December 31, 2007
Happy New Year, and Happy 100th, University of Alberta!
It's 2008 and, with the turning of the calendar, the University of Alberta turns 100. It promises to be an extraordinary and exciting year of birthday celebrations.
Some of the activities planned include centrally organized signature events, centenary award projects and dozens of faculty and department events.
A highlight will be the much-anticipated Prime Ministers' Conversations series, which will see the U of A host each of the six living former prime ministers throughout the year, where they will reflect on the topic Advancing Canada - Changing the World.
Another big event will be the Festival of Ideas, considered the capstone of the centenary celebrations and a legacy for the City of Edmonton, which features big ideas and bold visions from some of the world's most acclaimed artists, writers, scholars and performers, headlined by author Salman Rushdie.
"Marvels are going to come out of this year," said Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel at the centenary pre-launch last October. "The city had its centennial and the province had theirs, but the university's is going to be about ideas, about people, about knowledge, about art, about creativity, about everything we are in this city, this province and this wonderful university."
Also among the signature centenary events are Centenary Road Trips planned for 11 cities throughout the province. This event is designed to pay homage to the original 'Tory Tour,' named after the whirlwind trips the U of A's famed first president made to Alberta towns, trying to drum up support for his vision.
Source: University of Alberta
December 21, 2007
Memorial University of Newfoundland: Funding Success for Business
The Faculty of Business achieved a 100 per cent success rate in the grants applied for through the NSERC competition. Five faculty members in the areas of information systems and management science and operations management, the focus of the PhD program, have research projects funded by NSERC.
Drs. Wieslaw Kubiak, Jeffrey Parsons, and Peter Song were awarded new funding, while Drs. Sherrie Komiak and Manish Verma will receive continuing installments.
Dr. Omrane Guedhami was successful as co-investigator with colleagues at HEC with a three-year grant from the SSHRC.
Source: Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador
December 20, 2007
University of Victoria: Picture This- Dr. Rebecca Grant Honoured with Award
University of Victoria Business Professor Dr. Rebecca Grant is the recipient of the 2007 Decision Science International (DSI) Case Study Award for her teaching case “iStockphoto.com: Turning Community into Commerce.” Grant’s case focuses on building a profitable online business. It draws on the experiences of iStockphoto which revolutionized the stock photo industry by transforming an online community of photo-hobbyists into a profitable commercial venture.
“Bruce Livingstone and the team at iStockphoto are outstanding role models for business students,” says Grant. “Management’s willingness to share experiences and insights in a teaching case adds tremendous value to the classroom. The folks at iStockphoto have been wonderfully candid in sharing their stories of iStockphoto’s evolution, making it possible to write a case of this depth.”
Grant is the only Canadian to receive an award at DSI’s 2007 annual general meeting. Grant is a two-time winner with DSI, having won the same award in 2000 for her case on Abebooks’ early partnership with Barnes and Noble. DSI (www.decisionsciences.org/) is the premier international professional organization dedicated to the science, practice, and teaching of business decision-making.
Source: University of Victoria, British Columbia
December 19, 2007
University of British Columbia Evolutionary Biologist Named Top Young Canadian Scientist
A University of British Columbia researcher whose work investigates how populations change over time has been awarded the 2007 Steacie Prize in the natural sciences, Canada's top award for young scientists and engineers.
Sarah Otto, 40, a professor in the Department of Zoology, has won international acclaim for her work in applying mathematical models to understanding how species evolve. Prof. Otto analyzes how factors including mating system, genome composition, population size and ecology are able to channel evolutionary transitions in certain directions but not others.
For example, Otto has shown that transitions from asexuality toward sexual reproduction are possible in populations of limited size but not of infinite size, as had been assumed in previous models. This work has helped to resolve the mystery of why most animals and plants reproduce through sexual means. In essence, genes that promote sexual reproduction produce offspring with a wider variety of possible gene combinations, which fuels the process of natural selection.
Otto has also been named director of UBC’s Centre for Biodiversity Research.
“The excellence and innovation of young investigators like Prof. Otto contribute greatly to UBC’s reputation as a global leader in research,” says John Hepburn, Vice-President, Research. “Their vigour and new ideas strengthen UBC’s research, and enable us to attract similar stellar talent and the best students from around the world.”
Twelve UBC faculty members have received the Steacie Prize -- worth $15,000 -- since it was first given in 1964, putting the university in second spot nationally for this honour. Each year, the Canadian award recognizes exceptional contributions from a scientist or engineer of 40 years of age or less. Winners are selected by a panel appointed by the E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fund, a private foundation dedicated to the advancement of science and engineering in Canada.
