TEAM SCIENCE TODAYWINTER 2011

EditorMichael Woloschuk

Editorial AdvisorsDean Martin GrantCarole KleingribJennifer Towell

DesignTurcotte Design

Special thanks to Sabrina Paltooand all volunteer photographers

Faculty of Science853 Sherbrooke Street W.Montreal, QuebecCanada H3A 2T6

Please direct comments or inquiries tomichael.woloschuk@mcgill.ca

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A Tale of Polar Extremes

Little did great explorers like Amundsen, Scott and Vilkitsky know that the Earth’spolar areas would become, in one hundred or so years, a natural and politicalminefield desperate for leadership in the area of scientific research. In the Arctic

and Antarctic regions, global warming demands that we develop a deeper understand-ing of the impact the resulting ice melt will have on the planet; we also must grasp theconsequences of this melt on the fragile ecosystems of both regions. Just as importantis the study of what effect global temperature changes are having on the Arctic region’sindigenous peoples, who already face tremendous hardship in their struggle to survive.Over the past 20 years, the field of polar research has changed considerably. The

field has not only witnessed technological leaps such as those driven by improve-ments in satellite, GPS, and computer breakthroughs, but the very transformation ofthe Earth’s environment has meant a significant change in scientific thinking in thisarea. Even the once-frozen Northwest Passage sea route connecting Europe and Asiavia the Canadian Archipelago, is now navigable thanks to global warming. Thesedrastic changes have resulted in similarly unheard-of opportunities for polar explor-ers, who can put these new technologies to good use.McGill recognizes our responsibility not only to investigate the physical causes of

climate change, but to provide education and public policy solutions that benefit thecommunities who are currently impacted by global warming.A significant investment in this area would create a flexible research environment

that breaks down the silos of disciplines, methodologies, and stakeholder interests. AsI write, the Faculty of Science is actively expanding its research and teaching oppor-tunities in Nunavut, through the support of Agnico-Eagle Mining Corp. Research inthis vital field will allow us to better plan for difficult times, now and in the future. Inshort, this research will change the world in which we live.This challenge makes me excited about being appointed Dean for a second term.

Over the last five years, the Faculty’s accomplishments include making undergradu-ate research a hallmark, recognizing and retaining great staff, and seeding successfulresearch priorities. To support and build on our achievements, we have received do-nations from our alumni and friends at a level never before seen. In red ribbons run-ning vertically along the inside pages of Team Science Today, we honour some of ourgenerous alumni, friends, and supporters—including generous corporations andfoundations such as Hydro-Québec, Shell Oil, Imperial Oil Foundation and HylcanFoundation.Our past successes notwithstanding, we have things to do and I feel a sense of ur-

gency to get them done. Our success has given rise to further opportunities, and wewill use the strength of commitment philanthropy gives us to advance our researchagenda. In a nutshell: we will make a difference. Time is short, but five years isenough time to make that difference.

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NORTH STARS

Celebrating 50 Years of Life on MARS

In 1960, a research expedition of McGill scientists to Axel Heiberg Island, one of the mostinaccessible areas of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, culminated in the establishment of theMcGill Arctic Research Station (MARS) at Expedition Fiord.

Since then, McGill’s northern outposthas become one of the longest-operatingseasonal field research facilities in the highArctic, and gives scientists—from McGilland around the world—an ideal base fromwhich to study such fields as permafrost hy-

drology, extreme environment biology and astrobiology.Consisting of a small research hut, a cook house and two tem-

porary structures, the research station is accessible from Aprilthrough August and comfortably accommodates 8-12, providingaccess to glacier, ice cap and polar desert environments. The meanannual temperature for Expedition Fiord is about -16°C, whileextreme minimums of less than -50°C have been recorded.This year marks the 50th anniversary of MARS—and thanks to

a number of improvements and renovations under the watchfuleye of MARS Director and Geography Professor Wayne Pollard—the Arctic research station can look forward to at least another 50healthy years of service.“The 50th anniversary is important because it reflects our long-

