UBC This Week 06-Dec-2012


Recent UBC Media Releases

Dec. 6 UBC experts on all things holiday-related
Dec. 5 UBC’s new Vancouver School of Economics to educate global economic policy leaders
Dec. 4 Examiners tend to grade relative to work already seen: UBC research
Dec. 4 UBC research finds another culprit for obesity: Too much insulin
Dec. 3 Alzheimer’s researcher reveals a protein’s dual destructiveness – and therapeutic potential

Upcoming Event Highlights

Dec. 6 National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
Dec. 6 The Tallis Scholars’ Christmas Concert
Dec. 6 Club de lecture francophone
Dec. 7 What Can I Do With My Arts Major
Dec. 7 Exam Jam Yoga & Relaxation Session
Dec. 8 Fever and Its Mysteries
Dec. 9 Faraday Science Show – Go with the Flow, the Phenomenal Science of Fluids
Dec. 10-11 E-Mental Health 2012 Conference
Dec. 10 Using Contemplative Practices in the Classroom
Dec. 11 Is There Mileage in Democracy? China, Southeast Asia and the Future of ASEAN
Dec. 11 Sleep and your Health
Dec. 12 Youth Circle: Indigenous Role Model Trevor Mack
Dec. 12 The use of animals in research: Trends and public attitudes
Dec. 13 English Graduate Student Holiday Party
Dec. 13 School of Population and Public Health – Admissions Information Session
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

Marc Parlange appointed dean of Applied Science

UBC has announced that Professor Marc Parlange will be the next dean of the Faculty of Applied Science. His five-year appointment commences July 1, 2013.

An expert in water resources engineering, Parlange is currently professor and dean of the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, where he helped lead the development and expansion of the school by recruiting faculty, establishing interdisciplinary academic programs, successful fundraising and building institutional connections throughout Europe.

The appointment of Parlange as the 12th dean of Applied Science follows an extensive international search led by UBC Provost and Vice-President Academic, David Farrar, of UBC’s Vancouver campus and Wes Pue, Provost and Vice-Principal of UBC’s Okanagan campus. The search included consultations with faculty, staff and students.

For more information, click here.

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UBC prof receives BCMA Terry Fox Medal

Dr. Dianne Miller, an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, received the Terry Fox Medal from the B.C. Medical Association (BCMA) in recognition of her leadership in the ovarian cancer field.

A renowned surgeon, educator, clinician, and researcher, Miller was instrumental in co-founding the Ovarian Cancer Research Program at the B.C. Cancer Agency and Vancouver General Hospital, which has successfully brought together her vision of a dynamic team of specialists spanning multiple specialties — all working toward improving outcomes for women with ovarian cancer. Their initiatives include spearheading a major practice change involving fallopian tube removal, which will reduce deaths by ovarian cancer by up to 50 per cent over the next 20 years in B.C.

The Terry Fox Medal is presented by the BCMA to encourage and support the extraordinary commitment, diligence and perseverance of outstanding individuals in their contribution to cancer care, research, or prevention in British Columbia.

For more information, visit http://med.ubc.ca/dianne-miller-receives-bcma-terry-fox-medal/

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UBC members honoured with Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal

Three more members of UBC’s community have received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal:

• Sarah Morgan-Silvester, Chancellor of UBC

• Chuck Slonecker, professor emeritus in Cellular and Physiological Sciences

• Muhammad Iqbal, professor emeritus in Mechanical Engineering

The medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada and serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians. For more information, click here.

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Chemical and Biological Engineering professors recognized

Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor John Grace received the DuPont Particle Technology Forum Award for his contribution to research and education in chemical engineering and for being one of the leading researchers in fluidization and multiphase systems. Grace also received the 2012 Montreal Medal (a Chemical Institute of Canada award) during the 2012 CSChE conference in Vancouver. He gave a plenary lecture entitled “Reflections on the Role and Future of Chemical Engineering” at the conference. For more information, click here.

Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor Xiaotao Bi received the PSRI Lectureship Award in Fluidization during the 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh. This award recognizes outstanding scientific/technical research contributions with impact in the field of fluidization and fluid-particle flow systems. For more information, click here.

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UBC Nursing remembers Beverly Witter DuGas

UBC School of Nursing’s Honorary Professor Beverly Witter DuGas passed away November 22, 2012. Her major contributions to Canadian nursing and nursing education have been recognized with numerous honours. DuGas was a dedicated attendee at many UBC Nursing events in recent years, and was always willing to engage in dialogue and debate about nursing education. A narrative of her life contributions is available on the School of Nursing‘s “Amazing Alumni Stories” page here.

