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Peter Wall Foundation and UBC launch new program

The Peter Wall Foundation and UBC have launched a unique new program – the “Peter Wall Solutions Initiative” (PWSI) to support UBC researchers from across a;; disciplines and their community partners working on innovative ways to develop practical solutions with tangible benefits.  The goal is to advance solutions and address issues including sustainability, health care delivery, poverty alleviation, economic policy, community wellness, diversity, natural resources, and other ideas that come forward. 

Researchers are expected to partner with an appropriate community organization or target end-user group to study the issues and use research to develop approaches which overcome existing hurdles. 

The PWSI is supported by an initial $3M contribution from the Peter Wall Endowment to UBC.  Qualifying projects should demonstrate measurable results within a one to three-year period. 

Brett Finlay, UBC professor and chair of the new PWSI Advisory Board, says, “With its focus on results, the Peter Wall Solutions Initiative will offer a scope well beyond traditional research funds, yet capitalize on the research being done across UBC to benefit society.  Our goal is that ‘Solutions’ will make a real difference to the people of Vancouver and BC, and serve as models for other communities throughout the country.”

For more information: http://research.ubc.ca/vpri/ubc-peter-wall-solutions-initiative

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CIHR and CMAJ recognize two UBC profs for top achievements in Canadian health research

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) recently acknowledged six top achievements in Canadian health research that have had a significant impact on health, health care and health research. These achievements work to improve our understanding of health and human diseases, help tackle health challenges, and improve our health care system.

Dr. Annalee Yassi, a professor in the UBC School of Population and Public Health, and Dr. Elizabeth Bryce, regional director of Infection Control at Vancouver Coastal Health and professor of medicine at UBC, were awarded for their collaboration between infection control and occupational health. They developed a collaborative research and training team whose work has changed practice and policy in infection control in Canada and many other countries.
 
Bryce and Yassi produced internationally endorsed guidelines, training products (both online and face-to-face), checklists, research materials, frameworks and a web-based health information system. Resulting changes to practice and policy in infection control, such as improved use of personal protective equipment for health workers, have occurred in Canada and many other countries, as well as in leading international organizations. They have shown that collaboration between occupational health and infection control can be achieved and can result in meaningful outcomes.
 
For the second year, a peer-review panel of Canadian and international experts selected the winners based on the impact of their work on the health and wellbeing of Canadians and worldwide. Achievements in four categories are eligible for the award: biomedical, clinical, health services, and population and public health.
 
For more details on the six award winners, view the CIHR news release:  http://www.cihr.ca/e/43302.html

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New director for UBC Pulp and Paper Centre

James Olson, professor in the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, has been announced as the new director for UBC’s Pulp and Paper Centre.

An expert in the application of physics and fluid mechanics to problems associated with the pulp and paper industry, Olson’s current research includes reduction of energy used in mechanical pulping, modelling turbulent fibre suspensions, and high-performance energy-efficient equipment design.

For more information, visit www.engineering.ubc.ca/news/2011/mar23.html

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Bill McKibben at the Learning Centre

The Vancouver Institute presents the free Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Lecture – “Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet,” presented by Prof. Bill McKibben.

Described by the Boston Globe as “the nation’s leading environmentalist,” McKibben is the author of more than a dozen books. A former staff writer for the New Yorker, he often writes for Harper’sNational Geographic and The New York Review of Books, among others. He is also the founder of the environmental organizations Step It Up and 350.org, a global warming awareness campaign that co-ordinated what CNN called “the most widespread day of political action in the planet’s history” in October 2009.

 Date: April 9
 Time: 8:15 p.m.  Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
 Place: Woodward Instructional Resource Centre, Lecture Theatre #2
 Info: http://vaninst.ca/VbMcKibben2.html

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Asia Pacific Memo update – Islam and Capitalism / Key issues in Asia

Those interested in current issues in Asia and across the Pacific are invited to subscribe to the Asia Pacific Memo (APM) series. Twice-weekly, APM publishes short text memos or video interviews at http://www.asiapacificmemo.ca/

  • Mar 29 – Capital-islam: Spiritual Economies in Southeast Asia by Daromir Rudnyckyj
  • Mar 24 – Key issues Facing East Asia (Video Interview with Dr. Tun-jen Cheng)

To read the memos, visit http://www.asiapacificmemo.ca/

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CiTR Radio Prof Talk interviews Daniel Vickers, department head and professor in History

On UBC CiTR Radio’s Prof Talk with host Farha Khan, Prof. Daniel Vickers from the Dept. of History will discuss the subject of history as a field of study as well as his research on Early America, social history of seafaring, work and economic culture.

Every second Tuesday, Prof Talk on 101.9FM features live interviews with professors from a variety of disciplines.

Date:    April 5
Time:    3 p.m.
Info:     Live programming: http://citr.ca
               Podcasts: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Citr–ProfTalk
               Show schedule: http://ubcproftalk.blogspot.com

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