term commitment to polar research—and it’s a testament to the fact that McGill has develop a richdatabase of knowledge in the area,” says Pollard, who first visited MARS in 1988 on permafrost ge-omorphology research trip. “The McGill station represents a critical stage in Arctic science and ex-ploration. More importantly, this has not only been sustained, but has grown.”MARS hosts about 10 research projects each year, with about four or five people on average in

each group, explains Pollard. Because of its extreme cold desert conditions, the research station hasfamously attracted the attention of astrobi-ology researchers who speculate that AxelHeiberg proves an ideal Earth-based modelof how life might have evolved on Mars.If micro organisms can survive the high

Arctic, could they thrive in the harsh climateof the Red Planet? Besides McGill, recentusers interested in studying this questionhave included the Canadian Space Agency,NASA, the SETI Institute, the Polar Conti-nental Shelf Project, the Geological Surveyof Canada, and the Canadian Museum ofNature.Recent renovations at MARS saw the

addition of a kitchen and recreation area andsolar and wind-powered weather havenstructures. To commemorate the 50th an-niversary of the building of the initialMARS camp, Pollard is planning to host aone-day workshop at the Axel Heiberg sta-tion next summer.“It’s a celebration of 50 years of survival

in pretty tough conditions,” says Pollard.

Rocking the Arctic, McGill Style

Iwo years ago, Earth and Planetary Sci-ence professor Don Francis made head-lines when his team of McGill re-

searchers discovered the world's oldestknown rocks in northern Quebec. Now,Francis is part of a team that has discovereda new window into the Earth's violent past,through geochemical evidence from vol-canic rocks collected on Baffin Island in theCanadian Arctic.The rocks suggest that beneath Baffin Is-

land lies a region of the Earth’s mantle thathas largely escaped the billions of years ofmelting and geological churning that has af-fected the rest of the planet. Francis believesthe discovery offers clues to the early chem-ical evolution of the Earth.The newly identified mantle “reservoir,”

as it is called, dates from just a few tens of millions years after the Earth was first assembled from thecollisions of smaller bodies. This reservoir likely represents the composition of the mantle shortlyafter formation of the core, but before the 4.5 billion years of crust formation and recycling mod-ified the composition of most of the rest of Earth’s interior.The study, published this past August in Nature, was co-authored by Richard Carlson of the

Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, and lead author Matthew Jackson ofBoston University. The findings suggest there is far less uranium and thorium inside the Earth thanexpected.The rocks were originally collected by Francis more than a decade ago in the Canadian Arctic.

Francis often shares his rock finds with other researchers.

The Fabulous Bruno Buoys

For the past three years, Bruno Tremblay,Asso-ciate Professor of Atmospheric and OceanicSciences, has been travelling to the Arctic

Ocean to track ice thickness, as well as temperature,compression and movement with some very smartresearch buoys. Using the data generated by hisbuoys, Tremblay calibrates models to predict futureice conditions within the Canadian Arctic archipel-ago.on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic.Tremblay specializes in predictions, specifically

predictions about climate change and the effects itwill have on Arctic sea ice. Three years ago, he fa-mously predicted ice-free Arctic summers as early as2040.Tremblay is philosophical about the future as he

gears up for yet another trek to the Arctic ocean,where he will distribute his buoys. “It’s important to keep measuring year after

year,” he says. “The longer we can maintain thisbuoy program, the more precise our information willbe over time.”That’s why Tremblay is hoping to see some ad-

ditional funding for his important research. Eachbuoy costs upwards of $38,000 and they sometimesdo not survive the harsh Arctic winters and need tobe replaced annually.“This is a region highly under-sampled, and

studying the freeze-thaw cycle of sea ice in this re-gion would be very useful.”

Francesco Bellini, DSc’04,knows a lot about dreamsand the important part thatpeople and hard work playin achieving them. He gave$10-million of his personalfortune in 2002 to get theMcGill University LifeSciences Complexconstructed. Thanks to Dr. Bellini, the $120-millioncomplex opened in 2008.

