African Writer Honoured

The author known as “the father of the modern African novel” received an honorary doctor of letters degree at June convocation ceremonies. Chinua Achebe’s groundbreaking first novel, Things Fall Apart, was published in 1958 and later translated into more than 50 languages. Among the other honorary degree recipients were: Sidney Altman, winner of the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry; Jean Little (BA 1955 VIC, DLitt Sac Hon. 2004), author of more than 25 children’s books; and Martha Minow, a Harvard University law professor and human rights scholar.

Bruce Kuwabara (BArch 1972) has been awarded the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 2006 Gold Medal – the highest honour granted a Canadian architect. Kuwabara is a founding partner of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB), and a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

The momentum to phase out lawn and garden pesticides in Canada is growing, says Gideon Forman (BA 1987 VIC), executive director of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. The association recently won the 2006 Canadian Environment Award from the federal government and Canadian Geographic magazine in recognition of its work to restrict these chemicals.

An eight-part CBC Radio series produced by Paolo Pietropaolo (Mus Bac 1999), Chris Brookes and Jowi Taylor (BA 1990 WOODS) won a 2006 Peabody Award for excellence in radio and television broadcasting. A cross between a documentary, a remix and a music show, The Wire explores the impact of electricity on music.