Dr. Jean-Marie Dufour Appointed Member to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 20, 2013) - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, Minister of State (Agriculture) and Minister responsible for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), today announced the appointment of Dr. Jean-Marie Dufour to SSHRC.

"I am pleased to welcome Dr. Dufour as a new member of the Council," said Minister Paradis. "His strong background in econometrics, macroeconomics and finance will help advance the work of SSHRC. I look forward to Dr. Dufour's ongoing contributions to the social sciences in his new capacity."

Dr. Dufour is currently the William Dow Chair in Political Economy and Professor of Economics at McGill University and an Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Université de Montréal. As well, he is a Research Fellow for both the Center for Interuniversity Research and Analysis of Organizations and the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative (centre for interuniversity research in quantitative economics). He is the Director of the Canadian Econometrics Study Group and Project Leader of the Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Financial Modelling and Risk Management, in MITACS, one of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence.

Throughout his career, Dr. Dufour has received prominent fellowships from organizations such as the American Statistical Association, the Econometric Society, the Royal Society of Canada and the Journal of Econometrics. In 2012 and previously in 2007, he was awarded the Bank of Canada's Fellowship Award.

Dr. Dufour holds a doctorate and a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Chicago, as well as a Master of Arts in Economics from Concordia University. Additionally, he has a Master in Mathematics (Statistics) from the Université de Montréal and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (Honours) from McGill University.

SSHRC is a federal agency that promotes and supports post-secondary-based research and training in the humanities and social sciences. Through its programs, SSHRC works to develop talented leaders for all sectors of society; to help generate insights about people, ideas and behaviour; and to establish connections within and beyond academia that will build a better future for Canada and the world. For more information, visit the SSHRC website (www.sshrc.gc.ca).