Professor named College Member by Royal Society of Canada

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Three professors from the University of Waterloo are among the new members of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists announced today.

Members have reached a high level of achievement at an early stage of their careers. They represent the emerging generation of scholars and leaders in science and the arts in the country.

"The University of Waterloo is home to talented researchers making world-changing discoveries at all stages of their careers," said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of Waterloo. "I am looking forward to seeing what these remarkable individuals achieve in the years to come and congratulate them on this tremendous honour."

The Waterloo researchers among the incoming members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists are:

David Hammond, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

  • David Hammond is one of the world’s preeminent experts in tobacco control and nutrition labelling. He has helped international governments shape and advance critical public health policies. In addition to preparing reports for the Surgeon General of the United States and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Hammond has drafted guidelines for the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and testified at the European Parliament on the new tobacco products directive. He is among the top 10 most published authors in the field of tobacco control.

Karen E. Collins, Department of Drama and Speech Communication, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts

  • Karen E. Collins has cemented her international reputation in the field of game sound studies. Her research into the affective and experiential impact of interactive sound and music in games, and her vital contributions to the technical enhancement of interactive audio has enabled a level of sophistication in game audio impossible only a few years ago. Collins’ research is not only advancing scholarship but also having a significant societal impact. She has participated in numerous industry collaborations, has published game-audio software, and holds a patent for hearing impaired-accessible gaming technology.

Zhou Wang, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering

  • Zhou Wang is internationally recognized for groundbreaking work in perceptual image and video quality assessment and visual-perception-based image and video processing, and is one of the most frequently cited authors in these areas.  His award-winning publications have received high numbers of citations by academic researchers and industrial practitioners, making him among the world’s most frequently cited authors in the field of image processing.  His paper on structural similarity (SSIM) method has led to a paradigm change in perceptual image quality assessment and processing.

There were 48 new members named today. This year's induction ceremony will take place on November 27 in Victoria.

The primary objective of the RSC is to promote learning and research in the arts, the humanities and the natural and social sciences.  To learn more about the Royal Society of Canada, please visit the website.

About the University of Waterloo

In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 35,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. A globally focused institution, celebrated as Canada’s most innovative university for 23 consecutive years, Waterloo is home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, please visit uwaterloo.ca.

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