Spring 2008 - Students - University of Saskatchewan

Honorary Doctor of Science
Michael Shaw
Dr. Michael Shaw, Professor Emeritus
of the University of British Columbia,
is a distinguished plant physiologist
who enjoys an international reputation
for his authoritative research on the
physiology and biochemistry of hostparasite
relationships. In particular, he
has directed his efforts to the cell and
molecular biology of this interaction in
rust fungi, obligate parasites that infect
several economically important crop
plants.
Born in Barbados, Dr. Shaw obtained
his Ph.D. from McGill University in
1949, and joined the Department
of Biology of the University of
Saskatchewan in 1950, serving as
Department Head from 1961 to 1967,
before becoming Dean of Agricultural
Sciences at the University of British
Columbia. He was subsequently Vice-
President (Academic Development)
from 1975 to 1981 and Vice-President
(Academic) and Provost from 1981 to
1983. From 1983 until his retirement
in 1989, he held the title of University
Professor, an honour only rarely
conferred upon the most distinguished
faculty members.
Dr. Shaw has played a significant
role in the development of science
in Canada. He has served on many
committees of the National Research
Council of Canada and Agriculture
Canada and was a founding
member of the Natural Sciences
and Engineering Research Council
of Canada. He has been President
of the Canadian Society of Plant
Physiologists, the Canadian Botanical
Association and the Biological Council
of Canada. From 1964 to 1979, he
was Editor of the Canadian Journal of
Botany.
Dr. Shaw has received many honours
in recognition of the importance of his
scientific contributions. He is a Fellow
of the Royal Society of Canada and
was awarded the Society's Flavelle
Medal in 1976. He has received
the Gold Medal of the Canadian
Society of Plant Physiologists and the
first Gold Medal of the Biological
Council of Canada. He has been
elected a Fellow of the Canadian
Phytopathological Society, the
American Phytopathological Society,
the New York Academy of Sciences
and the Linnean Society of London.
McGill University in 1975 and the
University of British Columbia in
2003 have awarded him honorary
doctorates.
Dr. Shaw's outstanding career in
teaching, research, administration and
public service in itself merits the award
of an honorary degree. However, it
is his particular contribution to the
University of Saskatchewan during a
period of seventeen years that makes
the award by this University entirely
appropriate. He began his pioneering
host-parasite studies during that period
and carried them to an advanced
level of achievement, bringing
international acclaim to the University,
and his leadership guided the
Department during its period of most
vigorous growth and established the
foundation upon which its subsequent
development has rested.
Dr. Shaw met his wife, the former Jean
Berkinshaw, while they were both at
McGill. They have four children.
University of Saskatchewan 14 Spring Convocation 2008