questions of
physics and astrophysics. SNO is a unique astrophysical observatory the size of
a 10-story building, situated two km underground in INCO's Creighton mine near
Sudbury, Ontario.

As a finalist for the Herzberg Medal, Queen's Biology professor John Smol will
receive the NSERC Award of Excellence for his extensive research in
paleolimnology, defining the biological history of lakes, including major
contributions to understanding the effects of acid rain. The third finalist is
cosmologist Richard Bond of the University of Toronto. This is the second year
in a row that Queen's faculty have been among the finalists. In 2002,
neuroscientist Barrie Frost received the NSERC Award of Excellence.

"We are thrilled that Art and the SNO team have been recognized with this
tremendous Canadian honour," says Queen's Vice-Principal (Research) Kerry Rowe.
"Their revolutionary results have advanced our understanding of the universe,
and have heightened international recognition of outstanding Canadian
contributions to scientific research. Queen's is doubly honoured to count both
Professors McDonald and Smol among our esteemed faculty. As internationally
renowned leaders in their respective fields, they exemplify excellence in
research and teaching at Queen's."

By studying elusive sub-atomic particles called neutrinos from the Sun, the SNO
team was able to show conclusively that neutrinos change from one type to
another before reaching the Earth. This solved a 30-year old scientific problem
and confirmed that models of the energy generation in the Sun are correct. The
measurements also indicate that the most basic laws of physics are incomplete
and provide information that could lead to a more complete description of nature
at the most microscopic level.

The Herzberg Gold Medal winner is guaranteed $1 million in funding to be used
for university-based research, or to direct in some related way such as the
establishment of research scholarships, fellowships or chairs in Canadian
universities. Dr. McDonald plans to use some of these funds to develop improved
capabilities for the SNO detector in future, and to develop experiments intended
for the new international science laboratory, SNOLAB, being developed
underground near SNO.

"The insight that we have obtained on neutrino properties from the measurements
made to date by the SNO research team will enable us to design new experiments
with the capability to increase our knowledge of physics and astrophysics at the
most fundamental level," says the Queen's University Research Chair in Physics.

He will also devote part of the funding to a scholarship or prize in honour of
his former student, André Hamer, who passed away from cancer this year at the
age of 35. "Through this award in honour of my student, André, I would like to
emphasize the major research contributions that are made by students and
postdoctoral fellows during their education," Dr. McDonald says. "André worked
to the highest standards as a student and it is very appropriate for an award to
be made in his name to represent excellence among research students at Canadian
universities."

Dr. Smol will receive an award of $50,000 to enhance his work in paleolimnology,
a field in which he is regarded as one of the world's top scientists. Along with
groundbreaking research, he has been instrumental in creating a rigorous
intellectual, institutional and policy framework for the science. The founder
and co-director of Queen's University's Paleoecological Environmental Assessment
and Research Lab (PEARL) -- considered by many to be the world's premier
paleolimnology training grounds -- Dr. Smol is the 2000/01 winner of the Queen's
Biology Departmental Student Council Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the
university's 1999/00 Teaching Excellence Award for the Arts and Science
Undergraduate Society.

Queen's Biochemistry professor Zongchao Jia, Canada Research Chair in Structural
Biology, is one of five new recipients of an NSERC Steacie Fellowship, which
will also be presented at Tuesday's event. The fellowship is awarded to
outstanding Canadian university scientists or engineers who have earned their
doctorate within the last 12 years.

For more information, see the NSERC web site,
http://www.nserc.ca/news/2003/p031124.htm

-- "Andrew Yee" wrote in message
.. .
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Media Contacts:
Arnet Sheppard, Cell: (613) 294-8773
Francis Lionnet, Cell: (613) 761-0419

November 24, 2003

Leader of Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Wins Top Canadian Science Prize

Ottawa, Ontario -- Arthur McDonald was today named winner of the 2003
Gerhard
Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering.

The prize guarantees that Dr. McDonald, a professor at Queen's University,
will
receive $1 million in research funding from the Natural Sciences and
Engineering
Research Council (NSERC).

