DAVID DOLPHIN AND KEITH SLESSOR
2003 DISTINGUISHED ACADEMICS AWARDS RECIPIENTS

A pair of chemists beat out stiff competition to win the 2003 Distinguished Academics Awards, presented annually by the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of B.C. (CUFA/BC) for exceptional research that contributes to the wider community

UBC professor David Dolphin was named Academic of the Year for developing the drug Visudyne, which successfully treats a common type of age-related blindness. SFU professor Keith Slessor received the Career Achievement Award for a lifetime of research excellence dealing with insect pheromones and for promoting science among non-scientists.

“Professors Dolphin and Slessor exemplify the contributions B.C. university faculty make to the wider community through their research and scholarly activity,” said Rick Coe, CUFA/BC President.

“Prof. Dolphin’s development of Visudyne to treat one of the most common causes of blindness benefits more than 200,000 Canadians,” Coe continued. “Prof. Slessor’s research has contributed very significantly to controlling insect populations by using the insects’ own pheromones. This work has had beneficial effects in forestry and the honey industry. Prof. Slessor has also dedicated his career to explaining science both to the wider community and to non-scientists within the university community.”

Bill Richardson, host of CBC Radio One’s Richardson’s Roundup, emceed the award dinner April 23rd at the Law Courts Restaurant in Vancouver.

The CUFA/BC Distinguished Academics Awards are in their ninth year and receive generous support from Sun Microsystems of Canada, the University of British Columbia, Royal Roads University, Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria and the University of Northern British Columbia.