Sylvia Fedoruk (1927 – 2012)

Sylvia Fedoruk was a Canadian physicist and an outstanding researcher in the field of nuclear medicine. She is remembered for helping to advance cancer diagnosis and treatment. In 1951, Fedoruk was the only woman on the team that developed the first cobalt radiation unit, now routinely used in cancer treatment. She became the first woman Chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan, the first woman trustee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, the first woman appointed to the Atomic Energy Control Board of Canada, and the first woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan. For her efforts, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and received a Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case.

“I don’t feel I’m a hero. I just feel that I was around at the right time, doing what I was supposed to do – and I’ve made a contribution.”