Mr. Corbett brings over 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors to the role of President of PIPSC. As an employee of Natural Resources Canada, he worked as a scientist conducting operational research in the coal mining industry in Cape Breton. Relocating his family to Ottawa following the close of the Cape Breton coal industry in 1998, he focused his attention on policy development as it affects the role of public science in decision-making. He also extensively increased his activities within PIPSC.

Mr. Corbett’s commitment to serving fellow members of PIPSC over eighteen years has been wide-ranging. He has served as a steward, Chairperson of the Cape Breton Branch, Chairperson of the Physical Sciences (PC) Group, Director and Chairperson of the National Capital Region, and for the past five years, as a full-time National Vice-President.

Mr. Corbett was instrumental in the development of the Institute’s Scholarship Program and he played a leading role in the Institute’s 2007 Science Policy Symposium, which brought together leading scientists from the public, private, and academic sectors in support of public science policy issues such as the recruitment and retention of federal scientists, and the need for adequate and sustainable funding of science-based government departments and agencies.

Dr. Alex Bielak Is Environment Canada’s first-ever Director, Science and Technology Liaison. He leads a dynamic group whose mission is communicating science knowledge to targeted audiences and linking science with policy development. A key architect of EC's new Publishing Policy and S&T online presence, his group has developed an acclaimed suite of innovative knowledge translation and brokering tools and approaches, including searchable databases of EC Scientists (EC S&T Expert) and Publications (EC Science Alert). Prior to his current assignment, this “salmon biologist gone wrong” spent over a year as A/Director General, S&T Strategies Directorate in EC’s new S&T Branch, where he set up the Directorate and led the team developing the Department’s new Science Plan. A NATO Scholar, he previously held senior positions with the National Water Research Institute, NGOs, and other federal and provincial government departments. Alex is a dynamic and widely published speaker and an alumnus of the Banff Centre’s inaugural Science Communications Residency (program led by Jay Ingram): His expertise is sought in Canada and internationally as an authority on science communications, and knowledge translation and brokering. He serves on numerous Boards and Committees and recent recognition of his professional and volunteer activities includes a University of Waterloo Science Faculty “Distinguished Alumni Award” on the occasion of UW’s 50th Anniversary.

Dr. Elboujdaini received the mechanical engineering degree and the Diplôme d’Etude Approfondie (DEA) from the University of Technology of Compiegne in France. He obtained a M.Sc. degree in physical metallurgy at Ecole Polytechnique of Montreal, and a Ph.D. in physical metallurgy and corrosion from Laval University, Canada. Dr. Elboujdaini has spent 20 years at CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory of Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa. Currently is a Senior Research Scientist, leading projects dealing with pipeline, oil & gas / petrochemical industries, including stress-corrosion cracking (SCC), hydrogen-induced cracking, hydrogen embrittlement, fatigue and corrosion fatigue. Executive Chair of the international congress on fracture (ICF) (www.icf12.org) -- He has chaired a number of technical sessions in national and international conferences. He is also an active member of several international professional societies as chairman and/or as member of Board of Directors (NACE, ICF, ESIS, CIM, ECF, ECS). In addition, he is involved in many external professional activities, including reviewing papers for scientific journals and editing books and conference proceedings. Recipient of several Awards, appointed Adjunct Professor, selected as Distinguished Lecturer by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM). Invited by several organisations (e.g., NSERC, Universities, industries (National & International- China, USA, Egypt, France, etc), invited as Distinguished Speaker, received Honorary Membership, received ICF Fellows. Trained and supervised Ph.D. students, served as external examiner of Ph.D. and Master theses, taught courses at the Conference and universities, reviewed proposals submitted (e.g., NSERC, NSF, etc.); reviewed scientific papers for international journals. He has published over 120 papers and 15 books and proceedings. Dr. Elboujdaini is elected as an ICF Vice-President 2009-2013, with special responsibilities for developing ICF in new regions, including Africa.

Edward Gillis has spent nearly 20 years in the labour relations field, beginning as a Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) representative at Air Canada. After joining PIPSC in 1992, Mr. Gillis spent a number of years as an Employment Relations Officer in the Institute’s Halifax, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver offices. He is currently the Institute’s Executive Secretary, leading the Corporate Services function and assisting the Institute’s Board of Directors. He has
completed eight rounds of collective bargaining as the Institute’s chief spokesperson in negotiations with its staff unions. In addition to his undergraduate degree, Mr. Gillis has completed extensive university programs in industrial relations, labour studies and conflict resolution. He received his Masters degree from Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC. His Masters thesis “Labour-Management Cooperation in the Federal Public Service”, is an examination of the current state of cooperative labour relations in the federal jurisdiction, using senior-level consultations that accompanied the implementation of the Public Service Modernization Act as a touchstone.

Jeff Kinder has twenty years of experience in government science and science and technology (S&T) policy in the U.S. and Canada. His experience in the U.S. includes work at the National Science Foundation, the National Academies' Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy, and research in applied ocean acoustics at the Naval Research Laboratory. In Canada, Jeff has worked as Senior Policy Advisor in Science and Innovation at Industry Canada and in support of the Council of Science and Technology Advisors (CSTA), the external board that advised Cabinet on the management of federal S&T. He is currently Manager, S&T Stratey, at Natural Resources Canada. Jeff is also a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University where his research and teaching focuses on S&T policy, government laboratories, innovation systems and science advisory mechanisms. He is the co-author with Bruce Doern of Strategic Science in the Public Interest: Canada's Government Laboratories and Science-Based Agencies (University of Toronto Press, 2007) and is working on a history of the Science Council of Canada. He holds an M.A. in Science, Technology and Public Policy and a B.S. in Physics.

Ray Lauzier has over twenty-five years experience as a government research biologist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, as well as five years in the private sector as an environmental consultant. His previous work focused on salmon habitat research and environmental impact assessment of industrial developments. More recently he has worked as a senior invertebrate assessment biologist providing advice to fisheries management and habitat management. Over the past three years Ray has been working on a team to implement the Wild Salmon Policy, Canada’s policy for the conservation of wild Pacific salmon, as well as serving as Chair of the Pacific Scientific Advice Review Subcommittee on Invertebrates. He holds a M.Sc. in Marine Toxicology from Simon Fraser University and a B.Sc. (Hons) from the University of Ottawa.

In addition to his professional responsibilities with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ray has been an active with the PIPSC Applied Sciences and Patent Examiners Group since its inception in 2005, serving on the Group Executive as Secretary, Communications Coordinator, and most recently as Vice-President. He has also been an active member of the PIPSC BC/Yukon Regional Executive since 2004.