Sept 22, 2000
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THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA Sept 22, 2000 |
Dr. Andreas Antoniou (electrical and computer engineering) has won the Chairman’s Award for Career Achievement, and Dr. Reg Mitchell (chemistry) is winner of the Eve Savory Award for Science Communication. The chairman’s award goes to individuals who have made important contributions to B.C. science and technology throughout their careers. The Eve Savory award, named after a well-known CBC-TV science journalist, salutes exceptional achievement in explaining science to the public or organizing activities that increase public understanding of science. For Antoniou, this is the second major career award in 2000. In February he was one of seven Canadians to receive a Golden Jubilee Medal from the Circuits and Systems Society (CAS) of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The medal honours international pioneers in the field who have devoted their lives and careers to the discipline. Antoniou joined UVic in 1983 as founding chair of the department of electrical and computer engineering. He stepped down as chair in 1990, but continues to teach in the department. “It’s a great honour to be recognized in this way and I’m delighted to receive the award for UVic,” says Antoniou of the Science Council award. “The founding of our department was probably the most important contribution as far as the province is concerned.” Antoniou’s research interests are in the areas of electronics, network synthesis, digital system design, active and digital filters, and digital signal processing. During the ’60s he invented an electrical circuit known as the ‘Antoniou gyrator,’ which has been instrumental in enabling miniaturization of circuits for electronic devices such as cellular telephones. He literally wrote the book on digital filters. His 1979 textbook, Digital Filters: Analysis, Design and Applications, has sold over 35,000 copies worldwide, and reprinted versions have been published in India, Singapore, Taiwan and Russia. For Mitchell — known to thousands of local schoolchildren as “Dr. Zonk” — the Science Council award comes months after being named Academic of the Year by the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of B.C. That honour also recognized Mitchell’s efforts to encourage public interest in science, as well as his accomplishments as a chemist and teacher. For more than 25 years, he’s been dazzling local school groups with the lively “Dr. Zonk” chemistry show, in which he dresses up like a mad scientist, complete with green fright wig. He’s also a longtime organizer of the Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair for kids in Grade 4 through 12, held at UVic every spring. And his regular guest spots on C-FAX radio help educate listeners about the role of chemistry in their everyday lives, from sewage and pesticides to climate change. “Trying to keep the public on a level keel with science is a constant battle,” says Mitchell. “There are so many alarmists out there scaring people with incorrect information that it’s important for scientists to speak out about the issues and inject some realism into the debate.” Mitchell joined UVic in 1972 and is consistently ranked among the best teachers in the chemistry department. He received a UVic faculty of science teaching award in 1998. “I get across to students by cutting through all the garbage and showing them what’s relevant in real life,” he says. “I’m a natural showman — just give me a microphone and a crowd.” Antoniou and Mitchell will receive their awards at the Science Council of B.C. awards dinner in Vancouver on Oct. 23. |
