CCA Welcomes Donna Strickland to its Board of Directors

The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Donna Strickland C.C., FRSC, FCAE, to its Board of Directors.

Donna Strickland is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo, where her ultrafast laser group develops high-intensity laser systems for nonlinear optics investigations. She received the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for developing chirped pulse amplification with Gérard Mourou. They published this Nobel-winning research in 1985 when Dr. Strickland was a PhD student at the University of Rochester in New York State. The research has several applications in industry and medicine today.

Dr. Strickland was previously a research associate at the National Research Council Canada, a physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and a member of technical staff at Princeton University. In 2019 she was named a Companion of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contributions to optical physics and for her innovative developments in ultrafast optical science.

“We are delighted to welcome Donna Strickland to the Board and look forward to drawing on her expertise and experience during her term,” said David A. Dodge, O.C., FRSC, Chair, CCA Board of Directors.

The CCA’s Board of Directors is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organization and ensuring fulfillment of the CCA’s mandate and oversight of the CCA’s operations.