Queen’s University professors have won three of the five national research and outreach honours awarded by Partners in Research (PIR). James Low (Obstetrics and Gynecology), John Smol (Biology) and Peter Taylor (Mathematics and Statistics) are among the top Canadian researchers recognized for excellence in their fields.

“Queen's clearly has much to celebrate with three of its faculty earning these national awards,” says Steven Liss, Vice-Principal (Research). “These awards represent well-deserved acknowledgment for these scholars who go above and beyond their roles as researchers to share their discoveries with the public through various outreach activities.”

Dr. Low, winner of the Ronald G. Calhoun Science Ambassador Award, has been recognized for his years of research excellence in the field of obstetrics and gynecology and for his founding and leadership of the Museum of Health Care at Kingston.  The Museum is the only in Canada dedicated to the history of health care. The award honours a member of the community providing leadership in support of health care research.

The Science Ambassador Award, which recognizes contributions to the field of science by a Canadian researcher, has been awarded to Dr. Smol. A Canadian ambassador for environmental science, Dr. Smol is dedicated to making his work accessible to both academic and public audiences. The Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change, Smol co-directs the Paleoecological Environment Assessment and Research Laboratory at Queen’s.

For his academic accomplishments in the mathematics community, Dr. Taylor has been honoured with the Mathematics Ambassador Award. His research focuses on the evolution of cooperative behaviour and he has done extensive curriculum writing with the Ontario Ministry of Education. To prepare for this, he taught two semesters in a high school. Dr. Taylor is a cross-appointed professor emeritus in the Faculty of Education and the Department of Biology.

PIR is a registered Canadian charity founded in 1988 to help Canadians understand the significance, accomplishments and promise of biomedical research in advancing health and medicine. Since its genesis, PIR has broadened its scope to encompass science, technology, engineering and mathematics as fields of discovery and study for Canadian students.

The recipients will receive their honours at the Partners in Research National Awards Ceremony on June 2 in London, Ontario.