![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Thursday July 17, 2003
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
Midnight Sun battles technical difficultiesUW's Midnight Sun VII solar race car faced some new challenges racing through Oklahoma on the way to Texas yesterday. "Continued motor controller problems have cost the team more time at the side of the road," according to an update on the team's website. After leading the pack for the first leg of the race, the team has experienced a series of technical issues. The American Solar Challenge event will wrap up on Wednesday in Claremont, California. |
VP Paul Guild reported that 44 of the CRCs are coming to fields supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. Seven will be for areas supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and two for areas supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
The chairs are allocated by Ottawa based on how much research in the various fields of study goes on at each Canadian university, and UW's allocation reflects its strengths in the sciences and engineering. Half the chairs (actually 26 out of 53) will be at the "Tier I" upper level, and half -- providing lower funding -- at the "Tier II" junior level.
Guild told the senate about one concern with the appointments made so far: 21 of the 22 CRCs at Waterloo are men.
That's even more of an imbalance than the national figure, which started drawing comment two years ago. Across the country, 16 per cent, about one out of 6, of appointed Canada Research Chairs are women.
Canada-wide, 26 per cent of faculty members are women, said Guild. At UW, the figure ranges from 10 per cent in engineering to 31 per cent in applied health sciences.
There isn't much that can be done about the CRCs in the short term, the vice-president said, but he noted that some sentences have been added to UW's Strategic Research Plan to make a commitment to change:
"UW is conscious of the importance of ensuring that the gender balance within its professoriate is in line with the proportion of men and women in hiring pools for the various disciplines," the plan now says. "In light of findings from the UW report 'Welcoming Women Faculty', a number of new initiatives designed to improve gender balance in the professoriate are being considered."
Commenting on Guild's report, UW provost Amit Chakma reiterated that "what we can do is, first of all, raise awareness. We are not prepared to establish quotas -- we'll only recruit the very best."
Donald Scott, a UW Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the department of chemical
engineering, was awarded the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa by the University
of Zaragorza in Spain last month.
Scott worked for several years with researchers at the Spanish university's department of chemical and environmental engineering on studies using biomass as an energy source. As well, from 1988 to 1998, his research group collaborated with a Spanish utility company, Union Fenosa, on the design, construction and operation of a large demonstration plant in the province of Galicia that used the Waterloo Fast Pyrolysis Process (licensed from UW) to convert biomass into a liquid fuel called bio-oil.
The process (really a group of processes) converts biomass by a simple fluidized bed process to give high yields of liquid (70-80 per cent) that can be used as an alternative fuel oil.
Scott has previously been honoured by Ryerson University with a Fellowship of the University.
After 34 years as UW's librarian, Murray Shepherd is retiring. His colleagues at the library are planning a retirement reception in his honour for next Thursday, July 24 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the University Club. To join the celebration, RSVP to Cheryl Kieswetter, ext. 2282, or ckieswet@library.uwaterloo.ca.
Mature students services' summer luncheon takes place today at The Mongolian Grill from noon to 1 p.m. To reserve a space, call Ann Reed at ext. 2429.
TRACE is offering a skills-based workshop today for all UW instructors and graduate students called "Rethinking Writing Assignments." It takes place from noon to 1:30 p.m. in MC 5158. Facilitators Daniel Olsen and Cara DeHaan from TRACE will look at issues regarding written assignments in large classes. For details, call ext. 3132.
Operation Campus Wide -- a large-scale training event in which mock emergencies are set up across campus and the Campus Response Team is called to respond -- takes place today from 4:30 to 9 p.m.
An information session about the new master of business, entrepreneurship and technology program happens today from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in DC 1304. For details contact Karen Gallant, ext. 7071.
A blood donor clinic continues today in the Student Life Centre multipurpose room. Donors may make an appointment at the turnkey desk, or may drop-in. Walk-in donors without appointments will be accommodated as quickly as possible.
Looking ahead to the weekend, engineering students are mounting two one-act comedies called "The Cards of Fate" and "Hard Candy." Show times are Friday evening at 8 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. in ES2 room 286. Tickets are $6 for the pair of productions, and reservations may be made by contacting producer Emily King at ecking@engmail.uwaterloo.ca.
And on Sunday, an event to entertain the whole family -- Tricky Tracks is a game similar to television's "The Amazing Race." Teams will navigate a course through Waterloo, following clues and earning points. The event wraps up with a prize-giving ceremony and refreshments. The fun will begin at Moses Springer Community Centre at150 Lincoln Road at 3 p.m. For more details, see the Tricky Tracks website.
C&PA