The McNeil Medal for the Public Awareness of Science "is intended to highlight the important role that science plays within our society and to encourage the communication of science to students and the public. The Medal is awarded to a candidate who has demonstrated outstanding ability to promote and communicate science to students and the public within Canada. The term public is defined in its broadest sense." Brubacher is this year's winner jointly with Bessie Borwein of the University of Western Ontario.
Says the RSC's citation: "Professor Lewis J. Brubacher, Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo, has had a major impact on the communication of chemistry to students, teachers and the general public in Canada as well as throughout the world. In his role as editor-in-chief of the publication CHEM 13 NEWS, Professor Brubacher has been and continues to be a key player in bringing the importance of chemistry to our everyday lives. "The chemistry of plastics, rocket fuel, catalysts, drugs and life processes among other topics, are presented by this educational magazine to a readership of over 4000 individuals and schools in over 40 countries. The publication also institutes two national/ international examinations to high school students, the Chem 13 News Exam and the Avogadro Exam. Through this publication and these examinations, chemistry is well communicated to a public audience.
"Professor Brubacher has unselfishly devoted major portions of his time to promote the chemical sciences not only to his own students at the University of Waterloo but also to our society and to the next generation. His time spent presenting papers at, and helping to organize several major chemical education conferences has played and will continue to play a major role in highlighting the everyday importance that chemistry, and science in general, plays in our society.. His inspiration and love for teaching and his interest in presenting the impact that chemistry has on society is meritorious."
The McNeil Medal -- established a decade ago "through the generosity of the McNeil Consumer Products Company" -- is one of twelve that the RSC is awarding this year "for extraordinary achievement in the social sciences, humanities, and pure and applied sciences. These awards come as a culmination of a lengthy nomination and selection process and are a tribute to the outstanding contributions being made by Canadians in all areas of research and scholarship." The honour consists of a bronze medal and a cash award of $1,500.
The medals will be presented at the RSC's annual awards banquet on November 17.