"Dr. McDonald was the driving force for the Sudbury Neutrino Project,
which has
been such an outstanding international scientific success story and a
source of
great pride for all Canadians," said Ottawa-Vanier M.P. Mauril Bélanger,
who
announced the award on behalf of Allan Rock, Minister of Industry and Dr.
Rey
Pagtakhan, Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development). "Like
Gerhard
Herzberg, he has had an outstanding influence on science in Canada and
also on
how Canadians perceive themselves as an innovative, science-friendly
nation."

"Designing and building a large underground experiment to reveal the
ultimate
truth about solar neutrinos was both a novel and high risk endeavour,"
said
NSERC President Tom Brzustowski. "Yet Art McDonald recognized that Canada
had
the ingredients to pull it off, and he did. Thanks to his great abilities
as a
scientist, mentor, leader and coordinator, we have an amazing scientific
facility in Sudbury, and Canada is recognized as a major training ground
for
particle, nuclear and astrophysicists from around the world."

Dr. McDonald will receive the Herzberg Medal at a gala dinner tomorrow
evening
at the National Gallery of Canada. The event will also feature an address
by
Canadian entrepreneur Mike Lazaridis.

For more information on Dr. McDonald's achievements, visit
http://www.nserc.ca/about/award_e.htm

The three finalists for the 2003 Herzberg award were Arthur McDonald, John
Smol,
also of Queen's University and Richard Bond of the University of Toronto.
Each
receives the NSERC Award of Excellence which consists of a crystal
sculpture.
Dr. Smol and Dr. Bond also receive an additional $50,000 each in research
support.

Dr. Bond is one of the world's leading cosmologists. He is responsible for
major
new insights into the nature of dark matter and black holes and for
greatly
expanding our knowledge of the structure and evolution of the early
universe.

Dr. Smol transformed paleolimnology and the study of ancient lake
sediments into
one of the hottest fields in ecology and a powerful tool for revealing how
aquatic organisms interact with their environment and respond over time to
climate change.

The Medal selection process involved both international peer review of the
nominees and adjudication by a distinguished NSERC jury. This year's panel
was
chaired by Dr. Gretchen Harris, a member of NSERC's Council and a
professor at
the University of Waterloo.

Tomorrow night's event will also celebrate the achievements of major prize
winners announced earlier in the year.

NSERC Steacie Fellowships are awarded to outstanding Canadian university
scientists or engineers who have earned their doctorate within the last 12
years. The 2003 winners are Michel Gingras (University of Waterloo),
Zongchao
Jia (Queen's University), Victoria Kaspi (McGill University), Molly
Shoichet
(University of Toronto), Gary Saunders (University of New Brunswick) and
Kim
Vicente (University of Toronto).

Ryan Gregory (who earned his doctorate at the University of Guelph ) is
being
honoured as this year's recipient of the $20,000 NSERC Howard Alper
Postdoctoral
Prize. The prize was created by the first winner of the Herzberg Medal.

The four NSERC Doctoral Prize Silver Medalists are David Bryce (doctorate
from
Dalhousie University), Erik Demaine (doctorate from the University of
Waterloo),
Martin Dvorak (doctorate from Simon Fraser University), and David Vocadlo
(doctorate from the University of British Columbia). The medals and a
$10,000
cash prize are awarded for the best doctoral work completed in science and
engineering at a Canadian university last year.

NSERC is a key federal agency investing in people, discovery, and
innovation.
Over the last 10 years it has invested $5 billion in basic research,
university-industry projects, and the training of Canada's next generation
of
scientists and engineers.

For photos and more background information on all the award winners, visit
http://www.nserc.ca/about/award_e.htm

*****

News & Media Services
Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario

Contacts:
Nancy Dorrance, Queen's News & Media Services
613.533.2869

Lorinda Peterson, Queen's News & Media Services
613.533.3234

Monday November 24, 2003

Queen's physicist awarded Canada's top science prize

Kingston, ON -- Queen's Physics professor Art McDonald will receive the
country's top science award -- the prestigious Gerhard Herzberg Canada
Gold
Medal from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
(NSERC) -- at a gala ceremony in Ottawa Tuesday.

The announcement was made today by Minister of Veterans Affairs and
Secretary of
State (Science, Research and Development) Rey Pagtakhan.

Two of the three finalists for the distinguished national award are from
Queen's.

