Stephen Owen, co-director of UVic’s centre for dispute resolution, Dr. Harold Coward, director of UVic’s centre for studies in religion and society, and renowned ethnobotanist Dr. Nancy Turner were all cited for their “impeccable, even incredible, scholastic credentials.” They were also praised for their work to reach out to communities, collaborate with citizens and add their voices to public policy debates. Owen was praised for his “devotion to fairness and balancing of interests in the common good” in seeking peaceful solutions in the world’s trouble spots. Coward was described as “arguably the most dynamic religion and ethics scholar in Canada.” Turner was praised for her dedication to communicating the cultural and ecological significance of plants, especially in the lives of West Coast First Nations.

Six more UVic faculty members were among those the Sun considered the top 50 thinkers in the province. They are: Dr. Eike Kluge (philosophy) for his outspoken analysis of medical ethics; Dr. Michael M’Gonigle (law and environmental studies) for his environmental activism; Dr. Jan Storch (nursing) for her expertise in the ethics of health care; Dr. Michael Hadley (history) for his work on bringing restorative justice practices to B.C.’s prisons; Dr. Norman Ruff (political science) for being a reasoned voice among “hypercharged political commentators;” and Dr. Sybille Artz (child and youth care) for her work on combating youth violence.

The provincial government has approved two new appointments to the UVic board of governors. Linda Jules of Kamloops and Marion Meagher of Victoria have been appointed to three-year terms. Jules holds a culture resources management diploma from UVic and is president of the Kamloops Art Gallery board of trustees. Meagher is the former executive vice-president (B.C.) of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, a position she held for three years until this past May.

UVic Chancellor Dr. Norma Mickelson was named to the Order of Canada this summer. Mickelson, a champion of equity rights, holds a master’s degree in education from UVic and PhD in education from the University of Washington. She became the first female academic dean in Canada after being appointed UVic’s dean of education in 1980, and won the Victoria YM/YWCA Women of Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. She also served as special advisor to the president on equity issues in 1989 and in 1991 received the inaugural Sarah Shorten Award for her work on equity issues. The Order of Canada is the highest honour for lifetime achievement that can be awarded to a Canadian citizen.

Science Venture instructor and recent UVic grad Kristal Bodaly has been awarded the 2000 Shell Award for Teaching Excellence. The award recognizes her outstanding achievement in ensuring the success of the camp and the positive experience of each camper. Bodaly graduated with a BA in linguistics in June. She spent two summers with Science Venture, one of 27 members of Actua, a not-for-profit network of organizations creating an enthusiasm and appreciation for opportunities in science and technology fields. Shell is one of Actua’s major supporters.

Michelle Peterson (office of the associate vice president academic) has been elected vice-president of the Victoria chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. IAAP is the world’s leading association for administrative professionals, providing career information, education, networking opportunities and certification programs.

The honours keep stacking up for Dr. Myer Horowitz, an adjunct professor in the faculty of education. Since receiving an honorary degree at UVic’s special Millennium Convocation this spring, he has been awarded an honorary doctor of letters from Brock University in Ontario and the distinguished alumnus award from the Graduate Students’ Association at the University of Alberta. Horowitz is one of Canada’s most eminent scholars in the field of education and served a 10-year term as president of the University of Alberta.

New humanities dean Dr. Andrew Rippin is acting chair of the department of Slavonic studies, effective Sept. 1 to Feb. 28, 2001. Rippin joined UVic in July after teaching for 20 years in the University of Calgary’s department of religious studies. Dr. Zehng Wu is chair of the sociology department for a five-month term ending Dec. 31.