UBC This Week 11-Jul-2013

UBC Chemical and Biological Engineering professor John Grace is among 34 new Officers of the Order of Canada—one of Canada’s highest civilian honours recognizing a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to community and service to Canada.

Grace is being recognized for his contributions as a chemical engineer, notably to the development of cleaner technology for industrial processes and energy production.

Announced by Governor General of Canada David Johnston on June 28, 2013, Grace will accept his insignia at a ceremony to be held at a later date. For more information, click here.

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Pieter R. Cullis, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has been appointed as the new Director of the Life Sciences Institute (LSI), effective immediately.

As director of the LSI, Cullis will work to nurture, expand and coordinate the work of its nine research groups and their scientists, who continually advance understanding of biological processes and disease, identifying targets and pathways for new treatments and raising the profile of UBC as a leader in the life sciences. For more information, click here.

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Faculty of Forestry professors John Nelson and Gary Bull have been recognized for partnering with the Maiyoo Keyoh Society to deliver a course on sustainable forest management.

In the course, students work with the First Nation community to develop forest management plans. The Maiyoo Keyoh Society approached UBC’s Faculty of Forestry in 2007 looking for help to develop high-level plans to protect local forest habitat, wildlife and cultural resources.

For the past six years, groups of students from Nelson and Bull’s Forestry 424 class have visited different Keyohs and developed plans for community forestry projects. The students gain a better understanding of local community values and how to apply knowledge about Aboriginal rights and title. This prepares them for their future careers as foresters and working with Aboriginal communities.

Nelson and Bull were honoured at a Dene ilhuana hooz leh event, which means “bring people together.” The celebration, held in Fort St. John on JuIy 1, was the first of its kind that the Keyohs have held in 40 to 50 years. For more information, visit here.

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Chemical and Biological Engineering professor David Wilkinson received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Canadian and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association. The award recognizes Wilkinson’s life-long personal involvement in fuel cell technology which includes closing technology gaps, providing a basis for future generations of fuel cells, integrating fuel cell technology with clean energy approaches, and simplifying the overall fuel cell system and energy pathways. For more information, click here.

Materials Engineering professors Warren Poole and Akram Alfantazi received Canadian Materials Awards at the 25th Canadian Materials Science Conference in Montreal in June 2013, where each gave a keynote address on their research accomplishments. Poole, who received the Physics Award, is internationally recognized for his contributions to the development of lightweight materials such as aluminum and magnesium for the automotive industry. Alfantazi, who received the Chemistry Award, leads one of the largest academic research groups in corrosion. For more information, click here.

Chemical and Biological Engineering professor Savvas Hatzikiriakos and colleagues James Feng and Elod Gyenge, have been awarded an NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplements Grant, providing them with additional resources to accelerate progress and maximize the impact of their research into superhydrophobic, superslippery, nanopatterned metallic and polymeric surfaces. For more information, click here.

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Bill Clifford, a clinical instructor in the Department of Family Practice, and Robert McCormack, an associate professor and the associate head, Fraser in the Department of Orthopaedics, received the 2013 Excellence in B.C. Health Care Awards from the Health Employers Association of B.C. For more information, click here.

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The Museum of Vancouver, UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, the Vancouver Public Space Network, Maker Faire Vancouver, and Spacing magazine invite the public to an interactive landscape at the 700 block of Granville Street of downtown Vancouver. Three teams will be using hundreds of super-sized polystyrene building blocks to create giant games, social machines, and art installations. People of all ages are welcome to watch, encourage and experience. Register by emailing upcycledurbanism@museumofvancouver.ca.

Date: July 13, 2013
Time: 10 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Place: 700-block, Granville Street, Vancouver
Info: Click here.

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