Waterloo - A recent $250,000 donation from several Toronto-based companies has brought the Wilfrid Laurier University school of business and economics a step closer to its target of raising $2.5 million for its brand communication program.

The goal of the program, supported by the Marketing Communication Education Trust, is to provide university-level training and foster marketing talent for companies in Canada.

In the United States, more than 200 universities grant degrees in advertising and integrated marketing communication but in Canada, the training has been almost exclusively at the community college level.

The trust was spearheaded by Rupert Brendon, the program's chair and trustee.

He kicked off the fundraising with $50,000 of his own money.

Unilever, Pepsi-Q.T.G. Canada, Molson, Cadbury Adams, Dare, Cossette Communications and Cara International are among the companies that have provided the financial support.
Copyright The Waterloo Record

BRANTFORD — A study by a journalism professor at Wilfrid Laurier University has found that Canadian national television news is virtually balanced in its positive and negative depictions of evangelical Christians, but the negative depictions are probably the ones being remembered.

The study, conducted by Dr. David Haskell, assistant professor of journalism at Laurier’s Brantford campus, is titled “Evangelical Christians in Canadian National Television News, 1994-2004: A Frame Analysis” and is published in the current issue of the Journal of Communication and Religion, available this week.

“The findings suggest that Canada’s national television journalists, in the main, strive to provide coverage that is objective,” said Haskell. “However, it seems journalists find it difficult to play the role of dispassionate, neutral observer when evangelicals’ words or deeds directly contradict their own beliefs about what is right.”

Polls of evangelical Christians in Canada show that this faith group believes the news media treats them unfairly. Haskell’s study sought to validate or negate the evangelicals’ claim of media bias by empirically examining reports of national television news.

All reports featuring evangelical Christians and airing between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2004, on the nightly, national television news programs of Global, CBC, and CTV television networks were subjected to frame analysis (a form of content analysis). In total, 119 reports featuring evangelical Christians were broadcast over the 11-year period.

Major Findings:

1) The positive and neutral frames (portrayals) were almost equal to the number of negative frames (portrayals) used in the news reports and in that regard the coverage was balanced. However, the positive frames that were used tended to be dissimilar, depicting evangelicals in many different ways. On the other hand, the negative frames were more uniform, focusing on just a few key unflattering stereotypes. Evangelicals were depicted as intolerant in 25 per cent of all reports, as criminally-minded in just over 13 per cent of reports, and as un-Canadian in over eight per cent of reports.

Other research has shown when an audience sees the same message repeatedly that it penetrates their consciousness; specifically, a correlation exists between repetitive viewing of specific, similar content on television and the holding of specific perceptions or beliefs about the world. Thus, in terms of audience perceptions, it could be said that the concentrated negative frames influenced viewers’ attitudes more than the numerically significant, yet thematically disparate, collection of positive and balanced frames.

Coverage was most slanted against evangelicals in situations where their words or deeds conflicted with the heart-felt convictions of the journalists themselves. For example, other research has shown that national journalists are strong supporters of homosexual rights. In this study, reports that pitted homosexuals or gay rights activists against evangelicals evidenced the greatest signs of anti-evangelical bias.

2) Broken down by network, the news reports that aired on CBC TV depicted evangelicals most negatively (i.e., employed the most negative frames); theirs was the only news coverage to not achieve a rating of “balanced overall.”

3) Regarding the topic or focus of the reports, evangelicals were most often featured in stories related to politics. About 30 per cent of stories showed evangelical politicians or evangelical citizens involved in politics mostly at the federal level. After politics: 17 per cent of stories featured evangelicals in criminal or immoral activity; 14 per cent showed them involved in social action or protest; 14 per cent focused on involvement in religious observance or theological discussion; about 8.5 per cent focused on evangelicals involved in legal actions or issues; about 7 per cent showed evangelicals involved in educational issues; 2.5 per cent focused on evangelicals involved in church business or governance; likewise, 2.5 per cent of reports focused on evangelicals involved in charity or volunteer work.

Theoretical Background:

Who are evangelicals?

Evangelical Christians comprise 12 per cent of Canada’s population but they are not a coherent or unified religious group. While there are certain Protestant denominations known for their large evangelical populations— Adventist; Baptist; Christian and Missionary Alliance; Christian Reformed; Mennonite; Nazarenes; Pentecostal; Salvation Army—almost all of Canada’s Protestant denominations have evangelical members. It is what one believes, and not where one worships, that makes one an evangelical Christian.

Put most simply, evangelicals believe in the main historical doctrines of the Christian church; they practice a very traditional or conservative form of Christianity. In fact, the moniker “conservative Protestants” can be used interchangeably with the term evangelicals. The four defining traits of modern evangelicals are a high regard for scripture, a personal relationship with/commitment to God, a belief that through His death and resurrection Jesus forgives sins and grants eternal life, a desire to advanced God’s kingdom through charity and volunteer work and telling others about Jesus.

What is Framing/Frame Analysis?

When they create a news story journalists must use interpretive judgment; that is, they must select and emphasize some facts and leave others out. Communication theorists call a journalist’s process of information selection and emphasis “framing.” A news story’s frame (the end result of the process of framing) selects certain aspects of an issue or event and draws attention to them through inclusion and exclusion of information and language use.

To the best of their ability, we expect journalists to construct neutral frames. A neutral frame relays to the audience the ideas that the subjects—that is, the people the story is about—are putting forward as they intend those ideas to be understood; the ideas of the subjects are not interpreted or filtered by the reporter according to his/her personal worldview. A neutral frame will also place events in perspective by providing relevant background and will allow those who are criticized in the body of the report to respond fully to the accusations of their critics. Finally, in cases where opinion, and not fact, is relayed, a neutral frame clearly distinguished it as opinion. A non-neutral frame (be it negative or positive) would be influenced by the journalist’s own opinions and would show evidence (in the selection of information and language usage) of promoting one side/perspective over another.

Frame analysis seeks to determine how journalists frame a particular event, issue, individual or group assessing whether the frames used are neutral, positive, or negative.

WATERLOO - A former manager of strategic planning for Hydro One will lead efforts at the University of Waterloo to identify and develop cost-effective energy options for Ontario and beyond.

Jatin Nathwani has been awarded a $3-million provincial research chair to integrate new technologies that can enhance energy efficiencies and promote renewable resources within a reliable power system. Beginning Sept. 1, he will be the inaugural holder of the Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy and Sustainable Energy Management.

Nathwani's efforts will focus on achieving a healthy energy equation, one that offers the best balance between known sources and those yet to be discovered. The research will look at sourcing, storage and distribution alternatives. The goal is to encourage research that explores alternative energies or improves management of existing resources.

"The University of Waterloo is truly proud to play a part in addressing Ontario's energy needs," says UW president David Johnston. "Dr. Jatin Nathwani brings clarity of vision to advance and promote multi-disciplinary research that is compelling and will play a key role in preserving Ontario's energy options. He will help develop a broader public understanding of the complexity of policy choices in the energy sector."

Nathwani has managed a broad range of issues in the energy sector, including corporate strategy and policy developments, evolution of industry structure, regulatory affairs and environmental policy as well as technology integration and business practices. He was manager for strategic planning at Hydro One (formerly Ontario Hydro). He also co-authored several books on risk management and co-created the widely used economic indicator known as the Life Quality Index.

Nathwani's combined academic background and business experience will help bridge the gap between the academy and industry. He has been a long-time promoter of innovation through strategic research and development. He will provide leadership to the dozens of Waterloo researchers currently working on various aspects of energy and energy policy, primarily by establishing a centre for energy advancement.

"Our goal is to stimulate high-impact multi-disciplinary research on societal problems of energy use and development of policies and tools for environmental sustainability and economic growth," says Nathwani. "Alternative energies and better resource management -- those will be UW's contribution to a balanced energy equation."

The work will draw upon the expertise of colleagues in UW's faculties of engineering, environmental studies and science. It will explore the cost-effectiveness of renewable and clean energy technologies and develop a comprehensive understanding of the effects of using those technologies.

Nathwani will focus UW's renewable energy technology development activity toward targeted innovations that are consistent with a sustainable energy plan for Ontario.

A key goal of the work will be to train a new generation of highly qualified researchers and professionals with a broad understanding of the existing systems for production, distribution and use of electricity and other forms of energy.

"The benefits of having the best research minds here in Waterloo region are evident in the new jobs and economic growth that have sprung from home-grown innovation," says John Milloy, MPP for Kitchener Centre, on behalf of Chris Bentley, minister of training, colleges and universities. "The Ontario Research Chairs program makes it possible for us to attract new faculty of Dr. Nathwani's calibre and international reputation to our area."

The position, one of eight new endowed research chairs, is part of a $25-million Ontario government program established to address key public policy issues that affect the social and economic health of the province.

"Ontario universities recognize the importance of these public policy issues and are committed to attracting international scholars to advance our institutions and the province," says Paul Genest, president of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU).

COU administers the Ontario Research Chairs program.

WATERLOO - Established through Laurier's School of Business and Economics, Canada's first university chair and BBA/MBA degrees in Brand Communication, is now one step closer to achieving its target funding of $2.5 million, thanks to donations made by leading Toronto area organizations. Brad Davis, associate professor of marketing at Laurier, and Ginny Dybenko, dean of the School of Business & Economics, accepted a cheque on behalf of the Marketing Communication Education Trust (MCET) for $250,000 from Rupert Brendon, the program's chair and trustee.

The goal of the Laurier Brand Communication program is to foster marketing talent by providing university level marketing communications training. MCET chose Laurier's School of Business & Economics as their partner of choice because Laurier has the largest business school in Ontario and because most of Canada's top marketing firms recruit on their campus.

"The reception we have received from the Canadian business community has been remarkable," said Laurier professor of marketing and the driving force behind MCET, Brad Davis. "Now when we approach organizations they look at the fact that companies like Unilever, Pepsi-QTG, Molson, Cadbury Adams, Dare, Cossete and Cara International and about 20 other leaders in their fields have provided financial support. It validates what we are trying to build and provides incentive to jump on board and not be left behind."

Rupert Brendon created the Marketing Communications Education Trust by initially donating $50,000 of his own money to kick start the funding process.

"Rupert Brendon has done a remarkable job spearheading the fund raising for this initiative," said Laurier dean of business and economics, Ginny Dybenko. "Aside from nearly $2 million in pledges he has generated for the trust, he has probably generated twice that amount in positive relations for the school."

The MCET was created after growing frustration from Canada's brand building organizations signaled that there exists a lack of appreciation of the importance of brand and brand communications in building sustainable competitiveness amongst new recruits The United States has more than 200 Universities which grant degrees in Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communication. To date marketing communications training in Canada has been taught exclusively at community colleges, despite the fact that big business recruiting traditionally takes place at the University level.

Waterloo - Laurier Master of Social Work student Allison La Vigne will travel to Burundi this fall to help citizens rebuild after devastating floods and a 13-year civil war.



But instead of constructing buildings, La Vigne will be helping residents rebuild their emotional well-being and their capacity for community development.

It all became possible through a $10,000 grant from the Students for Development Program. Designed to help Canadian students work with partners in the developing world to promote good governance, the program will allow La Vigne to complete three months of her Master of Social Work internship in the African country.

“This is a project where healing is the cornerstone to rebuilding a community at all levels of its governance,” says La Vigne.

While in Burundi, La Vigne will partner with the African Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI), an organization that supports and promotes peace activities such as conflict management, peace building, trauma healing and reconciliation.

La Vigne will help in two key areas.

First, AGLI will train La Vigne in Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities (HROC) workshops. Through the workshops, La Vigne will help to foster post-traumatic growth and spread information about post-traumatic stress disorder to some of the poorest rural regions in the country. According to La Vigne, women and children are “some of the most deeply affected” by trauma. She hopes the workshops will “benefit women’s self-determination and the future generations of Burundi.”

Following her HROC training, La Vigne also wants to contribute to AGLI initiatives by developing templates for new Asset-Based Community Development workshops. These workshops will help empower citizens, especially women, “who are experts of their lived experiences, yet whose voices are marginalized when it comes to governing their own communities.” La Vigne sees the workshops as a tool for local and regional development that would allow citizens to conduct community asset mapping, and mobilize people to actively participate in society.

La Vigne will engage local women in focus groups to “find out about existing strengths within the communities and to collaboratively design new paradigms of thinking about development that come from their worldview and experiences.”

She is also expecting to learn something about herself.

“Allison is prepared to work hard at acknowledging her own privileged position and plans to find ways to openly work her own identity into a mutually respective process of capacity building with local women in Burundi,” says Peter Donahue, director of Laurier International.

The internship requirements stipulate that La Vigne not only challenge her own identity, but that she synthesize the practical learning from Burundi with theory when she returns to the classroom.

The Students for Development Program is designed and managed by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, and financially supported by the Canadian International Development Agency. A total of 138 students are selected every year to participate in these internships.

WATERLOO - Students in a third-year systems design engineering course at the University of Waterloo will display product designs to improve the quality of life for as many people as possible, including elderly people with disabling conditions.

