McGill leaders appointed to Ordre national du Québec

McGill leaders Samuel Freedman, Margaret Lock, Judes Poirier, Bernard Shapiro and the late François Tavenas are among those being appointed to the Ordre national du Québec, in recognition of outstanding contribution to the development of Quebec society. The 2004 appointments were announced by Premier Jean Charest.

Bernard Shapiro, former principal of McGill, has been appointed Grand Officer, the highest distinction of the order. Dr. Shapiro, who was principal from 1994 through 2002, was recently appointed to the new position of federal ethics commissioner.

Margaret Lock of the Department of Anthropology, one of the most renowned medical anthropologists in the world, has been appointed Officer, along with François Tavenas, who served as Vice-Principal (Planning and Resources) at McGill from 1989-1997 and rector at Université Laval from 1997 to 2002. Dr. Tavenas passed away earlier this year in Luxembourg, after moving there to act as the first rector of the new Université de Luxembourg.

The newest Knights of the order include:

Samuel Freedman, whose contributions to McGill include service as dean of the Faculty of Medicine, vice-principal (academic) and director of the Lady Davis Research Institute of the Jewish General Hospital - while remaining active as a clinician-researcher; and

Judes Poirier, director of the McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, who is one of the world's most cited authorities on genetic links to Alzheimer's disease and is also an authority on Parkinson's disease.

These outstanding individuals are among 33 people appointed to the Ordre national du Québec on June 3. The presentation of the insignia of the order will take place at the National Assembly on June 23.