UNB professor to be inducted as a Chevalier Knight in the Ordre du Mérite Maritime of France
Author: UNB Newsroom
Posted on Nov 6, 2017
Category: UNB Saint John
Dr. Thierry Chopin, a professor at the University of New Brunswick’s Saint John campus, is to be awarded the distinction of Chevalier (Knight) in the Ordre du Mérite Maritime of France for his work as a researcher, teacher and communicator in the field of marine biology and aquaculture.
Dr. Chopin will be invested into the Order by Her Excellency, Mrs. Kareen Rispal, Ambassador of France to Canada, on Nov. 21 at a ceremony at the Consulate General of France in Moncton.
The Ordre du Mérite Maritime (Order of Maritime Merit) was created in 1930 to recognize the services rendered by les gens de mer (seafarers) from different backgrounds, including individuals who have distinguished themselves in the development and the outreach of maritime activities.
The distinction of Chevalier of the Ordre du Mérite Maritime is bestowed in limited numbers each year (280 in 2017).
“I am delighted to be now part of this prestigious group of gens de mer, who come from very different horizons but all share the same passion for the sea,” Dr. Chopin says.
“I am very honoured to be awarded this distinction, which symbolizes my work and my passion for more than three decades on each side of the Atlantic – from Brittany in France to the Atlantic provinces in Canada.”
“It is fantastic to see Dr. Chopin and his work recognized so highly,” says Dr. Eddy Campbell, president of the University of New Brunswick. “His reputation on seaweeds and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture is well established internationally and we are proud to have had him at UNB for the last 28 years.”
Dr. Chopin was born and educated in France, obtaining his doctorate from the University of Western Brittany. He moved to Saint John in 1989. His research focuses on the ecophysiology, biochemistry and cultivation of seaweeds of commercial value and the development of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems for increased environmental sustainability, economic stability and societal acceptability. He is an internationally recognized expert in this innovative practice.
Dr. Chopin has published 140 refereed papers, 23 book chapters, 47 non-refereed publications and more than 400 abstracts. He has presented at nearly 250 scientific meetings in 39 countries and been invited to give seminars around the world.
From 2010 to 2017, he served as scientific director of the Canadian Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Network, an interdisciplinary strategic network of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Dr. Chopin is past president of the Aquaculture Association of Canada, the Phycological Society of America and the International Seaweed Association. He is an adviser to the International Foundation for Science and a member of the editorial boards of six scientific journals and one professional magazine.
Dr. Chopin is the recipient of the NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation, the Aquaculture Association of Canada Research Award of Excellence, the New Brunswick BioSciences Achievement Award, the R3 (Research, Results, Recognition) Award of the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation and the Simply the Best Award of the UNB Associated Alumni.
Dr. Chopin is also Honorary Consul of France as well as Chevalier in the Ordre National du Mérite and in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques.
Media contact: Heather Campbell
Photo: Dr. Thierry Chopin, a professor of marine biology at the University of New Brunswick’s Saint John campus, at the Monaco Blue Initiative Conference in Monaco, under the auspices of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, in April, 2017.