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

Chan Centre a semifinalist in Creative Campus Innovations program

The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts was announced as a semifinalist for the 2010 Creative Campus Innovations Grant Program, a program initiated by The Association of Performing Arts Presenters in Washington, DC. The Chan Centre is one of 31 semifinalists selected from 150 applicants, and is the first and only Canadian university invited to submit a full proposal.

The Centre’s proposal will focus on the development of a program dedicated to addressing Aboriginal issues through the lens of the performing arts. The Creative Campus initiative began in March 2004 following the 104th American Assembly at Columbia University where more than 60 arts and higher education leaders gathered to examine the factors that characterize effective partnerships in education and the arts. 
 
For more information, visit http://www.straight.com/article-274050/vancouver/ubcs-chan-centre-semifinalist-creative-campus-innovations-program.

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Pfizer and B.C. launch $9M collaboration to tackle cancer

Pfizer is entering into a three-year, $9-million research collaboration with the BC Cancer Agency and the Vancouver Prostate Centre, a UBC and Vancouver General Hospital Centre of Excellence, to tackle new treatment avenues for breast, ovarian and prostate cancer.

For more information, visit http://www.pfizer.ca/english/newsroom/press%20releases/default.asp?s=1&releaseID=305

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UBC engineering faculty receive best demonstration award

Electrical and Computer Engineering’s Assoc. Prof. Sydney Fels, master student Billy Lam, PhD student Ian Stavness, and co-op student Ryan Barr have won Best Demonstration Award at the 17th International Association for Computing Machinery Conference on Multimedia in Beijing. Their winning research project is entitled Interacting with a Personal Cubic 3D Display.

To view a video of their project, visit http://hct.ece.ubc.ca/research/pcubee/index.html

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Minister of State for Climate Action visits UBC Electric Car Club

The Minister of State for Climate Action, the Honourable John Yap and President Stephen Toope recently visited the UBC Electric Car Club (UBC ECC) to gain familiarity with the club’s vision and goals and to view the status of the club’s electric vehicle.

UBC ECC is a multidisciplinary undergraduate student organization founded by electrical engineering students in August 2009, working towards the goal of developing alternate means of sustainable transportation.

UBC ECC is developing an electric car prototype inspired by the UBC Strategic Plan “Place and Promise,” which focuses on innovation and sustainability. The goal of ECC is to promote UBC and UBC engineering as a global learning community aimed at leveraging technology toward achieving societies based on sustainable economies and life-styles.

For more information, visit http://www.engineering.ubc.ca/news/2009/dec2.html

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Computer science professor receives research award

Prof. Alan Mackworth, Computer Science has received a 2009 Association for Constraint Programming (ACP) Research Excellence Award.  His two papers on consistency algorithms and their complexity were among the most highly cited in the history of the journal, Artificial Intelligence.

For more information, visit http://4c.ucc.ie/a4cp/.

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UBC professor named one of VANOC’s honorary mayors for athletes' villages in 2010

UBC professor emeritus Dr. Douglas Clement has been named one of the volunteer honorary mayors to welcome athletes to Whistler and Vancouver during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.  Clement is a sports medicine clinician and researcher who has taught and practiced sports medicine for more than 20 years at UBC.

He will share paralympic mayoral duties with his wife, Diane, at the Paralympic Village in Vancouver in March 2010.  In 1956, Diane competed for Canada as a sprinter at the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia and won a bronze medal two years later at the Commonwealth Games. Diane was a board member of the Vancouver 2010 bid corporation.

Eight Canadians have been named honorary mayors – two per village per Games – and will be the face of B.C. and Canada at the brand-new athletes’ villages. The mayors will officially open the villages in February and March, officially welcome all national teams and dignitaries, including heads of state and members of the Olympic and Paralympic Family, as well as join athletes at informal social gatherings in the village living room in Vancouver and around the nightly bonfire in Whistler.

For more information, visit www.vancouver2010.com.

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Copenhagen climate rally on UBC campus this Saturday

In conjunction with the climate change talks taking place in Copenhagen, members of UBC and the University Neighborhoods are organizing a rally to reinforce their dedication to meaningful climate change.  The rally will be part of the international day of action for climate change promoted by Avaaz and 350.org.
 
 Date: Dec. 12
 Time: 10 – 11 a.m.
 Place: Thunderbird and Main Mall
Weather not permitting: Old Barn Community Centre, 6308 Thunderbird Blvd. 
 Info: Contact erica.frank@ubc.ca or visit http://www.avaaz.org/en/real_deal_rsvp/?id=142455

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Open House for new secondary school

Plans are underway for the Vancouver School Board to re-use and expand the former National Research Centre building for a new secondary school at Wesbrook Place.   UBC Campus and Community Planning will host an open house to review the plans for the first stage of site preparation along the south side of West 16th Avenue at East Mall. These plans will be displayed and will include the temporary relocation of select trees as well as the permanent removal of the existing berm (shelf at the bottom of slope) and additional trees/plants that might hinder visibility.

Representatives from UBC Properties Trust will also be present to answer questions.
 
Date:  Dec. 14
Time: 4 – 7 p.m.
Place: Atrium – 3250 East Mall
Info: Karen Russell, Manager of Development Services, at karen.russell@ubc.ca or 604.822.1586

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Morph exhibit at the Learning Centre

The Ike Barber Learning Centre Gallery will have on display, Morph, an art exhibit featuring work by students from the Visual Arts 300 class. The theme is “transformation”, featuring paintings that deal with creative focus, academic backgrounds, personal stories and global perspectives.   The students’ compilation is guided by contemporary artist Gu Xiong and combines a wide range of provocative ideas.

The Gallery will host a reception on Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. and will run the exhibit until Dec. 31.  The Gallery is located on level two of the Learning Centre, adjacent to the circulation desk.

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Nominations accepted for Alumni Achievement Awards

Nominations for the 2010 UBC Alumni Achievement Awards are now being accepted.  The annual Awards present an opportunity to recognize outstanding alumni for their accomplishments. 

Submissions can be made at http://www.alumni.ubc.ca/events/awards/nomination.php .  To receive print nomination forms, contact Marisa Iuvancigh at 604-822-8917 or marisa.iuvancigh@ubc.ca.  Deadline for nominations is Jan. 31, 2010.

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