2019 Medal Winners | francais

The 2019 CAP-COMP Peter Kirkby Memorial Medal for Outstanding Service to Canadian Physics

is awarded to

Bela Joos

"This recognition touches me greatly. I found great satisfaction in serving the CAP, Physics in Canada, and the Canadian Physics community, as much at the local than at the national level." winner quote

The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) are pleased to announce that the 2019 CAP-COMP Peter Kirkby Memorial Medal for Outstanding Service to Canadian Physics is awarded to Bela Joos, University of Ottawa, in recognition of for his tireless service and selfless devotion to strengthening the Canadian physics community. His service in the executive of the Canadian Association of Physicists, and his central role in supporting, transforming, and rejuvenating Physics in Canada as a national physics magazine during more than 30 years on the editorial board and more than a decade as editor, embody the ideals of outstanding service to Canadian physics that the Kirkby medal celebrates. announcement

Prof. Béla Joos receives the Kirkby Memorial Medal for his sustained, selfless efforts over three decades at promoting physics in Canada. He has continuously demonstrated outstanding leadership at the editorial, governance, advocacy and committee levels. He has worked tirelessly to foster a sense of tight-knit community and identity among Canadian physicists. He has been at the helm of Physics in Canada since 2006, its Honorary Associate Editor from 1996 until 2006, and on its editorial board since 1985. Under his editorship, he has transformed Physics in Canada into our comprehensive, inclusive, and relevant flagship publication. He has a long history of involvement with the analysis and implementation of science policy, including as CAP’s president.

Prof. Joos has provided critical strategic and organizational expertise over his long career, in both French and English. He has diplomatically weighed in - through his editorials but also in public events and with the media - on a wide range of issues and challenges faced by our community such as funding crises, open access publishing, teaching-only faculty, interdisciplinarity and training to meet the needs of a global society. In recent years he has in fact been one of our community’s strongest and bravest outspoken critics of the new science peer-reviewed funding models in Canada, and at NSERC in particular, contributing to an in-depth analysis of the challenges of the new directives to provide an equitable system. His award is also grounded in his longstanding mentoring efforts, helping young members of CAP find their place and voice in our governing body.

As the exemplary visionary team player, seven years as Chairman of his department and fourteen years directing and promoting its graduate programs, to the many hours spent on national committees, with media and at the helm of Physics in Canada, he embodies all the ideals expected of the Kirkby Memorial Medal recipients. nominator citation

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