Celebrations in "Order"

Last Tuesday, Dalhousie professor and celebrated bioethicist Françoise Baylis capped off an incredible year of honours by receiving the Order of Nova Scotia.

Dr. Baylis, professor in the Faculty of Medicine and the Canada Research Chair in Bioethics and Philosophy, was announced as one of this year's five recipients of the Order of Nova Scotia back in September, alongside two other prominent Dal individuals: Nobel Prize-winning scientist and alumnus Art McDonald and Elder in Residence Doug Knockwood.

Dr. Baylis was celebrated both for her world-renowned bioethics research and her efforts to translate her work outside of the medical profession. In addition to the Order of Nova Scotia, this year alone Dr. Baylis has recieved the Order of Canada, the Royal Society of Canada's McNeil Medal for public awareness of science, and the Distinguished Academic Award from the Canadian Association of University Teachers.

Art McDonald (BSC'64, MSC'65) was co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015. After completing two degrees at Dalhousie, he eventually made his way to Queens University where his research at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory changed our understanding of the innermost workings of matter. He came to campus for a capacity-crowd public lecture earlier this year.

Doug Knockwood is part of the Dalhousie Elders in Residence program. He is a respected elder from Sipekne'katik First Nation (formerly known as Indian Brook) and is a recipient of the Grand Chief Donald Marshall Senior Memorial Elder Award. His story is one of resilience, surviving homelessness and alcoholism and subsequently using his Mi’Kmaw spiritual teaching and personal experience to help others overcome addiction across Canada.

The three joined Jim Morrow, Mermaid Theatre director, and Donald Reid, the fossil hunter famous as the "keeper of the cliffs" in Joggins, at the ceremony on Tuesday. The Order of Nova Scotia is the highest honour in the province, recognizing Nova Scotians for outstanding contributions or achievements.

(Photos: Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia)