Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
July 07, 2004
U of G prof elected to Royal Society
A University of Guelph chemistry professor renowned for ground-breaking research conducted over the past 30 years has been elected to the Royal Society of Canada.
Professor Jacek Lipkowski, Department of Chemistry, is among 62 new fellows named this week. The 121-year-old Royal Society, consisting of distinguished Canadian scientists and scholars, promotes and develops teaching and research in the arts and sciences. Its estimated 1,800 members are selected for their outstanding contributions by their peers.
“Election to the Royal Society is the highest honour for a scientist and university professor,” said Lipkowski. In its citation, the Royal Society recognized him for “being a pioneer in the area of electrochemical surface science,” a field he started studying more than three decades ago. Most recently, his research has focused on biophysical chemistry.
“This is a wonderful and richly-deserved honour for professor Lipkowski,” said Maureen Mancuso, provost and vice-president (academic). “His innovative, lifelong research has made valuable contributions to the field of electrochemistry. Moreover, he has helped shape the future of his discipline by guiding and supporting the next generation of scientists in the classroom and in their advanced studies. He continues to bring great honour to Guelph.”
In 1995, Lipkowski received a research award from Germany's Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The following year, the International Society of Electrochemistry awarded him its Prix Jacques Tacussel Award for developing a new electrochemical technique. In 1998, his contributions to electrochemistry were rewarded by the Canadian Society for Chemistry’s Alcan Award and by a gold medal awarded by the Canadian section of the Electrochemical Society. In 2001, he was named one of U of G’s first Canada Research Chairs, a seven-year, $1.4 million award to develop sensors and biosensors and new electrodes for fuel cells.
A U of G professor since 1983, Lipkowski has supervised more than 20 graduate students. “All of them enjoy successful professional careers in the private sector, government laboratories and academia. Four of them are professors at Canadian universities. This is my proudest accomplishment as a professor.”
Lipkowski received his master’s degree and PhD in chemistry from the University of Warsaw. From 1989 to 1990, he was a visiting professor at the Fritz-Haber Institute in Berlin and in 1996 was a Humboldt Fellow in electrochemistry at the University of Ulm in Germany. He edited the Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry and Interfacial Chemistry from 1996 to 2003. He will be inducted into the Royal Society during a ceremony to be held in Ottawa in November.
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