Page 7 - Eureka! Fall 2006

Reaching the highest rank
Research news in new areas. Science is most interest- sconferred on distinguished faculty at carleton by the President. to earn the des- awards
ing when it’s driven by curiosity.”
Rowland is identifying proteins
ince 2001, the special professorial designation of chancellor’s Professor has been
involved in synthesizing and secret-
ing the waxy coating on Arabidopsis,
ignation, recipients must have at least 10 years of service as a full Professor and their
which is highly related to Canola, so
that other plant species like wheat and
work must be of outstanding merit.
maize can also be manipulated. The
computer scientists Dr. John B. Oommen and Dr. Evangelos Kranakis were appoint-
wax serves as a barrier against uncon-
trolled water loss, UV light, pathogens ed chancellor’s Professors on July 1, joining their Faculty of science colleagues James
wright, Giorgio Ranalli and Gerald Buchanan in this distinguished honourary rank.
and insects. The waxes also possess
unique physical properties that make JOhN B. OOmmEN low of the International Association of
Photo: Chris Strangemore ucts, such as cosmetics, food additives puter Science in 1981. With research Ontario scientist to receive the honour.
John Oommen joined the School of Com-
Pattern Recognition, becoming the first
them useful in a wide range of prod-
and industrial lubricants.
interests spanning adaptive data struc-
He is already one of only a handful of
“We’re not at a commercial stage
tures, image processing, robotics and
scholars to achieve the rank, in 1996,
Shelley Hepworth and Owen Rowland yet, but the research will lead to ap- artificial neural networks, Oommen has of fellow of the Institute of Electrical
plications that add value to a crop
garnered some of the highest awards in
and Electronic Engineers for his work
his field for his teaching and research.
Planting potential newable sources of petroleum with a Univeristy Research Achievement of Computer Science from 1994 to 2000
in artificial intelligence. He also won
plant, such as replacing non-re-
and an IT theme leader for six years. He
products such as waxes made in the
Award in 1995 and 2001.
seeds of plants, or altering the cu-
“The friendly, helpful atmosphere
working Security Team Leader for the
ticular waxes to provide protection at the School of Computer Science currently works as a Community, Net-
Molecular biologists delve into processes governing of crops from drought or pathogens,” has provided me with top quality Mathematics Information Technology
plant growth and stress tolerance says Rowland. students to work with over the years,” and Complex Systems program at Car-
With a recent $244,200 Leaders he says. “I’m grateful for the great leton. He has written one book, co-au-
eing able to order a bouquet of “If it is possible to engineer plants Opportunity Fund award from the support from the Directors, Deans thored another, and has a third book set
Bheart-shaped flowers for Mother’s with cuticles that lose less water to Canada Foundation for Innovation, and senior administration at Carleton to hit the shelves in 2007. He has also
Day might not be as noble a use of the atmosphere, we can improve crop Hepworth and Rowland will be able over the past 26 years.” published numerous research papers.
research into the molecular mecha- tolerance to drought,” says Rowland. to purchase specialized laboratory “I don’t think research makes sense
nisms that control plant growth and “That’s particularly attractive given equipment for their research into EvANGElOs KRANAKIs if it’s not accompanied by teaching,”
architecture as would manipulations that changing climate conditions threat- plant metabolism and development. Evangelos Kranakis spent 11 years says Kranakis, a recipient of a Uni-
that increase pest resistance or im- en to limit crop production in large This includes infrastructure for teaching in The Netherlands, Germany versity Research Achievement Award
prove pollination or yield, but — wow areas of Canada and the world.” bioimaging (microscopes), metabolic The author of more than 255 refer- and the U.S. before joining Carleton’s whose interests include communica-
— would Mom be impressed! Both researchers work with the small profiling, plant growth facilities and eed journal and conference publica- School of Computer Science in 1991. tions networks, network security and
Dr. Shelley Hepworth, an Assis- flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana, molecular biology equipment. tions, Oommen won a Wilkes Best “Traveling has given me the experi- computational molecular biology. “It
tant Professor in the Department of commonly called mouse-ear cress. Due Since joining Carleton in 2005, Paper Award from The Computer ence to see how Science moves and creates the necessary links that feed
Biology, is unravelling the molecular to its small genome (sequenced in 2000), Hepworth and Rowland have begun Journal, the flagship journal of the changes,” he says. “I’ve learned to new ideas into the field.”
