UBC This Week 29-Nov-2012

Recent UBC Media Releases

Nov. 29 Inviting customer complaints can kill business: UBC research
Nov. 27 HIV/AIDS Treatment as Prevention strategy working in B.C. Montaner calls for national implementation
Nov. 26 UBC experts for comment on NHL lockout
Nov. 26 UBC experts for comment on U.S. fiscal cliff
Nov. 23 UBC experts for comment on Doha climate conference
Nov. 23 UBC, SFU to further global sustainable mining practices through $25M Institute
Nov. 22 UBC celebrates Royal Society inductees

Upcoming Event Highlights

Nov. 29 FIREtalk: Sustainable Practices
Nov. 29 Reading/Performance by Eleanor Antin at the Belkin
Nov. 30 Challenges and Change in Canada’s Education Systems
Nov. 30 Contemporary Players
Dec. 1-30 Peerless Prodigies of P.T. Barnum
Dec. 1 University Singers, UBC Choral Union, UBC Symphony Orchestra: Magnificat
Dec. 1 Wreath-Making Course
 Dec. 2 Norm Theatre – ‘Lawless’
Dec. 3 Understanding violence: How do we stop the bleeding?
Dec. 3 A Tale of Two Parks: The Cultural Histories of Wilderness
Dec. 4 UBC Faculty & Staff Seasonal Concert
Dec. 4 MFA Open Studios
Dec. 4 La francophonie de la Colombie-Britannique: Mémoire et fiction
Dec. 5 GPS/Career Services Event: Resume and Cover Letter Clinic
Dec. 5 What Can I do with my Science Major?
Dec. 6 Youth Circle: Aboriginal eMentoring BC – Building Pathways to Health Careers for Aboriginal Youth
Dec. 6 Joint Community of Practice Social
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.

 

UBC People


UBC People

UBC faculty inducted into American Association for the Advancement of Science

Four UBC faculty members have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The honour is awarded to researchers whose work has advanced science or its applications.

• Beverley Green, professor of Botany, was elected for her contributions to the field of photosynthesis, particularly the biochemistry of light-harvesting complexes and molecular evolution of the chloroplast.

• Patrick Keeling, professor of Botany, was elected for his contributions to the fields of evolutionary biology, biodiversity, and microbiology, in particular relating to protistology and the early evolution of complex cells.

• Geoffrey Wasteneys, professor of Botany, was elected for his contributions to the field of plant cell biology, particularly for innovative integration of microscopy with molecular-genetics to model cytoskeletal organization.

• Judy Illes, professor of Neurology in the Department of Medicine, was elected for her pioneering leadership in neuroethics — an interdisciplinary field dedicated to the ethical, legal, social and policy implications of advances in neuroscience.

This year’s class of 702 fellows joins the world’s largest general scientific society. Founded in 1848, AAAS is the publisher of the journal Science and includes 261 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals.

For more information on Green, Keeling, and Wasteneys, click here. For more information on Illes, click here.

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UBC to lead national study of HIV’s effects on women and their children

UBC will lead a pan-Canadian study examining accelerated aging in women resulting from HIV infection or antiretroviral therapy, as well as the same phenomena in their children. The project includes three principal investigators at UBC: Helene Cote, an associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Deborah Monpy, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Neora Pick, a clinical associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. For more information, click here.

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UBC inventor wins grant from Grand Challenges Canada

Christian Kastrup, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has won a $100,000 grant from Grand Challenges Canada to develop a low-cost, easily-administered treatment for post-partum bleeding for use in low-income countries. His proposal was one of 17 selected from 60 submissions to the “Stars in Global Health” program of Grand Challenges Canada, which is funded by the federal government. Ideas that are proven to be effective will be eligible for additional funding up to $1 million. For more information, click here.

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UBC post-doctoral fellow recognized for research excellence

Jennifer Bruin, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, received a $20,000 L’Oréal-UNESCO Research Excellence Fellowship from L’Oréal Canada and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. As a member of Dr. Timothy Kieffer’s lab in the Diabetes Research Group, Bruin is developing ways to produce pancreatic islets from stem cells. For more information, click here.

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Civil Engineering prof awarded Norman Medal

UBC Civil Engineering Assistant Professor Mahdi Taiebat, along with his co-authors, received the 2012 Norman Medal of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) during the ASCE annual conference in Montreal in October 2012. ASCE chose the team’s paper “SANISTEEL: Simple Anisotropic Steel Plasticity Model,” which was published in the February 2011 issue of the Journal of Structural Engineering. For more information, click here.

