UBC professor receives Top 40 Under 40 Award
Karen Bakker, an associate professor of geography and director of the Program on Water Governance at UBC, was named a winner of the 2010 Top 40 Under 40 Awards.

Four UBC alumni were also among the recipients of the award. The Top 40 Under 40 Awards recognize the achievements and leadership of young Canadians.

Established in 1995 by Doug Caldwell, the awards are given to Canadians who demonstrate vision and leadership, innovation and achievement, impact, growth and development and community work.

Bakker, an expert on water governance, founded UBC’s Program on Water Governance, an interdisciplinary research centre that conducts research on water sustainability, security and management.

She is also the Canada Research Chair in Political Ecology.

The four UBC alumni are also winners of this award: Brian Coombes, Sean O’Reilly, David Vocadlo and Nolan Watson.

YWCA recognizes Simon Fraser lecturer
Malgorzata Dubiel, a senior lecturer of mathematics at Simon Fraser University and Canadian math education pioneer, has been selected as one of 59 nominees for a 2011 YWCA Women of Distinction Award.

Dubiel is cited for her 40 years of experience in working to improve math education in Canada, largely through extra-institutional activities such as math camps, conferences and community outreach programs promoting gender-sensitive math education, reaching out to students of all ages.

Much of her focus has been on helping elementary school teachers and children to change misconceptions about math typically formed at an early age.

Her contributions have encouraged many young women to engage with mathematics, challenge their perceptions and even consider careers in a field where women continue to be underrepresented.

The winners will be announced May 31.

Chemistry professor at Simon Fraser received recognition
Simon Fraser University chemistry professor David Vocadlo is one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40, according to the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.

The Globe notes that Vocadlo, 37, didn’t start out wanting to be a chemist — he was aiming to be an architect — but an article in Scientific American changed his focus.

The story was about proteins that regulate genes being turned on and off. Vocadlo’s current research focuses on understanding processes that could enable new treatments for serious diseases such as Alzheimer’s and bacterial infections.

Specifically, his lab is developing new chemical tools that enable researchers to study the role of specialized sugars in health and disease.

Provincial nursing association honours Vancouver Island instructor
The College of Registered Nurses of B.C. (CRNBC) recently awarded a Nursing Excellence Award to Vancouver Island University faculty member Marilyn Chapman, RN.

Year after year, Chapman provides nurses with a foundation for success and colleagues point to Marilyn’s lifelong impact on their work.

Through the CRNBC Nursing Excellence Awards, registered nurses honour colleagues for outstanding contributions to the nursing profession and for demonstrating excellence in relation to the CRNBC Professional Standards for Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners.