A great scientist and a true mentor
In its February and March issues, the Canadian Journal of Chemistry pays tribute to one of the University of Ottawa’s revered scientists and certainly one of the world’s foremost experts in photochemistry, Juan Cesar Scaiano.
Born in Buenos Aires, Juan Cesar Scaiano, better known as “Tito” Scaiano, came to Canada in 1975 as a visiting scientist with the National Research Council, and began teaching at the University of Ottawa in 1982. With his wife, Elda, he founded Luzchem Research, a company marketing his miniaturized laser instrumentation.
Known as the “Global Dean” of photochemistry, professor Scaiano is one of the world’s top 100 most cited chemists. He has authored over 600 research papers, and contributed more than 20 articles in books. He has also been a prolific mentor of students.
His work—studying the way light interacts with molecules and the resulting chemical reactions—has earned numerous awards, including the Henry Marshall Tory Medal of the Royal Society of Canada (1995), the Killam Prize in Science (1998), and two of Canada's most prestigious research awards: the NSERC Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal for Science and Engineering (2002) and the Premier's Platinum Medal for Research Excellence (2004). He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Chemical Institute of Canada, and was the University of Ottawa’s first Distinguished University Professor. In 2005, he was inducted as an Officer of the Order of Canada.
These special issues, featuring guest editors and contributors who have been colleagues and friends of Tito Scaiano, include over forty papers. Professor Scaiano said, “I am deeply honoured by the dedication and truly impressed by the contributions, from my recent co-workers to long-time mentors, including Keith Ingold, who first invited me to Canada, and Eduardo Lissi, my thesis supervisor; both taught me to constantly explore new horizons and enjoy the journey.”
Read the February issue of the Canadian Journal of Chemistry devoted to Juan Cesar Scaiano.