OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(MARKET WIRE)--Sep 5, 2008 -- RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada, has offered medals and awards to twelve Canadians(i) for extraordinary achievement in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences. These awards come as a culmination of a lengthy nomination and selection process and are a tribute to the outstanding contributions being made by Canadians in all areas of research and scholarship.

The medals and awards are illustrations of RSC's longstanding commitment to recognizing scholarly excellence. They will be presented at the RSC Awards Banquet on the evening of Saturday, November 15, 2008, following the Induction Ceremony of newly elected Fellows.

The complete list of winners is attached, along with brief information on the nature of the awards. Further information and recipient citations can be obtained by visiting RSC's website at www.rsc.ca.

(i)The following list only includes those who officially accepted their Award)

RSC 2008 Medal and Award Winners

The Award in Gender Studies

Christine Overall, FRSC, Queen's University

The Award in Gender Studies recognizes significant contributions by a Canadian scholar in the humanities and social sciences to furthering our understanding of issues concerning gender.

The Bancroft Award

A.E .(Willy) Eric Williams-Jones, FRSC, McGill University

The Bancroft Award is given for publication, instruction, and research in the earth sciences that have conspicuously contributed to public understanding and appreciation of the subject.

The Flavelle Medal

John P. Smol, FRSC, Queen's University

The Flavelle Medal is awarded for an outstanding contribution to biological science during the preceding ten years or for significant additions to a previous outstanding contribution to biological science.

The John L. Synge Award

Henri Darmon, FRSC, McGill University

The John L. Synge award is given for outstanding research in any of the branches of the mathematical sciences.

The Lorne Pierce Medal

Rosemary Sullivan, FRSC, University of Toronto

The Lorne Pierce Medal is awarded for an achievement of special significance and conspicuous merit in imaginative or critical literature written in either English or French.

The Abbyann D. Lynch Medal in Bioethics

Arthur W. Frank, FRSC, University of Calgary

The Abbyann D. Lynch Medal in Bioethics is awarded for a major contribution in bioethics by a Canadian.

The Alice Wilson Award

Sarah Desmarais, Simon Fraser University

The Alice Wilson Award is presented to a woman of outstanding academic qualifications who is entering a career in scholarship or research at the postdoctoral level.

The McLaughlin Medal

Robert Roberts, FRSC, University of Ottawa

The McLaughlin Medal is awarded for important research of sustained excellence in any branch of medical sciences.

The McNeil Medal

Alan V. Morgan, University of Waterloo

The McNeil Medal is awarded to a candidate who has demonstrated outstanding ability to promote and communicate science to students and the public within Canada.

The Miroslaw Romanowki Medal

Warwick F. Vincent, FRSC, Universite Laval

The Miroslaw Romanowski Medal is awarded for significant contributions to the resolution of scientific aspects of environmental problems or for important improvements to the quality of an ecosystem in all aspects.

The Rutherford Memorial Medal in Chemistry

Dirk Peter Tieleman, University of Calgary

The Rutherford Memorial Medal in Chemistry is awarded for outstanding research in any branch of chemistry.

The Thomas W. Eadie Medal

M. Jamal Deen, FRSC, McMaster University

The Thomas W. Eadie Medal is awarded in recognition of major contributions to Engineering or Applied Science, with preference given to those having an impact on communications, in particular the development of the Internet.

     Contacts:
     The Royal Society of Canada
     Sophie Dassy
     Communications Officer
     613-991-5642
     sdassy@rsc.ca
     http://www.rsc.ca