2017 Medal Winners | francais

The 2017 CAP-COMP Peter Kirkby Memorial Medal for Outstanding Service to Canadian Physics

is awarded to

Jerry J. Battista

"I am deeply honoured to receive the Kirkby memorial award. It spans the wide range of physics contributions to Canadian society, including radiation medicine. I follow in big footsteps of �Jack� Cunningham, an outstanding role model, and Erv Podgorsak, an educator and scientist with uncompromising attention to physics details. This is truly rewarding and inspiring." winner quote

The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) are pleased to announce that the 2017 CAP-COMP Peter Kirkby Memorial Medal for Outstanding Service to Canadian Physics is awarded to Jerry J. Battista, Western University, in recognition of for his outstanding and lifelong contributions to Medical Physics in Canada that have fundamentally altered worldwide practice. In addition to being an outstanding teacher, researcher, and mentor, Dr. Battista has steadfastly advocated for his field through his work on many professional and accreditation committees, his service as an advisor to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Cancer Care Ontario, and his coordination of Canada's largest residency training program in clinical physics. announcement

Dr. Battista is an award winning Medical Physicist based in London, Ontario, Canada. He serves as the Director of Physics Research and Education at the London Regional Cancer Program and the past Chairman of the Department of Medical Biophysics at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Battista has supervised a number of graduate students who have become international stars in the world of radiation therapy physics. The resultant new technologies developed by them are now used worldwide as part of highly precise image-guided radiation therapy � the modern standard of practice. Dr. Battista is known for excellent communication skills that have resulted in multiple teaching awards, including receiving top honours at Western University. He is known for successful use of analogies bringing complex subjects to understandable levels. Furthermore, his research supervision of graduate students has resulted in award winning research papers both in the Canadian and broader international medical physics communities.

For many years, Dr. Battista has also served as the coordinator of the Medical Physics residency training program for the Province of Ontario. This program has long served as the model of medical physics education and training such that the graduates are highly sought after in both Canada and the US. Dr. Battista�s very positive and open attitude with his students, his peers and the general public epitomize what Peter Kirkby stood for � a vision of a strong physics community dedicated to efforts that support open communication, fairness and honesty. nominator citation

The Kirkby Memorial Medal was introduced in 1996 and is awarded biennially.

Dr. Battista will be presented with his medal at the Recognition Reception at Queen's University on Thursday, June 1, 2017. The Awards Reception is the closing event of the CAP Congress hosted by Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, from May 29-June 1. Please refer to the Congress program (http://www.cap.ca/en/congress/2017) for the schedule of plenary talks by CAP medal winners. medal description

ABOUT the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP)

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, Institutional, and Departmental Members. In addition to its learned activities, the CAP, through its charitable arm - the CAP Foundation, also undertakes a number of activities intended to encourage students to pursue a career in physics. cap description

The Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists is a scientific and professional organization composed of over 700 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. joint description

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For more information, please contact:

Mrs. Francine Ford, Executive Director
Canadian Association of Physicists
Tel: 613-562-5614
E-mail: execdir@cap.ca
www.cap.ca

or

Nancy Barrett
Executive Director
Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists
Tel: (613) 599-1948
Fax: (613) 599-1155
Email: nancy.barrett@comp-ocpm.cacap contact and joint contact