[News-releases] TRIUMF Family Grows: Three Leading Universities Become Full Members

[Tim Meyer]

TRIUMF Family Grows: Three New Universities Become Full Members

(Vancouver, B.C.) - On Canada Day, TRIUMF celebrated a triumph with the
addition of three leading research universities as full members to the
consortium which owns and operates the laboratory for the benefit of all of
Canada.  The University of Guelph, Queen's University, and York University
all became full members. 

Located on the campus of the University of British Columbia, TRIUMF is
Canada's national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics.  Operating
the world's largest cyclotron, TRIUMF allows scientists to study everything
from health and medicine to materials and fuels to the origins of the
universe.  Over the past decade, the laboratory has focused on exotic
nuclei, more commonly known as medical isotopes.  

Within TRIUMF, University of Guelph physics professor Carl Svensson leads an
international group that has designed and built a detector called TIGRESS.
The device - funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
- acts as a giant microscope that allows scientists to peer into atomic
nuclei for clues to how stars form the chemical elements and how nuclear
forces hold the atomic nucleus together.  Kevin Hall, Guelph's
vice-president (research) said the move to full membership "establishes the
fact that the University of Guelph has excellent credentials in subatomic
physics. It also allows us to pursue bigger opportunities for our physicists
and opens up a number of doors for funding for collaborations and facilities
to strengthen what's already a strong group of subatomic physicists."

"Queen's has valued its partnership with TRIUMF over the years on a number
of key topics," said vice-principal (research) Kerry Rowe. "We welcome this
new opportunity to help set the direction of the laboratory." Noting that
the TRIUMF laboratory is an extremely important part of the sub-atomic
physics community in Canada, Queen's Physics professor and Director of the
SNO Institute, Art McDonald, said, "The expertise provided by TRIUMF
scientists and technical staff has been and continues to be essential for
the success of SNOLAB. We are very pleased to continue this partnership with
Queen's as a full member of TRIUMF."

York University has a strong connection to TRIUMF through research
collaborations, as TRIUMF provides access to research infrastructure and
tools that are too large and complex for a single university to build,
operate, or maintain.  A good number of physicists in York's Faculty of
Science & Engineering collaborate on several research projects including
ATLAS, T2K and ALPHA, with physicists working at TRIUMF.  "Within one year
of becoming an associate member, this extension to full membership position
benefits both York University and TRIUMF," said Stan Shapson, York's
vice-president (research & innovation). "This will allow our excellent
physicists to participate fully in emerging national and international
large-scale research collaborations in areas such as advanced nuclear
medicine and next-generation particle detectors."

More than 350 scientists, engineers and staff work at the TRIUMF site. The
lab attracts about 500 researchers each year from Canada and worldwide, and
provides research facilities and opportunities to 150 students and
post-doctoral researchers.  Opened in 1969, the laboratory also promotes the
advancement of particle accelerators and detection technologies, trains
researchers and commercializes research.

"We are thrilled to welcome these institutions as full members of TRIUMF,"
said Feridun Hamdullahpur, chair of TRIUMF's Board of Management and
vice-president (research & international) of Carleton University. "We will
continue to pursue the basic research that raises the profile of Canadian
science internationally and that promises a brighter and more prosperous
future for Canadians." 



********************************************************
Timothy I. Meyer, Ph.D.
Head, Strategic Planning & Communications
TRIUMF
4004 Wesbrook Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 2A3 CANADA
Tel: 604-222-7674
Fax: 604-222-3791
Cell: 650-464-8955
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