Russell Boyd awarded Montreal Medal

"If I had to choose my epitaph, it would be very simple: He tried," says chemistry professor Russell Boyd. (Danny Abriel Photo)

Dalhousie’s Russell Boyd has won one of Canada’s most prestigious awards in Chemistry.

Dr. Boyd is the 2009 recipient of the Chemical Institute of Canada’s “Montreal Medal,” awarded for “leadership in or outstanding contribution to the profession of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada.”

He describes the award as a “tremendous honour.”

“For me the award is recognition of my efforts to be a good citizen in the sense
that I have tried to do my best in the three main activities of a professor:
teaching, research, and service to the university and the profession. It does
not recognize any particular contribution,” he says. “If I had to choose my epitaph, it
would be very simple: He tried.”

Dr. Boyd is the Alexander McLeod Professor of Chemistry and Associate Vice-President, Research, at Dalhousie. His research interests span a range of topics in computational and theoretical chemistry with an emphasis on problems relevant to biological systems. He is widely published and has supervised the research of 18 PhD students, more than 25 postdoctoral fellows and senior visitors, and a comparable number of undergraduate students. 

This marks the first time the Montreal Medal has been awarded to a Dalhousie faculty member and Dr. Boyd believes it is also the first time it had been awarded to anyone who has made their career in Atlantic Canada. 

Dr. Boyd first arrived in Halifax in 1968 as a tourist. He recalls walking past the Chemistry Building on the Dalhousie campus and remarking to his fiancée that it looked like it would be a pleasant place to work.

“Seven years later, almost to the day, after completion of my PhD at McGill and postdoctoral fellowships at Oxford and UBC, I took up a faculty position in that beautiful building. On October 31, 2008, I celebrated one third of a century as a professor. It has been a wonderful life at Dal working with great people.

“And, by the way, Susan and I celebrated our 40th anniversary on June 30, 2008.”

The Chemical Institute of Canada is dedicated to advancing the principles and practices of the chemical sciences and engineering for the betterment of society. The induction ceremony will take place June 1, 2009 at the awards dinner of the 92nd Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition in Hamilton, Ont.