UBC This Week 22-Nov-2012


 

Recent UBC Media Releases

Nov. 22 ‘Repurposed’ anti-parasite drug shows promise as new TB treatment: UBC research
Nov. 21 Eating right key to survival of whales and dolphins: UBC research
Nov. 20 UBC honours Paul Martin, Bramwell Tovey, Michael Wingfield during Fall Congregation
Nov. 20 Adherence to HIV treatment significantly increases survival: UBC study
Nov. 20 Largest class of Aboriginal doctoral students graduate from UBC Faculty of Education
Nov. 16 UBC’s commitment to science education underlined by $75M facility
Nov. 16 UBC experts comment on Middle East conflict
   
 

Upcoming Event Highlights

Nov. 22 The Terry Project Global Speaker Series presents Margaret Atwood: Writing the Future
Nov. 23 Concert at the Belkin – UBC Contemporary Players
Nov. 23 Mr Pharmacist Contest
Nov. 24 The Chan Centre Presents: Punch Brothers
Nov. 24 UBC women’s volleyball
Nov. 25 Opera Tea on the Stage
Nov. 25 Norm Theatre – ‘Ted’
Nov. 26 Sage Bistro 3rd Annual United Way (Auction) Reception
Nov. 26 The quest for habitable exoplanets
Nov. 27 Member of Parliament for the Rest of the World: representing emigrants in national legislatures
Nov. 27 The Discovery of a New State of Matter: The Topological Insulators
Nov. 28 Love or Desire in Shakespeare
Nov. 28 ISS Copyright Workshop and Roundtable
Nov. 29 Reading/Performance by Eleanor Antin at the Belkin
Nov. 29 UBC Jazz Ensemble I – James Danderfer: clarinet soloist
   
  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.

 

UBC People


UBC People

Launch of new and access and privacy website

The Office of the University Counsel has launched UBC’s newly revised and redesigned Access and Privacy Website (http://universitycounsel.ubc.ca/access-and-privacy/), which contains all the information that UBC staff and faculty members need to know to ensure that they are complying with the rules around access to information and protection of privacy.

Highlights include:
• An access and privacy guide for faculty and staff
• Guidelines on access requests
• Fact sheets on commonly encountered privacy issues
• Other useful resources about access and privacy
• Links to commonly requested information about UBC

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Public open houses: Proposed Changes to Campus Shuttle Routes; Developing a Community Energy and Emissions Plan

An open house will be held to help the campus community learn more about proposed campus shuttle route improvements and provide an opportunity to offer feedback. Proposed improvements include an expansion of the coverage of the C20 shuttle and a redistribution of the C22 service hours, a shuttle route that is currently underutilized.

Date:  Nov. 26, 2012
Time:  4 – 7 p.m.
Place: Thunderbird Arena, Main Concourse, 6066 Thunderbird Boulevard
(Wesbrook Mall entrance)
Info: C+CP website

UTown@UBC, UBC’s residential community on campus, will hold a Community Energy and Emissions Plan World Cafe Workshop to encourage a discussion on reducing energy and emissions use with student and neighbourhood residents. UBC and the University Neighbourhoods Association are collaborating, in partnership with B.C. Hydro, on the development of a Community Energy and Emissions Plan which will result in a plan for reducing greenhouse gas emission and energy use in UTown@UBC.

Date:  Nov. 27, 2012
Time:  5 – 7 p.m.
Place: Old Barn Community Centre, 6308 Thunderbird Boulevard
Info:  C+CP website

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Law professor inducted into Royal Society of Canada

UBC Law’s Professor Susan Boyd was one of 71 new fellows inducted into the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) on Nov. 17, 2012. Boyd is internationally recognized as a leading socio-legal scholar who has made contributions to family law and feminist legal studies. For more info, click here. To view a list of UBC RSC elected fellows, click here.

