Sponsored by Canadian Light Source Inc., CIC Materials Chemistry Division and Western University, Department of Chemistry
The Canadian Light Source T.K. Sham Award is presented to an individual who has made a distinguished contribution to materials chemistry both in terms of research and mentoring while working in Canada.
View the Terms Reference and list of Past Winners
The 2021 winner of the Canadian Light Source T.K. Sham Award in Materials Chemistry is:
James Wuest, MCIC
Université de Montréal
James Wuest studied chemistry and mathematics at Cornell University, where he received an A. B. in 1969. He did graduate work in organic chemistry with the late Robert B. Woodward at Harvard University, where he received his Ph. D. in 1973. He then joined the faculty at Harvard as an assistant professor of chemistry and remained at Harvard until 1981, when he accepted a position at the Université de Montréal. He has been a full professor since 1986 and holds the Canada Research Chair in Molecular Materials. He has received many awards for work carried out by his research group, including a Guggenheim Fellowship (1999), an Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award from the American Chemical Society (2005), and the Prix Marie-Victorin (2013), which is one of the highest scientific distinctions in Canada. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1996. He is fortunate to have been able to supervise the research of many talented younger scientists, and he is proud of what they have subsequently achieved in their own careers. He continues to try to balance a passion for science and teaching by spending time outdoors in the mountains, particularly in remote parts of northern Canada.