2015 Medal Winners | francais

The 2015 CAP-COMP Peter Kirkby Memorial Medal for Outstanding Service to Canadian Physics

is awarded to

Gordon Drake

"Service to the profession of Physicist is the single most important thing that the CAP does, and the Kirkby Medal is the highest form of recognition for contributions to this objective. I feel deeply honoured to be selected to receive the Kirkby Medal for 2015. My contributions have not only brought me great personal satisfaction, but also brought me many friends from amongst the most interesting people in Canada" winner citation

The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) are pleased to announce that the 2015 CAP-COMP Peter Kirkby Memorial Medal for Outstanding Service to Canadian Physics is awarded to Gordon Drake, University of Windsor, in recognition of for the key role he played in preparing the case to NSERC for increased funding for physics in the 1990's, for his untiring promotion of Canadian physics through his participation or leadership in numerous international and Canadian physics organizations and committees, and for his effective communication of physics to the non-scientific community.. announcement

Gordon W.F. Drake has tirelessly served to strengthen and promote the Canadian physics community, and to enhance the profession of physical scientists. His service to the CAP, IUPAP and APS, editorship of the Canadian Journal of Physics, and Physical Review A, have all led to the increase in the profile of Canadian Physics in the world. He has selflessly mentored generations of both Canadian students and junior faculty and made Physics an attractive career choice for many.

Dr. Drake has a B.Sc from McGill, an M.Sc. from Western, and a Ph.D. from York University. He joined the University of Windsor as an Assistant Professor in 1969, and currently holds the distinguished title of University Professor. He is world-renowned as a theoretical atomic physicist, and is the leader of the field of high-precision calculations of atomic properties. He has served as editor of the Canadian Journal of Physics and Physical Review A. Among the many honours and awards that he has received are the CAP Herzberg Medal, the NSERC Steacie Prize, the Killiam Fellowship, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, and the CAP Medal for Achievement in Physics. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the American Physical Society.

Dr. Drake has served the CAP in a very large number of roles (Councillor, DAMP Chair, President, VP International Affairs, Chair of Investment Committee, to name a few) have each resulted in a significant gain for the organization and for Canadian Physics. He has increased our interactions with Physicists of other nations by many activities, whether it be organizing joint DAMOP-DAMOPC conferences, or bringing ICAP to Canada, or ensuring a large participation in IUPAP. His service to IUPAP and the American Physical Society, have in no small measure increased the profile of Canadian Physics in the American and World Physics community.

By dint of his extraordinary prowess as a physicist, and the respect that he commands amongst the World’s scientific community, Dr. Drake has enhanced the profession of physical scientists. He has tirelessly advocated for Canadian Physics at NSERC and the federal and provincial governments. nominator citation

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

Prof. Drake will be presented with his medal at the 2015 Congress Recognition Reception at the Art Gallery on Thursday, June 18, 2015. medal description

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 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:

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

or

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