CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICISTS

ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DES PHYSICIENS ET PHYSICIENNES

CANADIAN ORGANIZATION OF MEDICAL PHYSICISTS

ORGANIZATION CANADIENNE DES PHYSICIENS MÉDICAUX

Ottawa, April 24^th, 1998 - The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) are pleased to announce that the 1998 CAP-COMP Peter Kirkby Memorial Medal for Outstanding Service to Canadian Physics will be awarded to J.S.C. (Jasper) McKee, Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba.

Professor McKee has served the physics community admirably, not only in promoting communication between physicists, but also in presenting physics to the general public through the media. He has done groundbreaking work through the CBC, especially on radio, both locally and nationally, but also through television on CBC NewsWorld and, more recently, as a consultant to the Discovery Channel.

Professor McKee's public stature was further acknowledged by the invitation to serve on the National Advisory Board on Science and Technology in 1994/95, as one of only two of the nineteen members, whose primary position was that of professor. In his capacity, he represented not only the physics community but the wider community of practising scientists in a vital advisory role to the Prime Minister.

In keeping with the spirit of the Peter Kirkby Memorial award, we note that Professor McKee has shown exemplary behaviour in every aspect of his professional career. He is known for his integrity, his concern for, and cooperation with, his colleagues, and his infectious enthusiasm for physics. He has an envious reputation as a teacher and has an impressive record as a researcher in few body physics and applied nuclear techniques.

Professor McKee served as President of the Canadian Association of Physicists in 1986/87 and has been the Editor of Physics in Canada since 1990. Under his editorship, the voice of the CAP has become markedly more exciting and readable, and more attractive and relevant to the community of Canadian physicists.

McKee received his B.Sc. (Honours) and Ph.D. from Queen's University in Belfast in 1952 and 1956 respectively. He was awarded a D.Sc. from Birmingham University in England in 1968. After spending two leave periods from Birmingham University as a Visiting Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, McKee joined the Physics Department at the University of Manitoba in 1974 where he has remained until his retirement in 1997. From 1975 to 1997 Prof. McKee was also the Director of the Cyclotron Laboratory and Accelerator Centre, at the University of Manitoba. Dr. McKee continues his association with the University of Manitoba as a Professor Emeritus.

McKee's work in promoting science was recently recognized by The Royal Society of Canada by the award of the first McNeil Medal for the Public Awareness of Science. He also holds an unusual (for a physicist) award, a local ACTRA Award (1972), as runner-up for best broadcaster on radio in Manitoba.

The Peter Kirkby Memorial Medal was introduced in 1996. It is awarded bi-annually, so this is only the second Peter Kirkby Medal to be awarded by the CAP. The 1998 Medal will be presented to McKee during the CAP's awards banquet to be held at the University of Waterloo on June 16^th, 1998.

The Canadian Association of Physicists, founded in 1945, is a professional association representing over 1600 individual physicists and physics students in Canada, the U.S. and overseas, as well as a number of Corporate and Departmental Members. In addition to its learned activities, the CAP also undertakes a number of activities intended to encourage students to pursue a career in physics.

The Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists is a scientific and professional organization composed of 350 medical physicists and graduate students working in the areas of medical imaging, cancer therapy, and medical biophysics, plus Corporate Members who are involved in these areas. The COMP also has a close relationship with the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (CCPM), which is the national certification body in Canada for clinical competence in physics applied to medicine.

For more information, please contact:

Canadian Association of Physicists
Tel: (613) 562-5614
Fax: (613) 562-5615
E-mail: cap@physics.uottawa.ca

or

Nancy Barrett
Executive Director,
Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists
Tel: (613) 599-3491
Fax: (613) 599-1949
Email: nancy@medphys.ca