Tuesday, February 16, 2010

  • Waterloo prof flexes intellectual muscles
  • Brad Moggach is next Feds president
  • Professors on sabbatical
  • Waterloo on the Great Wall and other notes
  • Editor:
  • Chris Redmond
  • Communications and Public Affairs
  • bulletin@uwaterloo.ca

Waterloo prof flexes intellectual muscles

Kelley Teahen, CPA

Whitney LackenbauerHistory professor Whitney Lackenbauer (left) is taking part in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games – via a podcast about “Canada and the Changing Circumpolar World.”

Intellectual Muscle is an education program created by Vancouver 2010, the Globe and Mail, and the University of British Columbia as part of a wide range of cultural and educational activities related to the Olympic celebrations. As part of the program, academics from across Canada were invited to record short lectures about topics related to winter and the Olympics.

Button for Olympics education programThe official website for the Vancouver 2010 Games describes these “university dialogues” as “an eclectic and often provocative series of podcasts on topics related to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. From October 2009 to January 2010, 32 short lectures by prominent and up-and-coming Canadian intellectuals were recorded at universities across Canada and made available online as part of Intellectual Muscle.” To hear the podcasts, click on the button at right.

Lackenbauer, currently chair of the history department at St. Jerome’s University, was one of four co-authors honoured in 2009 with the Donner Prize for their book, Arctic Front: Defening Canada in the Far North.

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Brad Moggach is next Feds president

Brad Moggach

Voting in the Federation of Students election finished Thursday; the results were announced on Friday afternoon. The new Feds president for 2010-11 will be arts student Brad Moggach (left), who won with 746 votes. His nearest rival,  Matthew Colphon, received 631 votes; the current president, Allan Babor, took 455 votes.

The rest of "Team Yellow" were also elected: Nikki Best, vice-president internal; Sarah Cook, vice-president administration and finance; and Nick Soave, vice-president education, who was earlier acclaimed. Results for other candidates, including senators, are on the FEDS website.

In its latest online issue, Imprint predicted a sweep by Team Yellow, based on the results of its own daily polls. "For the first time in recent memory, Imprint has conducted a daily popularity poll for the Feds election candidates," writes editor-in-chief Michael Davenport. "The purpose was to attempt to track how each candidate's campaign influenced their popularity — perhaps the data would even allow Imprint to predict the winner." He cautions that "the poll is admittedly unscientific and should be taken with a grain of salt."

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Professors on sabbatical

Here’s another list of Waterloo faculty members who are on sabbatical this term, along with their plans for using the time, as reported to the university’s Board of Governors. All these sabbaticals began January 1, and all are six months long  unless otherwise noted.

Uzma Rehman, psychology: “My sabbatical will give me the opportunity to pursue research with collaborators at both the national and international level. I will get the opportunity to provide hands-on supervision to a joint project that is underway at Queen’s. I also intend to travel to Indiana University to monitor joint projects that are currently underway, as well as to design future collaborations.”

Eric Reardon, earth and environmental sciences: “Most of my sabbatical will be spent in Waterloo collaborating with two professors (Dr. Q. Guo, CUG Wuhan, and Dr. M. Hong, Jilin U.) who are coming to Waterloo in 2010 to work in my research laboratory on several environmental contaminant problems. The first three months will be spent visiting researchers and their graduate students at several US and European institutes.”

Efrim Boritz, accounting and finance (twelve months): “Continue research on XBRL Infrastructure requirements with Won No of Iowa State University; begin project on professional judgement in accounting and auditing; complete works in progress and submit for publication; produce 4th edition of E-Business: A Canadian Perspective on a Networked World for Pearson with Gerald Trites.”

Murray McArthur, English language and literature: “During my sabbatical, I will continue my research on invention or innovation in Modernism through the intertextual or replicative relations between the literary and cultural traditions of the Greek Odysseus and the Latin Ulysses and two foundational Modernist texts, James Joyce’s Ulysses and T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land.”

Anthony Endres, earth and environmental sciences (twelve months): “Conduct ongoing geophysical research projects on shallow soil moisture monitoring, characterization of immiscible contaminants (e.g., gasoline) in aquifers and the evaluation of frozen materials. As part of this work, I will be collaborating with researchers at the University of Swansea and the Institute of Chemistry and Dynamics of the Geosphere Forschungszentrum Jülich.”

Clare Mitchell, geography and environmental management: “I am requesting this leave to initiate preparation of a SSHRC Standard Research Grant, analyze the 2006 demographic census data to further my research on ‘Transformation of the Canadian Countryside’, and prepare two manuscripts based on data that have been collected by my graduate students on ‘Creative Destruction in Canada’s Rural Settlements’.”

Mustafa Yavuz, mechanical and mechatronics engineering: “To research on high-temperature superconducting nanoscale electronics, and nanojoining for hybrid electronics, at Texas A&M University, TOBB-Economy and Technology University (ETU, Ankara, Turkey), Interational Superconductivity Technology Center (ISTEC, Tokyo, Japan) and University of Wollongong (NSW, Australia).”

Monica Barra, chemistry: “During my sabbatical leave I plan to remain in Waterloo to focus on research and the writing of scientific articles. I will participate in a couple of international scientific meetings, and also plan to spend a portion of the leave revising and developing course notes and online material for various courses.”

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Waterloo on the Great Wall and other notes

Kevan Osmond (left) and Jorge Adib, fifth-year Math/Bus Double Degree students, on the Great Wall

In the fall 2009 term Kevan Osmond (left) and Jorge Adib, fifth-year math/business double degree students, “were lucky enough to study at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and travel throughout Asia,” writes Kevan. Here they are standing on the Great Wall, forming the letter W for Waterloo.

