Page 11 - Eureka! Spring 2007

Alumni news Running in the family 10 things to celebrate about Faculty news

Chemistry at Carleton

s an undergraduate, Meredith Franklin, MSc/03, re-
alized opportunities for a trumpet player might be
Ascarce, so she switched from music to science—a
field in which her parents have enjoyed careers spanning
cooperative education program, integrating
more than 30 years. 1 the Department of chemistry celebrates its 6 thirty-five organizations participate in the
Her father James Franklin, BSc/64, MSc/67, consults in 60th anniversary this year. It predates the students’ academic experience in chemistry with
exploration geology with his company Franklin Geosci- creation of carleton University by 10 years. work experience in industry and government.
ences. A fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, he’s an
adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa, Lauren-
tian University and Queen’s University, is on the board the chemistry Department has one of the most
of directors for six mining exploration companies, and 2 the philosophy of the department is to focus 7 generous scholarship programs in canada,
is involved with non-profit organizations including the attention on excellence in undergraduate offering 12 undergraduate scholarships.
Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility. teaching, and to cover as wide an area of
“As an undergraduate at Carleton, I gained a passion chemistry as possible.
for geology as well as knowledge,” he says. With a PhD
from the University of Western Ontario, Jim taught at 8 the department houses the NsERc Industrial
Lakehead University before joining the Geological Survey 3 the steacie Building for Research chair in Fungal toxins and Allergens, the
of Canada (GSC) as regional metallogenist directing major chemistry is named in canada Research chair in Molecular Physiology,
the canada Research chair in Emerging Organic
research programs on gold and base metal deposits in the honour of E.w.R. steacie, a Materials, and the NsERc-Xerox Industrial
Canadian Shield. distinguished chemist who Research chair.
As director of the GSC’s seafloor minerals program, Jim served as chair of carleton’s
got the International Ocean Drilling Program to focus on Dr. James Franklin, soon-to-be-doctor Meredith Franklin and Dr. Claire Frank- Board of Governors and
lin all studied in the Faculty of Science. Experts in three disciplines, the family
a Canadian mineral deposits project before he became also shares a musical bent. Claire played cello in the Thunder Bay symphony, President of the National
chief geoscientist, where he coordinated the entire GSC Jim plays piano, and Meredith plays piano and classical trumpet. Research council. current department chair Bob Burk’s chEM
scientific program. 9 1000 course was the first in the world to become
When he retired in 1998, his career highlights included the first PhD degrees in chemistry were available in its entirety via itunes video podcast.
winning numerous major geology awards, including the in physiology, and she teaches toxicology at the Cyprus 4 awarded in 1969. In 1981, the graduate
Selwyn G. Blaylock Medal from the Canadian Institute of International Institute for the Environment and Public programs in chemistry were amalgamated
Mining and Metallurgy and the Duncan Derry Medal from Health. She is also president of The LifeLine Group, a non- with the University of Ottawa. Now called the
the Geological Association of Canada. profit organization developing software models to assess Ottawa-carleton chemistry Institute, it offers the Department of chemistry is hosting the
master and doctoral degrees in all areas of
Despite sharing common interests, Meredith found that exposure, risk and benefits to elements of people’s diets inorganic, organic, physical and theoretical. 10 Ottawa-carleton chemistry Institute Day on May
following in her father’s footsteps wasn’t the right path. and environments. chemistry, including biochemistry, analytical, 11. In addition to graduate students from carleton
“I took a couple of geology classes and worked in a field Claire began her career as director of the Thunder Bay and University of Ottawa presenting posters, the
camp,” she says. “Being in the middle of nowhere, I real- School of Medical Technology and chair of the Medical event is a chance to kick off celebrations of the
ized that I wasn’t all that wild about geology!” Sciences Program at Lakehead University before joining department’s 60th anniversary.
Instead Meredith chose a major in chemistry, where the Environmental Health Directorate of Health Canada. 5 In 1970, the biochemistry program was created
she discovered that she was good with numbers and In 1995, she launched the Pest Management Regulatory and is run jointly by members of the chemistry
added math for a double major. Her attention turned to Agency at Health Canada as executive director and made and Biology Departments. the program in
statistics during her first job, and Meredith enrolled in a it an international leader in pesticide regulation. One environmental science was initiated in 1991,
master’s program at Carleton. of its major activities was developing the Pest Control the same year that the centre for Analytical
“My parents always had positive things to say about Products Act. and Environmental chemistry was created with
Varian Instruments.
their studies at Carleton,” says Meredith. “My experience “Not many scientists are involved in law making, so
was fantastic. I got a lot out of my MSc—academically, bringing the act into being was a fascinating process
professionally and personally.” for me,” says Claire, who received the 2003 Outstanding
Now completing her PhD in applied statistics at Har- Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada. She A student agenda
vard University, Meredith is bridging the fields of spatial was senior advisor to the Deputy Minister, Health Canada
statistics and atmospheric sciences in her thesis. “A major before retiring from the public service “to get back to What better way to give graduate students an opportunity symposium with Carleton’s Stacey Robinson and Ottawa’s
aspect of my research is to integrate and model earth- research”. to explore themes in biology than to have them organize Vicky Filion and Carolina Ogrodowczyk.
orbiting satellite and meteorological data to understand Meredith, too, sees herself pursuing research and aca- their own symposium? The fourth annual Ottawa-Carleton Three speakers talked about their research as it
how particulate matter air pollution is distributed over demia. In the fall, she starts a post-doctoral fellowship Institute for Biology (OCIB) Symposium, organized entirely applies to the chosen theme: bridging the gap between
the US for use in a public health setting,” she says. at the University of Chicago’s Statistics Department and by graduate students at Carleton and the University of theory and reality. This year’s speakers were Dr. Duncan
Meredith’s research has echoes of her mother’s work. the Argonne National Labs where she will continue her Ottawa, was held at Carleton on May 1. Irschick, University of Massachusetts at Amherst; Dr.
A leader in exposure and risk assessment, Claire Franklin research in spatial statistics and atmospheric sciences. “It’s a great way for the two universities to work together, Locke Rowe, University of Toronto; and Dr. Moshe Szyf,
(nee Bailey), BSc/63, is a research fellow at the McLaugh- “I’ve learned, by taking my parents as an ideal example, as the OCIB is a joint biology program between the two McGill University. The symposium talks were followed by
lin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment at the that it’s possible to get so much out of life if you stay universities, and for grad students to get involved in their a discussion panel and a reception for biology graduate
University of Ottawa, where she received her doctorate positive and pursue your goals,” she says. department,” says Stacey Lee-Jenkins, who co-chaired the students, faculty and speakers to interact.

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10 EUREKA! SPRING 2007 eur eka.carleton.ca 11