Media Releases

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 (Halifax, NS) -  Five of Dalhousie University’s world-class researchers have been recognized by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) for their outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievement. This includes three new Fellows and two new Members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

Dalhousie’s newest Fellows include: Dr. Leonard Diepeveen, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; Prof. Jennifer Llewellyn, Faculty of Law; and Dr. Douglas Wallace, Faculty of Science.

According to the Royal Society of Canada, the Fellows comprise over 2,000 Canadian scholars, artists, and scientists, peer-elected as the best in their fields, who are making remarkable contributions in the arts, the humanities and the sciences, as well as in Canadian public life.

The two new College Members are: Dr. Helene Deacon, Faculty of Science; and Dr. Rita Orji, Faculty of Computer Science.

Those named to the College represent the emerging generation of scholarly, scientific and artistic leadership in Canada. They address issues of concern to new scholars, artists and scientists, for the advancement of understanding and the benefit of society.

“Congratulations to these five remarkable researchers on their appointment to the Royal Society of Canada,” says Dr. Alice Aiken, Vice President Research and Innovation at Dalhousie University. “Their work is exceptional, and they are having a profound impact in our communities and around the globe. We are proud to have them call Dalhousie University home.”

Learn more about Dal’s newest Royal Society Fellows and College Members:

Dr. Leonard Diepeveen, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (Fellow)
Dr. Leonard Diepeveen, George Munro Professor of Literature and Rhetoric at Dalhousie University, is an internationally-recognized scholar who focusses his work on early twentieth-century culture, particularly on the relationship of modernism to its publics. His cross-disciplinary work has resulted in three single-authored books, three co-authored volumes on visual art, two editions, and numerous book chapters and articles, as well as many conference presentations and invited lectures in North America and Europe. 

Professor Jennifer Llewellyn, Faculty of Law (Fellow)
Prof. Jennifer Llewellyn is a leading public intellectual on justice transformation and a world leader in restorative justice. She is the Yogis and Keddy Chair in Human Rights Law at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, and her scholarship and practice has been ground-breaking for justice systems and other social institutions. It has affected justice reforms, human rights protection, public inquiries, disciplinary processes, and international peacebuilding and reconciliation. 

Dr. Douglas Wallace, Faculty of Science (Fellow)
Dr. Douglas Wallace is a world-leading researcher who has made significant and ground-breaking contributions related to the use of innovative observations and ocean technology for unravelling biogeochemical processes connecting the upper ocean and the atmosphere. The impact of his pioneering work is being felt today through the design of global ocean observing programs and intensive process studies. He is the Canada Research Chair in Ocean Science and Technology and Scientific Director for the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction & Response Network (MEOPAR).

Dr. Hélène Deacon, Faculty of Science (Member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists)
Dr. Héléne Deacon, Killam Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University, is a world leader in research into reading development. Through large-scale studies following children over several years, Dr. Deacon provides ground-breaking insight into which skills support success at which points in time. Through her multi-site research program, she also leads a much-needed ‘globalization’ of reading research, building new knowledge in English and in the many other languages in which children learn to read. 

Dr. Rita Orji, Faculty of Computer Science (Member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists)
Dr. Rita Orji, Associate Professor of Computer Science, has been recognized globally as one of the leading researchers in Persuasive Technologies (PTs) and Behaviour Change Systems for her transformative work on Personalizing Persuasive Systems. She utilizes user-centered approaches to design interactive systems to motivate people for actions and causes that are beneficial to them and their communities. She also investigates how interactive systems can be designed for under-served populations. 

 This year’s cohort will be formally inducted into the Royal Society of Canada in November during the annual Celebration of Excellence and Engagement, which will be held in partnership with the University of Toronto. 

 For more information, visit the Royal Society of Canada website.

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 Media Contact:
Michele Charlton
Communications Advisor, Office of the Vice President Research and Innovation
Dalhousie University 
Cell: (902) 222-2817
Email: michele.charlton@dal.ca