Next week, 12 student groups will present an exhibition on universal design. The exhibition runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Monday, July 23, in room 1301 of the William G. Davis Computer Research Centre on the UW campus.

"Universal design is the design of products or environments to be usable by people of all ages and abilities, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design," says John Zelek, professor of systems design engineering and exhibit organizer.

"Universal design respects human diversity and promotes inclusion of all people."

Zelek adds that universal design aims to "simplify life for everyone by making products and environments more usable by as many people as possible at little or no extra cost."

All the student projects adopt the key guiding principle of universal design. "They apply the principle that if you design for the elderly disabled, you will design for all," Zelek says.

"The average person in North America will spend close to 12 years of his or her life as a person with disabilities and the cost is more than 6.5 per cent of the gross national product," he says.

The student groups in Zelek's course, Systems Design 361, were each required to select a unique disabling condition, identify a design-problem objective and solicit needs from an associated demographic -- all to lay the groundwork for developing innovative concepts that are prototyped for display at next week's exhibit.

Designs range from solutions to universal problems such as kitchen safety, electrical outlet convenience, pill bottle use, remote distress buttons, entertainment for the mobile challenged and sleep disorders.

As well, they tackle disability special issues such as mobility for Parkinson sufferers, hygiene reminders for people with Alzheimer's, grocery shopping for people who are visually impaired, safety for walker users to foot monitoring for sufferers of neuropathy.

The course and theme meet several engineering design learning objectives. It also exposes the students to rehabilitation design, which may lead to cost effective solutions, and motivates them. Finally, it demonstrates that engineering has a crucial role in society, improving the quality of life for all and providing a unique service to the community.

Prof. Chris Whitfield, chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada is the country’s oldest and most prestigious scholarly organization, and fellowship in the society is considered Canada’s senior academic accolade. Scholars selected for the honour are those the society believes have had a profound impact on sciences and humanities in Canada.

"I am delighted and honoured to be elected a Fellow," said Whitfield, who is currently in Australia, where he has been invited to speak at some conferences. "Although this award recognizes the individual, now more than ever, science is a team sport. I have been fortunate to have supervised some outstanding students and post-docs, and we have benefited from an excellent network of collaborators and colleagues here and overseas. Each of them has made an important contribution to the body of work that has led to this fellowship, and I am grateful to them all."

Whitfield’s research focuses on the nature and assembly of bacterial surfaces. He is interested in fundamental research problems concerning the functions of bacteria, as well as exploiting this knowledge to identify new targets for therapies against bacterial infections.

The Royal Society cited Whitfield for his authority on the assembly of glycoconjugates (complex carbohydrates) on surfaces of pathogenic bacteria. It said his work has provided broad insight into how these large molecules move through bacterial cell walls and their potential as targets for antimicrobial therapy.

"Chris Whitfield is a remarkable role model for us all," said College of Biological Science dean Michael Emes. "He has won major teaching awards, carries an immense role in service as chair of one of the largest departments on campus, and now has received the highest recognition possible for his outstanding record in research. He embodies everything that is best about academic life and is a tremendous ambassador for the University in all that he does. It is a privilege to have him as a colleague."

Whitfield joined the University in 1984 as a faculty member in the then Department of Microbiology. He has held a CIHR Senior Investigator Award and was awarded one of the University’s first Canada Research Chairs in 2001. He has also received the CMS/Roche Award from the Canadian Society of Microbiologists and last year was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.

"Chris Whitfield is well-deserving of this prestigious honour," said Maureen Mancuso, provost and vice-president (academic). “He is a highly respected professor and researcher, and the entire University community is delighted he has been recognized by the Royal Society of Canada."

WATERLOO - Students in a third-year systems design engineering course at the University of Waterloo will display product designs to improve the quality of life for as many people as possible, including elderly people with disabling conditions.

Next week, 12 student groups will present an exhibition on universal design. The exhibition runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Monday, July 23, in room 1301 of the William G. Davis Computer Research Centre on the UW campus.

"Universal design is the design of products or environments to be usable by people of all ages and abilities, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design," says John Zelek, professor of systems design engineering and exhibit organizer.

"Universal design respects human diversity and promotes inclusion of all people."

Zelek adds that universal design aims to "simplify life for everyone by making products and environments more usable by as many people as possible at little or no extra cost."

All the student projects adopt the key guiding principle of universal design. "They apply the principle that if you design for the elderly disabled, you will design for all," Zelek says.

"The average person in North America will spend close to 12 years of his or her life as a person with disabilities and the cost is more than 6.5 per cent of the gross national product," he says.

The student groups in Zelek's course, Systems Design 361, were each required to select a unique disabling condition, identify a design-problem objective and solicit needs from an associated demographic -- all to lay the groundwork for developing innovative concepts that are prototyped for display at next week's exhibit.

Designs range from solutions to universal problems such as kitchen safety, electrical outlet convenience, pill bottle use, remote distress buttons, entertainment for the mobile challenged and sleep disorders.

As well, they tackle disability special issues such as mobility for Parkinson sufferers, hygiene reminders for people with Alzheimer's, grocery shopping for people who are visually impaired, safety for walker users to foot monitoring for sufferers of neuropathy.

The course and theme meet several engineering design learning objectives. It also exposes the students to rehabilitation design, which may lead to cost effective solutions, and motivates them. Finally, it demonstrates that engineering has a crucial role in society, improving the quality of life for all and providing a unique service to the community.

Waterloo - On June 21, 2007, Laurier’s Board of Governor’s officially approved the 2007-2008 Accessibility Plan. This annual plan and the public notification are required by all publicly funded institutions in Ontario under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2001). Faculty, staff, students and the greater Waterloo community are welcome to review the plan detailing the initiatives and improvements that will be undertaken between September 2007 and August 2008.

View the PDF version of the 2007-2008 Accessibility Plan.

WATERLOO - Students attending the University of Waterloo for the first time this fall and their parents will gather on campus Saturday to explore their brave new world, far away from home.

They will participate in Student Life 101, an all-day orientation program designed by students for students. Now in its 11th year, it helps families begin the transition to university life before the fast-paced weeks of classes starting in the fall.

Cora Dupuis, UW's student life co-ordinator for first-year experience, said the event will give incoming students "a sneak peak at university life" before their arrival on campus. She organizes the event, with the help of more than 200 student volunteers, including five Student Life 101 directors.

The summer-time orientation event was created "to relieve student and parent anxiety and reassure them that UW is a warm and friendly place," she says. "We want to let them know that there are a lot of people and services here to help them and to make their years here fun."

A key presentation -- Student Life at UW! -- provides students with information about the diverse services and resources available to help them throughout their university career. The morning event will be held from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. in the physical activities complex.

Students will also have an opportunity to discover the services available on campus and talk to the people running them.

Participating departments include: athletics and recreational services, co-operative education and career services, counselling services, distance and continuing education, student life office, food services, housing and residences, information systems and technology, library services, office for persons with disabilities, Walksafe, retail services (bookstore, computer store and UW shop), finance and student awards (loans and scholarships).

Afterward, students and their parents can visit the student life centre -- known as the living room of the university -- and learn about the federation of students, academic rights advisers and off-campus dons, as well as clubs and student associations.

Among other presentations at various locations on campus are:

* Campus leaders -- to introduce student campus leaders and gain a student perspective of life at Waterloo.

* Co-operative education -- to inform students about the co-op system.

* Career services -- to outline the resources and services available for students to become career activists and plan for the future.

* Getting off on the right foot -- to give advice on how to combine academics and extracurricular activities.

* Making the transition -- to discuss how to ease the move from home to campus life.

* Show me the money -- to learn how to receive government loans and assistance this September.

* So, you're living off campus -- to find out how to search for accommodation in the local community, plus tips on being an off-campus student.

In addition, each faculty will host a presentation for incoming students on academic support available to them during first year.

During the day, students can also visit UW's federated and affiliated institutions: St. Jerome's University, Conrad Grebel University College, St. Paul's United College and Renison College.

Student Life 101 will offer podcasts on its website of many of the large cross-faculty sessions for those students and parents unable to come to campus, along with information materials used at the sessions throughout the day.

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo is once again among the top three universities to receive scholarships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

NSERC is awarding more than $4.5 million to UW student researchers in departments across the university. The research covers topics ranging from how children develop an understanding of ownership to the next generation of wireless technology.

The 2007-2008 results place UW in third for the most awards received for the second consecutive year. UW earned 131 postgraduate and Canada graduate awards, up from 125 last year. The number of postdoctoral fellowships climbed to 11 from six.

UW was also honoured with two out of 24 Julie Payette-NSERC Research Scholarships.

"We continue to be proud of our results in NSERC's awards programs," said Ranjana Bird, UW's dean of graduate studies. "These various awards are a testimonial of the strengths of our students as well as the professors who prepare them to compete and be successful."

Karen Neary, who is now finishing her master's degree in psychology at UW and will start her PhD in September, said her NSERC scholarship will allow her to spend more time on her research. She is receiving an NSERC postgraduate scholarship worth $63,000 for three years.

Interested in theory of mind and executive functioning in children, Neary is investigating what cues children use to infer ownership.

"Without an ability to understand ownership, children have difficulty in many social interactions," she explains. "Many times, this creates a high number of disputes."

NSERC funding to UW students include Canada graduate scholarships and postgraduate scholarships, ranging in value from $17,300 for one year and to $105,000 over three years. The postdoctoral fellowships are worth as much as $80,000 over two years.

With the goal to promote discovery and innovation, NSERC invests each year in basic research, university-industry linked projects and the training of future scientists and engineers across Canada.

The funding is a crucial component of UW plans to triple graduate studies. Its new strategic plan, entitled Pursuing Global Excellence: Seizing Opportunities for Canada, has graduate enrolment growing from 2,500 candidates to 8,000 by 2017.

UW provides a president's graduate scholarship valued at up to $10,000 per year to recipients of NSERC, as well as to recipients of other competitively awarded national and Ontario graduate scholarships. It also honours award recipients at a reception held each January.

Guelph - The United Kingdom's University and College Union (UCU) congress has passed a motion requiring the union to debate whether to support a Palestinian call for an international boycott of Israeli academic institutions as a way of contributing to the struggle to end Israel’s occupation.

A boycott would entail refraining from participating in any form of academic and cultural cooperation, collaboration or joint projects and suspending all forms of funding and subsidies to these institutions.

In response to this motion, President Alastair Summerlee has issued the following statement.

Statement From U of G President Alastair Summerlee

Civil discourse irrespective of political, religious, moral or ethical views is an absolutely fundamental tenet of universities and university education. It is unacceptable when any group of scholars seeks to suppress the opinions of another. Such action would be an attack on the very principles of universities and must be condemned.

The threatened boycott of Israeli universities by Britain’s University and College Union is an inappropriate and unacceptable challenge to the fundamental value of academic freedom. There can be no justification for this proposed demonstration of intolerance.

It is vital that universities should be the moral and social conscience of society. The only way this can be achieved is by maintaining a commitment to open, effective dialogue and respectful debate and civil discourse. In a world that is increasingly expressing intolerance in so many ways, it is disgraceful that any institution or collection of institutions would wish to betray the nature of universities worldwide. The proposed action strikes at the core of our deliberate and precious democratic purpose.

WATERLOO - A University of Waterloo student has produced a study that challenges the myth that the risk of developing disordered eating habits is higher among models than non-models.

Jennifer McWhirter, a health studies student and a model with a Toronto agency, produced the Model and Undergraduate Self-Esteem (MUSE) study for an honours thesis supervised by professor Kelly Anthony.

While some models might have eating disorders, the MUSE study concludes that they represent a small minority within the population. Most models surveyed reported considerable happiness and satisfaction with themselves, their appearance and the industry.

"Models are often perceived as malnourished and abusive toward their bodies," says McWhirter. "According to my results, however, those in the modelling industry are not any more likely to develop eating disorders than those who are not."

McWhirter conducted an online survey that contained questions based on body image, self-esteem, eating habits and exercise behaviours. The 339 participants consisted of female models and non-models in their early- to mid-twenties. Models were recruited from Toronto and Montreal agencies, and more than half had international modelling experience. Non-models were made up of a sample of UW undergraduate students.

The deaths of models Luisel Ramos and Ana Carolina Reston in 2006 sparked global controversy and initiated an ongoing skinny-model debate. Since both died as a result of eating disorders, many people jumped to the conclusion that the pressures of modelling had sparked their behaviour.

Officials in Madrid, Spain have since issued minimum age and body mass index (BMI, which measures the ratio height-to-weight ratio) requirements to models. Other countries, such as Italy and France, followed suit to varying degrees.

Despite constant media coverage and debate regarding the physical appearance of models, however, few people have heard from the models. In fact, no academic research has sought to ask Canadian models how they feel about their bodies.

Low self-esteem is often a key contributor to disordered eating habits but, according to the MUSE study, models have higher self-esteem than non-models. As they are more likely to be satisfied with their appearance, models were significantly more comfortable referring to themselves as beautiful.

