Two York alumni recently received important government appointments. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Interntional Trade announced the appointments of J. Thomas Boehm (BA '63) as Consul General, Seattle, Washington; and Gary J. Smith (BA '68) as Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia.

    Boehm was formerly national co-ordinator, Chemical Weapons Convention National Authority. Smith was a former departmental fellow at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.

    Boehm was born in Toronto and joined the Department of External Affairs in 1965. Among other positions he served abroad in Islamabad, Kingston, Jamaica, Washington, D.C., and Nairobi from 1988 to 1992 as Minister in the Canadian High Commission, London.

    This year's winners of the Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning (SCOTL) at York include: Hamzeh Roumani (contract/part-time category winner); Carol Duncan (teaching assistant category winner); and in the full-time category, a tie between professors Paul Herzberg and Elaine Newton.

    History and humanities professor Arthur Haberman became the fifth York professor to win the prestigious 3M Teaching Fellowship. The award recognizes his formidable leadership in the classroom and his commitment to improving student learning. The fellowships are awarded each year by 3M Canada Inc. and the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

    For the second time in three years, Profiles magazine, York University's publication for alumni and friends of the University, won a Prix d'excellence Gold Medal from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE).

    This year's winners of the President's Prize for Promising Scholars include: Nantel Bergeron, professor of mathematics and statistics; Eric Helleiner, professor of political science; and Eric Hessels, professor of physics and astronomy. Each of the professors are awarded a $2,000 contribution for the next two years to their professional expense allowance.

    At York's fall convocation ceremonies, three York faculty members were honoured. Stuart Robbins, chair of York's School of Physical Education was awarded a University Professorship for his extraordinary and innovative leadership not only at York, but for his professional service to the external community. Professor Christopher David Innes, F.R.S.C., of the Department of English received a Distinguished Research Professorship. Through his research, Innes has made an outstanding influence on the field of drama studies, which ranks him among the top scholars in this discipline in Canada and abroad. English professor Maurice Slater Elliott was also awarded a University Professorship. He was Master of Winters College for 10 years and, as the Convocation University Orator, has the ability to deliver a citation as a memorable art-form.

    York has been awarded a place in a program that encourages student mobility and educational exchanges within North America. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Human Resources Development are funding projects under a venture called the Program for North American Mobility in Higher Education. The program is aimed at strengthening North American integration through cooperation among universities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

    Psychology professor Debra Pepler won a national award from the Psychology Foundation of Canada for her pioneering research into bullying. Pepler recently completed a four-year study into the bullying tactics of school-age children between the ages of six and 12, videotaping them in classrooms and playgrounds.

    At the American Sociological Association (ASA) conference last August, Urban Studies professor Jon Caulfield was recognized for his recent work in the urban and community sector. His book, City Form and Everyday Life: Toronto's Gentrification and Critical Practice, was awarded the runner-up prize for the prestigious Robert Park Award.

    Environmental Studies professor Femida Handy received two awards -- for most exciting and innovative dissertation, and another for most outstanding article -- at the annual Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) conference.

    York has joined ranks with some of the most prestigious North American universities by being invited to become a member of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) based in Boulder, Colorado. UCAR, a body of 62 universities, is a resource and policy-setting consortium for atmospheric research. It directs the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder.