Edmonton, Alberta – Canada Austin Mardon, C.M. – appointed to the Order of Canada in 2006, is pleased to announce the establishment of an endowed award/scholarship at the University of Alberta for either a person with schizophrenia or a close family member. The award named, the Catherine and Austin Mardon CM Schizophrenia Award, will be dispersed once a year in the amount of $500.

His Honour, Col. (Ret’d) the Honourable Donald S. Ethell, who is founding patron of the Lieutenant Governor’s Circle on Mental Health and Addiction, has said about the award, “I’m supportive of any initiative that works to make things a little easier for Albertans living with mental illness and to break down barriers and stigmas they may face. I hope the award will open new doors for its recipients.”

It will be administered under the Special Services department of the University of Alberta, which assists disabled students. The Director of Special Services, Dr. Wendy M. Doughty, said, “The University of Alberta is grateful for the generous donation to support students living with and experiencing schizophrenia. The Schizophrenia Award highlights the need to support our students and help remove barriers to student success. The financial commitment to endow this award demonstrates the dedication of the Mardon family to support access and opportunity at the University of Alberta.”

Austin Mardon commented that “it is noteworthy that this new award may well be the world’s first endowed scholarship at the university level that is for either a sufferer of schizophrenia or a family member.” Alberta Minister of Health Fred Horne says, “I commend Austin Mardon for creating this unique scholarship to help those affected by schizophrenia. Dr. Mardon is a remarkable advocate for greater understanding about this often misunderstood illness. The endowment award is a tribute to his tireless work to break down barriers for those struggling with schizophrenia and other mental health issues.”

Austin Mardon has said that it is his hope that this is just the first of several university endowed scholarships for the severely mentally ill that will be established at universities and colleges across Canada for those affected by schizophrenia. “Education can be a way out of

the ghetto of hopelessness that many with severe mental illnesses face. I, myself, had many barriers to my education once I became ill, some of them financial.” Austin Mardon has suffered from schizophrenia for much of his adult life and is the first person with schizophrenia to be a member of the Order of Canada. This is a devastating illness that effects 1 % of the world’s population and involves hallucinations and other thought disorders. Janseen Inc, a pharmaceutical company devoted to the treatment of this illness and to the improvement of the quality of life for all those with mental illnesses, has been kind enough to fully fund the first scholarship in the hope of inspiring others to further support the additional scholarships to come. Those interested in donating to this scholarship please contact Riyaz Sharan, Office of Advancement, University of Alberta telephone: (780) 492-8993 Email: rsharan@ualberta.ca . Online donations can be made through the following web site www.austinmardon.org

For further information please contact:

Austin Mardon, CM, PhD

Telephone 780-378-0063 Email aamardon@yahoo.ca Website www.austinmardon.org

Jeff Wright University of Alberta – Office of Advancement

3-501, Enterprise Square

10230 Jasper Ave NW

Edmonton, AB T5J 4P6

(780) 492-7762

(780) 288-4920 jeff.wright@ualberta.ca

Backgrounder on scholarship and schizophrenia.

1% of the worlds population suffers from schizophrenia.

Its causes are unknown although it is suspected that there is a genetic component.

It effects men and women equally usually starting in early adulthood.

Cannot be cured but sometimes can be managed with medications.

Many homeless suffer from schizophrenia.

10% of those with schizophrenia commit suicide with 40 % attempting suicide.

Are more likely to be victims of crime.

Is a much maligned and misunderstood illness in our society and around the world.

Backgrounder on Dr Austin Mardon, CM

Was born in Alberta.

Has suffered from schizophrenia for much of his adult life.

Is the first Canadian to have received the Order of Canada at the same time as suffering from schizophrenia.

He received for health advocacy for those with schizophrenia.

Is married without children and lives in Edmonton, Canada.

Has authored several books and a couple of hundred academic articles.

He has received numerous awards and honours including a recent honorary doctorate from the university of Alberta and the Medal of Honour for a non physician from the Canadian Medical Association.

At the age of 24 helped recover 700 meteorites near the south pole on a NSF NASA sponsored expedition for which he received the US congressional Antarctic service medal.

Edmonton — Honour gift to the Catherine & Austin Mardon, C.M. Schizophrenia Award.

Austin Mardon, PhD, has been a public educator and tireless advocate for the mentally ill, particularly those with schizophrenia, since he was diagnosed with that illness in 1992. At the time he was a promising graduate student and Antarctic explorer, and the diagnosis of schizophrenia could have ended his academic career and severely limited his prospects in life. Instead, he survived many setbacks through his sheer determination to continue his studies, to make a difference, to contribute to society, and to help others.

CLICK HERE to make a gift in honour of Austin, supporting the new Catherine & Austin Mardon, C.M. Schizophrenia Award at the University of Alberta.

OTTAWA, Aug. 16, 2011 /CNW/ – The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) will present the 2011 CMA Medal of Honour to Dr. Austin Mardon, PhD, who has demonstrated outstanding public commitment to raising awareness of mental health issues and diminishing the stigma and discrimination faced by Canadians living with mental illness.

