Laurel Schafer
{{short description|Canadian scientist}}
{{Infobox scientist
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| name = Laurel Schafer
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| birth_place = Wellesley, Ontario, Canada
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| workplaces = University of British Columbia
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| education = BS.c, University of Guelph
PhD., University of Victoria
| alma_mater = University of Guelph
University of Victoria
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| doctoral_advisor = David J. Berg
| academic_advisors = Don Tilley
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| known_for = Canada Research Chair in Catalyst Development
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
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Laurel Schafer {{post-nominals|list=FRSC}} is a Canadian Organic chemist. She is a full professor at the University of British Columbia and Canada Research Chair in Catalyst Development. Schafer's research is at the intersection of organometallic and organic chemistry.
Early life and education
Schafer grew up on a farm in Wellesley, Ontario, Canada.{{cite web |title=Women's world |url=https://www.cheminst.ca/magazine/article/womens-world/ |website=cheminst.ca |accessdate=December 3, 2019 |date=May 2017}} She completed her BSc at the University of Guelph in 1993, and her PhD at the University of Victoria in 1999 where she worked with Prof. David J. Berg. She worked as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley with Prof. T. Don Tilley.{{cite web |title=Prof. Laurel L. Schafer Came for a Visit. (2018-09-27) |url=http://hpxia.xmu.edu.cn/news/exchange/236.html |website=hpxia.xmu.edu.cn |accessdate=December 3, 2019}}
Career
Schafer joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2001. She was shortly thereafter the recipient of the 2004 Boehringer Ingelheim Young Investigator Award for Organic Synthesis and UBC's Teaching Excellence Award. In 2007, Schafer was promoted to Associate Professor and named a Sloan Fellow.{{cite web |title=2009 Award Winners |url=http://www.cnc-iupac.ca/awards09_e.html |website=cnc-iupac.ca |accessdate=December 3, 2019}}
In 2011, Schafer was appointed a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Catalyst Development.{{cite web |title=Dr. Schafer named Canada Research Chair in Catalyst Development |url=https://www.chem.ubc.ca/dr-schafer-named-canada-research-chair-catalyst-development |website=chem.ubc.ca |accessdate=December 3, 2019 |date=2011}} She also received funding from the Discovery Accelerator Supplements program to investigate catalysts that produces no by-products and minimizes energy consumption in the synthesis of useful chemical structures.{{cite web |title=UBC Science Researchers Awarded Funding from Two NSERC programs |url=https://science.ubc.ca/news/ubc-science-researchers-awarded-funding-two-nserc-programs-0 |website=science.ubc.ca |accessdate=December 3, 2019 |date=June 17, 2011}} While serving in her role as CRC, she was also elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2014.{{cite web |title=Congratulations to Dr.Laurel Schafer! |url=https://www.chem.ubc.ca/congratulations-drlaurel-schafer |website=chem.ubc.ca |accessdate=December 3, 2019}} Schafer also received funding for an Industrial Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Program in the area of Sustainable Synthesis. The program was aimed to teach graduate students the importance of the green economy and clean technologies.{{cite web |title=Laurel Schafer launches CREATE Sustainable Synthesis program |url=https://www.chem.ubc.ca/laurel-schafer-launches-create-sustainable-synthesis-program |website=chem.ubc.ca |accessdate=December 3, 2019}} For this, she was the recipient of UBC's 2013 Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring.{{cite web |title=Laurel Schafer awarded a 2013 Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring |url=https://www.chem.ubc.ca/laurel-schafer-awarded-2013-killam-award-excellence-mentoring |website=chem.ubc.ca |accessdate=December 3, 2019}}
In 2015, Schafer received the Clara Benson Award as a woman who made distinguished contribution to chemistry while working in Canada.{{cite web |title=Congratulations to Dr. Laurel Schafer! |url=https://www.chem.ubc.ca/congratulations-dr-laurel-schafer |website=chem.ubc.ca |accessdate=December 3, 2019}} In December of the following year, Schafer was renewed as a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Catalyst Development.{{cite web |title=UBC receives $11.5 from federal government to support researchers |url=https://academic.ubc.ca/academic-community/news-announcements/news/ubc-receives-115-federal-government-support-researchers |website=academic.ubc.ca |accessdate=December 3, 2019 |date=December 2, 2016}}
As a result of her research, Schafer was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2017.{{cite web |title=Two UBC Science researchers elected to Royal Society of Canada |url=https://science.ubc.ca/news/two-ubc-science-researchers-elected-royal-society-canada |website=science.ubc.ca |accessdate=December 3, 2019 |date=September 7, 2017}} Two years later, she was appointed a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Catalyst Development.{{cite web |title=Congratulations to Laurel Schafer! |url=https://www.chem.ubc.ca/congratulations-laurel-schafer |website=chem.ubc.ca |accessdate=December 3, 2019 |date=2019}} She also became the first woman to have risen through the ranks to full Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia.
= Research =
Schafer's research is at the intersection of organometallic and organic chemistry.{{Cite web|url=http://wcucc2018.uwinnipeg.ca/index.php/dr-laurel-schafer/|title=Dr. Laurel Schafer – wcucc2018.uwinnipeg.ca|website=wcucc2018.uwinnipeg.ca|access-date=2018-09-22}} At UBC, she established a Canada Foundation for Innovation funded interdisciplinary research facility that aims at promoting research excellence from hetero- and homogeneous catalysis through to biocatalysis.{{cite web |title=Laurel Schafer, Science |url=https://sustain.ubc.ca/teaching-applied-learning/sustainability-fellowships/alumni |website=sustain.ubc.ca |date=12 January 2019 |accessdate=December 3, 2019}}
References
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century Canadian chemists
Category:Canada Research Chairs
Category:University of Guelph alumni
Category:University of Victoria alumni
Category:Academic staff of the University of British Columbia Faculty of Science
Category:Canadian women chemists
Category:21st-century Canadian women scientists
Category:Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science