“The Steacie Prize is a great honour. Investigating the inner workings of evolution -- teasing it apart with mathematical tools -- is incredibly fascinating and fun,” says Otto. “I am grateful to UBC, which has been extremely supportive and is home to arguably the strongest community of evolutionary biologists worldwide.”
Otto earned a PhD from Stanford University in 1988. She then held a Miller Post-doctoral Fellowship at University of California Berkeley (1992-94) and a Science and Engineering Research Council (UK) post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Edinburgh (1994-95). In 1995, the American Society of Naturalists awarded Otto the Young Investigator Prize. In 2001, Otto received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Steacie Fellowship -- one of Canada's premier science and engineering prizes. In 2006, Otto was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
UBC researchers, who conduct more than 6,600 investigations annually, attracted research funding that exceeded $399 million in 2006/2007
Source: The University of British Columbia
December 14, 2007
University of British Columbia: Civil Alumnus Establishes Bursary in Dean Walter Gage’s Honour
Mr. Richard Ott, P.Eng (BASc’57), recently donated $53,000 to establish the Walter Gage Memorial Bursary in Engineering in appreciation of the mentorship and support provided to him by Professor Gage when he was an engineering student.
Professor Gage served UBC for more than 50 years, including as Dean of Administrative and Inter-Faculty Affairs, Dean of Inter-Faculty and Student Affairs, and acting President and President (1969–1975).
The bursaries are available to engineering students in the Faculty of Applied Science beginning winter session 2007/08.
Source: The University of British Columbia
December 13, 2007
Rotman Family Gift in Support of Prosperity Research at the University of Toronto
A new gift by the lead benefactors of the University of Toronto’s Joseph L. Rotman School of Management will greatly contribute to the study of jurisdictional advantage and prosperity in a newly established research centre.
The donation of $18-million by Sandra and Joseph L. Rotman was announced this evening at a dinner celebrating the naming of the Lloyd and Delphine Martin Prosperity Institute in honour of the parents of Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School. The Institute was established earlier this year by a landmark $50 million grant to the Rotman School by the Province of Ontario.
As previously announced, noted urban theorist Richard Florida is the inaugural academic director of the Institute. Prof. Florida, who joined the Rotman School in July 2007 as a professor of business and creativity, is well known for his work on economic competitiveness, demographic trends, and cultural and technological innovation.
“The Rotman family was visionary in its initial support of the School and we are delighted that they are reinvesting to help us develop a world-class research Institute that will compliment the internationally recognized research and teaching currently taking place at the School,” says Dean Roger Martin.
“Under Roger Martin’s leadership, in nine short years the Rotman School has emerged as a global innovator in business education,” says Joseph L. Rotman. “To demonstrate our immense respect for his ongoing contribution and impact, Sandra and I decided to pay tribute to Roger and his family by naming the Institute after his parents. The research conducted by the Lloyd and Delphine Martin Prosperity Institute will enable business leaders and policy makers to understand and implement the strategies needed to support Canada’s future prosperity.”
“Sandra and I are thrilled to be involved in an initiative that will benefit the collective prosperity of Canadians and contribute to the School’s global reputation for thought leadership,” he adds. “The naming of this Institute expresses our gratitude for an individual who has displayed the rare ability to transform business education with his thinking and vision. Roger has been, and continues to be, the key driver in making many of our dreams come true.”
Ten million dollars of the new Rotman gift will go towards the activities of the Institute, which will be housed in a newly-constructed expansion of the Rotman School. The expansion -- which has become necessary to accommodate the School's continued growth-- is expected to open in 2011, and will also be the home to other Rotman research centres and programs. The remaining $8 million will support various projects including the University of Toronto’s undergraduate Commerce program, offered jointly by the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Rotman School, which will be renamed the Rotman Commerce program; Rotman, the award winning magazine of the Rotman School; the new building fund; and ongoing academic research activities at the school.
In 1993, Sandra and Joseph L. Rotman made a gift of $3 million towards the construction of a new home for the University of Toronto's business school, which opened in 1996. In 1997, they made an additional gift of $15 million, and the School was aptly re-named in Joseph Rotman's honour. Since the initial gift, the Rotman School has risen steadily in international rankings of business schools. The School has increased the size of its MBA and PhD programs, and launched new programs including an innovative Three-Year Morning MBA, an Omnium Global Executive MBA, and a Master of Finance program. It has also attracted some of the world’s leading business school faculty and students from more than 30 countries around the world.
The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto is redesigning business education for the 21st century with a curriculum based on Integrative Thinking. Located in the world’s most diverse city, the Rotman School fosters a new way to think that enables the design of creative business solutions. The School is currently raising $200 million to ensure Canada has the world-class business school it deserves.