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32 Aboriginal UBC students receive scholarships from the Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship Society

Thirty-two UBC students are among the 167 Aboriginal students in B.C. who today were awarded scholarships by the Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship Society. The Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship granted a total of $459,000 to support students studying at post-secondary colleges and universities throughout the province. UBC had the greatest number of recipients than any other post-secondary institution.

The awards range between $1,000 and $5,500 and are issued to students through a competitive process every year. Twenty-three of this year’s 167 awards are from a new fund established to support Aboriginal students pursuing certification as teachers.

For more information, visit http://www.bcscholarship.ca/web/files/Aboriginal%20Nov%202012%20News%20Release.pdf

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UBC grad student honoured with Mitacs Outstanding Research Achievement

UBC graduate student Joanna Triscott has won the Mitacs Graduate Award for Outstanding Research Achievement. Triscott partnered with B.C. Children’s Hospital through a Mitacs-Accelerate internship to conduct research involving the personalization of treatment for pediatric brain tumors. Because of this research, B.C. Children’s Hospital can how examine all new cases of pediatric brain tumors throughout Western Canada with precision and accuracy, thus reducing the intensity of treatment for children with cancer while still effectively treating the disease. For more information, visit www.mitacs.ca.

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New clinic to study mental illness

A teaching and research clinic for treating mental illness, focused on individual and family mental health and well-being, has opened at UBC’s Okanagan campus. The Interprofessional Clinic is a collaborative venture between the Schools of Social Work and Nursing in the Faculty of Health and Social Development and the Psychology Department in the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences. For more information, click here.

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Killam prize symposium broadcast on CBC Radio’s IDEAS

Winners of the Canada Council’s Killam Prizes came together at the first Annual Killam Prize Symposium at Rideau Hall on Nov. 20. The panel discussion was hosted by David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada, and moderated by CBC Radio’s IDEAS host, Paul Kennedy. A broadcast of the event will air on CBC’s IDEAS on Nov. 30 at 9 p.m. For more information on the program, click here. For more information on the laureates, click here.

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Davis Cup ticket sales begin Dec. 3

On Feb. 1-3, 2013, Canada will take on Spain in Davis Cup action at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre at UBC. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. This is the second year in a row that the Davis Cup will be held at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Last year the event sold out within minutes of going on public sale.

The Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre has increased capacity by nearly 1,400 seats for a total of 6,400 available tickets per day for this year’s tournament. For more information about the Davis Cup and ticket sales, click here.

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24/7 hours at the Learning Centre

Back by popular demand, the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre will be open 24 hours a day from Dec. 2-18 to accommodate students during the fall exam season. For more information, visit the Library website.

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Donate to the United Way and win a trip for two

UBC faculty and staff who donate to the 2012 UBC Vancouver campus United Way Campaign through the United Way E-Pledge or a paper pledge form will be automatically entered into a draw for a trip for two to anywhere in Canada or the continental U.S.A. Pledges must be made before Dec. 8 at 11:59 p.m. and must be made by staff or faculty of UBC’s Vancouver campus. The prize draw will take place on Dec. 10. Members who have already given have been entered in the draw.

Every year UBC holds a fundraising campaign for the United Way of the Lower Mainland and United Way of the Central Okanagan. By making pledges to the United Way, UBC faculty and staff are helping to support more than 190 non-profit organizations meeting the health and social needs of our communities.

For more information, click here.

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Engineering fall preview day

UBC Engineering professors, students and staff will introduce the world of engineering through one-on-one conversations, presentations, hands-on demonstrations and lab tours.

Date:  Dec. 1, 2012
Time:  9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Place:  Lobby, 2360 East Mall, Chemical & Biological Engineering Building
Parking: 2250 Health Science Mall, Health Sciences Parkade
Info: Lab tour schedule

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Annual Faraday Science Show: Go with the Flow, the Phenomenal Science of Fluids

The Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Chemistry present the Faraday Show, UBC’s annual science lecture designed for children. The theme this year is “Go with the Flow, the Phenomenal Science of Fluids.”

Date: Dec. 9, 2012
Time: 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Place: UBC Hebb Theatre, 2045 East Mall
Directions and parking, click here
Info: Free admission. Bring non-perishable food items to support Greater Vancouver Food Bank.  For more information, click here.

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Asia Pacific Memo: Thailand Increases Controls on Cyberspace Through Use of Archaic Laws; Upcoming Canada-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement

Twice-weekly, Asia Pacific Memo series publishes short text memos or video interviews on current issues in Asia and across the Pacific at http://www.asiapacificmemo.ca/.

• Thailand Increases Controls on Cyberspace Through Use of Archaic Laws, by Kieran Bergmann at the University of Toronto

• Upcoming Canada-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement – Lessons Learned from Korea, by Justin Elavathil, UBC MAAPPS alumni

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