Terrence Punch has been instrumental in the development and promotion of genealogy in the Maritimes. For more than four decades, he has dedicated his time to genealogical studies and is recognized as an expert in German and Irish immigration in Nova Scotia. He has played an important role in popularizing this field through a radio phone-in show and by publishing the first comprehensive handbook on genealogical research in Atlantic Canada. His passion for, and encyclopedic knowledge of, genealogy has helped to educate Canadians on the role that family history plays in understanding the development of our country.