UBC This Week

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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 named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2010

UBC has topped Canada’s Best Diversity Employers list for the third consecutive year, among 44 other Canadian employers.  UBC is the only post-secondary institution in BC to receive this recognition in the 2010 roster and is one of four national academic institutions to be awarded.

Winners of the competition are chosen by Mediacorp’s editorial team, based on applications submitted to the annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers project.  This year, more than 2,600 employers started the application process, which was reduced to just over 300 short-listed employers for the diversity competition.

“This award recognizes that UBC is putting its commitment to equity and diversity into action,” says Tom Patch, Assoc. Vice-President, UBC Equity Office. “Advancing diversity at UBC is about more than a diverse workforce; it’s about ensuring that diverse perspectives are included and welcomed throughout the organization. Achieving these goals will take time, but this award indicates that we are moving quickly and in the right direction.”

For more information, http://www.equity.ubc.ca/ and http://www.canadastop100.com/diversity/

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UBC receives most Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements

Nine UBC students were awarded Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements under the Canada Graduate Scholarships Program from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada — the most of any university in Canada.

The award supports high-caliber Canadian graduate students as they pursue research experiences at institutions outside of Canada.  UBC recipients include:

• Andrew Hamilton – PhD in Civil Engineering
• Lei Hua – PhD in Statistics
• Jean-Michel Lauzon – PhD in Chemistry
• Milica Mandic– PhD in Zoology
• Eranda Harinath Puwakkatiya Kankanamge – PhD in Electrical & Computer Engineering
• David Toews –  PhD in Zoology
• Brent Chamberlain – PhD in Forestry
• Jennifer Choi – PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Brendan Cully – PhD in Computer Science

For more information about the award, visit: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Media-Media/NewsRelease-CommuniqueDePresse_eng.asp?ID=188.

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UBC Co-op Programs celebrate 30 years during National Co-operative Education Week

National Co-operative Education Week is being celebrated in Canada this year from March 22-26.  For 30 years, UBC’s co-op programs have provided thousands of students with transformational, educationally enriched experiential learning opportunities.
 
During 2009/10, 2,950 UBC students—from the faculties of Applied Science, Arts, Forestry, Science and Sauder School of Business—participated in full-time, paid co-operative education work terms with employers across Canada; 211 of these students completed work terms outside of Canada, more than any other BC university. UBC’s newest co-op program, in Human Kinetics, will have its first placements in May 2010. Co-operative Education programs enable students to combine multiple, full-time, paid work terms with their degree programs, enriching their education with hands-on experience.
 
Further information about UBC’s co-op programs is available at www.coop.ubc.ca or contact Julie Walchli at julie.walchli@ubc.ca or 604.827.5194.

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Director of UBC Bookstore wins US national award

Debbie Harvie, Managing Director of UBC Bookstore, was presented with the 2010 Aspen Award by the US National Association of College Stores (NACS) which recognizes a college retailer who has made “consistent contributions to the professional development of others.”

Harvie, past NACS president and president of the NACS Foundation, has dedicated more than 20 years of service to the association.  Harvie also facilitated education sessions and served as a member of the NACS Board of Trustees from 2001-06, the NACSCORP Board of Directors from 2005-07 and the NACS Foundation Board of Directors from 2005-10.

Prior to her start at UBC Bookstore in 1990, Harvie began her career as an area manager for a chain of bookstores across Canada and worked at Simon Fraser University in 1985.

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Mechanical engineering professor honoured by the University of Tokyo

UBC Mechanical Engineering Prof. Yusuf Altintas has been named Fellow of the School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, for his distinguished achievements in machine tool dynamics and control and for his meritorious collaborations with the school.

The title of “Fellow, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo” is granted to persons who have their main base of activity at institutions abroad and who have carried out distinguished achievements in scholarship or education in the engineering field as well as meritorious service to the education or research at this school through exchanges with it and whose continued support via exchanges can be expected.

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Team of UBC students selected for entrepreneurship boot camp

A team of UBC students was selected to participate in the inaugural VeloCity Entrepreneurship Bootcamp  which will be held this summer at the University of Waterloo.

Chris Hughes and Alexander Jettel from computer science along with commerce teammate Lars Peterson make up the Aetas Solution team.  They developed a technology that provides business owners easy access to schedule appointments and access their customer database from any online device.

At the bootcamp, the team will be mentored by Canadian entrepreneurs.  They will learn how to develop their product and prepare it for launch to a Canadian market.

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UBC’s Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering partners for Mongolian mining training program

UBC’s Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering recently announced an agreement between the Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST), UBC and EduMine to jointly offer an advanced educationprogram for mining professionals in Mongolia. The joint program intends to provide applied training and skills for professionals in Mongolia’s rapidly developing mining industry.

For more info visit: www.mining.ubc.ca

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UBC achievements at the Paralympic Games

UBC Dentistry alumnus Jim Armstrong is part of Team Canada, which won the gold medal in Paralympic wheelchair curling.

Sport sociology and PhD student Andrea Bundon was the guide for Courtney Knight, a visually-impaired cross-country skier.  Knight and Bundon, who is also captain of UBC’s varsity rowing team, placed 9th in the women’s 3km biathlon, 11th in the women’s 5km classic and made it to the semi-finals for the women’s 1km sprint classic. 

The Paralympic Torch Relay at UBC was celebrated by 3,000 people on March 12: http://www.webcommunications.ubc.ca/ubc2010/whats-on/paralympic-torch-relay/

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Arts Wednesdays features UBC Dean of Arts

The next event of Arts Wednesdays public speaker series will feature Nancy Gallini, Dean of the Faculty of Arts.  Gallini will share her unique perspective on the rapidly changing nature of Arts education in our community.  From AIDS research and world economic downturns, to international conflict and climate change, the humanities, social sciences and performing arts all have a role to play in the continuing dialogue surrounding these challenges. Gallini will discuss how the Arts give context to issues and help debate, formulate and communicate the ideas that can lead to  solutions.

Following her remarks, Gallini will be interviewed by former CBC host and UBC Adjunct Prof. Kathryn Gretsinger.

Date: March 31
Time: 6 p.m.
 Place: UBC Robson Square, 800 Robson Street
Info: Free admission – all are welcome.

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Fine printing luminary at the Learning Centre

UBC Library and the Alcuin Society present a free lecture entitled Fine Printing and the Imagination featuring Peter Rutledge Koch, an artist, printer, writer and publisher of fine editions and artist books from Berkeley, CA.

Koch’s work includes more than 100 books, hundreds of broadsides and prints. Recently, Koch has been artist-in-residence at the Scuola Grafica di Venezia in Venice, Italy. In 2005 he co-founded The CODEX Foundation to preserve and promote the art and craft of the book.  He is the Director of the Biennial CODEX International Book Fair, Symposium, and publishing program.

 Date: March 26
 Time: 1:30 – 3 p.m.
 Place: Dodson Room, level three of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, 1961 East Mall

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