UBC This Week | Jun. 28, 2007

UBC This Week is a weekly summary of UBC people in the news, recent media releases and upcoming event highlights. 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

• Jun. 22: Three UBC students among 15 Trudeau Scholars

Upcoming Event Highlights

• Jun. 28: Chinese Migration Workshop
• Jun. 30: Plantsmanship Course (Researching and Growing Interesting Plants)
• Jul. 3: FREE NOON HOUR SERIES - Listening to Nature's Voice

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

• Consultation for University Square starts July 3
• PIMS receives funding for aboriginal math support
• SARS paper receives Paper of the Year award

UBC People

Consultation for University Square starts July 3

UBC’s Board of Governors has asked for a review and development of the aboveground activities and uses of the proposed University Square. A working group of AMS, GSS, faculty, alumni and staff will conduct consultation over the summer and report to the Board by November 2007. A series of events in July invites comment on a draft vision for the square, followed by discussion in September on how best to achieve that vision.

For more information and upcoming consultation events July 3 – 6, visit www.universitytown.ubc.ca/living_neighbourhoods_universityblvd.php.

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PIMS receives funding for aboriginal math support

The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) has received $130,000 in funding from the B.C. Government to increase math participation of Aboriginal students in First Nations schools in the province. PIMS created programs in consultation with First Nations schools and the First Nations Education Steering Committee to provide teachers with training and assistance to help students learn math. The program is expanding to four more First Nations schools in B.C. following a successful pilot in 2005 in Kamloops.

PIMS is an international mathematical centre founded by UBC, Simon Fraser, University of Victoria, University of Calgary and University of Alberta. It promotes mathematics through research, education and training, and links within Canada and with organizations in other countries, focusing on Pacific Rim nations.

For more information, visit www.news.gov.bc.ca/default.asp?organisation_obj_id=0b00921e80000583.

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SARS paper receives Paper of the Year award

Dr. Pamela Hamill, first author and former UBC microbiology and immunology postdoctoral fellow, and Dr. Francois Jean, UBC associate professor in microbiology and immunology, have won the Paper of the Year Award from the Biological Chemistry Journal. The paper, Development of a red-shifted fluorescence based assay for SARS-corona-virus 3CL protease: identification of a novel class of anti-SARS agents from the tropical marine sponge Axinella corrugate, will appear in the September 07 issue of the journal.

Biological Chemistry is the official scientific journal of the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

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