Sophie D'Amours Appointed Member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 19, 2013) - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), today announced the appointment of Sophie D'Amours as a member of the Council.

"Dr. D'Amours has an impressive record of achievement as a university researcher and teacher, and she has made many contributions to industrial engineering," said Minister Paradis. "I am pleased to welcome her to the Council, where she will have the opportunity to bring her knowledge and experience to advance its work going forward."

Dr. D'Amours holds a Canada Research Chair in Planning Sustainable Forest Value Networks as well as an NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Collaborative Integration and Synchronization of the Forest Products Supply Chain. She is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Université Laval and currently serves as the Vice Rector of Research and Innovation. In addition, Dr. D'Amours is Chair of the board of directors for the Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec and member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec.

She has authored and co-authored numerous publications and is the recipient of many academic awards. In 2002-2003, she was named one of 50 women of power from Central and Eastern Quebec. Dr. D'Amours received her Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and Industrial Engineering from École Polytechnique in Montréal.

NSERC is a federal agency that helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for all Canadians. The agency supports almost 30,000 post-secondary students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding approximately 12,000 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging over 2,400 Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects. For more information, visit the NSERC website (www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca).