Build it and they will say “wow”
The Ordre des architectes du Québec announced the 43 finalists for the 2009 Awards of Excellence in architecture. One of the finalists is the McGill Life Sciences Complex by the consortium of Diamond & Schmitt Architects Inc. and Provencher Roy & Associates. The 2009 Awards celebrate “architecture that bears witness to more and more eco-responsible actions (economically and ecologically), that focuses on architectural considerations that produce happiness, that has the ability to shape the perception of time and that has an increasing desire to provide visual and sensorial experiences.” Winners will be announced in June.
The right chemistry
Chemistry professor Nicolas Moitessier has been awarded the AstraZeneca Canada Award in Chemistry in recognition of his outstanding contributions in the field of organic chemistry. The AstraZeneca Award in Chemistry is awarded yearly to recognize recent outstanding contributions by Canadian academic researchers who have demonstrated distinct potential in organic chemistry by publishing innovative and influential work. The award, sponsored by AstraZeneca Canada Inc., is granted for two years with a value of $50,000 per year.
The string’s the thing
On Feb. 20, Alex Read, an undergraduate studying violin at the Schulich School of Music, won the McGill Symphony Concerto Competition with his performance of the Shostakovich Violin Concerto. Earlier this year, Read won the Classical Competition, making him the first student to take both events.
With the win, Read gets a $1,000 prize and a solo appearance with the McGill Symphony sometime next season. He has been invited to compete in the Eckhardt Gramatté National Competition for Strings, which takes place in May. The busy undergrad will conclude a hectic year by competing in the Michael Hill International Violin Competition to be held in Auckland, New Zealand in June. Read studies violin with Professor Thomas Williams.