UBC This Week

Recent UBC Media Releases

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Find out what else is happening at UBC this week. For sports events, visit the UBC Athletics site at http://www.gothunderbirds.ca/calendar.aspx.

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UBC People

Peter Wall Institute announces Major Thematic Grant Award

A Major Thematic Grant has been awarded by the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies at UBC that will fund research over three years to identify the immunological explanation for the impaired defense against infection of HIV-Exposed but Uninfected (HEU) babies.   The principal investigator is David Speert, division head and professor of UBC Faculty of Medicine Pediatrics. 

To achieve this goal, a team of researchers from UBC, and the Health Sciences Faculty and Tygerberg Hospital, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, will study 100 HIV-exposed babies and 100 babies born to women who are not HIV infected, all born at Tygerberg Hospital. 

The Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) associated with this project, is an international partner of the Peter Wall Institute. 

The Wall Major Thematic Grant program provides funding of up to $500,000 over a three-to five-year period to interdisciplinary teams of UBC and external scholars to research a new area. It is expected that UBC will become a centre for research on the topic. 

For more information, visit http://www.pwias.ubc.ca

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Civil Engineering prof receives Manning Innovation Award for waste to fertilizer technology

UBC civil engineering professor and entrepreneur Donald S. Mavinic received the Ernest C. Manning Awards’ $25,000 Dave Mitchell Award of Distinction at a ceremony held in Ottawa last week.  A world expert in wastewater treatment, Mavinic is recognized for developing a unique technology to turn pipe-clogging and polluting phosphorus compounds in wastewater into environmentally friendly fertilizer.

For more information, visit http://blogs.apsc.ubc.ca/apscnews/2010/09/08/don-mavinic-wins-manning-innovation-award-for-waste-to-fertilizer-technology/.

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Grand Challenges Canada announces new Canadian Rising Stars in Global Health program

Grand Challenges Canada has announced the Canadian Rising Stars in Global Health requests for proposals.  This program is a call to action for young Canadian scientists to make their contribution to solve some of the most persistent health challenges in the developing world. 

Two students from UBC were keynote speakers at the announcement – scientist and Canadian Rhodes Scholar Aleksandra Leligdowicz and postdoctoral research Fellow Liam Brunham. 

For more information, visit http://www.grandchallenges.ca/files/funding/explorationsAnnouncementEN.pdf

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EPLT prof participates in Best Buy Best In Class program

The Best Buy Canada’s Best in Class Fund Program will be awarding 10 Canadian schools $20,000 each in grants to upgrade their school’s tech equipment and receive in-the-classroom and ongoing online support from Best Buy’s Geek Squad. 

UBC’s David Vogt, Director of Digital Learning Projects, will join the Technology Advisory Board of  education and technology leaders to review the grant submissions. 

The Best in Class Fund program was conceived in 2008 to inspire teachers and students to develop compelling educational projects that will advance learning through the integration of technology in the classroom. This type of learning is recognized as key for scholastic success by numerous experts including Vogt. 

For more information visit, www.BestBuy.ca/BestinClass

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Engineering student brings Teach for India to UBC

Fourth-year electrical engineering student Mansi Tandon has started a new initiative at UBC. She is bringing Teach for India to UBC as its first ambassador here.

Teach for India is a nationwide movement started in 2008, intended to address India’s educational crises:

  • 40 per cent of India is illiterate
  • One in four teachers will be absent on any given day
  • More than one in three children who begin primary school will drop out before reaching fifth grade

Tandon’s role is to create awareness of Teach for India and opportunities offered by the organization. They are currently recruiting outstanding recent graduates and alumni for a two-year paid fellowship.

For more information, visit www.engineering.ubc.ca/news/2010/sep20.html

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International Workshop on Higher Education Reform held at UBC

The seventh International Workshop on Higher Education Reform will bring together professors from across Canada and their colleagues and professors from Latin America, Asia and Western Europe.  The UBC held conference will discuss the difficulty of university governance, control, accountability, and transparency.

Date: Oct. 7-8
Place: St. John’s College, 2111 Lower Mall
Info: Program: http://chet.educ.ubc.ca/pdf_files/2010/HER07%20Drftprogr%20Sep%209.pdf
Announcement: http://chet.educ.ubc.ca/pdf_files/2010/HER10announcement.pdf

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UBC Interprofessional Continuing Education hosts health conference

UBC Interprofessional Continuing Education is hosting a conference titled “Health and Wellbeing in Children, Youth, and Adults with Developmental Disabilities: Autism, Intellectual Disabilities and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders.”  The event is a free public evening session for families for families of people with developmental disabilities (DD) and/or intellectual disabilities (ID), and for professionals that work with individuals with DD/ID.  

Dr. Joan Beasley from the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability will be describing lessons learned in her nationally recognized program on how to improve services and supports for people with disabilities and their families.

Date: Sept. 30
Time: 7:30 – 9 p.m.
Place: Coast Plaza Hotel, 1763 Comox Street, Vancouver
Info: Katia Selezeneva, (604) 822-7524 or ipad@interchange.ubc.ca
http://www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/Developmental_Disabilities.html

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Go Global Week: Sept. 27 – Oct. 1

Go Global will be showcasing international study, research, and service learning opportunities for UBC students at events around campus.

Throughout the week, the fair is offering info sessions, panel discussions, and opportunities to talk to other students about their international experiences. 

Date: Sept. 27 – Oct. 1
Place: Main Concourse of the Student Union Building
Info: www.students.ubc.ca/global/events/go-global-week/

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UBC to announce architecture team to create a new facility for architecture and planning

The UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA) and School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP) are hosting design presentations this week to select a design team to create a new facility for the two schools. The selected team will be announced at a public reception at the Museum of Vancouver on Oct. 20.

Date: Sept. 23 and 29
Time: 5:30 p.m. reception
         6 p.m. first 30-minute presentation
        7 p.m. second 30-minute presentation  
Place: Ground floor auditorium, Lasserre Building, 6333 Memorial Road
Info: http://blogs.apsc.ubc.ca/apscnews/2010/09/16/ubc-to-announce-architecture-team-to-create-a-new-facility-for-architecture-and-planning/

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Thomas Sisk: Cecil H. and Ida Green Visiting Professor

Conservation biologist Thomas Sisk, the first of three Cecil H. and Ida Green Visiting Professors for 2010/11 will be giving his first talk at UBC.

Sisk is working at the interface of environmental science and policy. His practice combines landscape analysis with collaborative approaches to the management of public land and natural resources.  For his full bio, visit www.greencollege.ubc.ca/CIGVP_featured.

Date: Sept. 28
Time: 4:30 – 6 p.m.
Place:  Liu Institute for Global Issues, 6476 NW Marine Drive
Info: Space is limited; please arrive early.
www.greencollege.ubc.ca/index/spotlight93.php or contact gc.events@ubc.ca

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UBC Library at Word on the Street

UBC Library is partnering with UBC Library Vault, Rare Books and Special Collections, and the UBC Bookstore for Word on the Street – an annual day-long event celebrating the diversity, quality and originality of writing and publishing in B.C.

This year the Library is sponsoring author Charles Campbell, who will appear in the Authors Tent to read from The Maquinna Line, the lost novel of Norma Macmillan.

The UBC Library Vault and the Robson Reading Series are also participating in the Treasure Hunt – the first 250 participants will receive a free gift.

At last year’s event, more than 170 new community members joined UBC Library. 

Date: Sept. 26
Time: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Place: Library Square, downtown Vancouver

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