SCWIST nominates Judy Illes for 2009 YWCA Women of Distinction Award

SCWIST has a proud tradition of nominating excellent women in science, engineering and technology for the YWCA Women of Distinction awards. We also are delighted to have several previous awardees and nominees among our members (including the 2008 winner Dr. Rabab Ward).

This year Elana Brief, Kim Hellemans and Gulnur Birol and Julia Vaughan wrote and assembled the nomination package for Dr. Judy Illes. Below is an excerpt from the nomination.

Dr. Judy Illes, Canada Research Chair in Neuroethics and Professor of Neurology, is the Director of the National Core for Neuroethics, based at the University of British Columbia and leads the Women in World Neuroscience Committee of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO). In less than a decade, Judy pioneered the field of neuroethics to provide ethical and legal guidelines for advances in neuroscience so that patients, doctors, researchers and policy-makers are able to make ethical decisions. Judy volunteers her time nationally and internationally to advance women in science, and is working towards reducing barriers that exist for women neuroscientists in low- to mid-income nations. Judy is admired by her students and colleagues and is an inspiring role-model for both women and men.

We are delighted to see the impressive list of nominees that have been put forward by the many dedicated women and men who work to promote and advance women in science.

The full list of nominees for the 2009 YWCA Women of Distinction Award in Technology, Science and Industry is:

Elizabeth Croft – Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UBC
Charmaine Dean – Professor of Statistics and Actuarial Science, SFU
Adele Diamond – Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, UBC, and Canada Research Chair
Judy Illes – Director, National Core for Neuroethics and Professor of Neurology, UBC
Shelia Innis – Director, Nutrition Research Program, Child & Family Research Institute
Margo Moore – Professor of Biological Sciences, SFU

If you wish to attend the awards dinner (June 3, 2009), please let .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) know. We may be able to assemble a SCWIST table. For more information on the awards or the dinner, go to http://www.ywcavan.org/content/Women_of_Distinction_Awards/201/30/114.