Furthermore, an overwhelming 93 per cent of models reported that modelling was a positive contributor to their overall lives rather than a stressful factor leading to unhealthy behaviours.

So why are models so thin?

Although the BMI of the MUSE study models classified them as underweight, with an average score of 17.4, their eating and exercising habits did not differ from those of the non-models who averaged a normal BMI of 22.7. In fact, more than 80 per cent of both groups scored well within the normal, healthy range for eating behaviours.

With 74 per cent claiming they did not have to lose any weight to begin their career in modelling, McWhirter's results suggest models are thin naturally and likely don't attain their physiques through extreme and unhealthy habits.

"This is an impressive bit of scholarship, well above what's expected from an undergraduate student and much more in-line with what we see at the graduate level," says Anthony, a member of the faculty of applied health sciences. "This is the first significant study done in Canada on this important issue."

The MUSE study findings, that models have higher self-esteem but not higher rates of disordered eating behaviour, suggest that minimum BMI requirement set out by some model bans may not accurately measure a model's health. "Possessing a certain body type cannot and should not be equated with having an eating disorder," says McWhirter.

Guelph - Providing access to training, setting professional standards and increasing wages for early childhood education workers are essential to improving Ontario’s early learning and child care system, according to an advisory panel chaired by U of G Prof. Donna Lero.

The province announced $142.5 million in additional child care funding on Thursday partly in response to recommendations from two expert panels on the province’s current and future plans for a co-ordinated approach to child care as part of Ontario’s Best Start plan.

Lero, who is a lead researcher at the Centre for Families Work and Well-being and a professor in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, chaired the 20-member expert panel on quality and human resources.

The panel’s report recommends increasing educational qualifications for early childhood educators, directors and supervisors; developing a recruitment and retention strategy that includes significant wage increases; and establishing policy changes and community-based supports to help centres and regulated home child care providers improve high quality and inclusive services.

As part of the additional funding announced last week, the province will be allocating $24.8 million to provide a wage increase of approximately three per cent to 33,500 child care practitioners across Ontario.

The province has also committed $12 million towards creating the first-ever College for Early Childhood Educators in Canada. The college will set professional standards to help ensure that children who are attending early learning and care programs are being cared for by qualified professionals, said Lero.

“A regulatory college is a provincial mechanism that will help ensure that people entrusted to care for young children are early child care educators who are responsible for meeting professional qualifications and standards,” she said. “Having a regulatory college is an important step towards recognizing early childhood educators as having the specific expertise, knowledge and skills required for an increasingly complex and demanding career.”

Lero said she is also pleased the province will be providing early child care educators at all levels of the profession the opportunity to upgrade their education and training.

“We still have a long way to go in Ontario and in Canada to ensure that all children have the opportunity to benefit from high quality and inclusive early childhood programs,” she said. “While increasing families’ access to affordable child care, we must also ensure that these programs are stimulating children’s learning and development and are providing excellent career opportunities for individuals committed to helping young children develop to their full potential.”

Guelph - High-profile corporate scandals have led to a majority of Canadian companies establishing ethical codes of conduct in an effort to restore investor confidence and business trust. But recent research by U of G professor Scott Colwell of the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies has found these codes may have done little to improve corporate behaviour, especially when it comes to business relationships between buyer and supplier.

“There are ethical codes in place, but in many cases they don’t seem to be working,” he said. “My current thinking is that it might not be enough to have industry policing itself.”

Colwell, along with Michael Zyphur of the National University of Singapore, focused their research on the effectiveness of the codes of conduct established by supplier companies. To do this, they surveyed purchasing managers at 158 large Canadian corporations about the company’s relationship with its suppliers.

Forty-two per cent of the managers surveyed rated their suppliers as poor to moderate in terms of trustworthiness, said Colwell. And 34 per cent rated their suppliers as exhibiting moderate to high levels of opportunistic behaviours.

According to the Conference Board of Canada, more than 85 per cent of Canadian companies have ethical codes of conduct. But Colwell said he believes many suppliers may be establishing codes as a way of enticing business, rather than because they are legitimately concerned with acting ethically.

Although expensive to put in place, these codes are effective at attracting buyers because they signal that the supplier is a committed and trustworthy company, he said.

“Ethical codes of conduct may have become merely advertising tools. Building this trust is important to the supplier because the more a buyer trusts its supplier, the more likely the buyer is to increase its business commitment.”

The problem is that as the buyer’s commitment grows, so do the costs of switching to another supplier, said Colwell. So once a business relationship has been established, unethical conduct on the part of the supplier is often tolerated.

“The switching costs may force business relationships to continue regardless of the level of trust, which is one potential reason why we seem to still have ethical problems despite ethical codes of conduct being in place. In general, ethical codes seem to matter only at the beginning stages of the relationship when switching costs are low.”

In the end, unethical companies may not be penalized, and companies that fall victim to unethical treatment often feel they have little choice but to tolerate it, he said.

Colwell believes there needs to be more in place than simply relying on the corporate industry to solve the problem, but he suggests that additional research needs to be done to determine the appropriate mechanisms.

One option is for policy-makers to devise a credible system for conducting ethical audits of companies, he said. But companies themselves also need to invest in training employees and managers to live up to ethical codes.

“Just establishing ethical codes is not going to solve the problem.”

WATERLOO - Outstanding students with broad interests stand to benefit from a new University of Waterloo program where they will practise integrating knowledge from the humanities with the sciences.

They will learn to identify, explore and solve new problems showing up at the boundaries and intersections of traditional subjects.

The bachelor of knowledge integration program, to be offered beginning in September 2008, will graduate students comfortable with numeracy, hands-on experience of investigative science and a meaningful literacy in the humanities. The unusual degree designation is still awaiting provincial approval, but the program itself is already attracting attention.

"The goal of knowledge integration (KI) is to equip students of high potential and broad interests for thoughtful citizenship, ethical leadership and innovative scholarship," says Deep Saini, dean of the faculty of environmental studies, where the program will be based.

With a foundation spanning the humanities and sciences, KI is ideal for students who want to bridge disciplinary boundaries, join or lead interdisciplinary teams and integrate concerns for the economic, social and environmental context and consequences of their work.

KI will accommodate 80 to 90 students a year. They will all take courses in English, public speaking, critical thinking, ethics, computer science, mathematics and investigative sciences. In their upper years, each student will identify a specialty -- a discipline or topic at the intersection of two or more disciplines -- and pursue individual research projects.

KI builds on that foundation with design projects. "We know from UW's engineering programs, from fine arts, from architecture," says director Ed Jernigan, "that design demands strong fundamental knowledge, group skills, communication and imagination. Design is a powerful context in which to practise integrating disciplines."

For example, in the museum course, KI students will take a field trip to a major 'museum city' to study how and why exhibits are designed. Then they'll come back into the classroom, the workshop, the studio, and the lab to research, design and build museum exhibits of their own.

"Imagine exploring how to facilitate 'hands-on learning' by going behind-the-scenes at the Smithsonian in Washington," says Jernigan. "Or scouting for ideas on reaching multi-lingual visitors at the Uffizi in Florence, or researching conservation at the British Museum in London."

KI developed from the Waterloo Unlimited enrichment program for promising high school students (www.unlimited.uwaterloo.ca), also based in the faculty of environmental studies. Waterloo Unlimited offers students of high potential the learning skills to enhance their own educations, no matter which subjects interest them most.

It will be managed by a new administrative unit in the faculty of environmental studies, the Centre for Knowledge Integration.

Guelph - A renowned Michigan State University professor will be joining the faculty of the University of Guelph as the Premier’s Research Chair in Biomaterials and Transportation.

Prof. Amar Mohanty, an international leader in the field of biomaterials, was selected following an international search. He will assume his new position during Fall 2007.

U of G was awarded the $3-million Premier’s Research Chair as part of the Ontario Research Chairs program, which was established to create a culture of innovation and to strengthen Ontario’s economic advantage.

“We are absolutely delighted that Dr. Mohanty is joining the faculty of the University of Guelph,” said president Alastair Summerlee. “We are grateful to the province for endowing this chair, which will create a culture of innovation in this field both at Guelph and in the province, and strengthen Ontario’s economic advantage.”

Biomaterials is a fast-growing research area that focuses on revolutionizing the use of agricultural products to develop novel products for industrial uses, ranging from car parts and building materials to fuel.

Mohanty’s research focuses on developing biobased materials and biofuels, which he calls “the wave of the future,” to provide sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based resources. “This is an appropriate time for a ‘biobased economy’ to be explored in the context of depleting petroleum resources, global warming, green house gas emission, growing environmental threats and national security.

“Biobased materials, biobased chemicals and bioenergy are the major requirements to establish a bioeconomy," he said. Mohanty’s ultimate goal is to facilitate a transition to a biobased economy by providing a foundation of economic and environmental sustainability for the materials industries, especially the automotive sector.

Alan Wildeman, Guelph’s vice-president (research), said U of G is renowned in the agricultural and life sciences and “Prof. Mohanty’s expertise will now enable this capacity to be bridged with opportunities in the industrial bioeconomy.”

Mohanty is the author of more than 200 publications, including 129 peer reviewed journal papers, and the founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy and the lead editor of the book Natural Fibers, Biopolymers and Biocomposite. He has four U.S. patents and more than 20 patent applications pending.

An accomplished researcher and holder of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship in Germany, Mohanty was also the recipient of the 2006 Andrew Chase Forest Products Division Award from the Forest Products Division of American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

“We are thrilled to have such a pre-eminent authority joining Guelph to lead and collaborate our efforts in this field, reaffirming Guelph's role as a global leader in innovative agriculture,” said Mary Buhr, interim dean of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC),

“Dr. Mohanty's presence in the Premier's Chair will focus attention on agriculture's newest gifts to the world: green, renewable bioresources to replace non-renewable materials in many consumer goods and services.”

As the Premier’s Research Chair, Mohanty will encourage the innovation of new cost-effective biobased consumer products and technology, and liaise with government, industry and universities. He will engage in and support interdisciplinary research in chemical and structural engineering, agricultural chemistry, plant biology, and traditional and molecular plant breeding.

Mohanty will also be the Director of the new Bioproducts Discovery Centre, a facility planned for the southeast end of campus that will be the hub for the University’s bioproducts research.

He will be joined in Guelph by his spouse, Manju Misra, a professor in Michigan State’s Composite Materials and Structures Centre who has strong expertise in nanotechnology and biobased materials research. Misra will hold a cross-appointment in U of G’s School of Engineering and the Ontario Agricultural College

Guelph - For the second time in as many months, the Canada Foundation for Innovation has invested in research at the University of Guelph. The latest allocation of nearly $630,000 will support four diverse projects spanning the social and physical sciences.

The U of G projects range from digitizing census data from 1871 to researching nuclear power generation to studying nanostructures to developing ways of representing both traditional aboriginal knowledge and western science in ecological studies.

Support for the Guelph projects comes from CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund, which is designed to help universities attract and retain outstanding faculty and researchers. Canada-wide, CFI is investing $26 million in 136 projects at 40 institutions in this latest funding round.

“This new funding will allow researchers at the University of Guelph to turn their ideas into innovations that provide solutions to the challenges of our time,” said Eliot Phillipson, CFI’s president and CEO, who made the announcement today in Montreal.

“Investments like these have transformed Canada’s research landscape over the past decade and made the country a magnet for the highly skilled people upon which our future well-being depends.”

Economics professor Kris Inwood and history professor Graeme Morton received $250,000 to build research databases from information collected in the Canadian and Scottish censuses from 1871. The 1870s were a key decade for industrialization, migration and changing household composition in Ontario. The researchers will use the information for a range of studies, from the Scottish influence on and relationship to Ontario to understanding how aboriginal communities were enumerated in the Canadian census. The data will also be used by faculty and students from Canada and around the world for decades to come, they said.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to study the people who moved from Scotland to Canada in the post-Confederation years and to compare them with those who stayed behind,” Morton said. “By creating this research infrastructure, we will for the first time be able to place those personal narratives in the wider socio-economic and demographic structure of both Scotland and Canada in 1871.”

The project builds on earlier work by Inwood and Guelph history professors Kevin James and Doug McCalla that involved turning handwritten census information from 1891 into digital data to answer wide-ranging social and economic questions about that era.

“The new award is highly complementary to the 1891 project because we will be able to follow individuals from one census to another in a methodologically rigorous manner,” Inwood said. “This will greatly improve our understanding of occupational and residential mobility and the way peoples adapted to and took advantage of economic restructuring.” More information about the 1871 census project is available online.

Chemistry professor Peter Tremaine received $171,3330 to help create a state-of-the-art laboratory for high-temperature water chemistry in Ontario. The money will be used to buy special instruments that exist in only a few labs worldwide and will support Tremaine’s research as well as collaborations with scholars at five other Canadian universities.

He is involved in numerous fundamental studies that explore chemistry at extremes of heat and pressure, such as that encountered in nuclear reactors. His research, which is also supported by other government granting agencies, will provide useful information for nuclear engineers seeking to extend the lifetimes of nuclear reactors in Ontario and other parts of Canada and to investigate ideas for advanced reactor concepts.

