TORONTO, April 26, 2012 – Eight members of the York University community are among the early recipients of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in honour of their achievements and significant contributions to Canada.
The medals are in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne as queen of Canada and some 60,000 Canadians are expected to be recognized throughout 2012.
Distinguished Research Professor and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada James Carley of York’s Department of English, a specialist in book history, was nominated for his outstanding contributions to scholarship in Canada and internationally by Senator Nicole Eaton, who is also the chair of the board of the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto.
University Professor Emeritus Ronald Pearlman and Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus Kenneth Davey both of York’s Faculty of Science & Engineering were nominated by the Royal Canadian Institute (RCI) for the Advancement of Science for their outstanding contributions to the institute, as well as their support of a science culture and of science literacy in Canada. In addition, Professor Peter Victor of the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) was nominated for his support of the institute’s science outreach activities.
Four members of York’s Learning Technology Services in University Information Technology will also be honoured. They were nominated by the RCI for their work webcasting the institute’s lectures so they could be viewed around the world, increasing the public’s awareness and understanding of science. They are Bob McKenzie, assistant manager of media services, Robert Denault (BA Hons. ’05), a digital media support specialist who has worked at the University since 2003, David Gibson, digital media support specialist, and Kelly Parke, program organizer.
Ronald Pearlman
Pearlman, first-vice-president of the RCI and incoming president, is the director of the Core Molecular Biology/DNA Sequencing Facility and former associate dean and dean of York’s Faculty of Graduate Studies. He is also associate scientific director of the Gairdner Foundation and co-ordinates the student outreach program for Gairdner. His research interests include molecular biology and biochemistry, cell biology and genetics utilizing the new genomic and proteomic technologies.
Kenneth Davey
Davey, vice-chair of the Board of Canadian Science Publishing, is co-author of the first-year university textbook, Biology: Exploring the Diversity of Life (2009), and is the former co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Zoology. On the administrative side, Davey once held the positions of chair of York’s Department of Biology, dean of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science and vice-president, academic. He previously won the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. He is also an officer of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a past president of the RCI. His research explores the control of development and physiology in various invertebrates, principally insects and nematodes.
Peter Victor
Victor, past president of the RCI and the founding president of the Canadian Society for Ecological Economics, is an economist who has worked on environmental issues for 40 years as an academic, public servant and consultant. He is chair of the Greenbelt Council of Ontario, as well as a member of the Board of the David Suzuki Foundation. From 1996 to 2001, Victor was dean of FES, and before that an assistant deputy minister at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
James Carley
Carley is an associate fellow of the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies and an honorary research fellow of Lady Margaret Hall at the University of Oxford. His latest publication is an edition and translation of the De uiris illustribus by the Tudor antiquary John Leland. Carley’s previous works include King Henry VIII’s Prayer Book: Facsimile and Commentary (2009), The Books of King Henry VIII and his Wives (2004) and The Libraries of King Henry VIII (2000).
Robert Denault
Denault has worked in both the communication arts and information technology industries for over 15 years, nine of which has been primarily at York University. He has been employed at York in roles ranging from student technology assistant, learning technology support specialist, marketing and communications coordinator and digital media support specialist. In addition, he has helped develop information systems and web capabilities for York student publication Excalibur over the past decade. In his present lead producer role within Learning Technology Services, he designs media solutions and media stories for a variety of use cases. He also provides leadership in developing York’s lecture capture and video platform initiatives.
Kelly Parke
Parke, an adjunct faculty member in the Schulich School of Business in the MBA program, has worked in the media industry for more than 30 years. As a technical producer and videographer he has worked with most of the major television networks in North America and with the BBC. In the entertainment sector he has worked on projects with the Rolling Stones, Brad Pitt and Hugh Grant and many other celebrities. In the sports world, he continues to be a videographer for many major league sports, as well as the Olympics.
Bob McKenzie
McKenzie has taught media production, delivered media storytelling seminars and served as producer/director for several broadcast, promotional and informational videos across North America for more than 35 years. As director of media for Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, he was instrumental in transitioning their distance and hybrid learning systems from satellite to live and on-demand video streaming utilizing a “flipped” classroom model of blended learning. For the last three decades, he has been a media producer/manager with York’s Instructional Technology & Learning Technology Services, working with faculty, students and staff to share their stories and ideas utilizing various media designs and techniques.
David Gibson
Gibson has travelled the world, lived on three different continents and worked on two of them. In addition to working at York, Gibson is the co-founder and producer of Riverlife Productions, where he produces music videos and short films, one of which was funded by Bravo! and played on MuchMusic.
The medal winners nominated by the RCI will be honoured at the RCI’s Gala dinner Thursday, April 26.
For more information, visit the Governor General of Canada website.
York University is a leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto – Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 55,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 250,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 faculties and 28 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
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Media Contact:
Melissa Hughes, Media Relations, York University, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, mehughes@yorku.ca