Dr. Richard Walls, PhD’78, andCarolina J. Walls, BSc’85, whoselead gift was instrumental inraising more than $1.2-milliontoward the T.H. Clark Chair inSedimentary and PetroleumGeology, have contributed afurther $1-million to create theBest in the West Scholarships inScience, and Earth and PlanetarySciences.

Richard Hart, PhD’70, MBA’73,has remembered the Facultyof Science in a big way, withhis gift of $1.2 million tocreate the Molson and HiltonHart Fellowships to recognizethe scholarship and academicachievements of graduatestudents in the Faculty ofScience.

Robert Wares, BSc’79, wasconcerned about replenishingthe geological profession whenhe and his company, OsiskoMining Corp., donated an equalamount of Osisko shares tocreate a $4.1-million endowmentin support of the next generationof Canadian geologists.

Anthony Campbell, BSc’69,pledged $3-million to endowa chair in DevelopmentalBiolog. The chair is the first inmolecular developmentalbiology at a Canadianuniversity.

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Rubin Gruber, BSc’65,established the RubinGruber Scholarship with aninitial donation in 1997.Over the years, thisendowment has flourishedwith Gruber’s additionalcontributions totaling closeto $1 million.

Lorne Trottier, DSc’06, has donatedmore than $23 million to his almamater since he graduated in 1970. His gifts include: $10 million towardconstruction of the Lorne M. TrottierBuilding, $12 million for researchchairs in astrophysics and cosmologyand aerospace engineering, andfunding for graduate fellowships,Science Outrreach, Engineering andsustainable development

David Pelletier, BSc’72, contributedclose to $200,000 to establish aFellowship in Mathematics inhonour of his father andgrandfatherer. Pelletier is alongtime Science CampaignCommittee member, and hisfamily includes a long list of McGill alumni.

Despite being mapped and charted for more than a century now, the Arctic remains anambiguous and often enigmatic place where scientific research is driven by climate change,globalization and technological advances in the development of mineral and oil deposits.

This year marks a special time for the Faculty of Science in our history of northern research:we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the McGill Arctic Research Station on Axel HeibergIsland, one of the most northern and inaccessible areas of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago; wealso launched discussions with the Government of Canada and Nunavut Arctic College to fur-ther enhance our infrastructure in Canada’s Arctic regions. In exchange for providing much-needed science skills to Canada’s indigenous people of the North, McGill will open up new av-enues of research and exploration in this vital area.McGill’s existing advantages in Arctic exploration are twofold: ready access to a rich variety of

ecosystems that make up Canada’s vast Arctic terrain, and the University’s centuries-old invest-ment in human capital, comprised of scientists and researchers. These twin strengths form the ba-sis for McGill’s four pillars of polar research: sustainable resource development; environmentalscience and stewardship; climate change; and healthy and sustainable communities. The Faculty ofScience boasts more than a dozen scientists whose work is directly northern based, including:Geography professors James Ford, whose work reveals how climate change affects Inuit food

security (physical, social, and dietary), as well as its impact on cultural resilience, hunting, tradi-tions, and health in a Nunavut community, and George Wenzel, a veteran researcher of hunter-gatherer economies among Inuit, who examines how Arctic communities are structurally adapt-ing to global warming, and Jeff McKenzie, Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth andPlanetary Sciences, whose recent studies have included hydrogeology field research in northernpeatlands.The Faculty is seeking an investment in this important area, which will allow McGill to drive

polar science even further by uniting these research fields under a focused initiative. The Univer-sity’s unique ability to engage scientists across seemingly divergent areas of study will unquestion-ably lead to even further discoveries for the benefit of all humanity.

