Five Queen’s professors have been named the 2016 recipients of the university’s Prize for Excellence in Research.

The award, which includes a $5,000 prize and the opportunity to deliver a public lecture on the topic of their research, is given in recognition of research during the recipient’s time at Queen's. Up to five prizes are awarded each year – one each in the Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, and Engineering.

This year’s recipients are Gauvin Bailey (Art History and Art Conservation), James R. Cordy (School of Computing), Janet Hiebert (Political Studies), Steven Vanner (Medicine) and Virginia Walker (Biology).

“As one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities, the quality of faculty nominations for these prizes serves as a testament to the important and impactful research taking place across all faculties here at Queen’s,” says Steven Liss, Vice-Principal (Research). “The five faculty members who will receive this year’s prizes are internationally-recognized researchers who have made significant and important contributions to their disciplines and continue to conduct research at the cutting-edge of their respective fields. My sincere congratulations to each of them.”

A world-renowned expert in the arts and architecture of early Modern Europe, Latin America, and colonial Asia, Dr. Bailey is recognized as a leading expert on art and Catholicism, especially art of the Jesuit missions. He was the first researcher to undertake a systematic study of these styles in Asia and relate them to Latin America. His research examines the art of different regions in new ways, using multidisciplinary methodologies to pursue the viewpoint of non‐European cultures.
 

James R. Cordy (School of Computing)

As software systems continue to take on larger and more complex tasks – such as vehicle safety systems that can keep your car in its lane – the code necessary to control them grows more complex as well. Dr. Cordy’s research has led to the development of methods and tools that make the management of today’s large software code bases possible. His work has been used to safely make systematic modifications to large code bases – notably used by Canadian banks to solve the Year 2000 (Y2K) problem – and for identifying trouble spots in other complex programs. His work is used in industrial and academic settings around the world.

An internationally-celebrated scholar of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Dr. Hiebert is the foremost authority on how bills of rights influence Westminster parliamentary democracy. Hiebert has published nine books, 20 peer-reviewed articles, and 20 book chapters. Her expertise has led to invitations to provide briefs, advice, and expert testimony for governments in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as the International Bar Association.
 

Recognized for his innovative research into the causes of, and treatments for, the pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome, Dr. Vanner has made a tremendous impact on both his field and the research environment here at Queen’s. He has led the growth of the Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Unit (GIDRU), in addition to his leadership role serving as Deputy Head of the Department of Medicine. Dr. Vanner is recognized by his colleagues and peers as a scientific and research mentor, as well as his prominence as a leader in academic gastroenterology on the national front.

A prolific researcher with an international reputation, Dr. Walker has contributed more than 150 publications to top science journals in her nearly 40-year academic career. Not limited to one area of inquiry, her research includes the full range of biology from cell and molecular biology, physiology, ecology and evolution and she has worked on mammals, plants, insects and most recently fish. Her excellence in research is only surpassed by her exceptional contribution to teaching where she has won the Queen’s Alumni Excellence in Teaching Award, Departmental Teaching Award, TVO Lecturer of the year “Top10”, and Queen’s University Graduate Teaching Award.

In addition to receiving their prize at this year’s fall convocation ceremonies, the winners will also present public lectures in 2016. More information on the public lectures will be made available closer to the date.