UBC This Week 03-Jan-2013

Law professor Benjamin Perrin has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He was nominated by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute for Public Policy for his work at the forefront of the human trafficking issue as a driving force for important legislative changes and policy improvements. For more information, click here.

Mechanical Engineering professor emeritus Muhammad Iqbal received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his humanitarianism and philanthropy. Iqbal was presented with his medal by Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra Joyce Murray at a ceremony on December 16, 2012. For more information, click here.

Fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student Shalaleh Rismani received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her cultural outreach within her community. Rismani was presented with her medal by Nassreen Filsoof, president and founder of Canadian Iranian Foundation, on December 16, 2012. For more information, click here.

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The first oral health research centre between a North American university and a hospital in Southeast Asia was opened by UBC Dentistry in Vietnam on December 13, 2012. The centre is a partnership between the National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology in Ho Chi Minh City and the Faculty of Dentistry of UBC. Read more here.

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A new physiotherapy teaching lab opened in Prince George to support the new Northern and Rural Cohort of UBC’s Master of Physical Therapy program. The teaching lab, at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), expands upon the nearly decade-long partnership between UBC’s Faculty of Medicine and UNBC that enabled the distribution of MD undergraduate education program to the northern part of the province. For more information, click here.

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UBC English professor Sherrill Grace has been nominated to become a member of AcademiaNet. Launched in 2010 by Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, AcademiaNet is an online databank that brings women researchers into the spotlight. For more information, click here.

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Professor of Civil Engineering Michael Isaacson was inducted President of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC) at its 93rd annual general meeting in Victoria. Isaacson has served as Head of Civil Engineering and as Dean of Applied Science at UBC. With research interests in coastal and ocean engineering, he is Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a former Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. For more information, click here.

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In a report prepared for the Men’s Health Initiative of B.C., Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc and colleagues studied the health of boys (12 to 18 years) and young men (19 to 25 years) in British Columbia. The data provides a picture of the key factors that contribute to the health of boys and young men in Western Canada, and can serve as a source of information to help guide priority setting for health promotion and policy. The report, The XY Factor: The State of Boys’ and Young Men’s Health in BC, was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Vancouver Coastal Health. For more information, click here.

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ORW Opportunities through Rehabilitation and Work Society, a non-profit advocating for persons with disabilities, donated $50,000 to endow the ORW Opportunities through Rehabilitation and Work Society Graduate Award. The award is given to UBC graduate students whose research addresses how policy change can reduce or remove barriers to employment and enhance workplace inclusiveness for persons with disabilities. After decades advocating for persons with disabilities, the directors of ORW made the decision to disband and chose UBC to receive their gift and continue on supporting their mission. For more information, click here.

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UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences students Esther Chan and Cindy Pan placed among the top four in the 2012 Canadian Healthcare Network Pharmacy Student Video Competition. Their submission, “Canada’s Next Top Pharmacist,” featured a parody of America’s Next Top Model with a message about the expanding scope of the profession of pharmacy. To view the video, click here.

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As of January 2, 2013, level two access to UBC Library in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre – which includes bookstacks and Library services in the north wing – will be relocated due to a renovation project. Access is now on level four from the Golden Jubilee Room, via the central staircase or the elevator. The Library thanks everyone for their understanding as they work to improve the Library spaces and services.

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UBC’s Department of Athletics and Recreation will celebrate the opening of the new Gerald McGavin Rugby Centre at UBC’s Vancouver campus with an open house on January 8. The UBC community is invited to the open house to tour the new home of fans and athletes of the UBC men’s and women’s rugby teams. The Gerald McGavin Rugby Centre will benefit rugby, high performance sport and social life on campus with the addition of change rooms, offices, bleacher seating and a clubhouse lounge for alumni, students and sport groups.

Date: January 8
Time: 4 – 8 p.m.
Place: 2765 Wesbrook Mall

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The UBC Alumni Achievement Awards, held in November each year honouring the best and brightest, is currently accepting nominations for the 2013 awards. Supporting thinking that will change the world by recognizing outstanding graduates and other members of the UBC community, this evening of celebration is held at the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, and provides an opportunity for recipients to be honored by their peers and provide public recognition of their achievements. Click here to submit a nomination. Nomination deadline is January 31, 2013.

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