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Students on Ice

For the first time in history, studentsfrom McGill will participate in afield study course in Antarctica,

led by Earth and Planetary Sciencesprofessor Eric Galbraith. Partici-pants will cross the SouthernOcean from Ushuaia to theAntarctic peninsula, and visitmultiple landing sites. The expedition runs from

February 12 to 28, 2011.Course projects will involveoceanographic sampling, andshore-based work. Evaluationwill be based on pre-expedi-tion reading assignments, criti-cal discussions, and researchprojects.The expedition is a joint un-

dertaking between four universi-ties, organized by the non-profitStudents on Ice.McGill’s part in the Students on

Ice program is offered through the De-partment of Earth System Science, and isbeing supervised by Galbraith, who re-cently completed a postdoctoral fellowship atPrinceton University before returning to McGilllast year.Galbraith, who completed his BSc at McGill, worked as

a geologist in South America and the Canadian Arctic before be-coming an oceanographer. His research looks at how global ocean circula-tion interacts with the rest of the climate system, what this means for ma-rine life, and how the ocean will respond to future climate change.

Physicists Under Glass

On a continent that contains more than its fair share ofthe white stuff—snow and ice—Antarctica is the lastplace on Earth you’d expect to find researchers study-

ing the darkest matter in the universe.But that’s exactly where Matt Dobbs, Canada Research

Chair in Astro-particle Physics, and his team hole themselves up,often for months at a time, attracted by Antarctica’s thinatmosphere, arid skies—and the South Pole Telescope.The telescope is a collaboration between McGill and eight

US universities that is designed to observe microwave radiationreaching Earth from the edge of the Universe.

“We’re primarily interested in how the universe as awhole evolved and what the universe is made up

of, so we use the galaxy clusters as tracersfor the expansion history of theuniverse,” says Dobbs.

This, in turn, may help solvesome of the mysteriessurrounding dark energy,which cosmologistsdiscovered about a decadeago. It makes up almostthree-quarters of ouruniverse, but we stillknow very little aboutit. The evolution ofthe clusters dependson both gravity andthe dark energypulling them apart.Dobbs, who

earned a much-coveted 2010 SloanResearch Fellowshipworth $50,000,concludes that “successis not just about scientificexcellence, but also aboutgetting things done inextreme environments. I’ll be

relying on the abilities of ourexceptional team of students,

postdocs, and collaborators as muchas my own.”

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Fa cu lt y and A lumn i N ew s

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Besides the Nobel prizewinningdisplay by two Faculty of Sciencealumni this year—Willard Boyle inPhysics and in Jack Szostak inMedicine—Faculty alumni collecteda number of other important awards,including Brenda Milner, PhD’52,DSc’91, winner of the prestigiousInternational Balzan Prize for 2009,for her extraordinary influence onthe shape of neuroscience. Indeed,the origins of modern cognitiveneuroscience of memory can betraced directly to her rigorous andimaginative studies.

In addition to Faculty of Sciencealumni, our current academic staffreceived an impressive number ofprestigious awards. Andrew Hendry, an associate professorwith the Department of Biology andthe Redpath Museum, and KarimNader, an associate professor andWilliam Dawson Chair in theDepartment of Psychology, were2009 recipients of E.W.R. SteacieMemorial Fellowships bestowed by the Natural Sciences andEngineering Research Council of Canada.

The Faculty continued to reaprecognition from the Royal Societyof Canada, which awarded BrianAlters, director of McGill’sTomlinson Project in University-Level Science Education, the 2009McNeil Medal for the PublicAwareness of Science for his world-famous work on the promotion ofeducation about evolution, andelected Bruce Reed, a mathematicianand theoretical computer scientist inthe School of Computer Science, asa Fellow, in recognition of hisoutstanding scientific achievements.

Meanwhile, Physics professor andrenowned cosmologist RobertBrandenberger was awarded a 2009Killam Research Fellowship,administered by the Canada Councilfor the Arts, for his new approachesto superstring cosmology.Brandenberger’s colleague, Vicky Kaspi, Lorne Trottier Chair inAstrophysics and Cosmology andCanada Research Chair inObservational Astrophysics, has beenawarded a 2009 Prix du Québec, the highest honour conferred by the provincial government, inrecognition of her contribution to the social and scientific

advancement of Quebec.

