UBC This Week 04-Jul-2013

Research to improve performance measurement and reporting of community-based primary health care received a boost when federal Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq awarded funding to 12 innovation teams. The UBC team, co-led by Associate Prof. Sabrina Wong, in the School of Nursing and Assistant Prof. Kim McGrail, in the School of Population and Public Health, received a $2.4 million grant, co-funded with $1.9 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and $500,000 from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. For more information, click here.

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Donald E. Brooks, a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, has won the inaugural 2013 Blood Safety Innovation Award from Terumo BCT, a Colorado-based maker of blood component, therapeutic apheresis and cellular technologies. The award is part of a program that supports one or more grants up to $100,000 to fund innovative science and research that will generate novel blood safety practices. For more information, click here.

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The IEEE, the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology, has singled out UBC Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Emeritus Hermann Dommel for its 2013 Medal in Power Engineering. Dommel was recognised for his pioneering contributions to the methods of analyzing electromagnetic transients and optimal power flow in electric power systems. For more information, click here.

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Rebecca Armstrong, Thomas Chelliah and ErinRose Handy are the recipients of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service in recognition of their positive impact on the Faculty of Applied Science.

As secretary to the director of the School of Nursing, Armstrong is known as the human portal for the school, providing assistance and information with a human touch, her generous spirit and engaging approach ensuring that the school’s reputation for compassion and competence is sustained.

In his supervisory role of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) technical staff, Chellilah is recognized for his commitment and enthusiasm to his work, ensuring that Applied Science students are provided an outstanding lab environment to enhance their educational experience.

Handy, Manager of Marketing and External Communications, seen as a mentor, faculty champion and the ‘go-to person at the university’ by her colleagues, is recognized for her exemplary work and efforts in promoting the faculty and students.

For more information, click here.

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On June 21, Ministry of Education representatives participated in Connecting Self-Regulation to Learning in B.C. Schools, a day of dialogue at UBC with 230 educational professionals from around the province. Dean Goodman (Lead for Strategic Education Transformation) and Maureen Dockendorf (Superintendent of Reading) endorsed transforming K-12 education in B.C. by minimizing restrictive regulations and actively promoting learner-centered education. There is compelling research from UBC and elsewhere, and overwhelming interest from around the province in support of this initiative. For more information, click here.

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At the International Conference on Information Processing in Computer-Assisted Interventions (IPCAI), researchers from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Robotics and Control Lab received two best paper awards. Members of the lab focused on their work in augmenting 3D ultrasound images and methods of using 3D ultrasound to guide robotic assisted surgery. For more information, click here.

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Computer Science Associate Professor Cristina Conati and PhD student Samad Kardan received the 2013 User Modeling, Adaptation, and Personalization (UMAP) Best Paper Award for their work on “Comparing and Combining Eye Gaze and Interface Actions for Determining User Learning with an Interactive Simulation.” For more information, click here.

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The School of Engineering at UBC’s Okanagan campus was recently reviewed by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board and received strong scores. Spiro Yannacopoulos, the school’s director and Associate Dean of Applied Science, says that since the engineering programs are fairly new and established in 2005, it was important that they be fully accredited by the board. For more information, click here.

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Masters of Biomedical Engineering student Florin Gheorghe received the 2012-13 B.C. Medtech Award in Biomedical Engineering. This award recognizes entrepreneurial and scholarly achievement, and strong leadership by graduate students in biomedical engineering. For more information, click here.

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While still a patient receiving chemotherapy for lymphoma, recent UBC graduate Andrew Campbell (B. Kinesiology ‘13) ran the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-marathon on June 23 to raise funds for Richmond Hospital’s Cancer Care Clinic where he receives treatment. Fellow UBC graduate Jeff Homer (B. Engineering) also ran the race in support of Campbell. Both will be returning to UBC next year, with Campbell taking courses in preparation for pursuing a Bachelor of Education and Homer entering the masters program in engineering. Read the full story here.

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Theatre at UBC alumni swept the directing category of the 31st annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards held on June 24th. The awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of the Vancouver professional theatre community.

UBC alumni winners:
• Outstanding Direction, Large Theatre: BFA acting alumna Johnna Wright, for The Merry Wives of Windsor – Bard on the Beach
• Outstanding Lighting Design, Small Theatre: BFA design alumnus Alan Brodie, for Terminus – Pi Theatre
• Outstanding Direction, Small Theatre: MFA directing alumnus Craig Holzschuh, for Porc-épic – Théâtre la Seizième
• The Mary Philips Award for Behind-the-Scenes Achievement: BA acting alumna Tanya Dixon-Warren
• GVPTA Career Achievement Award: BA English alumna Anna Hagan (and Terence Kelly)
• The Ray Michal Prize for Most Promising New Director: MFA directing (‘13) alumna Chelsea Haberlin

For a complete list of recipients, click here.

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Scholars and members of the public are invited to the Brain Matters! conference in Vancouver on March 12-14, 2014 to explore the implications of brain science and social responsibility. Academic abstract submissions and registration are now being accepted. For more information, click here.

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