Integrative biology professor Steve Crawford received $58,145 for his efforts to improve communication between aboriginal and western science knowledge systems. The award will allow him to develop a model to represent the structure and function of both knowledge systems. This model should be a highly practical tool to compare and contrast aboriginal traditional knowledge and western science in a neutral environment, Crawford said. His research is already supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Physics professor Jiang De-Tong received $148,350 to buy a portable vacuum thin film growth system and an atomic-force microscope system. These will aid in understanding and creating nanostrucutres, which have application potentials in electronics and other functional materials. The equipment will be used at an X-ray facility housed at Canadian Light Source Inc., Canada’s synchrotron research facility at the University of Saskatchewan. Collaborating on this work are U of G physicists Stefan Kycia and Xiaorong Qin, as well as researchers at Canadian Light Source and in the United States.

Guelph - University of Guelph Chancellor Pamela Wallin has been named to the Order of Canada, considered the country’s highest honour of lifetime achievement. She is among 71 Canadians appointed today by Governor General Michaëlle Jean.

Wallin was named an officer to the Order and was honoured for her contributions in communications.

“This is wonderful and well-deserved recognition for our Chancellor,” said president Alastair Summerlee. “Pamela has contributed to our nation in so many ways, and it is very appropriate that she be recognized for her achievements and commitment as our country readies to celebrate Canada Day.”

Wallin’s career has spanned more than 30 years and several continents, including numerous positions at CBC and CTV. She is currently the senior adviser to the president of the Americas Society and the Council of the Americas in New York. She recently completed a four-year term as consul general of Canada in New York and serves on the boards of many Canadian corporations, including CTVglobemedia.

She holds an honours degree in psychology and political science from the University of Regina and she has received 13 honorary degrees, including an honorary doctorate of laws from Guelph in 2006. She is the author of three books, including the bestselling memoir Since You Asked.

Wallin will receive her Order of Canada membership insignia later this year.

The Order of Canada celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. It was established in July of 1967 to recognize outstanding achievement and service. Appointments are made on the recommendation of an advisory council, chaired by the chief justice of Canada, and the governor general is the chancellor and principal companion of the order.

As people gear up to wave the Canadian flag, watch fireworks and take in the musical celebration on Parliament Hill, many will be unaware of the huge role politics has played in the annual Canada Day show.

Prof. Matthew Hayday has been studying the July 1 events held in Ottawa over the last half century and found that Canada’s changing political landscape has sharply influenced the way the day is celebrated.

“There has always been a lot of political tension underlying the Canada Day shows,” said the history professor. “In an effort to create a celebration that would both reflect their vision of Canadian identity and appeal to the general public, federal organizers have moved from a militaristic and formal celebration to a wild street party showcasing up-and-coming Canadian musicians.”

Former prime minister John Diefenbaker initiated the first big celebration in Ottawa in 1958, said Hayday. He was upset that Canada was losing its British connection, so he tried to rekindle it with a celebration of Dominion Day, as it was called until 1982.

The national festivities then shifted focus in the 1960s to include multicultural groups, French-Canadians and Aboriginal Peoples.

“But it wasn’t the type of aboriginal performances that we have today,” said Hayday. “It was teenagers from residential schools playing the bagpipes in full Scottish regalia.”

In the 1970s, the threat of Quebec separatism dominated the event, he said. The federal government significantly increased funding for the celebration in an effort to boost patriotism and portray a united Canada.

“The event was used as a political tool to fight back against separatism. There was a real effort to ensure that there was a balance between French and English performers without making it obvious to those watching the show that this was a politically driven event.”

After several years of these strategic performances, Ottawa realized that, although these star-studded events were popular in English-speaking Canada, they weren’t winning over Quebec separatists, said Hayday. Francophone stars who agreed to perform on July 1 were often called sellouts in the Quebec press, he said.

Since the late 1980s, he said the government has paid less attention to using the event for overtly political purposes and instead focused on encompassing the diversity of Canada and putting on an entertaining show.

Today’s Canada Day shows have become a major stepping stone for up-and-coming Canadian musicians, Hayday said.

“The event always includes the who’s who of rising Canadian talent. Alanis Morissette, Natalie MacMaster, Deborah Cox and Roch Voisine all played at the event before making it big.”

Although the political emphasis and funding have both declined over the years, Hayday said the recent showcasing of Canadian artists has helped make the massive Ottawa celebrations more popular than ever.

WATERLOO - Ron Sexsmith, 2005 Juno Award winner for songwriter of the year, and Franklin the Turtle will be among the big attractions as the University of Waterloo celebrates its 50th anniversary with its best Canada Day celebration.

Organizers expect more than 60,000 people will help celebrate Canada's 140th birthday on Sunday, July 1, at the Columbia Lake fields. The student-led event, now in its 23rd year, always offers a range of fun activities for all ages and this year's is promising even more.

"This year is special as we celebrate Canada's birthday along with the City of Waterloo's 150th anniversary, University of Waterloo's 50th anniversary and the Federation of Students 40th anniversary," says Ahinsa Mansukhani, event manager. "We've packed our program with far more than usual. And we will give a gift to the first 500 kids at the celebration."

The public is invited to attend the Canada Day events, which begin at 2 p.m. and continue throughout the day, wrapping up at 10 p.m. with the grand finale of fireworks. The celebration also features live musical entertainment throughout the day and evening.

"Additional support from the City of Waterloo has allowed us to enhance and expand our programming during this anniversary year," Mansukhani says. "In particular, fireworks will be bigger than ever before, many new children's activities have been added, as well as a fabulous line-up of Canadian musicians on stage."

Besides Sexsmith, who will play the main stage at 9 p.m., entertainment highlights include Charlie A'Court, 2007 East Coast Music Award winner of pop recording of the year, at 7 p.m. Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Stochansky performs at 8 p.m.

Other highlights, especially for children, will be the Franklin the Turtle live show on the main stage at 5:40 p.m., followed by a birthday party with free cupcakes for the community.

The event's popularity is credited to the big list of free activities and events planned for the entire family. An obstacle course, rock climbing wall, petting zoo and magic shows that promises to be mind boggling are just a few of the many activities. An arts and crafts fair will feature a wide selection of hand-made goods and kid-friendly products.

While most of the children's activities wrap up at 8 p.m., the main stage performances and the arts and crafts fair continue until 10 p.m.

Parking is free in all UW lots for the day and people should enter via University Avenue.

The event is made possible by the support of many local businesses and organizations. For event information, visit link

Grocery stores have organic, vegetarian and vegan sections, so why not a locally grown section?

Guelph - U of G researchers are embarking on a one-year study aimed at breaking down barriers standing in the way of establishing a local food system. This project could ultimately lead to shoppers having the convenience of going to any local grocery chain and buying from a section solely dedicated to food produced in Guelph and Wellington County.

“It’s not very easy for consumers to access local food right now unless they get up early on a Saturday and go to the farmers’ market,” said Prof. Karen Landman, of Environmental Design and Rural Development, who is part of the research team. “It’s not like people have time to be driving across the country landscape in search of their evening meal. It has to be made more convenient.”

Consumer demand for local food is currently booming, said Landman, but there is no system in place to feed it.

“The interest in a local food system seems to be partly a kick back at the globalization of agriculture, and it’s creating an opportunity for both farmers and consumers.”

Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), the study involves interviewing stakeholders involved in local food production and consumption in Guelph and Wellington County to find out what the common problems and opportunities are. The research group will then submit a report to the ministry with a list of recommendations.

The study was sparked after Landman and a team of landscape architecture students completed a research project for OMAFRA on the current status of the local food movement across North America. They found that the biggest challenge in making local food available to consumers is the lack of an overall distribution system.

Finding channels to distribute their products is difficult for local farmers, said Landman. There are often regulations in place that prevent them from selling directly on their farms.

“And nothing is in place for farmers to easily distribute their food to grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, school boards or any other large institutions.”

Landman is working on the study with Prof. Charlotte McCallum, Geography, and Prof. Ricardo Ramirez, Environmental Design and Rural Development, as well as three graduate students. The researchers had their first meeting with city and county politicians and staff last week. They will now move on to conducting workshops with growers and larger consumer-based groups such as Guelph restaurateurs.

One outcome of the study could be a recommendation that grocery stores have a local food section, which would allow farmers to distribute to the larger chains and give consumers a more convenient way of accessing local food, said Landman. Another outcome could be a recommendation to hire a local food co-ordinator for Guelph and Wellington County.

The study recommendations could also lead to policy change at the municipal and provincial levels to remedy identified barriers, she said.

At the very least, the study will help bring all stakeholders together to communicate and work as a whole, said Landman.

“A lot of what’s happening right now to foster local food production is at the grassroots level, and there is no organization bringing them all together. This stakeholder analysis will bring people together, so even after the research is over, they’ll still be communicating.”

The University has appointed Adrian Schwan as the next chair of the Department of Chemistry. His five-year term begins July 1, 2007.

Prof. Schwan joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 1989. He served as director, and is still an active member, of the Guelph-Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry and Biochemistry.

“Adrian's experience gained from many and varied activities in the department as well as his time spent as director of the Guelph-Waterloo Centre has prepared him well to become the chair of the department,” said Anthony Vannelli, dean of the College of Physical and Engineering Science. “I especially appreciate hearing that many faculty members have already extended their help to Adrian.”

Vannelli said he extends a special thanks to Prof. John Goddard who stepped in as acting chair over the last year.

WATERLOO, Ont. - Aviation enthusiasts will be able to learn to fly while earning a university degree through two new programs to be offered this fall by the University of Waterloo.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield will speak at the official launch of the two programs to be held next week at the Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC), Waterloo International Airport. As well, WestJet Airlines will present a scholarship donation.

The new bachelor of environmental studies degree in geography and aviation along with a new bachelor of science in science and aviation will take flight starting in September. Both programs were developed in partnership with the WWFC.

"The field of aviation has evolved significantly over the past 20 years," says Ian McKenzie, director of the aviation program at UW. "Aviation and aerospace industries demand a new breed of specialists who have a comprehensive academic background to help them understand complex aircraft systems and well-developed analytical, critical thinking and decision-making skills."

Today, flight training is a requirement for many aviation and aerospace careers. A university degree, meanwhile, is seen by the airline industry as a valuable asset for a pilot and is rapidly becoming a requirement for the profession.

To meet that need, UW's new programs provide a solid foundation for careers in a diverse range of aviation and aerospace industries.

Both degrees are designed to provide candidates with a comprehensive grounding in aviation-relevant subjects such as physics, earth sciences, geomatics (science and technology of gathering, analyzing, interpreting, distributing and using geographic information), climatology and remote sensing.

"Waterloo has a very strong science, environmental science, geomatics and technology base that will provide many of the essential underpinnings of aviation and aerospace," says McKenzie, also a professor of geography.

In UW's faculties of environmental studies and science, aviation-related areas include solid-state physics, wireless communication, astrophysics, energy cells, fuels, remote sensing, climatology/meteorology, environmental sciences, computer cartography, geomorphology, global positioning systems and geographic information systems, among others.

The aviation component of both programs will cover professional pilot program requirements, delivered by WWFC. A non-profit organization, WWFC has been offering flight training for more than 70 years and is widely respected in the Canadian aviation industry.

Morton Globus, a pilot and professor emeritus in the faculty of science, was instrumental in developing the new programs and served as UW's liaison with WWFC.

John Milloy, MPP, Kitchener Centre Presents Pennant For Meeting The McGuinty Government’s Healthy Schools Challenge

Kitchener: St. Patrick’s Grade School was presented with a healthy schools pennant to recognize its “Healthy Schools, Healthy Lunches” program which was created in response to the McGuinty government’s Healthy Schools Challenge, said John Milloy, MPP, Kitchener Centre.

“I’m thrilled with this school’s outstanding accomplishment,” said Milloy, MPP who presented the pennant following the Healthy School Fitness Break today. “The McGuinty government issued a challenge, and the team at St. Patrick’s Grade School met it. This pennant is well deserved.”

To receive recognition, schools were required to sign a pledge and commit to adding at least one more healthy activity or program this school year. The principal, school council chair and often a student representative have signed the pledge.

The McGuinty government is proud that St. Patrick’s Grade School’s students and teaching staff has taken up this challenge as part of the Healthy Schools Recognition Program. These students, parents and community members partnered together to implement programs to make their schools healthier places to learn.

“Through the Ontario government’s Healthy Schools Recognition Program, schools in our community have once again demonstrated their commitment to creating a healthy environment for their students,” said Milloy. “I am honoured to recognize their efforts and to showcase their examples as healthy schools.”

“I’d like to congratulate all schools that have accepted our government’s Healthy Schools Challenge,” said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne. “Many of our schools are already leading the way. By working with students, parents and community members, I’m confident that Ontario’s schools can improve student health and student achievement even more.”

“We know that schools play an important role in promoting the health of students,” said Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson. “Our government recognizes the importance of supporting programs that improve health in each school community and we applaud every school that took up the challenge to promote better health for its students through this program.”

