Distinguished scientist, humanitarian and feminist Ursula Franklin is the 12th recipient of CAUT's Sarah Shorten Award. Renowned for her achievements in the field of metallurgy, Franklin has also worked tirelessly to bring a humane and feminist voice to the world of science.

In 1967, she was the first woman appointed to the University of Toronto's metallurgy and materials science department, and in 1984 she was the first woman to be given the title of University Professor - the highest honour awarded by the University of Toronto.

Her scientific and teaching career has been combined with her deeply-held conviction that scientist and non-scientist alike must fully explore the consequences of science and technology.

A specialist in the study of metals and alloys, she pioneered the development of archaeometry, which applies the modern techniques used in materials analysis to archaeology. In the early 1960s, she used this expertise to help investigate the levels of strontium 90 - a radioactive substance present in fallout from nuclear weapons testing - in children's teeth. This work was instrumental in the U.S. government's discussions about stopping nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere.

She has participated actively in such organizations as Science for Peace and Pollution Probe, and has provided technical expertise for many community groups on subjects such as pollution and radiation.

In 1989, Franklin delivered the Massey Lectures, originally broadcast as part of CBC Radio's Ideas series and subsequently published in book form. The lectures, named "The Real World of Technology," were an attempt to understand how science and technology shape our society and are, in turn, shaped by the demands that society makes of them.

About women in science, Franklin feels that female scientists use the tools of science to answer questions that may not otherwise be asked by their male counterparts. She observes that women bring to science a spirit of cooperation as well as a concern for the connection between knowledge gained and its potential impact on communities, rather than its economic impacts. When looking at the history of women in science, she asserts that women have established new fields of, and made some of the most profound contributions to, interdisciplinary research.

Franklin has received numerous honours and tributes including the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario, the Governor General's award, the Pearson Peace Medal, and more than a dozen honorary degrees. In 1995 the Toronto Board of Education named a new public school as the Ursula Franklin Academy.

Franklin has also been one of the moving forces in the efforts to change many aspects of university life for women: She fought to reveal and eliminate gender discrimination in salary and benefits. Within engineering, working as a woman in a discipline where few females gained access, she was sensitive to the unrecognized contributions of other women and worked to bring a humanitarian and feminist voice to the world of science.

"Professor Ursula Franklin is a truly extraordinary woman who has made an exceptional contribution within our Canadian universities as a scholar, educator and innovator," said Edith Zorychta, chair of CAUT's Status of Women Committee. "She is also one of the most influential and effective activists on behalf of women. It is our honour to give her the Sarah Shorten Award."

The award was established in memory of the late Sarah Shorten, who served two terms as president of CAUT, and is presented each year to recognize outstanding achievements in the promotion of the advancement of women in Canadian universities.

Franklin accepted the award at CAUT's 2003 Council meeting in Ottawa May 2.