A longtime StFX earth sciences professor has been honoured nationally for his exemplary career. Dr. Brendan Murphy, a Senior Research Professor, has been awarded the 2021 Career Achievement Award from the Volcanology and Igneous Petrology Division of the Geological Association of Canada in recognition of his career achievements in the field of volcanology and/or igneous petrology. Candidates are judged on their lifetime scientific contribution.
“The Volcanology and Igneous Petrology Division's Career Achievement Award has a long history of recognizing exceptional contributions to the field. Dr. Brendan Murphy is an exemplary recipient for this award. His work has given us new insights into petrology and tectonics and he has been an exceptional mentor and colleague to so many people.
GAC would like to congratulate Dr. Murphy on this award and we are grateful to the VIP Division for the work they do to recognize and celebrate exceptional scientists like Dr. Murphy,” says Geological Association of Canada president Dr. Deanne van Rooyen.
Dr. Murphy says he is honoured by the career achievement award.
“I suppose a career award means that I have successfully graduated from ‘young turk’ to ‘old turkey!’ I am honoured (and a little embarrassed) to be added to a list of recipients that includes many of Canada’s petrological icons,” says Dr. Murphy.
“I am also the beneficiary of the wonderful geoscience culture in Atlantic Canada and a strong research culture in our Earth Sciences Department. Generations of students have also been a major stimulus and inspiration. Among many things, they taught me that learning is a two-way street. I would not be receiving this, or any other award, without them. To see many of them have successful careers after graduation is something that gives me the greatest satisfaction as I begin to navigate through my dotage.”
Dr. Murphy’s research focused on relationships between tectonism and magma compositions, using them to unravel the evolution of mountain belts and reconstruct the development of Earth and the continents.
“Dr. Murphy has had an exceptional career with extensive contributions to our understanding of igneous petrology and igneous relationships to tectonism. His impressive career spans 40 years and has yielded more than 325 refereed publications and numerous Canadian and international awards and research grants,” reads the official award announcement.
“His knowledge and expertise have been transmitted to thousands of students in dozens of mineralogy and petrology course deliveries, the writing of two textbooks and the supervision of research students. His many editorships/associate editorships/guest editorships, memberships on dozens of national and international scholarly organizations, and hundreds of reviews for journals, books and grant committees demonstrate he is an international scientific ambassador for igneous petrology and Canadian geoscience.”
This research is, in part, made possible by the Government of Canada Research Support Fund.
