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Very rubin observatory, Credit: Rubin Obs/NSF/AURA

Paul Brogee is first recipient of the Luke Santi Memorial Award

Perimeter Institute announced the recipient of the first Luke Santi Memorial Award for Student Achievement at a ceremony held in conjunction with PI's popular Public Lecture Series on November 5, 2008.

Perimeter Institute announced the recipient of the first Luke Santi Memorial Award for Student Achievement at a ceremony held in conjunction with PI's popular Public Lecture Series on November 5, 2008. Paul Brogee, a first-year student at the University of Waterloo, studying Honours Physical Sciences, was recognized during the evening event held at Waterloo Collegiate Institute in Waterloo, Ontario. 

Luke Santi Memorial Award recipient Paul Brogee accepting the award from Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek, and Director of PI Neil Turok.
Recipient Paul Brogee accepts the Luke Santi Memorial Award from Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek and Director of PI, Neil Turok.

The award will be presented annually in memory of Luke Santi. A student of Resurrection High School in Kitchener, Ontario, Luke actively volunteered with Perimeter Institute's Outreach Department, assisting with the popular monthly Public Lecture Series and EinsteinFest events. 

In 2007, Luke was selected to attend the International Summer School for Young Physicists (ISSYP) at PI. While courageously battling a form of brain cancer, he shared his passion and enthusiasm for physics with fellow ISSYP students, teachers and staff. Luke passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 18, 2007, at the age of 16.  

PI instituted the award in honour of Luke's many academic accomplishments and contributions to his school and community. The award will be presented annually to a Canadian student who demonstrates Luke’s many qualities - academic performance, interest in science, extra-curricular activities and volunteering - and has begun post-secondary education in Physical Sciences at a Canadian university. 

This year's recipient, Paul Brogee, is a former student of Centre Hastings Secondary School in Madoc, Ontario. His physics teacher, Dan Walsh, was impressed with Paul's "insatiable thirst for knowledge in just about anything." Walsh noted that, "his real love, however, is physics."

Paul's many accomplishments were honoured at an award ceremony held prior to PI’s Public Lecture, where Nobel Laureate, Frank Wilczek, presented a talk on "Anticipating a New Golden Age". After the public lecture, Paul and his family enjoyed a special dinner with the Santi family, Professor Wilczek and other guests in the Black Hole Bistro.

For more information about The Luke Santi Award for Student Achievement, please visit www.lukesantiaward.ca.

About PI

Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement. 

For more information, contact:
Mike Brown
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519-569-7600 x5131