Joan Hollobon named an Officer of the Order of Canada

Joan Hollobon, a life member of the National Association of Science Writers (NASW), was named an Officer of the Order of Canada on Dec. 28, 2019 in recognition of her contribution to Canada during her career as a medical reporter for The Globe and Mail from 1959-1985. The announcement came 4 weeks before her 100th birthday.

Hollobon is a life member of the Science Writers & Communicators of Canada (SWCC), formerly the Canadian Science Writers' Association (CSWA). She joined NASW before CSWA was founded in 1971, and served as president of CSWA in 1974-1975.

There are three levels of the Order of Canada - from lowest to highest - Member, Officer, and Companion - and on the strength of her contribution the Committee recommended that Hollobon should be appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the highest honors a Canadian can receive.

Hollobon's appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada appears on the website of the Governor General of Canada along with a short citation:

"For her career in journalism focused on increasing the public's understanding of scientific concepts related to health and medical advances."

This story contains information provided by the Science Writers & Communicators of Canada.

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