OTTAWA, Ontario -- Dr. Richard Kane, of the University of Western Ontario, is the winner of inaugural David Borwein Distinguished Career Award. At the same time, the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) has named Dr. Kane the recipient of the 2006 CMS Distinguished Service Award.

The Distinguished Service Award is given annually in recognition of outstanding service to the CMS. The David Borwein Distinguished Career Award is a new CMS award, recognizing the career of an individual who has made an exceptional, broad, and continued contribution to mathematics. The award is named for David Borwein, a former President of the CMS and an eminent Canadian mathematician.

Dr. Richard Kane has profoundly influenced the course of mathematics in Canada through his long service to the profession, to his university, and to the CMS. He is a distinguished researcher and a dedicated teacher. His exemplary career, taken as a whole, is eminently deserving of recognition through the receipt of the inaugural Borwein award.

Dr. Kane received his BA from the University of Toronto in 1967 and his PhD from the University of Waterloo in 1973. He has been a member of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Western Ontario since 1980 and a full professor there since 1983, serving twice as Chair of the Department. Prior to coming to Western he taught at the University of Alberta, and held postdoctoral fellowships at Oxford and MIT. He has held visiting positions at the Institute for Advanced Study, (Princeton), the Centre de Recerca Matematica (Barcelona), the Max-Planck-Institut für Mathematik (Bonn), the University of Aberdeen, the University of California at San Diego, and the University of Sydney.

His research is in the area of algebraic topology, particularly the homology theory of Lie groups, an area in which he has authored four monographs and numerous journal articles. He has supervised four PhD theses. He was a lead organizer of the 1996 Fields Institute thematic program in homotopy theory, and has organized several other workshops and conferences. His research contributions were recognized by his election to the Royal Society of Canada in 1988. Other honours include being named a Fields Institute Fellow in 2002 and receiving a University of Waterloo Faculty of Mathematics Alumni Achievement Medal in 2003.

Dr. Kane has served the CMS in a number of roles, most notably as President (1998-2000), but also as Vice President, and as chair of the research, finance, and international affairs committees. He has served his university, the Royal Society, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Fields Institute in a number of roles. But his most singular contribution has been his leadership on the national stage, and in particular his contributions to building a strong research infrastructure for Canadian mathematics. He was the scientific convener of the 1996 NSERC Review of Canadian mathematics, a review prompted by a prior negative evaluation. In response, Dr. Kane led the efforts to examine the strengths and weaknesses of mathematics in Canada. Following an international evaluation this led to government recognition of the excellence of Canadian research in mathematics and of its importance to Canada, as well as to a concrete plan to build the infrastructure needed to raise this research to new heights. Continuing these efforts, Dr. Kane served as Chair of the Mathematics Steering Committee for the NSERC reallocations exercises in 1997 and 2001, and Chaired the NSERC Liaison Committee for the mathematical sciences in 2005. The direct impact of these efforts was secure and enhanced funding for mathematical research in Canada. This benefited both individual researchers, and also helped to build or enhance the infrastructure that is enabling Canada to play an increasingly significant role on the world stage - the three Canadian mathematics research institutes, the Banff International Research Station, the MITACS National Centre of Excellence (NCE), the NSERC leadership support program, and other initiatives. The success of these efforts stems from the collaborative and unified vision established by the Canadian mathematical community, a vision made possible in large part by the diplomacy, integrity, wisdom, and leadership of Dr. Richard Kane.

Dr. Kane will receive the 2006 David Borwein Distinguished Career Award and the 2006 CMS Distinguished Service Award at the CMS Winter Meeting in Toronto (December 2006).

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