Source: University of Toronto, Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, Ontario
December 13, 2007
The University of British Columbia Reaps $15.5m in Research Funding Through Canada Research Chairs Program
Researchers in neurogenetics and culture studies from the University of British Columbia are the latest Canada Research Chairs appointed by the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Industry.
In addition, 11 other UBC researchers were given renewed terms as Canada Research Chairs (full details below) sharing in $15,500,000 funding for UBC research.
Canada Research Chair in Developmental Neurogenetics, Daniel Goldowitz, is a Senior Scientist and Prof. of Medical Genetics with UBC's Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT). His research will help create gene-based therapeutic interventions to offset and correct abnormalities in brain development.
Joseph Henrich, Canada Research Chair in Culture, Cognition and Coevolution is Assoc. Prof. with UBC's Department of Psychology and Department of Economics. He will continue his research into culture, cognition and evolution.
The Canada Research Chairs program was established by the Government of Canada in 2000 to build Canada's research and development capacity. This investment supports 1,851 researchers at universities across the country.
The province of British Columbia has 234 Canada Research Chairs of which 168
(71 per cent) are UBC researchers.
"UBC's two new Canada Research Chairs bring exceptional innovation and creativity to our dynamic research community," says John Hepburn, Vice-President, Research. "These, plus the renewal of other Chairs, reflect the vitality and relevance of research efforts that promise exciting new insights and discovery in Canada."
For more information visit www.chairs.gc.ca.
Source: The University of British Columbia
December 13, 2007
University of Alberta: Peter and Doris Kule Centre for Ukrainian and Canadian Folklore
On Friday, December 14, 2007, the Peter and Doris Kule Centre for Ukrainian and Canadian Folklore in the Faculty of Arts, and the University of Alberta's Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), will be celebrating the support of long-time donors, Drs. Peter and Doris Kule. During the event, the Kules will be making a new $1 million pledge to the Centre. The Faculty of Arts is matching the pledge by establishing a new French Folklorist position.
Andriy Nahachewsky, Director of the Peter and Doris Kule Centre for Ukrainian and Canadian Folklore, was thrilled with the Kule's support of the Centre's expansion into other areas of Canadian folklore. "We started out as a Ukrainian-specific program, and we'll always have that as a core strength, but we also see a real interest in exploring folklore generally. Folklore allows us to see our local experiences as very expressive, yet so connected to tradition at the same time. Throughout the campus, there are a number of professors whose research overlaps a great deal with folklore. We are excited about pulling together more and building on this strength."
Nahachewsky expects the expansion to be popular with students. "We've been offering an undergraduate class in general folklore for over six years now, and it's always packed. Folklore, the study of unofficial culture, connects with people in a very direct way."
For the last five years, Peter and Doris Kule have been tremendous supporters of Ukrainian folklore studies. In total, they have already donated $3 million (in addition to Friday's pledge) to the Peter and Doris Kule Centre for Ukrainian and Canadian Folklore, including the necessary funding to establish the Kule Chair in Ukrainian Ethnography in 2004. Friday's pledge will strengthen the Centre with its new French culture initiative, increase scholarships and expand research projects by the Kule Chair.
At the same event, the Kules will be celebrated for their recent $1 million gift to the University of Alberta's Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), to be used to establish the new "Kule Ukrainian Canadian Studies Centre at CIUS." The two Kule Centres will work together on selected projects, but the new centre will focus on Ukrainian-Canadian history and literature, as opposed to Ukrainian folklore.
Doors open at 1:30 p.m., with the official program beginning at 2:00 p.m. in the Timms Centre's Second Playing Space, 87 Avenue & 112 Street. All media are welcome to attend.
Source: University of Alberta
December 10, 2007
EPCOR Donates $1.5 Million to University of Alberta
A $1.5 million donation from EPCOR to the University of Alberta will fund important new work in the development of clean coal alternatives and support important faculty and student research work on energy markets and climate change issues.
“Leading-edge research and informed public policy is a benefit to all Canadians,” says EPCOR President and Chief Executive Officer Don Lowry. “EPCOR is an industry leader and supporting these initiatives with one of Canada’s top universities is an important and necessary contribution to Canada’s environmental health. We’re incredibly fortunate to have this expertise right next door.”
President Indira Samarasekera says EPCOR’s longstanding history of supporting the University is vitally important. “Our students and researchers are conducting work in engineering and business that will ensure EPCOR remains one of the country’s top industry leaders. This is a textbook example of how the corporate-university partnership should work. It’s a win-win for both institutions.”
