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

Earth and Ocean Sciences professor selected as Distinguished Lecturer

Doug Oldenburg, professor of UBC Earth and Ocean Sciences, has been selected Distinguished Lecturer by the Society of Exploration Geophysics. Selection as a Distinguished Lecturer is a recognition of excellence in contributions to the science or application of geophysics.

View the lecture schedule at http://www.seg.org/education/lectures-courses/distinguished-lecturers/fall2011/itinerary

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UBC law professor recognized as one of Canada's top emerging social sciences and humanities researchers

UBC Faculty of Law’s Prof. James Stewart is the recipient of the 2011 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Aurora Prize award. This $25,000 prize recognizes an outstanding new researcher who is building a reputation for exciting and original research in the social sciences or humanities.

In 2006, Stewart was awarded the La Pira Prize for his article on unlawful confinement at Guantanamo. More recently, he received the prestigious Antonio Cassese Prize for International Criminal Law Studies, for his current work on the liability of corporations for international crimes. In October 2010, Stewart published new legal guidelines for prosecuting corporations for the illegal exploitation of natural resources.

Stewart was honoured with the award at the 49th annual Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) conference in Vancouver on Nov. 2. The annual conference recognizes Canada’s top social sciences and humanities graduate students and emerging scholars.

To learn more about Stewart, visit http://www.law.ubc.ca/faculty/Stewart/index.html.

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UBC residents receive Branch for International Surgery 2011 research awards

UBC residents in orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery and otolaryngology have been awarded this year’s Branch for International Surgery (BIS) research awards. The four annual $2,500 research grants are provided to UBC surgery-related residents interested in expanding their understanding of the burden of unmet surgical care in low resource regions.

Flora-Hua Teng is focussing on a qualitative analysis of cervical cancer screening in Kisenyi, Uganda. Anali Dadogstar’s project is to assess the impact of mental practice on mastoidectomy surgical skills among Ugandan otolaryngology residents. One of the challenges faced by UBC orthopaedic missions to Uganda is the lack of adequate and appropriate orthopaedic instrumentation and implants. Lise Leveille is conducting a needs assessment of orthopaedic services to help focus the procurement of instrumentation and implants that are practical and applicable for low resource settings. Dan Jenkin is conducting a surgical needs assessment for the North Gondor zone of Amhara in Ethiopia.

BIS’s annual grants are made possible through the continual support of the Canadian Network for International Surgery and Canadian International Development Agency.

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Wayne and William White Engineering Design Centre opens

The Faculty of Applied Science celebrated the opening of the Wayne and William White Engineering Design Centre, which will boost collaboration and hands-on innovation among students from 11 engineering disciplines. The facility was made possible with a $2.5 million gift from UBC alumni Wayne White and William White, twin brothers who graduated from UBC in 1967 with Bachelor of Applied Science degrees – Wayne in metallurgical engineering and William in mechanical engineering.

For more, visit http://www.apsc.ubc.ca/

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UBC scientists discuss energy systems

Recently, five UBC scientists – Prof. Emeritus KD Srivastava, Prof. José Martí, Adjunct Prof. Ebrahim Vaahedi, research engineer, Paul Lusina, and master’s student, Shahzad Rostamira— sat down to discuss energy systems, Smart Grid and UBC’s role in developing technologies that address both the social and the technological challenges of power. The discussion ranged from small-scale, local projects to international programs, but the integration of systems was a common theme throughout the conversation.

The event that sparked this discussion was Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department launching their signature project, a smart, thermo-electric grid.

For more on their research, visit http://www.ece.ubc.ca/news/201110/smart-fox

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UBC music student wins at international piano competition

UBC School of Music Doctor of Musical Arts candidate Bogdan Dulu won first prize gold medal in the professional category in the 2011 Seattle International Piano Festival and Competition held Oct. 22-23 at the Benaroya Hall in Seattle. His prize includes $2,000 and possible future performance engagements during the 2011-12 concert season.

For more, visit http://www.music.ubc.ca/newsroom/off-the-press.html

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UBC’s University Singers first Canadian choir invited to perform at NCCO conference

The University Singers, the premier choral ensemble of the UBC School of Music, performs Nov. 3 at the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) Conference in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Directed by UBC School of Music professor Graeme Langager, they will be the first Canadian choir invited to perform for the NCCO. Twelve are selected to sing for choral conductors, educators and singers from across the United States

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

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Houses at Totem honour names from Musqueam past

UBC’s Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS) worked with students, Musqueam and members of the campus community in the naming process of two new houses — h?m’l?s?m’ and q’?l???n – at Totem Park Residence.

“We are honoured to have Musqueam provide the names to us and thank them for this opportunity,” says Andrew Parr, Managing Director, Student Housing and Hospitality Services. “It’s not just about providing interesting names but, more importantly, bringing awareness, understanding and respect to the community about the origins of the names and the stories they represent.”

As told by Larry Grant, Elder from Musqueam Nation, “q’?l???n was a strategic fortification site (on Point Grey) where Musqueam warriors and their families resided” and “h?m’l?s?m’ is a site of transformation (south of Wreck Beach) where ?e:l’s, the transformer who oversaw social behaviour, punished a greedy person for being possessive and wasteful of fresh water from the natural spring.”

Read the story in Campus Resident (page 7)  http://issuu.com/unapublications/docs/campusresident_vol2_10?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222

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2011 Workplace Experiences Survey Nov. 1-18

Faculty and staff are invited to share their experience at UBC by taking the Workplace Experiences Survey. The survey will be open from Nov. 1-18.

Visit http://www.focusonpeople.ubc.ca/ for the direct link to the survey and for more information.

