The Foundation shines the spotlight on three graduates recipient of the 2021 Prix Lumières Awards, whose nominations were submitted by members of the INRS community.
These awards, unveiled at the May 15 graduation ceremony, aim to recognize graduates whose career paths and successes inspire our entire community. Our Lumières are remarkable people who, through their careers and achievements, demonstrate the importance of science in society and promote excellence in research and training at INRS.
Firestarter Award
Sophie Dufour-Beauséjour
Physicist, feminist and radio host, she obtained a doctorate in water sciences, carried out on satellite imagery of sea ice in Nunavik. Her career, combining research, communication and social commitment, won the unanimity of our jury. Recruited by the federal government’s young leaders program, she is a policy analyst in the Climate Change Preparedness program of the Ministry of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. In her role, she continues to be an ally and to inform the decisions of northern Indigenous communities to better cope with the climatic upheavals that are already affecting them.
Trailblazer Award
Éric Simard
A researcher and entrepreneur, he completed a doctorate in biology in 2008. Member of the Ethics Commission in Science and Technology of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Quebec and President of the Professional Association for Integrative Health, he is president and founder of the company Idunn Technologies, which develops and markets products aimed at slowing down aging. His industrial background and his commitment to his community, notably with the Association for Healthy Food Ingredients and the Advisory Committee of the Office of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada in Quebec, delighted the jury.
Starburst Award
Eric Irissou
Graduated in 2000 with a master’s degree and in 2005 with a doctorate in energy and materials sciences, he is Team Leader, Thermal Projection, and Senior Research Officer at the National Research Council Canada. It stands out for its ability to identify and carry out high value-added R&D projects, in close collaboration with industry. Renowned for his ability to bring people together, Mr. Irissou has a real talent for networking with universities and industry by combining fundamental and applied research. Several of its projects hire INRS teams or recruit talent from them, which contributes to the influence of our institution.
Congratulations to you three! Your achievements and your commitment are the pride of the entire INRS community.
Congratulations also to all the nominated graduates and thank you to the people who submitted their applications. Your contribution to the influence of INRS and its world is invaluable.
A huge thank you to our jury made up of directors of the INRS Foundation and recipients of the 2020 Lumières Awards: Martine Vanasse, Marco Blouin, Guillaume Côté, Luc-Alain Giraldeau, Marie-Pierre Ippersiel, Étienne Lyrette, Anne-Pascale Richardson, and Catherine Thibault.
See you next year!