To support schools in their efforts, the Ministry of Education developed a broad framework for healthy schools in consultation with experts from the education and health sectors. The framework outlines components of a healthy school and is posted on the ministry’s website, www.edu.gov.on.ca. Tools, tips and best practices are also posted to help schools plan their activities.

WATERLOO – The Laurier Centre for Community Service-Learning is only in its first year of placing students into volunteer positions in the community, and it has already won an award for its success.

The Laurier Centre took first place in the Innovative Volunteer Involvement category at the Volunteer Impact Awards ceremony, held June 14 by the Volunteer Action Centre of Kitchener-Waterloo.

The Volunteer Impact Awards honour individuals, organizations and businesses whose outstanding volunteer achievements have made a significant influence on the community.

The award caps off a banner inaugural year for the Laurier Centre, which placed more than 580 students with 60 community organizations, as well as 285 students into schools. Each student volunteered at least two hours per week for 10 weeks of the semester, logging a total of 11,600 hours of community service.

“It feels really good that people know about the potential and impact of the program,” says Paul Davock, director of the Laurier Centre for Community Service-Learning.

Community Service-Learning allows students to be actively involved with community organizations that are related to their area of study, providing practical experience to supplement academic learning. It also allows students to learn about the positive effects of volunteering.

Placements include daycare centres, schools, nursing homes and youth services. Davock hopes to expand the program and include more project-based activities such as developing marketing plans, research and fundraising.

University of Waterloo student, Kristin Harris, currently in third-year health studies, received the 2007 student-of-the-year awards from both the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education (CAFCE) and Education at Work Ontario (EWO). Harris was awarded the Early Career Investigator award when attending the International Society for Quality of Life Research conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

Harris is also the recipient of the University of Waterloo Applied Health Sciences student-of-the-year award and UW's 50th anniversary co-op student award.

Harris has earned international acclaim for her significant research at the Toronto Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre. Her work on a Bone Metastases Module required her to travel to Portugal and England to present her research both orally and through poster sessions. She has authored and co-authored more than 24 medical papers, while peer-editing manuscripts and reviewing grant applications.

Statscan - Social background – specifically, the education level of parents and the family's income – played a significant role in the course-selection choices made by high school students in four provinces, according to a new study.

The study examined the extent to which the "streaming" of Grade 10 students occurred in 2000 in four provinces: Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. It used data from Cycle 1 of the Youth in Transition Survey.

Streaming, or the "tracking" of high school students through different sequences of core courses, has been practised in Canada and other developed countries for decades. It has been the subject of vigorous debate.

Specifically, the study found that the academic placement of students in Grade 10 math, science, and English courses was strongly related to their parents' education and family income.

Teens from more advantaged families were more likely to be taking the type of math, science and English courses that would keep all their postsecondary options open, compared to teens from families in which neither parent had a postsecondary education and in which family incomes tended to be lower.

The study also showed that, although the effects were weaker, visible minority and immigrant students and students for whom English or French was not their first language were somewhat more likely to have all postsecondary options open.

This is in contrast with earlier research which suggested that some visible minority groups and students taking English as a second language were disproportionately found in streams that would restrict their educational and career options. However, it was consistent with more recent research which suggested that visible minority immigrant youth aim high.

The study found large provincial differences in streaming. A Grade 10 student in Saskatchewan, for example, was much more likely to have university options open than a student in British Columbia, Ontario or Alberta.

Proponents of streaming argue that students with different abilities and aptitudes should have the opportunity to take different sequences of courses while completing high school.

Those most academically inclined should have the opportunity to take the most advanced courses, which will challenge them. In contrast, students who are less academically inclined should be encouraged to take the level of course that best meets their learning needs and allows them to develop to the fullest of their abilities.

Opponents argue that the unintended consequences of the practice include the channelling of young people from less advantaged backgrounds into secondary course streams. These, in turn, may limit their chances of getting into postsecondary programs that lead to better-paying and higher-status careers.

The article "Streaming in the 10th grade in four Canadian provinces in 2000" is now available in the online publication Education Matters: Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada, Vol. 4 no. 2 (81-004-XIE, free), from the Publications module of our website.

This edition of Education Matters: Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada also contains the article "A first look at provincial differences in educational pathways from high school to college and university." It examines differences in educational choices between boys and girls aged 15 to 19 in various provinces and on the basis of family income.

University of Guelph engineers have designed an armrest that reduces repetitive strain injuries and has the potential to be used in almost anything with a seat, from heavy machinery to powered wheelchairs.

Tests show the provisionally patented armrest reduces muscle activity in the neck by more than 60 per cent compared to typical armrests, said Prof. Michele Oliver, who has led the 10-year project.

While the armrest is about to be piloted in excavators, Oliver said the possibilities of the design extend far beyond heavy machinery.

“It’s simple, cheap and relatively robust, so its potential uses are broad,” said Oliver, who presented the idea of using the armrests on powered wheelchairs on Sunday at the Canadian Medical and Biological Engineers Conference.

Oliver’s initial focus was on designing an armrest for heavy-machinery operators because it’s a line of work with high rates of repetitive strain injuries, she said. A joystick operator’s limbs can go through 20,000 motions in a typical 10-hour workday. Only after completing the design did she realize the ergonomic armrest could revolutionize seat designs.

“Simple solutions are the most elegant, and this is a solution that will apply to any environment where a person is operating a control,” she said.

Using computer simulations, Oliver and graduate student Greg Northey found that the neck muscles never get a chance to rest when someone is operating a joystick

Oliver said stationary armrests don’t provide enough support for joystick users because the arm is left floating when it moves forward and the shoulder is forced to rise when the arm moves backwards.

With the research obtained from the computer simulations, graduate student Taylor Murphy designed a moveable armrest that mimics the natural motion of the arm during joystick operations. Oliver said the armrest moves with the arm vertically and horizontally, relieving the shoulder from constantly stabilizing the arm and preventing strain on the neck muscles.

“It’s the first-ever heavy equipment armrest that moves and turns with the arm,” said Oliver.

Oliver recently received an NSERC Idea to Innovation grant of $122,000 to help move the design from the laboratory to the commercial market. She is currently working with a Canadian seat manufacturer for heavy machinery with the goal of retrofitting existing machines with the armrests and including the design in the production of future seats.

These dynamic armrests could be implemented in hundreds of thousands of work environments as early as 2010, said Oliver.

“It costs a couple of hundred dollars to build the armrest, which is a small price to pay considering the amount companies could save in Workplace Safety Insurance Board premiums.”

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo remains one of the more popular choices for students now selecting a university program. After experiencing one of the largest percentage increases in applications, UW is receiving more confirmations than anticipated.

Numbers released by the university indicate that 5,825 students have accepted an offer of admission from the university. Since it planned to admit 5,101 students this fall, the actual confirmations total 114 per cent of the enrolment target.

Eight per cent of students who confirm historically change their minds, which would still leave UW only a bit above target.

"It is a comfortable position to be in," said registrar Ken Lavigne. "We know from experience that we will see some attrition as students and families alter their plans. And we have a history of being more popular than expected, so we know how to ensure that a few additional students will not negatively impact the student experience."

While all faculties have surpassed their targets, two in particular have exceeded all expectations. The faculty of science planned for 840 first-year students and has received confirmations from 1,086, or from 129 per cent of its target. With 390 confirmations, environmental studies reached 129 per cent of its target of 303 students.

"Anything with management or business also did really well this time around," said Nancy Weiner, associate registrar, admissions. "With 165 per cent of its target, management engineering had the highest confirmation overrun."

The various faculties now are exploring the options for dealing with their overruns. These will likely involve adding classes, or adding sections and lab sessions to already scheduled classes.

Founded in 1957, UW is this year celebrating its 50th anniversary and its 15th consecutive year as Canada's most innovative university. One of Canada's leading comprehensive universities, Waterloo offers undergraduate and graduate programs in applied health sciences, arts, engineering, environmental studies, mathematics and science.

WATERLOO — A prominent group of international experts will gather at Wilfrid Laurier University from June 15 to 17 to discuss the role of organizations in sustainable development.

The objective of the Sustainable Ecosystem and Social Stewardship Conference is to bring together leading thinkers on sustainability from industry, government and academia in a collaborative forum. The conference will feature 125 thought-leaders from 20 countries who will base their discussions on three major themes: Sustainable Energy & Transportation, Sustainable Innovation, and Sustainable Business Models for the Base of the Pyramid.

“To make genuine progress on sustainable development, businesses need to move from separate strategies for ‘greening’ and ‘community engagement’ toward an integrated stewardship of the resources, ecosystems, and communities that are impacted by their operations along the entire supply chain—from cradle to grave, from one generation to the next, from one species to another, and from one society to another,” says conference organizer Dr. Sanjay Sharma, a Laurier business professor who holds a Canada Research Chair in Organizational Sustainability.

To encourage frank discussions, the conference will abide by the Chatham House Rule and therefore sessions will not be open to the media. However, conference organizers will facilitate media requests for interviews with individual participants.

Featured speakers at the conference include corporate leaders from companies such as Philips NV Netherlands, LG Industries Korea, GE Energy USA, Baker Hughes USA, Suncor Canada, CIBC Canada, Alcan Canada, and the Forest Products Association of Canada; as well as managers from various environment ministries, municipalities and other public-sector institutions; and leading academics from the U.S., Canada, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, India and Africa.

A summary of the conference findings will be made available later in a special issue of the journal Business Strategy and the Environment (John Wiley & Sons) published by the Greening of Industry Network (GIN) and in a book to be published by Edward Elgar Academic Publishing. The conference papers will also be available on the GIN website (www.greeningofindustry.org) for GIN members.

The Sustainable Ecosystem and Social Stewardship Conference is presented by the Laurier School of Business & Economics, the CMA Centre for Responsible Organizations, and the International Greening of Industry Network.

WATERLOO - Nine University of Waterloo researchers have received funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to perform work in such wide-ranging areas as knee injuries, drug treatments, car pollution and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

The UW researchers have been awarded grants totalling $1.1 million from CFI's leaders opportunity fund, designed to assist universities in attracting and retaining top faculty. The nine projects will receive funding from other sources, including the Ontario government.

The CFI announced recently a $39-million investment to support 261 researchers at 42 institutions across Canada, including UW. CFI, an independent corporation created by the federal government, funds research infrastructure in universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions.

"These investments at Waterloo will help ensure that new researchers and their students have access to a world-class research and training environment," said Alan George, UW's vice-president, university research.

"Knowledge-intensive economies and societies of the 21st century will be characterized by innovative research and a highly educated and skilled workforce," said Eliot Phillipson, president and CEO of the CFI. "Over the past 10 years, the CFI's investments have been a major factor in enabling the University of Waterloo to attract some of the world's best researchers. This important investment will ensure that this trend continues."

The UW grant winners are:

* Project title: Knee Injury: Impact and Tissue Assessment Facility. Principal investigator: Naveen Chandrashekar, professor of mechanical engineering. Co-investigators: Duane Cronin and John Medley, professors of mechanical engineering. CFI funding: $99,145.

The research seeks to prevent, control and treat knee injury and early osteoarthritis. The work explores mechanisms related to knee injuries during sports activities in order to design preventive and treatment methods.

The knee injury facility -- the first of its kind in Canada -- will spark basic and applied science research on the causes and consequences of knee injuries. It will enable the simulation of knee injuries during such dynamic activities as basketball landing and alpine-ski landing.

* Project title: Innovative Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Principal investigator: Christine Purdon, professor of psychology. Co-investigators: Jonathan Oakman and Erik Woody, professors of psychology. CFI funding: $54,720.

The research aims to develop innovative ways to prevent and treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, a major mental illness with high economic and social costs. It will, among other activities, test the effectiveness of a new treatment program to avert the disorder in individuals who have sub-clinical symptoms.

If successful, the work has the potential to reduce the demand for physician visits in order to treat the debilitating illness, as well as to cut disability, unemployment and welfare costs.

* Project title: State-of-the Art Facility for the Study of RNA Structure-Function Relationships. Principal investigator: Thorsten Dieckmann, professor of chemistry. CFI funding: $150,000.

The new facility will advance multi-disciplinary research in RNA (ribonucleic acids) structure-function relationships. It will be used to develop new anti-viral agents for fighting infectious diseases, along with new molecular switches for biomedical analysis and tools for nanotechnology research.

The work plans to develop a molecular-level picture of the interactions controlling viral infections. It will result in antiviral compounds capable of being used even in cases where immunization is impossible or administered too late.

* Project title: Integrating Reaction and Catalyst Characterization. Principal investigator: William Epling, professor of chemical engineering. CFI funding: $129,551.

The research, which benefits the automotive industry and the environment, advances understanding of catalysts -- their effectiveness, surface chemistry and reaction phenomena. It involves an innovative materials and catalyst characterization system, integrated with a micro-scale reactor.

The work will lead to innovative engine emissions abatement catalyst systems aimed at environmental cleanup and eliminating pollutants. In particular, the research explores the storage and reduction catalysts used for diesel engine exhaust.