An internationally-renowned sub-atomic physicist, Dr. McDonald is leader
of the
large international scientific team that developed the Sudbury Neutrino
Observatory (SNO) to provide answers to some very fundamental questions of
physics and astrophysics. SNO is a unique astrophysical observatory the
size of
a 10-story building, situated two km underground in INCO's Creighton mine
near
Sudbury, Ontario.

As a finalist for the Herzberg Medal, Queen's Biology professor John Smol
will
receive the NSERC Award of Excellence for his extensive research in
paleolimnology, defining the biological history of lakes, including major
contributions to understanding the effects of acid rain. The third
finalist is
cosmologist Richard Bond of the University of Toronto. This is the second
year
in a row that Queen's faculty have been among the finalists. In 2002,
neuroscientist Barrie Frost received the NSERC Award of Excellence.

"We are thrilled that Art and the SNO team have been recognized with this
tremendous Canadian honour," says Queen's Vice-Principal (Research) Kerry
Rowe.
"Their revolutionary results have advanced our understanding of the
universe,
and have heightened international recognition of outstanding Canadian
contributions to scientific research. Queen's is doubly honoured to count
both
Professors McDonald and Smol among our esteemed faculty. As
internationally
renowned leaders in their respective fields, they exemplify excellence in
research and teaching at Queen's."

By studying elusive sub-atomic particles called neutrinos from the Sun,
the SNO
team was able to show conclusively that neutrinos change from one type to
another before reaching the Earth. This solved a 30-year old scientific
problem
and confirmed that models of the energy generation in the Sun are correct.
The
measurements also indicate that the most basic laws of physics are
incomplete
and provide information that could lead to a more complete description of
nature
at the most microscopic level.

The Herzberg Gold Medal winner is guaranteed $1 million in funding to be
used
for university-based research, or to direct in some related way such as
the
establishment of research scholarships, fellowships or chairs in Canadian
universities. Dr. McDonald plans to use some of these funds to develop
improved
capabilities for the SNO detector in future, and to develop experiments
intended
for the new international science laboratory, SNOLAB, being developed
underground near SNO.

"The insight that we have obtained on neutrino properties from the
measurements
made to date by the SNO research team will enable us to design new
experiments
with the capability to increase our knowledge of physics and astrophysics
at the
most fundamental level," says the Queen's University Research Chair in
Physics.

He will also devote part of the funding to a scholarship or prize in
honour of
his former student, André Hamer, who passed away from cancer this year at
the
age of 35. "Through this award in honour of my student, André, I would
like to
emphasize the major research contributions that are made by students and
postdoctoral fellows during their education," Dr. McDonald says. "André
worked
to the highest standards as a student and it is very appropriate for an
award to
be made in his name to represent excellence among research students at
Canadian
universities."

Dr. Smol will receive an award of $50,000 to enhance his work in
paleolimnology,
a field in which he is regarded as one of the world's top scientists.
Along with
groundbreaking research, he has been instrumental in creating a rigorous
intellectual, institutional and policy framework for the science. The
founder
and co-director of Queen's University's Paleoecological Environmental
Assessment
and Research Lab (PEARL) -- considered by many to be the world's premier
paleolimnology training grounds -- Dr. Smol is the 2000/01 winner of the
Queen's
Biology Departmental Student Council Award for Excellence in Teaching, and
the
university's 1999/00 Teaching Excellence Award for the Arts and Science
Undergraduate Society.

Queen's Biochemistry professor Zongchao Jia, Canada Research Chair in
Structural
Biology, is one of five new recipients of an NSERC Steacie Fellowship,
which
will also be presented at Tuesday's event. The fellowship is awarded to
outstanding Canadian university scientists or engineers who have earned
their
doctorate within the last 12 years.

For more information, see the NSERC web site,
http://www.nserc.ca/news/2003/p031124.htm


I was in the audience last month when Prof McDonald gave a talk to the Royal
Astronomical Society on the results from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory.
I had the feeling that this work would be getting a Nobel Prize before too
long. But the Nobel Committee, like God, works in mysterious ways, so we
will have to wait and see. A joint prize for him and John Bahcall might be
appropriate.

Congratulations to Prof McDonald and the whole Sudbury team for a
magnificent and beautiful experiment.

--
Mike Dworetsky

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