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Earl W. Davie Symposium draws record attendance and Nobel Laureate

For the sixth consecutive year, Vancouver played host in November to the world’s leading experts in hematology. This year’s Earl W. Davie Symposium, organized by UBC’s Centre for Blood Research, featured two keynote speakers: Charles Esmon of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and David Ginsburg of the University of Michigan, both Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scientists.

The symposium drew more than 200 people, primarily from UBC and its affiliated hospitals and research institutes. Among those who attended was 1992 Nobel Laureate Edwin Fischer, of the University of Washington, who discovered that proteins could be phosphorylated, thereby able to transmit signals. For more info, click here.

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UBC researchers tap into CO2 storage potential of mine waste

UBC Mining engineer and geologist Michael Hitch is studying the value of mine waste rock for its CO2-sequestration potential, or “SP.” He says mining companies across Canada will, in future, be able to offset CO2 emissions with “SP rock,” and within 25 years could even be selling emissions credits.

Hitch is working on this study with Greg Dipple and Ulrich Mayer of UBC’s Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, and Gordon Southam from the University of Western Ontario’s Department of Earth Science.

For more information, visit http://ow.ly/ftNiZ

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Clean Energy Research Centre Research seminar

A growing population, increasing standard of living, food production and industrialization put a lot pressure on water resources and quality. Prof. Madjid Mohseni, UBC Chemical and Biological Engineering, will give a presentation that will highlight some of the key connections between energy and water, as well as the multidisciplinary approach undertaken by researchers to address water quality from source to tap.

Date:  Nov. 26, 2012
Time:  3 p.m. 
Place:  UBC Hugh Dempster Pavilion (DMP), 310-6245 Agronomy Road
Info:  http://ow.ly/fm7ZI

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National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

The UBC December 6th Memorial will hold a series of events and initiatives for National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

On December 6, 1989, a man walked into l’École Polytechnique de Montréal and killed 14 women. In response to such acts of violence, Canada established December 6 as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Date:  Nov. 29, 2012
Time: 12:30 p.m. (Memorial Service)
Place: Outside the Wayne and William White Engineering Design Center, 2345 East Mall
Info: http://ow.ly/ftLnT (list of events)

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School of Music staff member wins Global Spin DJ award

Margaret Andan, UBC School of Music front office receptionist by day and a disc jockey by night, has won the Global Spin Awards in the International Awards category. Andan, aka DJ Miss M, was in New York to receive the news and the award. For more info, click here.

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Innovative Dissemination of Research Award

UBC Library is once again offering a $2,000 award for UBC faculty, staff and students who are expanding the boundaries of research through the creative use of new tools and technologies that enhance the research findings being disseminated. The deadline for applications is November 26. For more information about the award visit http://scholcomm.ubc.ca/award/

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Spelling Bee victory

The English Department won this year’s third annual United Way and UBC Library Spelling Bee on November 14. The English Exoterics team nabbed top honours, beating out teams from across campus.

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Asia Pacific Memo Series: Judo in Japanese Schools; Pocket Social Networking in India

Asia Pacific Memo Series publishes short text memos or video interviews on current issues in Asia and across the Pacific twice-weekly at http://www.asiapacificmemo.ca/.

Most recent memos:
• Judo in Japanese Schools – Concerns about Safety, by Robert Aspinall at Shiga University.
• Pocket Social Networking in India – SMS GupShup Expands, by Nimmi Rangaswamy, Microsoft Research Labs India.

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Staff Pension Plan Election

The Staff Pension Plan Election for two Pension Board directors is now underway. Election packages were mailed to members on Wednesday, October 31, 2012. Plan members can vote by paper ballot or online. Follow the link below for candidate information and to vote online at http://facultystaff.students.ubc.ca/staff-pension-plan-election-directors

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, November 27, 2012. The results of the election will be posted on the Staff Pension Plan website on Tuesday, December 4, 2012.

The Registrar has been charged with the duty of holding elections of directors who are elected by and from the membership of the Plan. If you have any questions regarding this election, please e-mail elections.information@ubc.ca or call 604.827.0003.

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