“The CMA Medal of Honour recognizes personal contributions to the advance of medical research and education,” said CMA President Dr. Jeff Turnbull. “Dr. Mardon has worked tirelessly to help Canadians better understand the issues around mental illness. In courageously talking openly about his own experiences, he is truly making a difference in coaxing mental illness out of the shadows in this country.”

Diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of thirty, Dr. Mardon uses his own experience and his road to recovery in advocating in the areas of stigma, service delivery, awareness and education.  He tries to improve the lives of those with schizophrenia through public education. His efforts have led him meet with politicians, clergy, academics and others in positions to effect change. He has influenced public policy in Alberta through his service as vice-chair of the Alberta Disabilities Forum steering committee and as chair of its low-income working group; as a member of the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities; as an addiction and mental health committee member of Alberta Health’s service integration working group; and as chair of the Edmonton Champions’ Centre advisory committee. He also was instrumental in winning changes to Alberta’s income assistance program for the severely handicapped.

“I have put my experiences out there for all to see, but it hasn’t been easy and for some people it’s impossible,” said Dr. Mardon. “My goal continues to be to see the unfair and debilitating stigma our society holds against the mentally ill wiped out for all time.”

Austin Mardon, PhD, has been a public educator and tireless advocate for the mentally ill, particularly those with schizophrenia, since he was diagnosed with that illness in 1992. At the time he was a promising graduate student and Antarctic explorer, and the diagnosis of schizophrenia could have ended his academic career and severely limited his prospects in life. Instead, he survived many setbacks through his sheer determination to continue his studies, to make a difference, to contribute to society, and to help others.

Dr. Mardon graduated with a major in geography from the University of Lethbridge in 1985. The following year, at age 24, he was investigating meteorite impacts 170 km from the South Pole as a junior field member on an Antarctic meteorite recovery expedition sponsored by NASA and the National Science Federation. He received the U.S. Antarctic Service Medal for his work. However, the extreme hardships of the expedition affected him mentally and physically. While he went on to earn masters degrees in science (South Dakota State University) and education (Texas A&M University) and published a number of articles and books, his health issues persisted. At the age of 30 he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Although some of his abilities are compromised by the disease, he earned a PhD in geography from Greenwich University, Australia; continued his remarkable publication record, including articles in both Science and Nature; was elected an International Fellow and Corresponding Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York; and was inducted into the International Academy of Astronautics.

Equally impressive has been his work on behalf of the mentally ill. In addition to giving countless interviews to the media on the topic of mental illness, he has published articles about faith and schizophrenia, homelessness, medication, and income support. He has provided leadership as a member of the board of directors of both the Edmonton and Alberta chapters of the Schizophrenia Society, and for a number of years he was coordinator of the Alberta Mental Health Self-Help Network.

“I hope to soon see the day when schizophrenia is treated like any other disease and is finally detached from the stigma that makes a difficult burden to bear even worse,” added Dr. Mardon.

Dr. Mardon has received a number of awards, including the Order of Canada (2007). Others include: the Flag of Hope Award (2001) and the Bill Jefferies Family Award (2007) of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada; the Distinguished Alumni Award of the University of Lethbridge (2002); the Presidents Award of the Alberta chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association (2002); the C.M. Hincks Award from the national division of the Canadian Mental Health Association (2007); and the Medal of Honour of the Alberta Medical Association (2010).

A popular member of the Speakers’ Bureau of Alberta, Dr. Mardon has publicly assisted the medical profession by supporting development of policy positions that have helped medical providers treat those with mental illness.

Dr. Mardon is the 28^th recipient of the CMA Medal of Honour, the highest award bestowed upon someone who is not a member of the medical profession. He will receive the award at a ceremony at the D.F. Cook Recital Hall, Memorial University, in St. John’s, N.L., on Aug. 24 as part of the CMA’s 144^th annual meeting.

[source: CNW News]
 

Edmonton—Austin Mardon, an inspiring advocate for the mentally ill who has worked tirelessly to eliminate the stigma associated with psychiatric disorders, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree tomorrow morning during the University of Alberta’s 2011 spring convocation ceremonies.

Mardon, a member of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s CM Hincks Award, was a member of the Antarctic meteorite field expedition in 1986–87. He has published several dozen books and written 221 articles and abstracts in areas as diverse as astronomy, history and Antarctic research. Despite being diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1992, he entered a distance learning PhD program in geography through Greenwich University in Australia in 1993 and received his doctoral degree in 2000. As a member of  Alberta’s Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, he has a major impact on policy direction and public perception.

EVENT:  University of Alberta 2011 spring convocation ceremonies

TIME: Ceremony at 10 a.m.

LOCATION:  Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, located on 114 St. and 87 Ave.

[source: University of Alberta Expressnews]

Welcome and thank you for taking time to visit my newly designed website!  Using this website, I want to share with you what I am doing in and around the community. My intention always is to be as open as possible and share whatever information and opinions that I have as widely as possible. I will be posting on this blog often so please share with me your thoughts by registering at this new website and posting comments!

Please take some time and have a look around the site and drop me an email on your thoughts. I’m always keen to hear of other issues that you think I should be looking into.

Sincerely,

Austin Mardon, Ph.D., C.M.