New research chairs established at Memorial University

Chair in Telecommunications Engineering and Information Technology

This chair -- announced on April 30, 1996--is a joint initiative of Memorial University, NewTel Communications, Northern Telecom (Nortel), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). Memorial University has received support for the chair from NSERC, under the University-Industry and Research Partnerships programs. The total cost of the chair is estimated at $1.8 million and has been met with direct and in-kind contributions from the two industrial partners, from Memorial University, and from NSERC.

The chair's research program will include work leading to the development of flexible, cost-effective, high performance, and human-friendly multimedia communications. Ultimately, the work of this chair will contribute to the application of expertise in distance health and education, and towards the development of interactive, multimedia communication capabilities into homes, businesses and institutions. This will enable greater access of the information highway in rural areas.

Dr. John Robinson has been appointed to this chair. Dr. Robinson received a PhD in Electronic Systems Engineering from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom in 1985. He has held teaching posts at the University of Waterloo and at the University of Essex. He was a member of the scientific staff and manager of Multimedia Conferencing in the Network Services Department of Bell-Northern Research (BNR) Ltd., one of Canada's largest communications research companies.

Dr. Robinson has written numerous articles and technical reports in the field of telecommunications. He has won several awards for his work including the Phillips Prize (1985) for work in his M.Sc. program, and two BNR Awards for Excellence (1987, 1988) for the development of a multimedia terminal, and for exceptional contributions to Northern Telecom and Bell Canada projects.

Chair in Fisheries Conservation

This chair -- announced on Nov. 17, 1995 -- has been established initially for five years and is a partnership of the provincial Department of Fisheries and Agriculture; the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans; the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC); and Fishery Products International. The total financial and in-kind contributions from the partners will amount to $925,000 per year over five years; a total of $4.6 million.

In addition to ongoing research, this initiative will also form the basis of an academic program in fisheries conservation at Memorial. Research will contribute to the understanding of groundfish stock dynamics and will support the development of a conservation-based fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Dr. George Rose has been appointed to this chair. Born in St. John's, he attended the University of Guelph and Laurentian University and received his PhD from McGill University. He is an expert in fisheries ecology, oceanography, and the use of acoustics in the monitoring and conservation of large marine ecosystems.

His research has concentrated on the use of advanced hydroacoustics and its application in assessment techniques. He is well known for his work on fisheries oceanography, fish distribution ecology, and acoustics.

Other chairs at Memorial University