UBC This Week | Aug. 24, 2006

UBC This Week is a weekly summary of UBC people in the news, recent media releases and upcoming event hightlights. UBC This Week past issues are also available on-line.

Sign up for UBC This Week and other UBC Public Affairs e-mail services at www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/eservices.

Recent UBC Media Releases

• Aug. 17: UBC-led team uncovers faintest stars ever seen in ancient star cluster
• Aug. 17: UBC Education experts ready to comment on K-12 back-to-school issues

Upcoming Event Highlights

• Aug. 31: Graduate student orientation
• Aug. - Dec.: Acts of Transformation: From War Toys to Peace Art

Find out what else is happening at UBC this week. For sports events, visit the UBC Athletics site at www.gothunderbirds.ca/schedule.asp.

UBC People

• New IRES Director announced
• UBC student team wins prize for new venture business plan
• Enhanced wireless access for UBC visitors
• Changes in the Office of UBC International

UBC People

New IRES Director announced

Gunilla Öberg has been named the new Director of the Institute of Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), in conjunction with the UBC Faculty of Graduate Studies. She joins UBC from the Tema Institute at Linköpings University in Sweden, where she was the Director of the Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research and Professor in Water and Environmental Studies. Her main focus of research is the biogeochemistry of chlorine and the use of scientific knowledge in the environmental field.

For more information: www.ires.ubc.ca.

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UBC student team wins prize for new venture business plan

A team of UBC students and alumni has won the US $15,000 first runner up prize in the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan international competition for a start-up company business plan, beating out 13 other teams from around the world. The team includes UBC graduates Janice Cheam (B.Comm. '06), Salim Hassan (B.Comm. '06) and Lauren Kulokas (B.A.Sc. '06), along with fourth-year electrical engineering student Jon Hallam.

The team’s invention of the PowerTab, a wireless device that provides users with real-time feedback about household energy consumption, will support residential consumers to reduce energy waste and save money. This business plan also won two national competitions in 2005: the UBC Sauder School of Business Enterprize Business Plan Competition and Natural Resources Canada's Energy Ambassadors competition. The competition at the Singapore Management University is the first competition organized specially for undergraduate, college and polytechnic students.

For more information: www.smu.edu.sg.

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Enhanced wireless access for UBC visitors

UBC has entered into a one-year trial with FatPort, Canada's largest WiFi hotspot provider, to provide access management services over UBC's existing wireless network. Short-term visitors to the Point Grey and Robson Square campuses will now be able to purchase access to the network using FatPort's existing authentication and payment mechanisms.

As part of the trial, FatPort has also agreed to provide free roaming to all UBC staff, faculty and students across its network, throughout Vancouver and across Canada. As a result, members of the UBC community can obtain wireless Internet access via any FatPort hotspot – without cost.

For more information: www.it.ubc.ca/wireless/fatport.

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Changes in the Office of UBC International

The Office of UBC International has been merged into the Office of the Associate Vice President International. Winnie Cheung has been appointed Director, International Community Engagement in managing partnerships with community organizations, businesses, government agencies and the Consular Corp in Vancouver. A search will begin immediately to fill the newly created position of Director, International Affairs with the departure of Ken McGillivray, Director of UBC International.

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