United Way President Anne Golden, Harvard astronomer Alexander Dalgarno to receive honorary degrees from York U. tomorrow

TORONTO, June 13, 2000 -- United Way of Greater Toronto President Anne Golden, a crucial player in helping the needy across the GTA, and Harvard astronomer Alexander Dalgarno, an astrophysicist whose ground-breaking research has furthered our understanding of the universe, will receive honorary degrees from York University Wed., June 14.

Anne Golden is responsible for leading one of the United Way of Greater Toronto's most successful campaigns to date -- the 1999 campaign raised a record-breaking $63.1 million. Named Global Television's Newsmaker of the Year in 1998, and one of the "50 Most Influential Women in Canada" by Chatelaine Magazine in 1994, Golden has served as president of the United Way of Greater Toronto since 1987. She was appointed chair of the Homelessness Action Task Force by Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman in 1998, and headed the provincial Greater Toronto Area Task Force on municipal restructuring from 1995 to 1996. She has taught American political history at both York University and the University of Toronto. She sits on the Toronto 2008 Olympic Bid board and on the board of Sceptre Investment Counsel Limited.

Golden will receive her honorary Doctor of Laws degree and address convocation Wed., June 14, 6:30 p.m.

Alexander Dalgarno, a leading British astronomer, is the Phillips Professor of Astronomy at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. Dalgarno's ground-breaking research in atomic, molecular, chemical, and dynamical processes in astrophysical and atmospheric environments has landed him numerous honours including the American Geophysical Union's Fleming Medal in 1995, the Royal Society of Chemistry's Spiers Medal in 1992, and the Royal Astronomical Society's Gold Medal in 1986. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of London, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Astronomical Society and the Royal Astronomical Society. He is also editor of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

**PLEASE NOTE: Dalgarno will deliver a lecture entitled Molecular Synthesis in the Early Universe on Thurs., June 15, 3 p.m., in Curtis Lecture Hall 110, Ross Building, York University, 4700 Keele St.

Dalgarno will receive his honorary Doctor of Science degree and address convocation Wed., June 14, 2:30 p.m.

Both convocation ceremonies will be held on York's Keele Campus, in the convocation tent, located east of the Centre for Film and Theatre, 4700 Keele St.

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For more information, please contact:

Ken Turriff
Media Relations Officer
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22086
kturriff@yorku.ca
YU/065/00