Montreal Medal

The 2010 winner is:

Joseph Schwarcz, MCIC
McGIll University
Department of Chemistry

Joseph A. Schwarcz, known to his students, and many via his science popularization efforts as Dr. Joe, has a PhD in chemistry and is a professor at McGill University in Montreal, QC. He is the director of McGill's Office for Science & Society which is dedicated to demystifying science for the public. He earned a Ph.D. at McGill in 1973.

He is known through his many books, weekly column in the Montreal Gazette , weekly radio show on CJAD 800 in Montreal and CFRB 1010 in Toronto, and frequent segments on the Discovery Channel Canada. He has also had a show on Discovery Canada in the past (Science to Go).

Dr. Joe is of Hungarian birth. He is well known for his informative and entertaining public lectures on topics ranging from household chemicals to the chemistry of love. Dr. Joe formerly taught at Vanier College, and there established a series of courses designed to bring chemistry to the common student, and later to the general public through public lectures. This was then replicated at McGill University. Dr. Joe is an amateur magician and often describes how "supernatural feats" can be done by ordinary means, with a scientific explanation to boot. He is the winner of the American Chemical Society's James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award for interpreting chemistry to the public. In 1992, he was the co-winner of the Royal Society of Canada's McNeil Medal, awarded for public awareness of science.

Previous winners of the CIC Montreal Meda

Nomination Form: submit your nomination form as a PDF

Terms of reference

This medal is presented as a mark of distinction and honour to a resident of Canada who has shown significant leadership in or has made an outstanding contribution to the profession of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada

Deadline: July 2 of every year

Sponsor: Montreal CIC Local Section

Award: A medal and travel expenses to the conference to present the plenary lecture.

The award shall be presented at the annual Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition or Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference. The recipient will be required to present a plenary lecture.,

Eligibility: A Resident of Canada who has shown significant leadership in or has made an outstanding contribution to the profession of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada. According to the following considerations:

• Administrative contributions within the Chemical Institute of Canada and other professional organizations.
• Contributions by chemical educators, and by staff members of chemical industries.
• Single individual exploits which contribute to the advancement of the professions of chemistry and chemical engineering.
• Note: Contributions to the sciences of chemistry and chemical engineering are not to be considered. Membership in the Institute is not a prerequisite for receiving this award.

All nominations will remain in force for three years. Nominators are responsible for keeping the record of the nominee up to date and complete.

The award shall be presented annually unless the Committee considers that no suitable candidate has been nominated.