Dr. Steffanie Strathdee's success in convincing young gay men and injection drug users in Vancouver to participate in two HIV-related research projects brought her to the attention of Maclean's magazine, which in July named her one of "100 Canadians to Watch."

Now, a National Health Scholar Award will enable Strathdee, an assistant professor in the Dept. of Health Care and Epidemiology, to continue her work on the two projects for the next five years.

The award, from the National Health Research and Development Program of Health Canada, recognizes Strathdee's contributions to excellence in public health sciences.

Anatomy professor Dr. Charles Slonecker has received the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian Association for Anatomy, Neurobiology and Cell Biology.

The award, the highest given by the association, recognizes Slonecker's significant contributions to the association and to science in Canada and acknowledges achievement in research and teaching.

Slonecker, who is also director of University Relations, served as head of Anatomy from 1981 to 1992. He received the Master Teacher Award in 1976 and the Killam University Teaching Prize in 1996.

Valerie Raoul, a French professor who specializes in women's writing, autobiography and feminist theory, is the new director of the Centre for Research in Women's Studies and Gender Relations.

Raoul intends to promote interdisciplinary research in women's studies on campus, forge links with researchers doing similar work at institutions in Canada and abroad, and increase the centre's involvement with community groups.

Along with Women's Studies Chair Dawn Currie, Raoul is working to set up a practicum in a community setting which would be part of the Women's Studies program.

Geography Prof. R. Cole Harris has been appointed to the David and Brenda McLean Chair in Canadian Studies.

Harris, who edited the first volume of the Historical Atlas of Canada, plans to study the native land question in B.C., tracing the history of thought about native land, reserve policies and the impact of reserves on the lives of native people.

Prof. Sheldon Duff of the Dept. of Chemical Engineering and MASc student Belinda Larisch are co-winners of the TAPPI Russell O. Blosser Memorial Best Paper Award in the Water Quality Category.

The award was presented at the International Environmental Conference recently held in Minneapolis.

Their winning paper looks at the effects on effluent of chemical alternatives to the chlorine-based bleaching process in pulp production.

Dr. Robert Hill, professor emeritus and former head, Dept. of Pediatrics, has published Paedatrics in B.C.

The book outlines the growth of pediatric practice in the province and describes the development of the department.

Its publication coincided with the department's 45th anniversary.