Minister of State Goodyear Applauds the Appointment of Dr. Tilghman

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 12, 2012) - The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), today applauded the appointment of Dr. Shirley M. Tilghman as Co-Chair of the Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) Program Selection Board.

"I am very pleased that Dr. Tilghman has agreed to serve as Co-Chair of the Selection Board for the upcoming CERC competition," said Minister of State Goodyear. "Her experience and expertise in fostering excellence and diversity in academia makes Dr. Tilghman ideally suited to serve in this role."

Dr. Tilghman is Princeton University's 19th president, assuming office in 2001. Raised in Winnipeg, Dr. Tilghman received her Hon. BSc in Chemistry from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, and her PhD in Biochemistry from Temple University in Philadelphia. She is an internationally recognized scholar and leader in the field of molecular biology, renowned not only for her pioneering research in mammalian genetics but also for her leadership on behalf of women working in science-related fields.

"I am very honoured to have been appointed Co-Chair of the Selection Board of the CERC Program," stated Dr. Tilghman. "The focus on excellence has already attracted outstanding scientists and engineers to Canadian universities, and I am delighted to join the Chair, Derek Burney, and our fellow Selection Board members in adding to their numbers."

In 2002, Dr. Tilghman was one of five winners of the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science. The following year, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Developmental Biology, and in 2007 she was awarded the Genetics Society of America Medal for outstanding contributions to her field. She is a member of the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine and the Royal Society of London. She serves as a director of Google Inc. and as a trustee of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Launched in 2008, the CERC Program was designed to attract and retain the world's best researchers to build a critical mass of expertise in areas of importance to Canada. The first group of chairholders was announced in May 2010. These chairholders are currently working in 13 institutions across the country, contributing to Canadians' well-being and to the country's global competitiveness. The latest CERC competition will see the appointment of 10 new chairholders whose work will further enable Canada to be at the leading edge of research breakthroughs that are expected to generate significant social and economic benefits for Canadians.