PIPSC Gold Medal Awarded to Dr. Xiaolan Wang
Debi Daviau presented the Institute’s Gold Medal to PIPSC member Dr. Xiaolan Wang to recognize her contributions to the understanding of climate change in Canada and internationally. Dr. Wang is a Senior Research Scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Nancy Hamzawi, Assistant Deputy Minister of Science and Technology at Environment and Climate Change Canada, joined President Daviau in celebrating the achievements of Dr. Wang.
Nancy Hamzawi, Dr. Xiaolan Wang, Debi Daviau
Dr. Wang’s research seeks to understand the past, current and future behaviour of regional and global climate. Now used by scientists in more than 50 countries, her statistical methods and user-friendly software have changed the way scientists assess climate trends.
Dr. Wang is an example of the role model that the Institute’s Gold Medal is intended to honour. She is a visionary in the field of climate change research and is held in very high regard in Canada and internationally.
The tremendous contribution that dedicated professionals like Dr. Wang make to the public good confirms that the federal government has a unique role to play in scientific research. The federal government is responsible for creating and maintaining a climate in which fruitful research can take place and flourish.
Scientific research is a critical component of our success as a society – whether it is our ability to protect the health and safety of our fellow citizens, preserve our environment, or ensure future economic prosperity.
Dr. Wang played an important role in Canada’s Climate Change Report released earlier this year. Canada’s climate is warming more rapidly than the global average and will continue to do so. The report helps illustrate that climate change is real and driven by human activity.
According to Dr. Wang, it is important that climate change analysis be done by public sector scientists to guarantee the quality of the research when determining a global action plan against climate change.
“The work needs to be done in a systematic and sustained manner, and it needs long-term commitment, she says. “Without a consistent data process conducted by skilled scientists, artificial data would slip through the cracks and drastically alter our knowledge about climate change.” Scientists like Xiaolan make sure errors like these don’t happen.
The Professional Institute established the Gold Medal Award program in 1937 to recognize professional public service employees whose outstanding work has led to the improvement and enhancement of public well-being. The program promotes greater awareness of the role and value of professional public services in Canada and globally.