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Xerox Global Services launches website for UBC faculty and staff

The Xerox Global Services (XGS) team at UBC is pleased to announce the launch of its website for faculty and staff. The website has been developed specifically for UBC users and provides a “one stop” resource.

Alan Roberts, former executive manager of the XGS team says “We have a broad range of managed print services available to UBC along with a resource team of document professionals across many disciplines.  The website is to provide UBC with easy access to information and resources.”

The website provides links to assist UBC with their document production requirements. There is a direct link to the stationery ordering portal as well as a link to send print orders to the XGS production site located at 5923 Berton Ave at South Campus. The web-to-print ordering portal allows the user to fill out their print request and attach their print file for production. The user can follow the order through the process from production to completion. The portal has additional functionality including on-line “soft proofing”, repurposing and resubmitting past orders and request for quotations

Also on the site are XGS’s sustainability initiatives, print production pricing, easy access to the UBC help desk, key contact information, and “bios” of each team member.

UBC has chosen XGS as a preferred partner to provide managed print services. The partnership supports UBC’s mission of providing students, faculty and staff with the best possible resources and conditions for learning and research.  The goal is for an easier, better and less expensive way to produce documents.

XGS’s campus wide agreement with UBC commenced on Dec. 15, 2009.

The XGS site is http://xeroxprintservicesubc.ca and can be followed on Twitter http://twitter.com/XGSUBC and blog http://xgsubc.blogspot.com

For more information contact XGS at 604-221-4244 or dms@xerox.com.

Updated: June 2011

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SLAIS alum named finalist for Governor General’s literary award

UBC School of Library and Archival Information Studies (SLAIS) alumna Wendy Phillips has had her Master of Fine Arts thesis named one of five finalists in the 2010 Governor General’s Literary Awards in the category for Children’s Literature. Her young adult verse novel written in multiple voices is titled Fishtailing (published by Coteau Books). 

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

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UBC computer scientist and MITACS CEO appointed to federal R&D review panel

UBC computer science professor Arvind Gupta has been appointed to a national, independent expert panel tasked with soliciting the advice of Canadians and business leaders on how the federal government can support business research and development (R&D). 

The panel will review all existing federal support for business R&D to determine how support could be enhanced to ensure federal investments are delivering maximum results for Canadians.

The R&D review expert panel is composed of six eminent Canadians chosen for their experience in business, academia and government as well as their knowledge of R&D and innovation practices and policies.  

Gupta is CEO and scientific director of MITACS, the Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems, based at UBC. He is a member of the Association of Computing Machinery, the European association of theoretical computer science, IEEE, and a Fellow of the Advanced Systems Institute.  

For more information, visit cs.ubc.ca and www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ic1.nsf/eng/05946.html

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Innovative partnership provides funding for mental disorders and palliative care research

Six research projects on co-existing health problems associated with mental illness and one project on palliative care among First Nations have received over $9 million in funding by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Rx&D Health Research Foundation (HRF). 

Prof. William G. Honer of the Dept. of Psychiatry at UBC leads one of the projects which  examines the risk factors for viral infection, which may be important in limiting the prevalence of co-morbid mental illness, addiction and infectious disease.  

For more information, visit www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca

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UBC project in seismic imaging technology receives government, industry support

A new five-year, $5 million government- and industry-funded project at UBC will see researchers in the departments of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Computer Science and Mathematics designing the next generation of seismic imaging technology. 

The dynamic nonlinear optimization for imaging in seismic exploration (DNOISE II) project received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada this October, and matching support from industry partners including BG Group, BP, Chevron,  ConocoPhillips, PetroBras, Total SA and WesternGeco. 

The interdisciplinary project involves researchers from across UBC science programs including Michael Friedlander (Computer Science), Ozgur Yilmaz (Mathematics) and Herrmann (Earth and Ocean Sciences). Much of the funding will provide research support for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

For more information, visit http://www.science.ubc.ca/news/477 

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NSERC honours UBC researchers

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has honoured two UBC researchers with 2010 Innovation Challenge Awards. These awards recognize graduate students for their spirit of entrepreneurship by identifying potential products or services that could be developed from their thesis research. 

Alfred Lam, Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering, received a $5,000 runner-up prize for his work on a direct methanol fuel cell power system with improved run time and recharging capabilities. This will aid in the development of next-generation portable electronic devices. 

Joel Pel, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, received honourable mention for his research. Pel developed Synchronous Coefficient of Drag Alteration (SCODA), a novel molecular manipulation and separation technique for DNA concentration and purification. This technique has applications in clinical diagnostics, where the technology can be used to extract small DNA samples that would indicate the early stages of a disease.

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UBC professor receives honorary degree in France

Mechanical engineering and mathematics professor Bud Homsy has received an honorary doctorate from the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, France.  He is recognized for his research and educational work in the field of fluid mechanics, including multiphase flows, non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, hydrodynamic stability, and for spearheading the production of “Multimedia Fluid Mechanics.”

For more information: http://www.ups-tlse.fr/1277818244144/0/fiche___actualite/

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English prof wins prize for best paper

Asst. Prof. Chris Lee from the Dept. of English at UBC has won the Yasuo Sakakibara Prize for the best paper presented by an international scholar at the American Studies Association (ASA).

 The $500 prize will be announced at the ASA annual meeting in San Antonio on Nov. 18-21.

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

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Nursing prof receives community builder award

Prof. Judith Lynam was honoured with the Network of East Vancouver Community Organizations’ (NEVCO) ‘Building our Community Award.’

