Prof. Gordon McBean, Co-chair of the START Scientific Steering Committee, has been appointed as a member of the Order of Canada. Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, announced the appointment on 30 December 2008. IHDP would like to congratulate him on receiving this honour. The appointment, made on the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Order of Canada, reads as follows:

Gordon A. McBean
London, Ontario
Member of the Order of Canada


For his contributions to the advancement of climate and atmospheric sciences in Canada, and for his leadership in national and international scientific organizations, helping to generate and disseminate research findings to policy makers and stakeholders.

Gordon McBean is a Professor at the University of Western Ontario, and Chair for Policy in the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. Previously Gordon was the Assistant Deputy Minister, Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC); Professor and Head, Department of Oceanography, University of British Columbia; Professor and Chairman, Atmospheric Science Programme, University of British Columbia, and; Senior Scientist, Canadian Climate Centre, MSC, located at the Institute of Ocean Sciences.

Gordon’s early career spanned a wide variety of interests in MSC, including boundary layer research, hydrometeorology and environmental impact research, and weather forecasting.

Gordon has received many distinguished awards (MSC Patterson Medal, CMOS President’s Prize, EC Jim Bruce Award) and has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society and the American Meteorological Society.

Gordon has Chaired and been a Member of enumerable national and international scientific committees, including Chair of the International Scientific Committee for the World Climate Research Programme, and he has published extensively.

Gordon received his Ph.D. in Physics and Oceanography from the University of British Columbia.