Ariel Fenster

Ariel Fenster (born April 18, 1943) is an award-winning Canadian science educator, chemist, and founding member of McGill University's Office for Science and Society. Fenster lectures extensively in both French and English on topics of health, the environment, and technology. He was a frequent television and radio presenter on science-related subjects.

Ariel Fenster
Born (1943-04-18) April 18, 1943
Bergerac, France
Alma materUniversity of Paris
McGill University
AwardsMichael Smith Award for the Promotion of Science (2005), Raymond Gervais Award for Exceptional Contribution to Science Education (1999)
Scientific career
FieldsChemistry

Now retired from teaching, he remains active in science education. Throughout his career, he has given more than 800 public lectures, in English and in French, making science accessible through topics such as the chemistry of wine, cooking and art forgery.[1][2][3][4]

Fenster teaches that science is relevant to people's everyday life: "By teaching the chemistry of everyday life, I feel we play an important role in people’s lives. We’re more scared now we’ve ever been because we’re bombarded with information – too much information. Through our courses, we try to provide people with useful information. Balanced information. We want people to understand that everything they do involves risk. We risk death by driving to work in the morning, but we take that risk because we know exactly how dangerous it is. With food, drugs and the environment, people don’t have that same information."[5]

By teaching the chemistry of everyday life, I feel we play an important role in people’s lives.[5]

— Ariel Fenster

From the University of Paris, Fenster completed a Bachelor of Science in mathematics, physics, and chemistry in 1966 and a Master of Science in theoretical and physical chemistry in 1967. In 1973, he obtained his Doctor of Philosophy in physical and inorganic chemistry from McGill University.[1][2] In addition to starting his teaching career at McGill University in 1982, he taught at both Dawson College from 1974 to 1984 and Vanier College from 1985 to 2003, two CEGEP-level institutions in Montreal, Quebec.

Selected awards
YearAward
1989Catalyst Award for Excellence in Chemistry Teaching, United States Chemical Manufacturers Association.[6]
1990Award for Outstanding Contribution to Chemical Education, College Chemistry Canada.[6]
1992McNeil Medal for the Public Awareness of Science, Royal Society of Canada.[6]
1999Raymond Gervais Award for Exceptional Contribution to Science Education, Quebec Association of Science Teachers.[7][8][6]
2005Michael Smith Award for the Promotion of Science, Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada.[6]

References
  1. "Ariel Fenster PhD". McGill's University. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  2. "Ariel Fenster wins teaching award". Vanier College. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  3. "2005 NSERC Awards for Science Promotion". Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  4. "Science Demystified: Science and Art: Facts and Fakes with Dr. Ariel Fenster". Bibliothèque Côte Saint-Luc. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  5. Dykstra, Monique. ""Dr. Ariel Fenster, Chemist of Everyday Life"". Vanier College. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018.
  6. "Ariel Fenster Department of Chemistry". McGill's University. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  7. "M. Ariel Fenster (1999)". AESTQ. Archived from the original on December 30, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  8. "Clearing the Smoke (Page 3)". McGill Alumni. Winter 2008. Archived from the original on December 30, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
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