OAA conference logo designed by Ray WangA logo design by Ray Wang, a fourth-year Waterloo architecture student, was chosen by the Ontario Association of Architects Council from among 20 submissions to represent the Changing Face of Architecture Conference to be held May 5 – 8 in Windsor, Ontario.

The Warriors rallied for Haiti at two special Warrior Pride nights recently, reports an article by Adam McGuire in the February issue of Warrior Extra from the Athetics department. "On February 6 at the Warriors men’s volleyball game, and again on February 10 at the men’s and women’s basketball games, fans were encouraged to . . .  dig deep and donate to the relief fund for the people of Haiti. Both Warrior Pride nights had games and contests during breaks in play, with all proceeds going to the UNICEF Haiti relief fund. There were also a number of donation areas around the games for fans to make their contributions.” Fans can also make donations online by visiting www.unicef.ca and searching for “Warrior Pride” on the Search for a Fundraiser page. There is also a donation box at the front desk of the offices of the Department of Athletics in the Physical Activities Complex.

There is a role for optometrists to help their patients quit smoking, but few take advantage of the opportunity. That’s part of the results of a research study led by Ryan Kennedy, a doctoral student in psychology, reported in the January 2010 issue of Optometry Times. School of Optometry faculty members Marlee Spafford and Matt Iley collaborated in the study. The researchers found that although few smokers are aware of the link between smoking and eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, optometrists perceive several barriers in the way of becoming involved in smoking cessation. The full story is here.

Finally, an addition to our "Olympic hopefuls and helpfuls" story on Thursday. We had more than one torchbearer: Sharlene Mohlman, a fourth-year student in political science, carried the torch in Kitchener on December 27.

CPA staff

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Link of the day

Pancake Tuesday

When and where

Class open enrolment for spring term courses begins February 15.

Reading Week February 15-19; classes not held.

Chinese New Year: celebrate the Year of the Tiger, 11:30 to 2:00, February 16 - 19, University Club, reservations ext. 33801.

Two Davis Centre washrooms, first floor, rooms 1934 and 1935, closed for repairs February 16 - 19. All others open.

EV2 and EV3 loading dock closed for installation of storm and water services, February 16-20.

UW Recreation Committee presents Henry Zech, The Investors Group, “Taking Revenue Canada Out of Your Will” today, noon, Tatham Centre room 2218A.

Centre for Teaching Excellence workshop: “Rapid Serial Visual Presentation” today, 3:00, Flex Lab, Dana Porter Library. Details.

Canadian Federation of University Women, Kitchener-Waterloo, meeting. Kelly Anthony, Waterloo professor of health studies, speaks on "Untangling the Skein of Poverty." today, 7:30 p.m., First United Church,
King and William Streets, Waterloo. Visitors welcome. Website.

Standard downtime for Quest will be expanded to five hours for maintenance, Wednesday, 7 a.m. - noon.

Service shutdown in Biology 2 rooms 147, 148, 241, 243, 352, 353, for de-ionized water and high-pressure air, for renovations to lab room 241, Wednesday, 8 a.m. - 12:01 p.m.

UW Recreation Committee Book Club discusses A Mercy by Toni Morrison, Wednesday, noon, Dana Porter Library room 407. Details.

"What is Chinese New Year?"  presentation by Waterloo International on traditional culture, Chinese calligraphy and traditional treats, Thursday, noon to 1 p.m. in Needles Hall room 1116.

Last day for 50 per cent tuition fee refund, February 19. Drop (penalty 1) period ends, February 26.

Centre for Family Business, based at Conrad Grebel UC, breakfast seminar: “Dealing with Increasing Work Demands” Friday, February 19, 7 a.m., Bingemans Conference Centre.

Pension and benefits committee Friday, February 19, 8:30 a.m., Needles Hall room 3004.

RefWorks advanced workshop, presented by UW library, February 22 at 10:00, March 10 at 10:00, or March 11 at 1:30, Flex Lab, Dana Porter Library. Details.

‘So You Think You Can Dance Waterloo’  auditions February 22, 24, 25, 26, Physical Activities Complex; competition March 27. Details.

Career workshop: “Understanding the Multiple-Mini Interview” Monday, February 22, 6:00, Tatham Centre room 1208. Details.

Retirement 101. Four-part series from Organizational & Human Development with Libor Piruchta, Chartered Financial Consultant. February 22, March 1, March 8, March 15, 7 - 9 p.m. Laurel Room, South Campus Hall. $100. Information or to register: lnevills@uwaterloo.ca or ext. 38259.

Graduating students’ information session and lunch sponsored by student life office and alumni affairs office, Tuesday, February 23, 11:30, Needles Hall room 1116. Details.

Personal Tax Planning: Brown Bag Lunch by UWSA and Education Credit Union. Speaker: Alan Wintrip, CA. Tuesday, February 23, 12:15 - 12:45, Davis Centre room 1302. RSVP by February 16.

Songwriting competition open to all members of UW community, every Tuesday from February 23 to May 18, 6 - 9 p.m. at Grad House. Judging on May 18. Registration deadline is February 16. Go online and click on 'entry forms.'

Lecture and book signing. Bob Pozen, Chairman of MFS Investment Management: Too Big to Save? How to Fix the U.S. Financial System. Thursday, February 25, lecture at 4:30; signing at 5:30, South Campus Hall, Festival Room. Free but seating is limited: register online.

38th annual Hagey Bonspiel for staff, faculty and friends, Saturday, March 6, 10:00 to 6:00, Ayr Curling Club. Register by February 19. Details.

Friday's Daily Bulletin