1997 Fredericton Convocation
Smith, Michael
Doctor of Science (D.Sc.)
Orator: Patterson, Stephen E.
Citation:
CONVOCATION, OCTOBER, 1997
MICHAEL SMITH
to be Doctor of Science
It is our great honour to welcome Dr. Michael Smith of the University of British Columbia, one of Canada's foremost biochemists. Dr. Smith was born in Blackpool, England, and he came to Canada following the completion of his PhD degree at the University of Manchester. He has been a member of the Department of Biochemistry at UBC since 1966.
Michael Smith is one of the pioneers in what has been called the genetics revolution. Among his notable contributions is his development of a critical technique known as site-directed mutagenesis, a technique that allows the alteration of gene sequences. Using this technique, researchers can now examine the functional role of proteins by altering their genetic structure. The impact on the field of genetic engineering has been enormous. Dr. Smith's technique for manipulating DNA has been widely adopted as a fundamental tool of biotechnology, and its use has not only permitted a significant increase in our knowledge of proteins, but also in the practical application of knowledge in new products such as insulin derived from bacteria or yeast.
For his ground-breaking work, Dr. Smith was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993. The most prestigious of awards, it came at the peak of a brilliant career in which he has been much applauded and much honored throughout the world. It is perhaps typical of the man that he would wish to share the honor and the half million dollars that went with his Nobel Prize. He gave away half of it to aid research into the genetics of schizophrenia, and the promotion of science in British Columbia and among Canadian women in science. And when he went to collect his prize, he took with him, at his own expense, all of the assistants, post doctoral fellows, and graduate students who had aided him in experimenting on site-directed mutagenesis.
Dr. Michael Smith continues his research into the mysteries of DNA. He does so with the confidence that we will some day understand the 100,00 or so proteins found in humans, and he continues to explore new ways of conducting this research. Modest in his personal demeanor, generous with fellow researchers and with medical and philanthropic groups that seek to apply his ideas in practical ways, he exemplifies what is noble in modern science. This year he has delivered the Bryan Priestman Lectures at the University of New Brunswick. We thank him sincerely for spending these past few days with us, and for sharing his knowledge and his enthusiasm for scientific discovery. It is our great honour to include him now among the degree recipients of this institution.
From: Honoris Causa - UA Case 70, Box 3
MICHAEL SMITH
to be Doctor of Science
It is our great honour to welcome Dr. Michael Smith of the University of British Columbia, one of Canada's foremost biochemists. Dr. Smith was born in Blackpool, England, and he came to Canada following the completion of his PhD degree at the University of Manchester. He has been a member of the Department of Biochemistry at UBC since 1966.
Michael Smith is one of the pioneers in what has been called the genetics revolution. Among his notable contributions is his development of a critical technique known as site-directed mutagenesis, a technique that allows the alteration of gene sequences. Using this technique, researchers can now examine the functional role of proteins by altering their genetic structure. The impact on the field of genetic engineering has been enormous. Dr. Smith's technique for manipulating DNA has been widely adopted as a fundamental tool of biotechnology, and its use has not only permitted a significant increase in our knowledge of proteins, but also in the practical application of knowledge in new products such as insulin derived from bacteria or yeast.
For his ground-breaking work, Dr. Smith was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993. The most prestigious of awards, it came at the peak of a brilliant career in which he has been much applauded and much honored throughout the world. It is perhaps typical of the man that he would wish to share the honor and the half million dollars that went with his Nobel Prize. He gave away half of it to aid research into the genetics of schizophrenia, and the promotion of science in British Columbia and among Canadian women in science. And when he went to collect his prize, he took with him, at his own expense, all of the assistants, post doctoral fellows, and graduate students who had aided him in experimenting on site-directed mutagenesis.
Dr. Michael Smith continues his research into the mysteries of DNA. He does so with the confidence that we will some day understand the 100,00 or so proteins found in humans, and he continues to explore new ways of conducting this research. Modest in his personal demeanor, generous with fellow researchers and with medical and philanthropic groups that seek to apply his ideas in practical ways, he exemplifies what is noble in modern science. This year he has delivered the Bryan Priestman Lectures at the University of New Brunswick. We thank him sincerely for spending these past few days with us, and for sharing his knowledge and his enthusiasm for scientific discovery. It is our great honour to include him now among the degree recipients of this institution.
From: Honoris Causa - UA Case 70, Box 3
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