Research professor Dr. Peter Edwards to be named to the Ordre des Palmes Académiques

Congratulations to research professor Dr. Peter Edwards, who is being recognized by the French government for his contributions to education — with a decoration that dates back to the time of Napoleon.

Along with two other Maritimers, he will be named to the Ordre des Palmes Académiques at the French Consulate General in Moncton on August 28.

This civil decoration was established in 1808 by the French government to recognize the achievements and contributions of university professors to French education, research, and the support of French culture. Since 1955, the decoration has been extended to recognize educators of French language and culture around the globe.

Dr. Edwards, who taught in Mount Allison's department of modern languages and literatures for over 30 years and continues to maintain an active research program, is the first person at Mount Allison to receive this honour.

Dr. Edwards has had a long and distinguished career at Mount Allison, as both a teacher and researcher. A four-time winner of the University’s Paul Paré Award and a recipient of the Paul Paré Medal, he retired from teaching as department head of modern languages and literatures in 2007.

He has continued his extensive research program in French literature. For the last 20 years, Dr. Edwards has headed up an international group of researchers who are studying the works of the 19th century French poet Theodore de Banville. The team, with representatives from Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia, published a critical edition of de Banville's complete poetry in eight volumes from 1994 to 2001. Following this accomplishment, Dr. Edwards, with Australian colleague Peter Hambly, published a two-volume set of the writer's selected literary, artistic, and music criticism in 2003. The pair have a full bibliography of de Banville’s complete works forthcoming this year and a supplement to the poetry edition in 2009. Dr. Edwards also edited a collection of the poet’s letters to his publisher in 2006 — giving academics and the public a collection of valuable resources and insight into the life of this famous French writer and poet and French literary culture of the time.

Dr. Edwards will be presented with the decoration by the French Consul General for the Acadian region (Maritimes) in Moncton on August 28.