UBC This Week | Nov. 16, 2006

Nov 16, 2006

UBC Feature Web Site

UBC United Way Campaign:

www.unitedway.ubc.ca

UBC This Week is a weekly summary of UBC people in the news, recent media releases and upcoming event highlights. UBC This Week past issues are also available on-line.

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Recent UBC Media Releases

Upcoming Event Highlights

Find out what else is happening at UBC
this week. For sports events, visit the UBC Athletics site
at www.gothunderbirds.ca/schedule.asp.

UBC People

UBC People

UBC professor named Senior Advisor to the President
on Aboriginal Affairs

As an indication of the importance the university places on its
relations with First Nations students and their communities, UBC
President Stephen Toope has announced that Richard Vedan will
take on a new position as the Senior Advisor to the President
on Aboriginal Affairs.

Vedan has been Director of the First Nations House of Learning
since 2001 and an Assoc. Prof. in the School of Social Work since
1995. He is a member of the Neskonlith Band of the Secwepemc (Shuswap)
First Nation. This new position becomes a permanent part of the
responsibilities of the Director of the First Nations House of
Learning and will provide system-wide support as the primary liaison
for the President.

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UBC community supports annual United
Way Campaign

As the 2006 UBC United Way Campaign enters its final weeks, campus
donors and volunteers continue to support this expression of Trek
2010’s commitment to global citizenship and to building a sustainable
and civil society.

Thanks to the generous contributions of staff, faculty and students,
UBC’s campaign team has raised 70 per cent of its $384,000 target
through donations and departmental initiatives, and hopes to increase
participation by 100 new donors. Donation pledge forms will be
accepted until the end of the tax year, Dec. 31, but please note
that only those received before Dec. 13 will be eligible for the
grand prize draw of two Air Canada tickets to anywhere in North
America, plus other great prizes.

Individuals and departments can also support the campaign by
organizing a fundraising event, or increasing your area’s awareness
of the United Way and its many UBC connections with a presentation
by UBC Loaned Representative Andy Carr.

For more information on donating, booking a presentation, and
events such as the Supply Management Poinsettia Sale, please visit www.unitedway.ubc.ca or call Campaign Coordinator Kate Petrusa at 604-822-8929.

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Nov. 22 Open House – New high tech Operations
Centre launched

UBC’s Land and Building Services has upgraded its 50-year-old
system for handling campus heating, ventilation and air conditioning
problems by opening a new high tech Operations Centre. The centre
officially opens Nov. 22 and features a computerized Building
Management System designed to track the efficiency of all campus
buildings. Rather than having users call a problem information
line, the system now sends automatic alarms to technicians who
can then diagnose problems and quickly dispatch engineers or trades
people, and provides the ability to track and follow-up with customer
calls.

The new LBS Operations Centre is the final feature of the ECOTrek
infrastructure upgrade, Canada’s largest campus energy and
water retrofit. The project, which began in 2003, is annually
saving UBC $2.6 million in energy costs. To date, it has already
saved $3.8 million over the three-year construction phase. ECOTrek
is also annually cutting UBC’s water use by 30 percent,
CO2 emissions by 15,000 tonnes, and energy use by 20 percent.

An Operations Centre open house will be held Nov. 22 from 1:30-3:30
pm at the University Services Building, 2329 West Mall, main floor
lunch room.

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UBC Professor addresses House of Commons

UBC Assoc. Prof. Larry Frank addressed The House
of Commons Standing Committee on Child Obesity on the impact of
the built environment and community development on children’s
health. The Nov. 2 meeting focused on the role of the federal
government and the way that it can influence positive outcomes
for children, especially First Nations and Inuit children. Frank
holds the J. Armand Bombardier Chair in Sustainable Transportation
and is affiliated with the School of Regional and Community Planning.
He was invited to participate in this study because of his extensive
research into the links between public health and land use, travel
choices, the environment, land development, and transportation
investment.

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UBC Professor named President, Federation
of International Gynaecologists and Obstetrics

UBC Faculty of Medicine Senior Assoc. Dean and Clinical Prof. Dorothy Shaw has been named the new President
of the Federation of International Gynaecologists and Obstetrics
at the FIGO World Congress in Kuala Lampur.

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UBC Professor named Fellow, American
Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

Prof. Kishor Wasan, Distinguished University
Scholar and Chair of UBC Pharmaceutics was named a 2006 Fellow
with The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. Wasan
was recognized for his work in elevating the pharmaceutical science
field through contributions in research, published works, patents,
and/or presentations at scientific meetings. For more information: www.aapspharmaceutica.com.

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Graduate student film shown at Whistler
Film Festival

UBC student Bojan Bocruzic‘s thesis drama Immigrant will be shown at the sixth annual Whistler Film Festival Nov.
30 – Dec. 3, 2006. Borcruzic is a Master of Fine Arts graduate
of UBC’s joint degree in film Production and Creative Writing.
Bocruzic’s film tells two parallel stories about Bosnians in Canada.
The film will also be competing for a $15,000 Best Canadian Feature
prize at the festival.

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International Awards and Opportunities
available

Through the UBC Office of the Associate Vice President International,
the following international awards are open for application.

  • BMW Group Scientific Award 2007 – for more information: www.bmwgroup.com
  • 2008 Fellowship Announcement – Japan – for more
    information: www.mars.dti.ne.jp
  • Shastri Indo Canadian Institute Awards – for more information: www.sici.org