Faculty members Martha de Francisco, Dr. Susan J. Bartlett and Brigitte Vachon have been named three of the 13 laureates of the Women of Distinction Awards as announced on May 5, by the YWCA Montreal. De Francisco was the winner in the Arts and Culture category, while Bartlett won in Education and Vachon won in the Science and Technology category. Now in its 22nd year, the Women of Distinction Awards serve to highlight women’s outstanding contributions, provide inspiring role models, promote women’s leadership and recognize commitment. Over 240 women have received the award to date.
The announcement was made by Anne Mezei, President of the Women’s Y Foundation, and Louise Poirier, President of YWCA Montreal. The 13 exceptional winners will be officially honoured at a ceremony to be held on Sept. 29, at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
Martha de Francisco is a professor in the Schulich School of Music’s Sound Department. De Francisco is a record producer and recording engineer who specializes in classical music. An internationally acknowledged leader in the field of sound recording and record production, de Francisco has recorded with some of the greatest classical musicians of our time for the most prestigious record labels and in the best concert halls. She has credits on over 300 recordings, mostly for worldwide release.
Susan Bartlett is a professor in the Faculty of Medicine. A major focus of her research is the influence on psychosocial factors and health behaviors on outcomes across chronic diseases (asthma, COPD and arthritis), measurement of patient centered outcomes and enhancing communication between providers and patients.
Brigitte Vachon is the Canada Research Chair in Particle Physics in the Department of Physics. She Vachon is particularly interested in the Top quark, the heaviest known fundamental particle to be produced during highest energy particle collisions. She is searching for a new production process that is predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics. This research is leading to an improved understanding of the properties and interactions of the fundamental constituents of matter.