UNB's educators and researchers are committed to excellence. They are mentors, collaborators and innovators. We pay tribute to some of them who were honoured last year.
Thierry Chopin, professor of marine biology and scientific director of the Canadian Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Network, received the distinction of chevalier (knight) in the Ordre du Mérite Maritime (Order of Maritime Merit) of France for his work as a researcher, teacher and communicator in the field of marine biology and aquaculture.
An internationally recognized expert in his field, Chopin's research focuses on the ecophysiology, biochemistry and cultivation of seaweeds of commercial value and the development of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems for increased environmental sustainability, economic stability and societal acceptability.
Greg Kealey, professor emeritus in history and former vice-president (research) and provost at UNB, was invested as a member of the Order of Canada. He was chosen "for his sustained academic contributions to Canadian labour relations history and for his administrative leadership of several universities in Atlantic Canada."
One of Canada’s most well-respected academics, Kealey has built an impressive national and international reputation for his achievements, not only in research and teaching, but also for leadership in university administration.
An inspired researcher, author and editor, Kealey's primary area of expertise is the labour history of Canada. For 21 years, he was the editor of the academic journal Labour/Le Travail, which specializes in the Canadian labour movement.
Sociology professor Nancy Nason-Clark was inducted as a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada – the highest honour a scholar can achieve in the arts, humanities and sciences. An internationally recognized researcher, Nason-Clark’s innovative research on religion and domestic violence has altered how academics understand violence in families of faith and how religious leaders are trained to respond.
Canada’s foremost expert on religion and domestic violence, Nason-Clark has pushed scholarly debate in the sociology of religion and gender studies to include religion as part of the solution to abuse. In 2005, she was awarded research funds from the US Lilly Endowment to develop and implement The RAVE Project, the first evidence-based online series of training and resources to assist religious leaders and congregations worldwide.
Yun Zhang, Canada Research Chair in advanced geomatics image processing and professor of geodesy and geomatics; and Marcel LeBrun (BScEng'92, DSc'16), New Brunswick technology executive and entrepreneur, were inducted as fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional honours presented to engineers in Canada.
Working in the department of geodesy and geomatics at UNB since 2000, Yun Zhang has made a significant impact on the field through his research and entrepreneurial mindset. He has invented six patented technologies and five patent-pending technologies. His most notable work includes developing an international flagship technology in colour image sharpening that is used by NASA and Google, adapting dual cameras for more precise image clarity and colouring, and pioneering several online mapping technologies adopted by Google.
Zhang pioneered 3D mapping systems through a research project called EarthView3D, which allows users to tour everything from the deepest oceans to the highest mountain peaks of the world in realistic 3D without leaving their home.
Since completing a bachelor of engineering degree at UNB, Marcel LeBrun has focused on making advances in engineering through an entrepreneurial lens. He has played a prominent role in developing various startups, including Radian6 -- a pioneering social media monitoring firm, which was acquired by Salesforce.com in 2011 for hundreds of millions of dollars.
Through his success, LeBrun has remained dedicated to giving back to UNB’s engineering students and aspiring entrepreneurs. In 2007, he became UNB's Dr. J. Herbert Smith Centre for Technology Management and Entrepreneurship’s first entrepreneur-in-residence. Working in this position allowed LeBrun to guide students to entrepreneurial and engineering success.
For his entrepreneurial approach to engineering and his dedication to giving back to engineering students and charitable causes, UNB awarded LeBrun an honorary doctor of science degree in 2016.