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Startup Weekend at UBC

In UBC’s inaugural Startup Weekend on November 9-11, 50 participants had the opportunity to pitch their ideas and receive coaching from GrowLab, UBC startup Clinicbook, a local angel investor, as well as a former Manning Innovation Award winner. During the event, over 100 Startup Weekends were simultaneously taking part in other cities worldwide competing against each other in a Global Startup Battle for best new startup idea. Startup Weekend UBC challenged Startup Weekend Victoria on Twitter in a hashtag battle – #SWVictoria vs. #SWUBC. To find out more, click here.

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Community Knowledge Mapping Project

A partnership between the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, the UBC Community Learning Initiative and the School of Community and Regional Planning is developing the Community Knowledge Mapping Project, an interactive map of connections between UBC’s faculty, staff, students and potential and existing community partners.

This past September, the project hired research assistant Jan Luedert, a Liu Scholar and PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at UBC, to work with the planning team and two student programmers to develop a new interface for the Knowledge Mapping Tool that will help solicit the kind of information that reflects community interests around research. A video that summarizes the Knowledge Mapping Tool project can be viewed here.

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Nanomedicines and Drug Delivery Group celebrates one year anniversary

The Nanomedicines and Drug Delivery graduate training program, offered by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC, is celebrating a successful first year.

First developed with input from a range of health science organizations, including the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) and B.C. Cancer Agency, the program offers graduate students opportunities to participate in research collaborations with the faculties of Life Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, and Chemistry. To read more, click here.

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UBC Library Innovative Dissemination of Research Award

The submission deadline for the UBC Library Innovative Dissemination of Research Award has passed, and the adjudication period has now begun. The award honours those whose creative use of new tools, technologies or unique approach enhances the ways that research is disseminated. The recipient, announced at the Celebrate Research Week Gala in March 2013, will receive a framed certificate and $2,000 cash.

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Davis Cup promotion for current UBC students

From February 1-3, 2013, Team Canada will take on Team Spain in Davis Cup action at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre at UBC. Tickets sold out to the general public within 80 minutes. However, UBC’s Department of Athletics and Recreation have $10,000 worth of tickets available only for current UBC students.

Date: Dec. 13
Time: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Place: Student Recreation Centre Front Desk
Info: $30 per ticket (before taxes and fees). More info here.

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Final Robson Reading Series event of 2012

The UBC Bookstore, in partnership with the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, will host its final 2012 Robson Reading Series event featuring poets Nyla Matuk (Sumptuary Laws), Matthew Tierney (Probably Inevitable), and novelist and Scotiabank Giller finalist Alix Ohlin (Inside).

Date:  Dec. 13
Time:  7 – 9 p.m.
Place: UBC Bookstore – Robson Square
Info: Register here.

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UBC Press book sale Dec. 13-14; all proceeds go to Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society

UBC Press will be having a book sale of UBC Press and UBC Press-distributed books that are in good condition but cannot be sold in bookstores. They are asking $2 for hardcovers and $1 for paperbacks, or any donation (cash only).

Every penny collected will be given to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, which provides food for up to 25,000 people each week with the help of various programs and in partnership with other organizations. For every $1 they receive, they can purchase $3 worth of food.

Date: Dec. 13-14
Time: 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
Place: 2029 West Mall
Info: http://bit.ly/UBCPress_BookSaleForVanFoodBank

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Twelve days of reading at UBC Library

Every day from December 3-18, UBC Library will post a new review written by Library staff, alumni and fans. Follow their Facebook page to read these reviews of books, digital collections and more.

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Civil Engineering collecting toys for annual Toy Drive

Professor Don Mavinic in Civil Engineering will be collecting new and unwrapped toys for the North Shore Firefighters Annual Toy Drive. A large toy drive box is located at the Civil Engineering front office, second floor, 6250 Applied Science Lane. The firefighters’ target is to collect up to 100,000 toys this year.

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Swirls Christmas Bakeshop available until December 20

The Swirls Christmas Bakeshop is now available until December 20, 2012. Orders for rum balls, gingerbread, mincemeat tarts, traditional Scottish shortbread, gluten free options and more can be placed here.

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Asia Pacific Memo update: China’s Liberalizing Impact on Global Commodity Markets; Digital Generation in Papua New Guinea Emerges

Short text memos or video interviews on current issues in Asia and across the Pacific are published twice-weekly in the Asia Pacific Memo series.

• China’s Liberalizing Impact on Global Commodity Markets, by UBC PhD student Pascale Massot

• Digital Generation in Papua New Guinea Emerges, by Lowy Institute’s Danielle Cave

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