* Project title: MEMS (micro-electro mechanical systems) Test and Characterization Laboratory. Principal investigator: Eihab Abdel-Rahman, professor of systems design engineering. Co-investigator: Tze-Wei (John) Yeow, professor of systems design engineering. CFI funding: $156,048.

The research will focus on a new systematic close-loop MEMS design process to germinate a generation of sophisticated micro-electro mechanical systems, particularly innovative sensors and actuators, together with integrated biomedical devices.

The work will develop such biomedical diagnostic devices as micro-sensors and chemical analysis instruments. The use of these biomedical instruments will cut costs for diagnoses and treatments.

* Project title: Laboratory for Nanoparticle Synthesis and Application Development. Principal investigator: Dale Henneke, professor of chemical engineering. CFI funding: $125,000.

The work explores a system to rapidly produce prototype nanoparticles for nanotechnology, resulting in such improvements as better data storage and life-saving therapies deploying nanomedicines.

The research will use a laboratory for nanoparticle synthesis and applications based on the laser ablation of microparticle technique. The technique quickly provides gram quantities of tailor-made nanoparticles. Laser ablation involves removing material from a solid (or liquid) surface by irradiating it with a laser beam.

* Project title: Integrated Synthesis/Analysis/Computation Laboratory for Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry. Principal investigator: Sonny Lee, professor of chemistry. CFI funding: $150,000.

The research focuses on biological nitrogen fixation, a process involving the conversion of dinitrogen (or N2, the most common form of the element nitrogen in normal conditions) to a more reactive nitrogen species, which is essential to life on earth. The work relies on forefront iron-nitrogen chemistry to raise understanding of biological nitrogen fixation.

Such insights into the process of biological nitrogen fixation will benefit the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, agricultural sector and environment by reducing nutrient runoff pollution, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

* Project title: Ultrafast Characterization of Quantum Optoelectronics and Microwave-Photonic Devices and Circuits. Principal investigator: Hamed Majedi, professor of electrical and computer engineering. CFI funding: $99,173.

The research will perform optoelectronic functions at the single-photon level. The work will have applications in quantum photo detection, among other areas.

The applications of photonic and optoelectronic systems are used in such fields as fibre optical telecommunication, laser surgery and laser-gas spectroscopy for air and environmental studies.

* Project title: Carbon Nanotube Biomaterials. Principal investigator: Xiao-Wu (Shirley) Tang, professor of chemistry. CFI funding: $150,000.

The research explores nanobiotechnology to forge new tools for bio-analysis, drug delivery, disease diagnostics and therapy. Nanobiotechnology merges material sciences, chemistry, electronics and biology.

The electrical, mechanical, optical and chemical properties of single-walled carbon nanotube have made it an innovative nanomaterial for a wide range of applications, including drug delivery and cancer therapy

WATERLOO — A prominent group of international experts will gather at Wilfrid Laurier University from June 15 to 17 to discuss the role of organizations in sustainable development.

The objective of the Sustainable Ecosystem and Social Stewardship Conference is to bring together leading thinkers on sustainability from industry, government and academia in a collaborative forum. The conference will feature 125 thought-leaders from 20 countries who will base their discussions on three major themes: Sustainable Energy & Transportation, Sustainable Innovation, and Sustainable Business Models for the Base of the Pyramid.

“To make genuine progress on sustainable development, businesses need to move from separate strategies for ‘greening’ and ‘community engagement’ toward an integrated stewardship of the resources, ecosystems, and communities that are impacted by their operations along the entire supply chain—from cradle to grave, from one generation to the next, from one species to another, and from one society to another,” says conference organizer Dr. Sanjay Sharma, a Laurier business professor who holds a Canada Research Chair in Organizational Sustainability.

To encourage frank discussions, the conference will abide by the Chatham House Rule and therefore sessions will not be open to the media. However, conference organizers will facilitate media requests for interviews with individual participants.

Featured speakers at the conference include corporate leaders from companies such as Philips NV Netherlands, LG Industries Korea, GE Energy USA, Baker Hughes USA, Suncor Canada, CIBC Canada, Alcan Canada, and the Forest Products Association of Canada; as well as managers from various environment ministries, municipalities and other public-sector institutions; and leading academics from the U.S., Canada, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, India and Africa.

A summary of the conference findings will be made available later in a special issue of the journal Business Strategy and the Environment (John Wiley & Sons) published by the Greening of Industry Network (GIN) and in a book to be published by Edward Elgar Academic Publishing. The conference papers will also be available on the GIN website (www.greeningofindustry.org) for GIN members.

The Sustainable Ecosystem and Social Stewardship Conference is presented by the Laurier School of Business & Economics, the CMA Centre for Responsible Organizations, and the International Greening of Industry Network.

The centre’s mission is to foster responsible organizations by establishing the School of Business & Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University as a pre-eminent research centre contributing to knowledge development and organizational capacity-building in this field. The centre develops and disseminates knowledge to its stakeholders on the roles and responsibilities of organizations in society, and acts as a catalyst in creating a new generation of managers who are committed to, and knowledgeable about, societal responsibility.

The Greening of Industry Network (GIN) is an international network of professionals from research, education, business, civil society organizations, and government, focusing on issues of industrial development, environment, and society, and dedicated to building a sustainable future. GIN has three major chapters: GIN Americas, GIN Europe, and GIN Asia. The Greening of Industry Network develops knowledge and transforms practice to accelerate progress toward a sustainable society.

TORONTO - In its first overseas meeting, the Warwick Commission on 'The Multilateral Trading System after Doha' meets in Toronto on 15/16 June 2007. An initiative of the University of Warwick, one of the UK's leading universities, the Commission is Chaired by the Hon. Pierre Pettigrew and is made up of 17 other leading experts on world trade. With future meetings and evidence gathering planned for Warwick, England, (September) and New Delhi, India, (October), the Warwick Commission will present its report on the future of the world trade system in Geneva, in December 2007.

As the World Trade Organization (WTO) struggles to conclude the current Doha Development Agenda talks, the Commission has embarked on a year-long search for ways of improving the governance arrangements for the world's trade system. The Commission's work comes against a background of increasing concerns about the viability of the WTO and fears of a drift towards greater protectionism.

During its two-day session, the Commission will consider the results of its survey of 250 experts on the future of trade liberalisation. Covering issues such as the role of the WTO, challenges to the WTO's Dispute Settlement Mechanism, equity in the trade system and the impact of preferential trade agreements, the survey will inform the Commission's thinking.

Canadians and Torontonians will also have a chance to influence the Commission's findings as they are asked about what the trade system means to them and how it can be improved.

The Warwick Commission is Chaired by the Hon. Pierre S. Pettigrew, Executive Advisor, International, Deloitte & Touche LLP. M. Pettigrew is an experienced trade specialist and diplomat and is a former Canadian Minister for International Trade and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was also Chair of the WTO Working Group on Singapore Issues 2003-4.

Pierre Pettigrew said "I am confident that the mix between new-generation academics and experienced trade practitioners on the Commission will result in a creative, forward-looking and pragmatic report in December."

Professor Richard Higgott, a specialist on trade governance issues from the University of Warwick, is the Commission's Director. He said "Over the coming months the Warwick Commission will be taking a hard look at core issues such as the role of the WTO and equity in the trade system. We aim to have a positive impact on the future of the world trade system after Doha."

Uniquely, the Warwick Commission brings together scholars and practitioners in a forum which will consider the wider systemic and conceptual issues alongside the immediate policy process. The Commission will bring together the theoretical skills of scholars and the practical insights of policymakers to achieve a better understanding of how to take forward the multilateral trading system. The Commission's aim is to reach conclusions which are not just immediately policy focussed, but are also embedded in the wider, longer term context of our understanding of the contemporary global and regional economic and political orders. With the current impasse in the Doha Round negotiations, there is a vacuum to be filled by new ideas and forward-looking measures. The Commission intends to make an early contribution to the inevitable debate about the future of the world trade system.

The Warwick Commission will hold further sessions at the University of Warwick, England, in September and in New Delhi, India, in October before presenting its report in Geneva, Switzerland, in December.

1. The Warwick Commission is an initiative of the University of Warwick and is a major programme of independent annual inquiries into issues of global importance. The current inquiry, 'The Multilateral Trading System after Doha', is the first in the series.

2. The University of Warwick is one of the UK's most dynamic and progressive universities and is ranked in the top ten in the UK for the quality of both its research and teaching. Warwick has been a pioneer since its creation forty years ago. It was one of the first UK universities to forge partnerships with commerce and industry to underpin its academic research; and it has been proactive in diversifying its income base by developing commercial businesses and services. Warwick's vision is to become a world leader in research and teaching. We believe that, well within the next forty years, Warwick has the ability to build on its distinct brand and culture, and its formidable reputation in the UK, to emerge as one of a small group of global brands in higher education.

3. The Commission's meeting in Toronto has been arranged with support from Deloitte, one of Canada's leading professional services firms, providing audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services through more than 6,800 people in 51 offices. Deloitte operates in Quebec as Samson Belair/Deloitte & Touche s.e.n.c.r.l. Deloitte is the Canadian member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

Roots Of Empathy Recognized For Contributions To Education in Ontario

TORONTO - The McGuinty government is supporting Roots of Empathy's efforts to increase student empathy and build character in the province's students, Education Minister Kathleen Wynne announced June 13, 2007.

"We are proud to support Roots of Empathy," said Wynne at an event celebrating the Roots of Empathy program. "This program really brings character development into the classroom, teaching young students about values like empathy, respect and inclusion."

The province is providing $700,000 to Roots of Empathy, a classroom program that brings a neighbourhood parent and infant into the classroom every three weeks over the school year. Students are coached to observe the baby's development, celebrate milestones, interact with the baby and learn about an infant's needs and unique temperament.

"The Roots of Empathy program has a wonderful impact in the classroom - not only teaching students about a baby's physical and emotional growth, but increasing empathy among students and lowering levels of aggression and bullying," said Mary Gordon, Founder and President of Roots of Empathy. "This funding will help support the ongoing delivery of this unique program."

This is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians are helping every student achieve better results. Other examples include: <<

- A Character Development Initiative that supports academic achievement by developing well-rounded citizens who will help build a strong, caring and compassionate society. All school boards will have character development programs in place for the 2007-08 school year.

- Establishing a three-year, $3 million partnership with Kids Help Phone to provide phone and on-line anonymous counselling to Ontario students who are dealing with bullying issues.

- Providing $1.2 million for bullying-prevention training for approximately 7,500 principals and vice-principals, and $4.5 million for bullying-prevention training for up to 25,000 teachers.

"Through programs such as Roots of Empathy, we are continuing to work with our partners in education to create safer and healthier school environments that foster respect and help our young people become caring and educated citizens," said Wynne. "We are committed to reaching every student and helping them reach their full potential."

The President’s Dialogue on Canada’s role as a global citizen attracted a packed audience of more than 600 University and community members Wednesday.

Canada’s role in peacekeeping, global hunger and global warming were some of the topics discussed by the seven distinguished panellists, most of whom received honorary degrees during summer convocation.

During the two-hour dialogue, participants exchanged views and took questions from both the live and web audiences. The event was broadcast live on the Internet.

“Today’s event brings new meaning to the term ‘civic engagement,’” says president Alastair Summerlee, who moderated the discussion.

“We had engagement from the citizens of Guelph, ranging from school children to senior citizens, and from business leaders to University faculty and students. And everyone was united in a discussion about our country’s global engagement.”

Summerlee adds that he was also impressed by the community’s level of engagement, “both in terms of the size of the audience and in the depth of the questioning. There was excitement in the air.”

He also praised the panellists for being open-minded and willing to participate in the dialogue with no script or advance questions. “I think the spontaneity of the interactions was one of the compelling features of the dialogue.”

Participants were:

• Craig Kielburger, who at the age of 12 founded Free the Children, the largest network of children helping children in the world.

• Lloyd Axworthy, president of the University of Winnipeg and Canada’s former foreign minister, who instigated a landmark treaty that banned anti-personnel land mines.

• Peter Hannam, a pivotal leader in Canadian agriculture who is interested in the global role Canada can play in helping other nations improve their food production systems.

• Sally Armstrong, a journalist, documentary filmmaker, author, teacher and human rights activist, who was one of the first people to report on the conditions faced by Afghan women under the Taliban regime.

• Pamela Wallin, an accomplished and esteemed journalist, diplomat and entrepreneur and the new chancellor of the University of Guelph.

• Louise Fréchette, the first deputy secretary-general of the United Nations and Canada’s former assistant deputy minister for economic policy and trade competitiveness.

• Paul Rusesabagina, who has been internationally honoured for sheltering more than 1,200 people in the Rwandan hotel he managed and protecting them from being slaughtered by the militia during the Rwandan genocide. His story of bravery became the basis of the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda.

Wednesday’s event was the second annual President’s Dialogue, an initiative started by U of G president Alastair Summerlee to engage the public in stimulating discussions about issues of contemporary importance and to give members of the community a chance to ask questions of global leaders. The next dialogue will be in 2008 and will focus on volunteerism.