Lynam was recognized for her engagement with the community through research on the Social Pediatrics Initiative – an intersectoral and interdisciplinary clinical outreach initiative that seeks to foster health care access for children who are ‘at risk’ because of their social and material circumstances.  Her research is characterized by a reciprocal and respectful learning exchange and recognizes and develops the expertise of communities through dialogue and engagement.  

The award was presented on Oct. 13 at the Annual General Meetings of NEVCO and Network of Inner City Community Service Societies (NICCSS) – both organizations are community partners in the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) funded research study for which Lynam is the Research Lead.  

More info: http://www.nursing.ubc.ca/News/NewsItem.aspx?id=133

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Materials engineer honoured posthumously with award in his name

The Minerals, Metals and Mining Society (TMS) has announced a new award in honour of Keith Brimacombe (1943-1997), former student and professor in the Dept. of Materials Engineering at UBC.

The Brimacombe Medalist will first be awarded in 2012, with nominations open until April 1, 2011. The award is designed to recognize professionals in the middle portion of their career, for sustained excellence and achievement in business, technology, education, public policy, or science related to materials science and engineering.

Brimacombe is considered a pioneer in the materials field and his extensive contribution to metallurgy was recognized with many honours and awards during his lifetime, including the Order of Canada in 1989.

For more information, visit www.mtrl.ubc.ca/

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‘Incoherent excitations' govern key phase of superconductor behaviour, UBC research

New research by UBC physicists indicates that high-temperature superconductivity in copper oxides is linked to what they term ‘incoherent excitations’–a discovery that sheds light on the electronic response of these materials before they become superconducting.  The study is led by Assoc. Prof. Andrea Damascelli, Canada Research Chair in Electronic Structure of Solids with the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy. 

For more information, visit http://www.science.ubc.ca/news/473

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Engineering PhD candidate receives UBC’s highest grad student honour

Toufiqul Islam of UBC’s Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering received the Killam-Donald N. Byers Memorial Prize.  This prize is awarded to the highest-ranking Killam doctoral scholar in the annual UBC-wide Affiliated Fellowship competition.

For more information, visit www.engineering.ubc.ca/news/2010/oct14.html

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Celebrate Learning Week: Oct 23-31

Celebrate Learning kicks off this Saturday at UBC’s Vancouver campus. Celebrate Learning is an annual week-long initiative that highlights student learning and development opportunities.

Celebrate Learning features more than 65 events that highlight teaching and learning innovation at UBC. Events include the Conference for Learning and Academic Student Success, the Learning Café and Family Science Day.

For more information, visit: www.celebratelearning.ubc.ca

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UBC hosts Allies in Health Care: second annual community and patient fair for health professional education

UBC will be hosting Allies in Health Care: second Annual Community and Patient Fair for Health Professional Education as part of Celebrate Learning Week.  The one-day event connects community-based organizations, patient support groups, and individuals involved in these agencies with students and faculty at UBC.

The Fair will include patient panels, informative booths from over 30 community health organizations, and an opportunity to speak with individuals living with chronic conditions.

In the panels, three to four patients or community members share their stories of chronic illness and experiences in the health care system followed by a question and answer period.

  • Experiences of Chronic Health Concerns (12 – 12:45 p.m.)
  • Experiences in the Health Care System (1 – 1:45 p.m.)
  • Barriers to Communication (2 – 2:45 p.m.)

This is a joint venture of the Patient and Community Voices (PCV) project of the Division of Health Care Communication in the College of Health Disciplines, the Social Accountability and Community Engagement Initiative in the Dept. of Family Practice in the Faculty of Medicine, and our community partner organizations. The PCV project is funded by the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund.

Date: Oct. 28
Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.  
Place: West Atrium of the Life Sciences Centre, 2350 Health Sciences Mall
Info: For reservations (limited space): www.meetingofexperts.org
 or anndan@interchange.ubc.ca
 http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2010/10/07/turning-patients-into-professors/

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PJ Day at UBC: Oct. 29

Oct. 29 marks PJ Day in support of UBC’s United Way Campaign. To participate, purchase a PJ Day button from your portfolio’s United Way representative. Buttons will be sold by donation. If you would like to sell buttons out of your office or if you don’t know your United Way representative, please contact united.way@ubc.ca

For more information, visit: www.unitedway.ubc.ca/

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Free public lecture: A Green and Sustainable Solution to Global Phosphorous Depletion

The Dept. of Civil Engineering announces a free public seminar: A Green and Sustainable Solution to Global Phosphorous Depletion. Prof. Don Mavinic, recent recipient of the Manning Award for Innovation, presents how a team of UBC environmental engineers has developed a sustainable and effective solution, with worldwide applications.

Date: Nov. 17
Time: 6 – 7 p.m.
Place: UBC Robson Square, 800 Robson St.
Info: http://www.civil.ubc.ca

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AMS secondary math contest held at UBC

The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences at UBC will host “Who Wants to Be a Mathematician.”  Eight of the best secondary school math students will compete for up to $ 3000 in cash prizes.  The American Mathematical Society (AMS) began the contest in 2001 and has been held at universities and science centers from Boston to Hawaii. This is the first competition in Canada.

Date: Oct. 21
Time:  Math Talk: 10-11 a.m. Competition: 11-noon
Place: Frederic Wood Theatre, 6354 Crescent Road
Info: www.ams.org/wwtbam/

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