UBC This Week

Her Excellency Dr. Mathabo Tsepa was appointed as Lesotho’s High Commissioner to Canada on Aug. 26, 2010.  She completed her PhD in Environmental Education with Samson Nashon in the Dept of Curriculum and Pedagogy in UBC’s Faculty of Education in 2008. 

Tsepa’s work connected the National University of Lesotho and UBC and promoted the exchange of best practice research and policies about learning regions. She was also involved in the UBC Go Global program.  

To learn more, visit http://educ.ubc.ca/newsandinfo/foe-news

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Assoc. Prof. Lynda Balneaves has won the 2010 Pfizer Award of Excellence in Nursing Research from the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology. Balneaves is the principal investigator in the Complementary Medicine Education and Outcomes (CAMEO) program at the BC Cancer Agency.

Asst. Prof. J. Craig Phillips has won the 2010 Richard L. Sowell Editor’s Award for Outstanding JANAC Reviewer from the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (JANAC), in recognition of his significant contributions to the quality of manuscripts published in JANAC. Phillips’ research expertise builds on his unique legal and nursing academic, research and practice experiences working with vulnerable populations, and includes projects in men’s health and HIV, global health and global citizenship in nursing, and clinical nursing practice.

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UBC mining engineering professor emeritus Janusz Laskowski has been selected to receive the 2010 Antoine M. Gaudin Award by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) for his scientific contributions in furthering the understanding of the technology of mineral processing.  The award ceremony will be held at the SME Annual Meeting in Denver on March 2, 2011.

The Gaudin Award is the highest award in the field of mineral and metallurgical processing. SME is an international society of professionals in the minerals industry whose membership is more than 12,000 strong in nearly 100 countries.

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UBC Dentistry’s Impressions magazine, edited by the Terry Wintonyk, has won the 2010 Meskin Journalism Award for overall excellence in editorial content and design in a dental student publication. The award will be presented at the American Association of Dental Editors annual session on Oct. 7. 

The Meskin Journalism award is presented annually in the United States or Canada and named after the late editor of the Journal of the American Dental Association, Dr. Lawrence H. Meskin. 

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

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Prof. Tarek Sayed has received the Award of Academic Merit from the Transportation Association of Canada for his long-term contribution to the advancement of academic research and his development of transportation leaders of the future.

The Transportation Association of Canada is a national association with a mission to promote the provision of safe, secure, efficient, effective, and environmentally and financially sustainable transportation services in support of Canada’s social and economic goals.

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Materials engineering professor Frank Ko will receive an Honorary Fellowship from The Textile Institute at the institute’s World Conference and Centennial Dinner on Nov. in Manchester, UK. Ko’s work focuses on non-traditional applications of textiles using high-performance fibrous materials, including nanofibre technology, biomaterials and composites.  The fellowship is the highest honour that the institute bestows for creativity and advancement of knowledge by an individual.

Electrical and computer engineering professor emeritus Ian Cumming was elected Fellow at the 2010 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium in Hawaii —an honour bestowed for his achievements in synthetic aperture radar signal processing.   IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.

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The Ethics of International Engagement and Service Learning (EIESL) project was initiated in 2009 to explore the ethical dilemmas faced by UBC students, staff and faculty as they planned, participated in and/or reflected on their involvement with international engagement or service learning projects. 

These opportunities are an increasingly popular way for UBC students, staff and faculty to augment their teaching and learning experiences, in-line with both UBC’s TREK 2010 and Place of Mind missions. Supported by a grant from the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund, the second year of the project builds on the themes identified in year one and offers a practical application through an easy to use “EIESL Kit”. This kit will be comprised of resources needed to offer workshops, seminars and classes on the ethics of international service learning and will sustain the important ethical dialogues around IESL at UBC.
 
The EIESL project is looking for students, staff and faculty who would like to contribute in the following ways:

• offering a workshop to the creation team on how to effectively design or facilitate workshops
• writing a workshop for the kit
• mentoring a student in the creation of a workshop
• assisting with ensuring accuracy of ideas throughout the kit
• editing a section of the kit
• piloting an EIESL workshop in your classroom
• contributing as a working group member to guide kit development

For more information or to participate in this project, contact Wendy Loudon, Faculty Engagement Coordinator, at wendy.loudon@ubc.ca.

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In a recent assessment by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the collection of maples curated by the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research was ranked number two in conservation importance worldwide in public gardens, second only to Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. 

Although maples are a common sight in Canada, many species in China and Japan are under threat. Due to the Garden’s strong relationships with its Asian counterparts and their scientists, it has been able to procure a number of these valuable species through partnered expeditions for wild-collected seed. Vancouver’s mild maritime climate and the horticultural expertise of the Garden researchers and staff have proven an exceptional combination in growing these maples for conservation and research. 

To view the BGCI News Item: http://www.bgci.org/resources/news/0721/

To view the Global Survey of Ex Situ Maple Collections:

http://www.bgci.org/files/Worldwide/News/JulyAug2010/ex_situ_maples.pdf

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Tonight, Sage Bistro is hosting a fundraising reception for United Way. The benefit includes a 50/50 draw, a silent auction with items ranging from a River Rock Casino Resort package to golf and salon prizes, and a DJ starting from 9 p.m.

Place:   Sage Bistro University Centre
Date:    Oct. 7
Time:    5:30 – 11 p.m. 
Info:     Minimum $10 donation at the door (includes one drink ticket)
            Appetizers served 5:30-7:30.
            http://www.unitedway.ubc.ca/files/2010/08/Sage-UW-reception-poster.pdf

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The UBC Botanical Garden Apple Festival marks its 20^th anniversary this year with organizers bringing in more than 37,000 pounds of apples including 9,000 pounds of organic fruit from local suppliers. More than 70 varieties of heritage, new and “tried and true” apples are available, grown both conventionally and organically. These include the heritage apple ‘Grimes Golden’, and ‘Ambrosia’, recently discovered in Cawston, B.C.
 
Also available for sale are many varieties of apple trees grafted onto dwarfing root stock, ideal for the home garden or patio.

Festival activities include:

• Apple tasting ($3) of 60 varieties of new and heritage B.C. grown apples
• The Vancouver Island-based BC Fruit Testers Association will display nearly 200 B.C. grown varieties and give demonstrations of grafting and cider-pressing.  Bring varieties from your garden to be identified (six from each variety)
• Master gardeners discuss apple-related diseases and pest management.
• Johnny Appleseed Orchard children’s area will have six activity stations. Apple pie, hot apple cider and other delectable treats available.
• Craft vendors, UBC Herbarium merchandise and UBC Farm produce on-site
• Buskers throughout the day and musical entertainment in the Roseline Sturdy Amphitheatre at 1  p.m. daily.  

Date: Oct. 16 and 17
Time: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Place: Grounds of Botanical Garden: 6804 SW Marine Drive (at 16th Ave.)
Info: Adults $2, under 12 free. Free bike parking. Dogs are not permitted in the Gardens.
 Call 604.822.4529 or visit http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/events/applefest.php

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‘For Cod’s Sake’, an international documentary about the fate of the Baltic Sea cod, will be presented at the UBC Fisheries Centre. For years the stock has been declining and though a small recovery has been noted, scientists disagree about the extent of the recovery. 

The film highlights the role of Sea Around Us project in attempting to estimate the real catch of Baltic Sea cod.  It features Lo Persson, who spent a year at the Fisheries Centre as a presenter. 

Date: Oct. 14
Time: 3 – 4 p.m.
Place: Room 120, Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory, 2202 Main Mall
Info: Free admission

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