Don Francis – Peacock’s Medal
Don Francis, professor and Dawson Chair in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, has been awarded the Peacock's Medal for outstanding contributions to the mineral sciences in Canada.
The Peacock's Medal, formerly the Past-Presidents' Medal, is awarded by the Mineralogical Association of Canada (MAC). The Medal is intended to recognize contributions in mineralogy, applied mineralogy, petrology, crystallography, geochemistry or the study of mineral deposits rather than in a narrow area of expertise. Don Francis’ research explores the nature of the Earth’s upper mantle and the processes within it to document changes in the Earth’s mantle over time. He was part of a research team that recently discovered the world’s oldest rocks in northern Quebec. The Medal will be presented at the Joint Assembly of the American Geophysical Union, Geological Association of Canada, Mineralogical Association of Canada, Canadian Geophysical Union, and International Association of Hydrologists in Toronto, Ontario on May 26, 2009.