In other Physics news, the CanadianAssociation of Physicists awarded its2009 Herzberg Medal to Physicsprofessor Guy Moore while theCanadian Association of Physicistsand the Centre de RecherchesMathématiques awarded Physicsprofessor Hong Guo the 2009 CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical andMathematical Physics. Mark Sutton,Rutherford Professor of Physics, wasawarded the 2009 Arthur H.Compton Award by the AdvancedPhoton Source (APS) at ArgonneNational Laboratory.

Reginald Fessenden professors—Nicolas Moitessier, associate professorin the Department of Chemistry andPaul Wiseman, associate professor inboth Chemistry and Physics—continue to win accolades amongtheir peers. Moitessier won the 2009AstraZeneca Award in chemistry,while Wiseman won the 2009 KeithLaidler Award from the CanadianSociety for Chemistry.

Other Chemistry standouts includeGonzalo Cosa, an assistant professor inthe Department of Chemistry, whowas named a co-winner of theEuropean Society for Photobiology’sYoung Investigator Award.Meanwhile, Psychology professorRobert Pihl won the 2009 CanadianPsychological Association GoldMedal Award, while Ronald Melzack,emeritus professor, Department ofPsychology, was awarded the firstOutstanding Pain Mentorship Awardby the Canadian Pain Society.

Finally, Don Francis, professor andDawson Chair in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, was awarded the Peacock Medal bythe Mineralogical Association ofCanada, and Professor George P.H. Styan, Department ofMathematics and Statistics, wasnamed an Honorary Member in the Statistical Society of Canada.

Nobels, Steacies, a Balzan and More

k udo s

John Blachford, BEng’59,PhD’63, DSc’09, donated $1.25-million to the Faculty of Science in memory of his great-uncle, ReginaldFessenden, to establish theFessenden Professorships inScience Innovation. Thedonation was supplementedby a gift of $250,000 from Dr.Blachford’s son, Erik Blachford,to create three ReginaldFessenden Prizes inInnovation.

Jim Pantelidis, BSc’66, alongtime supporter ofMcGill and member of the Science CampaignCommittee whodemonstrated hiscommitment to students by contributing more than$100,000 to endowundergraduate researchscholarships.

Jeremy Clark, BSc’98, whosesupport includes far more thandollars—notwithstanding giftstotaling $50,000 in support ofthe Best in the WestScholarships—is activelyinvolved as a ScienceCampaign Committee memberand Campaign McGillvolunteer.

Richard Tomlinson, PhD’48,BSc’´01, one of McGill’s greatestbenefactors, whose $60-milliongift in 2000 was one of thelargest philanthropic gifts evermade by an alumnus to aCanadian university, has alsocontributed millions of dollars tothe Faculty of Science.

Seymour Schulich, BSc’61, MBA’65,DLitt’04, one of Canada’s topbenefactors, whose $20 million gift in2005 established and renamed theSchulich School of Music. Schulich’s giftsalso include funding to the SchulichLibrary of Science and Engineering, and$2.5 million in fellowships for thedepartments of Physics, andMathematics and Statistics.

Fred Krieble, whose grandfather VernonK. Krible, was a McGill Chemistry graduateand faculty member, has donated $1.6million to the Faculty of Science throughthe Krieble Family Foundation, including$1-million for the construction of theLorne M. Trottier Building.

Richard Bradshaw, BCom’61,and his wife Val Bradshaw,BA’61, donated $1.5 million,matched by McGill, to createthe Liber Ero Chair inEnvironment in the McGillSchool of Environment.

Arthur, BArch’62, and Crystal Lau,BSc’62, have a deep andlongstanding friendship withMcGill, whose leadership andsupport includes more than$400,000 in University-widecontributions, including the Dr. SooKim Lau Science scholarships inhonour of Crystal’s mother.

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