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UQAM professor, Pierre Chastenay, wins the NSERC Award for Science Promotion (Individual)

News release

September 17, 2024

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is pleased to announce that Professor Pierre Chastenay is this year’s winner of the NSERC Award for Science Promotion (Individual).

Professor Chastenay, an astronomer and a professor at the Department of Didactics at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), is widely known for his passionate science communication efforts. This honor celebrates his commitment to promoting science through activities that engage and inspire young minds, particularly in the field of astronomy, igniting interest in science among Canada’s youth.

As the recipient of this award, Professor Chastenay will receive $10,000 to support further science promotion activities in Canada, which will be used to champion the efforts of the Quebec Aboriginal Science and Engineering Association (QASEA). QASEA’s mission is to promote science and engineering to Aboriginal youth attending school in First Nations and Inuit Communities in Quebec. They also organize the Quebec Indigenous Science Fair.

Learn more about Professor Chastenay’s outstanding career, which has seen him lead educational activities for the Planetarium in Montreal, host popular radio and TV shows, and author inspiring works of science popularization for young readers.