Pamela Wallin, an accomplished and esteemed journalist, diplomat and entrepreneur, was installed June 13, 2007 as chancellor of the University of Guelph.

She is the seventh person and the second woman to hold the position since the University’s founding in 1964.

During a heartfelt and inspirational convocation address, Wallin stressed the power of education and the importance of lifelong learning and open-mindedness.

“Education is about the ability to be changed by what you have learned,” she told graduates, faculty, staff, students and community members. “Education helps bridge the gap between aspiration and achievement.”

Learning, she added, “is not about knowing for knowing’s sake. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.”

Wallin was installed by president Alastair Summerlee and honoured by Lincoln Alexander, who was U of G chancellor for an unprecedented 15 years. Alexander has been named University chancellor emeritus and will continue to serve Guelph in ceremonial roles, including participating in some public events and convocations.

During the ceremony, Alexander described Wallin as intelligent, articulate and a “mover and shaker who is ideally suited to be the seventh chancellor of this fine university.”

As chancellor, Wallin will preside at convocations, confer University degrees and act as an ambassador to graduates. She will also serve as Guelph’s senior volunteer and represent its interests to local, provincial and federal governments.

During her address, Wallin praised U of G for having vision and courage. “I am proud to be part of this extraordinary place that has become a world leader in providing answers to real-world problems,” she said.

“It is a university that wisely uses its strengths its traditions — the Ontario Agricultural College and the Ontario Veterinary College — to fast-forward into the 201st century.”

Wallin’s career has spanned more than 30 years and several continents, including numerous positions at CBC and CTV. She is currently the senior adviser to the president of the Americas Society and the Council of the Americas in New York. She recently completed a four-year term as consul general of Canada in New York and serves on the boards of many Canadian corporations, including CTVglobemedia.

She holds an honours degree in psychology and political science from the University of Regina and she has received 13 honorary degrees, including an honorary doctorate of laws from Guelph in 2006. She is the author of three books, including the bestselling memoir Since You Asked.

Wallin’s installation was also attended by government officials; representatives of the Council of Ontario Universities, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, and other Canadian universities; as well as members of U of G’s Board of Governors.

Guelph’s former chancellors and their years of service are: Edmund Bovey, past president of the Art Gallery of Ontario, 1989 to 1990; William Stewart, former Ontario minister of agriculture, 1983 to 1989; Pauline McGibbon, former Ontario lieutenant-governor, 1977 to 1983; Emmett Hall, former chief justice of Saskatchewan and member of the Supreme Court of Canada, 1971 to 1977; and George Drew, former mayor of Guelph, premier of Ontario and Canada high commissioner to the United Kingdom, 1965 to 1971.

WATERLOO - Widely known as one of the 'Fathers of the Internet,' Vinton Cerf will visit the University of Waterloo next week to give a public talk on the future of the World Wide Web, covering such issues as spam and fraud.

Cerf, vice-president and chief Internet evangelist for Google Inc., will discuss the current state of the Internet and the evolving technologies to support it as well as to raise some issues about technical challenges yet to be faced. His talk, entitled Tracking the Internet into the 21st Century, will be held Thursday, June 21, at 1:30 p.m. in the humanities theatre, located in the J. G. Hagey Hall of the Humanities. Admission is free.

The public talk is part of the 2006-2007 Distinguished Speaker Series of the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at UW.

"The topic will have broad appeal. Attracting a speaker of this calibre certainly speaks to UW's and this community's reputation as a centre for technological innovation," says school director Tamer Özsu.

Over the years, the Internet has grown dramatically from its initial experimental form (three networks) to a burgeoning world infrastructure of significant value and utility. Cerf will look at some problems requiring research to solve and others representing thorny policy issues of international scope, such as spam, denial of service attacks, abuses of domain names, fraud and harassment.

"We will also see how network-oriented applications are becoming very popular both for reliability reasons and also to enable collaborative work," Cerf says in an abstract of his upcoming talk. "As consumer devices become part of the Internet, we will discover new kinds of network-based services that allow third parties to help users manage their entertainment and work."

As well, he will discuss the extension of the Internet to operation across the solar system as a communication infrastructure in support of manned and robotic space exploration.

At Google, Cerf is responsible for identifying new enabling technologies to support the development of advanced Internet-based products and services. He is also an active public face for Google in the Internet world.

Cerf is the co-designer of TCP/IP protocols, the basic communication language of the Internet, and the architecture of the Internet. In December 1997, then-president Bill Clinton presented the U.S. National Medal of Technology to Cerf and his colleague, Robert E. Kahn, for founding and developing the Internet. Kahn and Cerf were named the recipients of the ACM Alan M. Turing award, sometimes called the Nobel prize of computer science, in 2004 for their work on the Internet protocols.

WATERLOO - Some of the brightest math students from high schools across Canada are honing their skills this week as the University of Waterloo hosts the 42 annual Canadian Mathematics Competition Seminar.

The 56 students earned an invitation to the seminar by excelling in competitions organized by UW's Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC). They will spend the week on a series of activities -- including daily problem-solving sessions and a math relay -- designed to test and stretch their considerable abilities.

"These kids are the bright lights and technological leaders of tomorrow, and it's gratifying to see that they have so strong an interest in mathematics," said Ian VanderBurgh, director of the CEMC. "They are excited to visit Waterloo, which many already see as the centre of the universe when it comes to math."

A key part of the week has the students learning from one another during daily problem-solving sessions that run from 10:30 a.m. to noon from June 11 to 14. Participants work in groups of three or four to solve four or five problems. In the last half hour, each individual must write up his or her solution to one with no advanced warning of the specific problem.

The students will participate in a math relay during the evening of June 15. To win, each member of a team must solve a problem on his or her own. But the first answer is part of the second problem, which then becomes part of the third problem, and so forth.

The week also includes an awards banquet, beginning at 5 p.m. on June 14. More than 200,000 students write one of CEMC's mathematics competitions and fewer than 60 attend the weeklong seminar. The prizes and awards for these contests are presented at the banquet.

The CEMC was created in 1995 by UW's faculty of mathematics, which has long been a supporter of math activities in schools. That interest led to the creation of a team of mathematics educators devoted to the creation of enrichment activities for elementary and secondary schools. The CEMC is responsible for the internationally recognized Canadian Mathematics Competitions (CMC), the Canadian Computing Competition (CCC), a comprehensive series of problems books and a well-earned reputation for staging popular problem-solving workshops for students and teachers.

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo will graduate more than 4,300 students and award 17 honorary degrees during spring convocation in UW's 50th anniversary year to be held on campus from Wednesday through Saturday (June 13-16).

A total of 3,894 undergraduate and 454 graduate students will receive their degrees and diplomas during the four-day event at the physical activities complex on the UW campus.

Malcolm Gladwell, a visionary and influential author, and Jim Balsillie, a high-tech executive and philanthropist, are among the people receiving honorary doctorates at separate spring convocation ceremonies.

"Convocation marks the end of a long journey filled with hard work and is a proud moment for both the graduates and their families," says UW registrar Ken Lavigne.

UW will hold eight convocation ceremonies:

* Faculties of applied health sciences and environmental studies, Wednesday, June 13 at 10 a.m. David Evans will give the valedictorian speech. A total of 683 students will graduate at the ceremony.

Terry Prowse, an internationally known physical geographer, will receive a doctor of environmental studies degree and address convocation. A professor at the University of Victoria, Prowse is a leading expert on the impact of climate variability and change on hydrology, water resources and freshwater ecosystems in northern environments. He heads the Water Climate Impacts Research Centre, jointly sponsored by UVic and Environment Canada.

Norman Ashton, a pioneering researcher in the field of kinesiology, will receive a doctor of science degree. A retired UW professor, he developed and formed the university's first kinesiology program, which explores the science of human movement. Other universities in Canada have since emulated the program, which combines several disciplines.

* Faculty of science, Wednesday, June 13 at 2 p.m. Jeff Yoo will give the valedictorian speech. Retired professor John Cherry, who will be made a distinguished professor emeritus, will address convocation. A total of 733 students will graduate at the ceremony.

Rudolf Thauer will receive a doctor of science. A nominee for the Nobel Prize, Thauer is widely respected for an outstanding teaching and research career in the field of microbiology. A specialist in the biochemistry of anaerobic bacteria and archaea (microorganisms), he founded the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Germany.

Richard Peltier will receive a doctor of science. Regarded as the world's top geoscientist for his scientific achievements, Peltier holds the title of university professor in the physics department at the University of Toronto. He has made landmark research contributions to earth geophysics as well as to the area of global ice ages, including human-induced changes to climate variability.

UW will also present Barbara Moffat, professor of biology, with the annual award for teaching excellence. The Distinguished Teacher Award recognizes outstanding professors and instructors nominated by UW students, colleagues and alumni.

As well, UW will award Jake Sivak of optometry with the university professor designation, the highest academic honour given on campus. It recognizes exceptional scholarly achievement and international pre-eminence.

* Faculty of arts, Thursday, June 14 at 10 a.m. (first session). Meaghan Hoffmann will give the valedictorian speech. A total of 542 students will graduate at the ceremony.

Jim Balsillie will receive a doctor of laws and address convocation. A graduate of Harvard Business School, Balsillie is co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM), developer of the BlackBerry. In 2002, Balsillie provided core financing for the creation of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, a Canadian think-tank dedicated to researching issues of global importance.

Carl Dare will receive a Doctor of Laws. Now in his nineties, Dare is the only living member of the original board of governors of the University of Waterloo. Besides being one of the founders of UW, he headed Dare Foods Ltd., one of Waterloo Region's most successful businesses.

UW will also present Gary Bruce, professor of history, with the annual award for teaching excellence.

* Faculty of arts, Thursday, June 14 at 2 p.m. (second session). Stephanie Venne will give the valedictorian speech. A total of 597 students will graduate at the ceremony.

Malcolm Gladwell will receive a doctor of letters and address convocation. A world-renowned author and essayist, Gladwell has been a staff writer with The New Yorker magazine since 1996. He has written two bestselling books, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference, and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, which demonstrate how to translate knowledge from the social sciences to the general public.

Denise Donlon will receive a doctor of laws. Music company executive as well as former television producer, host and program director, Donlon began her music career in the early 1980s when she worked for UW's federation of students. Considered the "most influential female music executive on the continent," Donlon is a former president of Sony Music Canada and former vice-president and general manager of MuchMusic and MuchMore Music. She has also been a leader in advocating for change in music, such as getting rid of violence and sexism, as well as promoting literacy among the young.

Reg Haney will receive a doctor of laws. Haney is senior partner of the law firm Haney, Haney & Kendall in Waterloo. UW has drawn on Haney's services as university solicitor for the last several decades, especially his expertise in administrative law and education law.

* Faculty of mathematics, Friday, June 15 at 10 a.m. (first session). Natalie Mullin will give the valedictorian speech. A total of 438 students will graduate at the ceremony.

Paul Embrechts will receive a doctor of mathematics and address convocation. One of the most prominent researchers in actuarial mathematics and finance in the world, Embrechts holds the prestigious chair in insurance mathematics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. He is an expert on extreme risks, particularly the problem of insuring against earthquakes and hurricanes.

Richard Stanley will receive a doctor of mathematics. The world's leader in algebraic and enumerative combinatorics, Stanley is the Norman Levinson Professor of Applied Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is an accomplished mathematician, known for his superb ability to create new topics for study in their own right and his insights have led to deep conjectures on these topics.

UW will also present Steve Furino, professor of mathematics, with the annual award for teaching excellence.

As well, UW will award Ken Davidson of pure mathematics with the university professor designation, the highest academic honour given on campus.

* Faculty of mathematics, Friday, June 15 at 2 p.m. (second session). Ahsan Butt will give the valedictorian speech. A total of 402 students will graduate at the ceremony.

Andries van Dam will receive a doctor of mathematics and address convocation. A prolific researcher, educator and administrator, van Dam is a pioneer in hypertext editing and presentation systems on the Internet. He has played key administrative roles at Brown University, where he is one of the founders of the university's computer science department.

Duncan Luce will receive a doctor of mathematics. Widely considered a pioneer in mathematical behavioural sciences, Luce has pursued a scientific understanding of human behaviour for more than 50 years. His work blends mathematical theory and experiments, designed to provide insights on individual behaviour and orientation to the world.

* Faculty of engineering, Saturday, June 16 at 10 a.m. (first session). Jennifer Carroll will give the valedictorian speech. A total of 490 students will graduate at the ceremony.

Mona Zaghloul will receive a doctor of engineering and address convocation. Founder of the Institute of MEMS and VLSI Technologies at George Washington University, Zaghloul is the first woman PhD graduate from UW's faculty of engineering, receiving a doctorate in electrical engineering in 1975. She has worked extensively in the areas of sensors and their circuits, interfaces and microelectronic systems.

George Raithby will receive a doctor of engineering. In building the technology of computational fluid dynamics, Raithby has contributed to the education of generations of mechanical engineers and to the international engineering community. A UW distinguished professor emeritus, he is a highly cited researcher for his work on the design and development of efficient energy systems.

