Four new Royal Society of Canada scholars named at UM

Four UM professors have been elected to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), the country’s most esteemed association of scholars and scientists. In all RSC has elected 101 new Fellows and 58 new Members of the RSC College from across Canada.

Election to the RSC is considered the highest honour an academic can achieve in the arts, social sciences and sciences. The RSC’s mission is to recognize scholarly, research and artistic excellence, to advise governments and organizations and to promote a culture of knowledge and innovation in Canada and with other national academies around the world.

“The Royal Society of Canada is very proud to welcome today an imposing group of inspiring scholars, artists and creators whose peers have recognized their exceptional contributions to the world of science and culture and to the well-being of our society. The impact of their work will continue to be felt in the development of public policies for years to come, while adding greatly to the enrichment of public life,” said Alain-G. Gagnon, president of the RSC.

UM professors Rotimi Aluko, S. Michelle Driedger and Örjan Sandred have been named as new Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada and David Herbert has been elected as member of the RSC’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

“Congratulations to the four scholars recognized today on this well-deserved honour from the Royal Society,” said Dr. Mario Pinto, UM Vice-President (Research and International).

“They have demonstrated leadership in advancing their respective fields of nutrition, community health, renewable energy and the musical arts in Canada and around the world.”

Royal Society Fellows

L to R, new Royal Society Fellows: Dr. Rotimi Aluko; Dr. Michelle Driedger; Dr. Örjan Sandred.

Dr. Rotimi Aluko is the Canada Research Chair in Bioactive Peptides and has gained international renown for breakthroughs in the value-added utilization of plant proteins. His current research program is focused on the development of natural food protein derivatives that can be used in the prevention and management of chronic human diseases.

Aluko was named a fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists in 2017 and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Functional Food Biochemistry. He served as national president of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology from 2011 to 2012.

Dr. Michelle Driedger studies public health risk communication and how public audiences are engaged to make informed decisions in conditions of uncertainty. She currently has several projects investigating COVID-19 immunizations with a keen interest in the needs and preferences of different groups.

Driedger works in close partnership with the Manitoba Metis Federation Health and Wellness Department to engage Métis youth in health promotion messaging. In this program youth are brought together with elders and Métis community members to learn traditional skills and explore health concerns of importance in their community.

Örjan Sandred is a Professor of Composition and the director and founder of Studio FLAT, a computer music research and production studio at the Desautels Faculty of Music. Sandred’s works explore new artistic possibilities that arise from computer assisted composition techniques such as rule-based computing and live-electronic composition.

In 2022 Sandred was recognized with a Guggenheim Fellowship recognizing his ongoing work to further explore methods using artificial intelligence to control parts of the interaction between performers and a computer in music composition. Sandred’s music is available on Spotify: Sonic Trails (2020) and Cracks and Corrosion (2009).

Member of the RSC College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists

Dr. David Herbert

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

The Herbert research team uses synthetic chemistry to design molecules and materials for applications including in renewable energy and sustainable synthesis.

Herbert served as the inaugural Faculty of Science Research Chair in Fundamental Science (Physical Sciences) from 2019 to 2022. His work has been recognized many times including the 2022 Strem Award from the Canadian Society for Chemistry, the 2020 UM Merit Award and the 2017 Terry G. Falconer Rh Award.