Dr. Barbara Neis of the Faculty of Arts’ Department of Sociology has been named Memorial’s latest fellow to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC).

In citing Dr. Neis’s groundbreaking contributions, the RSC states that “her pursuit of community-engaged, international research has had worldwide impact. She has helped explain why fish stocks collapse, shown how fishermen's ecological knowledge can inform science and coastal governance, advanced our understanding of gender and fisheries, and increased the visibility, quality and relevance of research on marine and coastal occupational health.” 

Election to the Royal Society of Canada is widely considered to be the highest academic honour in Canada.

"It is truly an honour to be elected to the Royal Society of Canada," said Dr. Neis. "I want to thank Ellen Steinhauer and the nominators who took the time to develop and submit the nominations. I am looking forward to working with other society members to promote awareness in Canada and globally of the excellent research being done by Canadian researchers on the ocean and rural and remote coastal societies."   

The RSC elects members from all branches of learning who have achieved national and international recognition by publishing learned works or original research in the arts, humanities and sciences.

Founded in 1882, the country's oldest scholarly organization currently has about 1,800 fellows.
 The RSC undertakes a wide range of activities to promote learning and research in the arts and sciences. It also organizes international exchanges and visiting scholar programs with similar national academies, and promotes Canadian participation in projects and conferences around the globe.



Dr. Neis will be inducted into the Royal Society of Canada's ranks at a ceremony to be held on Nov. 16, in Banff, Alta.