The Canadian Centre for Clean Coal and Mineral Process Technologies, based in the Faculty of Engineering, will receive $1 million to conduct its work. The Centre’s researchers are focusing on the chemistry of metal extraction, coal cleaning, fine particle processing, waste management, bitumen extraction and related technologies. As a major user of coal in electrical generation, EPCOR is keenly interested in the Centre’s work, as Canada responsibly and efficiently develops its huge reserves (2.6T tonnes) of coal, heavy hydrocarbon and other mineral resources.
The Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment (CABREE), based in the Alberta School of Business, will receive $500,000. Its researchers and students are providing applied economic analysis to inform public policy debates on issues of vital importance to Canada, focusing on energy markets, electricity restructuring and climate change issues—all issues vital to EPCOR’s business interests. Part of the EPCOR contribution is being used to fund graduate student scholarships.
“These students being trained in CABREE will be highly sought after by industry when they graduate,” explains CABREE director Joseph Doucet. “With a solid education, and specialized analytical skills, they’ll hit the ground running.”
“Today’s students will help fill a gap in addressing an academic deficiency in coal-related research in Canada,” said Chemical and Materials Engineering professor, Zhenghe Xu, the NSERC/EPCOR/AERI Industrial Research Chair in Advanced Coal Cleaning and Combustion Technology. “They will be tomorrow’s employees and managers, tackling issues such as developing viable technology for mercury emission control in coal-based power generation systems, and developing processes for the recovery of clean coal and water from coal tailings.”
“The support from the company couldn’t have come at a better time,” said MBA student Dan Stickney, the first EPCOR scholarship recipient. “The funding I received allowed me to gain some valuable first-hand experience, completing a one-month internship researching potential Canadian organizational buyers of emissions credits, followed by travel to Lima and the Peruvian rainforest for three months.”
Stickney also explored potential credit market buyers in Peru, assisting in quantifying carbon inventory in sections of the affected forests, and determining the most appropriate mix of market mechanisms to protect threatened rainforest areas.
Souce: University of Alberta
December 5, 2007
University of British Columbia Pledges Developing World Access to New Technologies
Access to relevant health, environmental and sustainability technologies for the world's poor is now significantly improved through a new University of British Columbia strategy called global access licensing.
UBC is the first university in Canada to launch such a program. UBC members of the international student group Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) served as catalysts to develop the strategy.
"Our role as a research university extends beyond innovation - we have a responsibility to promote a global, civil society," says Barbara Campbell, associate director at UBC's University Industry Liaison Office (UILO) that oversees research commercialization. "It's our duty to try to maximize the societal impact of our work."
Societal impact of innovations and global access to them will be addressed when new UBC technologies are developed, patented and licensed, Campbell said.
"We have been very impressed with UBC's willingness to collaborate with our group and their sincere commitment on this issue," says Patricia Kretz, a UBC medical student and UAEM member. "They have demonstrated their commitment by immediately putting principles into practice. We hope that other Canadian universities will act with the same courage and dedication that UBC has shown."
University and student leaders developed the principles through a series of consultations. Principles include: using public/private partnerships to develop new technologies that benefit the developing world; seeking funding partnerships to advance innovation in neglected disease areas; prioritizing research that benefits the environment; respecting biodiversity in the collection of research materials; designing patent strategies to ensure products are delivered to those most in need while promoting sustainable local infrastructure; and ensuring that underprivileged populations have at-cost access to innovations where appropriate.
Some UBC projects have already incorporated global access strategies. For
example:
. An agreement with the University of Papua New Guinea to share revenues from discoveries made using Papuan New Guinean marine products, relating to Earth and Ocean Sciences Prof. Ray Andersen's research into new therapies from natural products. Revenues will support the country's exchange and education programs and marine conservation activities.
. A UBC-led project to change the way infectious diseases are treated worldwide by using the body's own immune system to prevent lethal, drug resistant infections such as malaria, typhoid fever, E. coli and tuberculosis. The project, led by Prof. B. Brett Finlay, is funded by US$8.7 million as part of the Grand Challenges in Global Health, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the Foundation for National Institutes of Health. The international project will provide at-cost delivery of essential medicines to the developing world.
. Prof. Kish Wasan, of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, developed a new formulation for the treatment of fungal infections such as leishmaniasis, which affects approximately 200 million people annually in developing countries and kills about half a million people in India alone.
Wasan's liquid preparation allows patients to take the medicine orally with minimal side effects - a significant improvement over current intravenous administration that has significant toxic side effects. The commercialization agreement between the UILO and iCo Therapeutics Inc. of Vancouver, B.C., ensures the formula is developed consistent with global access principles.
Source: The University of British Columbia
