Francesco Bellini, L BSc 72, LLD 02, has been appointed an officer of the Ordre national du Québec. The Chairman and CEO of Neurochem in Montreal received the appointment in Quebec City, June 23, in honour of his achievements and contribution to the development of Quebec in the fields of science, business and community involvement. Francesco co-founded BioChem Pharma, one of Canada’s most successful biopharmaceutical companies, in 1986. His many previous honours include being named an officer of the Order of Canada and the Onorificenza Di Grande Ufficialle from the Italian government in 2000. In 1999 he was named a Great Montrealer by the Académie des Grands Montréalais. He has also received honorary doctorates from the University of New Brunswick, the University of Ottawa, McGill and Concordia.

Gerald Taiaiake Alfred, BA (hist.) 89, was recently promoted to full professor in the Indigenous Governance Program at the University of Victoria. He has been director of the program since 1996. Taiaiake has an MA and PhD in government from Cornell University in Utica, N.Y., and was awarded a Canada Research Chair in 2001. He is also the author of two books, Heeding the Voices of Our Ancestors (Oxford University Press, 1995), on native nationalism, and Peace, Power, Righteousness (Oxford University Press, 1999), on indigenous ethics.

William A. Carlezon Jr., MA (psych.) 92, PhD (psych.) 95, was among the 57 young scientists to receive the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), at a White House ceremony in May. The NSTC was established by executive order in 1993 as the principal means for the President to coordinate federally funded science, space and technology research. In 1996, the NSTC established the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers to honour the most promising American researchers within their fields. Bill is director of the Behavioral Genetics Laboratory at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., and also directs McLean’s Medication Discovery and Developmental Laboratory. He specializes in research that establishes causal relationships between brain biochemistry and behaviour, specifically focusing on depression and addiction. He earned a BSc in biopsychology from Bates College in Lewiston, Me., before coming to Concordia.