Dr. David Chuenyan Lai, geography, has won Heritage Canada's prestigious Gabrielle Leger award for his contribution to heritage conservation in Canada. "The award recognizes Dr. Lai's writing and magnificent efforts over the years to preserve Victoria's Chinatown and have it recognized as a national historic site," says Douglas Franklin, Heritage Canada's director of government and public relations. Lai has served on many advisory and planning committees and has been a member of Victoria's city heritage advisory committee for 10 years. He has surveyed more than 40 Chinatowns across North America and has published many articles and books on the subject including The Forbidden City Within Victoria: Myth, Symbol and Streetscape of Canada's Earliest Chinatown. He's currently researching the power structure of Chinatowns, the organization of various Chinese institutions, and the development of new Chinatowns in the suburbs of large metropolitan cities. In addition, Lai has recently completed-in cooperation with Dr. Neena Chappell of the centre on aging-a study of the Chinese elderly in Vancouver, Victoria, and four selected cities in China.
Prof. Don Galloway, law, has been appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board for a three-year term effective May 1. Galloway, who specializes in immigration law, is taking a leave of absence from UVic to fulfill his appointment. The board is the largest independent tribunal in Canada.
Dr. Harold Coward, director of UVic's centre for studies in religion and
society, has been awarded an honorary degree from St. Stephen's College
at the University of Alberta. The honor recognizes Levan for "founding
instrumental agencies and committees that orchestrate an interface between
religious studies and society," says college principal Dr. Christopher
Levan. "He is a pioneer of these sorts of agencies, which try to relate
the spiritual to the secular." An internationally known specialist
in the philosophy and religion of India, Coward has authored 11 books and
edited 23 more, with over 100 chapters and articles to his credit. For the
past 12 years he has been directing interdisciplinary research teams, bringing
science, social science, and religions to bear on the major world problems.
"I see Dr. Coward as a very sensitive man who is able to elicit the
best from the people he works with," says Levan. Coward was presented
with the honorary degree on Sept. 30. "I am honoured to receive this
recognition from my alma mater for my contributions to the academic study
of religion in Canada," says Coward.
Denis Protti, health information science, was recently commissioned by Her Majesty's Treasury in England to serve as one of four external reviewers of the National Health Service's (NHS) new "Acting on Information" strategy. The strategy responds to the British Labour Party's new direction for the NHS, as outlined in a recent white paper. The other reviewers of the strategy-which was scheduled for launch this month- are all from within the U.K., and represent organizations such as the Police Service, the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency, and the Scottish office of the NHS management executive.