Nominations are open for Memorial’s most prestigious faculty award.

The John Lewis Paton Distinguished University Professorship is presented annually to a faculty member who embodies the university’s mission by demonstrating exceptional teaching, undertaking world-class research and sharing their knowledge and expertise nationally and internationally.

Named in honour of Memorial University College’s first president, the award comprises the lifetime designation, Distinguished University Professor, and a one-time unrestricted grant ($20,000) to support future research, teaching and/or public engagement activities at Memorial.

This year’s deadline is Monday, April 1.

“Through our awards and honours program, Memorial is proud to celebrate the meaningful contributions of our internationally respected faculty members,” said Dr. Neil Bose, vice-president (research).

“I encourage members of the Memorial community to consider nominating remarkable leaders with truly outstanding track records in the areas of research; learning and teaching; and public engagement.”

Humbling experience

Dr. William Montevecchi is the most recent recipient of the accolade.

Among North America’s most preeminent natural scientists, Dr. Montevecchi has led groundbreaking studies on environmental influences on animal behaviour and ecology. His research demonstrates that seabird prey landings correspond with – and can predict – fishery catches of mackerel and squid off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.

As a mentor, Dr. Montevecchi has supervised or co-supervised more than 70 undergraduate students and more than 45 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, many of whom have gone on to influential careers in research, academia and industry.

Dr. Montevecchi says it was gratifying to receive the honour.

“On being awarded the John Lewis Paton Distinguished Professorship, I felt both humbled and grateful,” he told the Gazette. “Humbled given the excellence of so many of our faculty and grateful to colleagues who nominated and support me.

“The award will be used to continue our basic research on seabirds and the ocean environment, and to foster students who are the life blood and future of our provincial university and of our province.”

In addition to Dr. Montevecchi, past recipients include Dr. Barbara Neis, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr. Alex Faseruk, Faculty of Business Administration; Dr. John Brosnan, Faculty of Science; and Dr. Patrick Parfrey, Faculty of Medicine.

The terms of reference for the award, along with information on materials required for nomination packages, are available online. You can also contact Ellen Steinhauer at 709-864-2651 or ellens@mun.ca, or Tina Winsor at 709-864-2740 or tinaw@mun.ca with Memorial’s Strategic Institutional Research Initiatives unit.

The John Lewis Paton Distinguished University Professorship is presented annually during the President’s Awards.