Professor Mona Nemer, Vice-President of the ASL and Vice-President, Research at the University of Ottawa was given the insigna of the Knight of the National Order of Merit (Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite) by H.E. Mr. François Delattre, Ambassador of France to Canada, on behalf of President Nicolas Sarkozy of France in a ceremony held on April 23, 2009 at the Residence de France in Ottawa, Canada.
Academician Nemer received the honor for "her energy, brilliance, magnitude and diversity of the responsibilities she has carried and continues to carry, for her talent and for her life-long dedication to scientific excellence and to French-speaking culture."
In his speech at the ceremony, Ambassador Delattre stated "France recognizes in you a peerless partner, a world-renown scientist, author of hundreds of articles and publications, and a wise administrator possessing a clear, intelligent and generous vision of higher education and research."