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CUFA BC accepting nominations for annual Distinguished Academics Awards

The Confederation of University Faculty Associations of BC (CUFA BC) is accepting nominations for its annual Distinguished Academics Awards. Nominations for the Early in Career Award, Academic of the Year Award, and the Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award are open until Feb. 9, 2012.

Information and nomination forms can be found at: www.cufa.bc.ca/awards. The gala dinner and awards night take place April 11, 2012.

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UBC Heat vs. UBC Thunderbirds

For the first time in a varsity event, UBC’s Okanagan campus men and women’s volleyball teams will play against UBC’s Vancouver campus teams.

The Heat will host the Thunderbirds in Kelowna this Friday evening of Nov. 4. The women’s match is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the men will play at 8 p.m. UBC Okanagan TV will be live-streaming the game at goheat.ca/live.

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Fair Trade practices survey

UBC Sustainability Initiative is conducting a survey to learn more about the university’s purchasing habits and how they relate to Fair Trade products. For a chance to win one of four $25 UBC Bookstore gift cards, complete the survey at https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_blvD9XgZJsgbabG.

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Betwixt and Between exhibition at UBC Library

UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) presents “Betwixt and Between: The Art and Influences of Charles van Sandwyk”.

Charles van Sandwyk, an internationally celebrated artist and illustrator, earned worldwide acclaim after illustrating the 2005 edition of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. He is the author and illustrator of several books including The Parade to Paradise, How to See Fairies and Sketches from the Dream Island of Birds.

The exhibition explores some of the connections between van Sandwyk and the artists, writers and teachers who inspired his artistic career. From fairies and anthropomorphized animals to detailed drawings of the natural world, van Sandwyk’s whimsical illustrations appeal to both children and adults.

Betwixt and Between is hosted by RBSC.

Date: Nov. 1 – Dec. 17
Time: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Mon-Fri)
Place: Level one, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
Info: Free admission. Open to the public

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Faculty of Education mathematics and science fair

UBC’s Faculty of Education is holding a mathematics and science fair for the community that will feature interactive experiments and games to encourage students of all ages to see and use mathematics and science in everyday life. As part of Celebrate Learning Week, the event will include a number of stations appropriate for different grade groups, K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. Students and their parents can participate in the hands-on activities and move freely from one to another.

Date:  Nov. 5
Time: 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Place:  Scarfe North, 2nd Floor, 2125 Main Mall
Info: Register http://blogs.ubc.ca/mmilner/math-science-fair-2011

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UBC Players Club presents Festival Dionysia

The UBC Players Club Dionysia Short Performance and One Act Festival will be featuring seven short performances by Don Nigro, Oscar Wilde and Bertolt Brecht as well as original works and talent of over 40 local and UBC young artists.

Date: Nov. 9-13
Time: 7:30 – 10 p.m.
Place:  Dorothy Somerset Studios, 6361 University Boulevard
Info:  Reserve tickets dionysiafestival@ubcplayersclub.com    www.ubcplayersclub.com

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UBC Green College presents an evening of poetry

This November, Play Chthonics Reading Series 2011/12 presents celebrated local writers Daphne Marlatt and Meredith Quartermain in an evening of poetry and conversation in Green College’s Graham House.

Marlatt is the founding co-editor of Tessera, the bilingual journal of feminist theory and is the author of ten collections of poetry. Her most recent book is The Given (2008).

Quartermain’s Vancouver Walking (2005) won the BC Book Award for Poetry, and Nightmarker (2008) was a finalist for the Vancouver Book Award. Her work appears regularly in The Walrus, Canadian Literature, Matrix, and Prism International, and she is co-founder of Nomados Literary Publishers.

Date:  Nov. 16
Time:  5 p.m.
Place: Graham House at Green College, 6201 Cecil Green Park Road
Info: Free admission (limited seating)  http://playchthonics.blogspot.com/

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Asia Pacific Memo update – Asia at the 2011 Cannes G20 (Theme Edition)

The G20 will take place from Nov. 3 to 4, 2011 in Cannes, France. In a series of memos, Asian Pacific Memo examines the role and impact of the five Asian members (China, India, Japan, Korea, and India).

• Nov 2 – “G20 and the Five Asian Powers”, by UBC Prof. Yves Tiberghien
• Nov 3 – “China a Balancer Between US and EU at the G20”, by Peking University Prof. Wang Yong

For more information, visit http://www.asiapacificmemo.ca/

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How Social Media are Changing Journalism

From the Middle East protests to the Occupy movement to the Vancouver riots, people are sharing their impressions, photos and video through social media. Through breaking news on Twitter to recommending a news story on Facebook, social media are becoming ever more ingrained in journalism.  UBC Continuing Studies and the UBC Graduate School of Journalism are hosting a discussion about the role of social media in journalism.

Speakers include:
• Liz Heron is a Social Media Editor at The New York Times, where she taps into social networks for newsgathering, creative distribution and community engagement.

• Alfred Hermida is an associate professor at the UBC Graduate School of Journalism, a digital media scholar, journalism educator and online news pioneer, who is currently working on a book about social media and journalism.

• Karen Pinchin has worked as a reporter, researcher and editor, in print and online, for Maclean’s, The Canadian Press and Newsweek International. The founding editor of OpenFile Vancouver, Pinchin is on the vanguard of old media methods used in a Web 2.0 world.

• Steve Pratt, Director of CBC Radio 3 and CBC Radio Digital Programming, is a regular speaker on the subjects of the future of music, the future of media, training traditional media in using new media, and the power and proper execution of social networking.

Date:    Nov. 7
Time:    7 p.m.
Place:   UBC Robson Square, 800 Robson Street
Info:     Free admission.  Pease register at http://socialmediapolitics-eorg.eventbrite.com/

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