mechanisms that control architec- small size and short life cycle, the plant securing the equipment they need, British Computer Society, in 2006. adapt to new trends.”
tural diversity in plants. She hopes is a model organism for studying plant established connections in govern- In August, Oommen was made a fel- Kranakis was Director of the School With files from Carleton NOW.
to bring the knowledge of how genes metabolism and development. ment, industrial and educational
control plant shape and form to the Hepworth is using a combination institutions in Ontario and Quebec, Physics takes two
point where it can be harnessed to of genetic, genomic, molecular and and recruited undergraduate and
alter the appearance of leaves and biochemical approaches to learn graduate research assistants.
flowers. Whether for ornamental ef- more about a set of newly discovered “Since Science undergraduates at hen the newly established Uni- his team are conducting research that laboratory and the development of
fect or to manage the behaviour of in- genes that regulate growth patterns Carleton are encouraged to partici- Wversity medals for distinguished addresses fundamental questions in electronic laboratory apparatus for a
sects, her research could improve the in leaves and flowers. These genes, pate in research, we’ve had no trouble teaching, research and service were elementary particle physics, astro- number of departments.
architectural traits of commercially which function in a signalling path- finding help,” says Rowland. “Giv- awarded at Spring Convocation, two physics and the universe.
important Canadian crops. way, are responsible for controlling ing students a chance to work in a members of the Department of Physics Jim Carleton, hardware manager
It’s a research vision shared by the growth patterns along axes of real lab environment and contribute were honoured. and departmental computer support,
her colleague and husband Dr. Owen mirror-image symmetry in the plant. to publications is a great aspect of Physics Professor Dr. David Sinclair was presented with the inaugural ! Research awards
Rowland, an Assistant Professor of Her research team is curious about Carleton’s program.” received the inaugural University University Medal for Distinguished
Biology who studies the “waxy skin” how the activity of these genes is As for that bouquet of flowers with Medal for Distinguished Research in Service for his outstanding service and the spring 2006 issue of Eureka! profiled
that covers the surfaces of plants and controlled and how the signalling modified petals, extra blooms and recognition of his outstanding accom- contributions to the advancement of the award-winning research of chemistry
provides a critical protective interface pathway interacts with other path- less need for water? plishment in research and scholarly the learning and working environment. Professor Zhi yuan wang, computer
scientist Prosenjit Bose and theoretical
between a plant and its environment. ways known to control the size, shape “Our research isn’t applied yet, but contributions that expand the bound- An innovative member of the Univer- physicist stephen Godfrey. In addition to
Understanding the molecular genetics and pattern of flowers and leaves. it will be,” says Hepworth. “It’s our aries of knowledge and enrich the lives sity community for 27 years, Carleton the accolades for which they were featured,
and biochemistry leading to the de- “There’s never an end point with this job to bring the knowledge of these of students and the community. The began as an electronics assembler all three are also recipients of a 2005-06
position of waxes on the cuticle could work because every discovery leads to aspects of plant biology to the point principal investigator and director and programmer/technologist. His carleton University Research Achievement
lead to the controlled manipulation of new questions,” she says. “So you fol- where it can be applied. It will be a of SNOLAB (the Sudbury Neutrino technical expertise has contributed Award. to revisit these stories, visit Eureka!
waxes in crop plants. low your findings and build expertise great boon to Canadian agriculture.” Observatory laboratory), Sinclair and to instrumentation for the ultrasound online at eureka.carleton.ca.

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