Congratulating IQC's Board Member, Paul Corkum
The Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) is proud to recognize the latest achievements by our Board Member, Paul Corkum who was recently awarded the country's top science prize, the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering at an awards ceremony in Ottawa held March 16, 2009.
On hand to present the distinguished award was Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Minister of State (Science and Technology) Gary Goodyear, and Suzanne Fortier, President of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
The NSERC Herzberg Medal is awarded annually to an individual for sustained excellence and overall influence of a body of research, which has advanced the natural sciences, or engineering fields in Canada. In addition to the medal, Dr. Corkum is also guaranteed $1 million in research funding over five years. Dr. Corkum's work at the National Research Council and the University of Ottawa has led to the development of a new field, "attosecond science."
He believes this new field has the potential to help medical researchers advance their understanding of cell processes, and provide new tools and fabrication methods for nanotechnology and new sub-cellular imaging methods. "Canadian researchers have always been at the vanguard of scientific and technological achievement," said Prime Minister Stephen Harper. "Although attosecond movements, quantum computing, and cognitive neuroscience aren't typical conversations around the kitchen table, all Canadians stand to benefit from the practical application of research in these fields."
The Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal is funded by the Harper Government through NSERC, the federal agency responsible for promoting science, research and development. Named after one of Canada's most prominent scientists, Dr. Herzberg won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to understanding the structure of molecules.
About IQC: Founded in 2002, the mission of the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) is to aggressively explore and advance the application of quantum mechanical systems to a vast array of relevant information processing techniques.
A part of the University of Waterloo, IQC creates a truly unique environment that fosters cutting-edge research and collaboration between researchers in the areas of computer, engineering, mathematical and physical sciences.
At the time of this release, IQC has 18 faculty members, 20 postdoctoral fellows and over 73 students and research assistants, as well as a support staff of 10.