U of O researchers receive national recognition
Two local profs welcomed into Royal Society of Canada
CANADA’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS academic society has a new pair of fellows from the University of Ottawa. The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) has welcomed into its ranks Annie Brisset, professor in the School of Translation and Interpretation, and Xiaoyi Bao, professor at the Department of Physics. They will be officially inducted on Nov. 28.
“I was surprised,” said Bao. “Now I feel that I need to do more work … and be pushier in producing quality results.”
Brisset was particularly pleased with her election because translation studies typically isn’t as well recognized in academic societies. The U of O scholar is only the second Canadian translation researcher to be elected into the RSC since its establishment in 1882.
“This is recognition for my discipline,” said Brisset. “It is very important because translation is very often misunderstood. People don’t [understand] the importance of translation in global communications.”
Royal Society fellows are nominated by their colleagues in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. The society consists of approximately 2,000 fellows and manages several regional offices across the country. Fellows do not receive grants from the RSC but can benefit from the networking opportunities it provides, such as access to conferences in a variety of disciplines. Bao noted that these events help to foster greater academic excellence in Canada.
“By communicating with other people, fellows can stimulate ideas … [and] work to benefit society and promote its key issues,” she explained.
Bao and her team, which includes doctoral and master’s degree students from the U of O, are internationally recognized for their work on fibre sensors. These sensors are used to monitor the stability of large structures to prevent accidents. Her team also conducts research on fibre communication systems, and recently initiated research on fibre lasers.
As a consultant to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Brisset conducts investigations on translation practices around the world. The findings of her latest investigation were included in the UNESCO World Report on Cultural Diversity, which was published in August 2009. Brisset hopes that this work will promote changes in international policies on education.
“There are profound inequalities in cultures and languages in the world,” she said. “The recommendations in the report propose policies to change the situation.”
Brisset’s work for the organization spans 12 years, with the majority of her projects focused on Central and Eastern European nations. Brisset helped to develop translation terminology in the countries and reviewed their curricula for translation and publishing training.
The new RSC fellows have plans to expand their research in the future. Bao hopes to increase the speed and bandwidth of communication systems and enhance the monitoring capacity of fibre sensors, and Brisset will focus her future research on translation theories and scientific translations. In addition to their research activity, Bao and Brisset continue to teach classes at the U of O.