UW will also present Wei-Chau Xie, professor of civil and environmental engineering, with the annual award for teaching excellence.

* Faculty of engineering, Saturday, June 16 at 2 p.m. (second session). Robert Staruch will give the valedictorian speech. A total of 463 students will graduate at the ceremony.

Rod Coutts will receive a doctor of engineering and address convocation. After graduating from UW in 1964 with a bachelor of applied science degree in electronics engineering, Coutts worked for a computer peripheral equipment manufacturer. In 1967, he co-founded Teklogix, a global provider of real-time data collection and communications systems for industrial users.

Savvas Chamberlain will receive a doctor of engineering and will also address convocation. Chamberlain is a UW distinguished professor emeritus and founder of DALSA Corp., a successful semiconductor and electronics UW spin-off company. In 2004, he received the life achievement award from the Automated Imaging Association for his world leadership and contributions to the imaging field.

As well, UW will award Keith Hipel of systems design engineering with the university professor designation, the highest academic honour given on campus.

Also during convocation week, distinguished professor emeritus titles will be presented to three retired UW professors: Howard Green, of kinesiology, Tony Cullen, of optometry, and Bill Lennox, of civil engineering.

In addition, distinguished professor emeritus titles will be presented to nine retired UW professors: Jennifer Ashworth, of philosophy; Darrol Bryant, of religious studies (Renison College); John Cherry, of earth sciences; Sydney Davison, of applied mathematics; Dragomir Djokovic, of pure mathematics; Rolf George, of philosophy; Art Green, of fine arts; Fred McCourt, of chemistry; and Jan Narveson, of philosophy.

Three retired staff members will receive the honorary title, member of the university: Angelo Graham, a leader in the safety office; Bruce Lumsden, a director of Co-operative Education and Career Services; and Shirley Thomson, a key figure in the faculty of mathematics.

The primary objective of this year’s robotics challenge was for the students to (within a strict set of rules) adapt an existing piece of robotic equipment to enable it to control a soccer ball, navigate its way up a ramp, and deposit the ball into a goal.

Ontario’s Skills Canada Team won a total of 42 medals competing against the best of the best from 10 provinces/3 territories.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 100,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 52 schools and two adult education facilities serving more than 30,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region -- continuing a tradition of education excellence first begun in 1836.

Increasing the efficiency of work teams, developing environmentally-friendly urban landscape systems and studying the relationships of proteins are just some of the University of Guelph research projects that received more than $1.5 million in support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

In total, nine U of G projects will be advanced through the investment by the federal agency that was announced Friday. The funding comes from CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund, which is designed to help launch the careers of new and talented faculty and help institutions attract and retain scholars in priority research areas.

In total, CFI is investing $39.2 million in projects involving 261 researchers at 42 Canadian universities.

“We’re ecstatic,” said Guelph psychology professor David Stanley upon learning that he and colleague Prof. Harjinder Gill will receive more than $200,000 to set up an industrial-organizational psychology research centre.

“The funding will allow us to develop our research programs in ways not otherwise possible,” Stanley said. He and Gill will examine the factors that impact work team performance and the effects of unfair treatment on employee productivity and well-being.

Profs. Katerina Jordan and Eric Lyons of the Department of Plant Agriculture received nearly $250,000 to study turfgrass threshold levels for pest and drought tolerance. The new knowledge will ultimately aid in developing strategies for reducing the negative impact of turfgrass on public health and the environment.

Across campus, molecular and cellular biology professors Steffen Graether and Matt Kimber will be establishing a structural biology laboratory in the science complex’s Advanced Analysis Centre. They received a $250,000 grant to engage in studies to better understand the structure/function relationships of proteins.

“We are, of course, delighted to receive this award,” Kimber said. “The equipment purchased with these funds will give us the tools to help us understand how biological molecules function as atomic scale building blocks and machines, impacting fields as diverse as health sciences and the development of novel industrial materials.”

Other Guelph CFI Leaders Opportunity Fund projects and the lead researcher(s) are:

Prof. Andrew Brooks, Department of Pathobiology, $115,142 to investigate genetic variations that alter the susceptibility of swine to infection. The objective is to develop markers for breeding stock that are more resistant to economically-important diseases.

Prof. Karen Gordon, School of Engineering, $127,953 to create a laboratory to study orthopaedic soft-tissue mechanics (i.e. ligaments, tendons, etc.). Collaborating with clinical studies professor Mark Hurtig, Gordon will apply the engineering measurements to the clinical study of osteoarthritis.

Profs. Ryan Gregory and Robert Hanner, Department of Integrative Biology, $249,586 to investigate biodiversity at the genomic level; use molecular tools to characterize biodiversity at the species level; and to enhance future biodiversity and genomic research.

Prof. Judi McCuaig, Department of Computing and Information Science, $64,023 for a novel laboratory to perform human computer interaction experiments. The ultimate goal is to help develop more optimal software systems that involve human interaction, such as cell phones and automatic bank machines.

Prof. Steven Newmaster, Department of Integrative Biology, $124,120 to study plant biodiversity, including questions surrounding variation in individual genes and genomes and morphological traits within and between species.

Prof. Ian Tetlow, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, $123,429 to study the regulation of starch biosynthesis in plants. The research involves plant biology, biochemistry and molecular biology and will lead to the creation of new products.

CFI is an independent not-for-profit corporation established by the Canadian government 1997 to address the urgent needs of Canada’s research community. Its goal is to strengthen Canada's university research and training environment through partnerships with the research institutions, the provinces and other levels of government, as well as the private and voluntary sectors.

WATERLOO - Six internationally recognized world-class programs, a tripling of graduate studies, two international campuses and quantum computing research second to none. Canada's most innovative university is marking its 50th anniversary with a plan for the next decade that aims for global excellence.

The University of Waterloo, launched in 1957 with just 70 engineering students in a collection of portables, turns 50 this year. Today, almost half of its 23,800 undergraduate students participate in the world's largest program of co-operative education. Other hallmarks, ranging from a creator-owned intellectual property policy to the world's most advanced quantum computing device, have earned UW a reputation as Canada's most innovative university.

A new strategic plan for its sixth decade has UW continue the tradition of innovation. Entitled Pursuing Global Excellence: Seizing Opportunities for Canada, the plan offers a vision of a national institution with an international reach. It sets dozens specific goals in 19 categories. All relate to four pillars of the plan, which are:

* expanding the quality and intensity of university research; * significantly growing the graduate student body; * strengthening undergraduate studies, particularly by creating more opportunities for students to learn from experience and enhancing our signature co-operative education opportunities; and * embracing the world, by expanding Waterloo's presence around the globe, by providing international opportunities for our Canadian students, and by attracting more international students to Waterloo.

"Our new plan outlines the crucial elements required as we continue to evolve into a Canadian university ranking among the world's best," said Amit Chakma, vice-president: academic and provost, and primary architect of the plan. "The plan may seem ambitious, perhaps even audacious, but it is well within the reach of an institution that has accomplished what we have in the first 50 years."

The university is celebrating its culture of innovation this year, more than most, with a 50th anniversary theme, The spirit of 'why not?' It's based on the following quote originally attributed to George Bernard Shaw: "You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and say, 'Why not?' "

"That quote, for me, truly sums up the spirit that permeates this institution," said David Johnston, president of the University of Waterloo. "What we have accomplished to date -- and stand to accomplish over the next decade -- is very much the result of our daring to dream the impossible and of ignoring convention wisdom when it says something can't be done. Our first question is always 'why not?' "

The plan was developed over the last three years and received all necessary approvals last fall. Implementing it will involve a significant price tag. This year UW will have raised $350 million in private donations over five years. By the end of the plan, the university expects to raise $100 million annually.

The specifics of the plan are explored in Seizing Opportunities, a publication and website that tell the stories behind the goals and benchmarks set out in the strategic plan. A copy can be viewed at sixthdecade.uwaterloo.ca/

Founded in 1957, the University of Waterloo is this year celebrating its 50th anniversary and its 15th consecutive year as Canada's most innovative university. One of Canada's leading comprehensive universities, Waterloo offers undergraduate and graduate programs in arts, engineering, environmental studies, health sciences, mathematics and science. Waterloo accomplishments include creating one of the world's first quantum computers. Its faculty of mathematics is the world's largest centre for education in the mathematical, statistical and computer sciences.

WATERLOO - Four of the world's leading scholars will explore and explain the intriguing world of quantum information processing science at a University of Waterloo public panel to be held June 20 as part of the month-long Taming the Quantum World conference.

Chaired by UW chancellor Mike Lazaridis, the panel will include Nobel Prize winner Sir Anthony Leggett and tackle such questions as what have been the most important advances in quantum information processing in the last decade and what are the potential implications of this research for the society and economy of the future.

The event, open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. in the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) building, 195 Columbia St. W., next to the UW campus. It will be preceded by a two-hour open house, the first one ever held by IQC. For details, visit link

"We wanted to create an event that would give the public an opportunity to hear the field's most important scholars describe the powerful transformative potential of quantum information processing," says David Fransen, IQC's executive director. "Given his passionate commitment to this area of science, we are particularly pleased that Mike Lazaridis has agreed to chair the panel."

The panel takes place during the Taming the Quantum World conference (www.quantumworld.ca), an international gathering for scientists jointly organized by Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo and the UW-based IQC.

A highly interdisciplinary field, quantum information processing explores theoretical, experimental and technological areas covering the use of quantum mechanics for communication and computation. Quantum mechanics is a branch of physics dealing with atomic and subatomic systems.

Quantum information processing includes research in quantum information theory, quantum communication and quantum computation.

Leggett, who holds the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Distinguished Research Chair at UW, is considered the world leader in the theory of low-temperature physics. His pioneering work on superfluidity earned him and two colleagues the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics. Also on the panel will be:

* David Cory, a professor of nuclear engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who works on nuclear magnetic resonance quantum computation. He is one of the developers of the concept of pseudo-pure states and performed the first experimental demonstrations of NMR quantum computing.

* Peter Shor, a professor of computer science at MIT, who carried out the pioneering work in combinatorial analysis and the theory of quantum computing, which moved this field of research from the margins to the mainstream.

* Gilles Brassard, a faculty member at the Université de Montréal, who is recognized as the co-father of quantum cryptography and the co-discoverer of quantum teleportation.

The University of Guelph is one of four Canadian universities selected to receive a grant from HP Canada to help transform teaching and improve learning through innovative uses of technology.

The grant is part of the 2007 HP Technology for Teaching Program, which is also designed to improve student achievement and encourage interest in careers in technology, engineering, math and science, including environmental science.

U of G will receive an award package of HP products and a faculty stipend to support a pilot project in the Department of Computing and Information Science (CIS). The pilot includes using HP Tablet PCs in first-year seminars geared toward female students from across the disciplines. The CIS initiative is part of a broader campus-wide effort to re-examine and improve the first-year learning experience.

"Tablet PCs will enable the University to revitalize course delivery by enhancing interactive learning in the classroom, and provide a tool to help facilitate discussion and design work on group projects," said CIS professor Qusay Mahmoud. "Such technology will improve the learning experience and raise the level of excitement and satisfaction."

In total, HP is awarding grants to 10 secondary schools and four colleges and universities this year. Since 2004, it has contributed more than $2 million in HP Technology for Teaching grants to Canadian schools. During the past 20 years, HP has contributed more than $1 billion in cash and equipment to schools, universities, community organizations and other non-profit organizations around the world.

"HP invests in schools because we believe educational achievement is the best way to develop a skilled, diverse workforce for the future," said Geoff Kereluik, HP's vice president of marketing. "Through programs such as HP Technology for Teaching, HP supports students and teachers, giving them the opportunity to succeed through innovative uses of technology and training."

Two of the young people named among the Top 20 Under 20 by the Globe and Mail have chosen to pursue their post-secondary education at U of G.

The national newspaper published the list of names and profiles of the chosen young stars in Thursday’s edition.

Samantha Whiteside and Yvonne Su, both 17, are winners of the prestigious title and will be attending the University in the fall.

Whiteside is the second-youngest person to swim Lake Ontario, missing the world record by just over a minute. She swam the lake in August 2006 after a year of training and is the 38th swimmer to accomplish this feat.

Whiteside finished the 52-kilometre swim in 15 hours, 11 minutes and 11 seconds – just 71 seconds shy of the record for women. Her swim raised $25,000 for research into juvenile arthritis, which she suffers from. She has vowed to return to the water not only to raise more money for the Arthritis Society but also to become the faster swimmer to make the crossing.

Whiteside will be attending U of G in the fall to study microbiology, which is the first step in her goal of becoming a doctor of infectious disease.

Su was recognized for setting up a hugely successful student-run recycling program at her school, Dr. John M. Denison Secondary School in Newmarket, Ont. Since it began three years ago, the Denison Environmental Club has expanded through a variety of events and programs to raise students’ environmental awareness. Su and club colleagues have also raised money to take part in meetings and conferences across Canada, performing skits to spread the eco-message.

She plans to study environmental science at the U of G.

The Top 20 Under 20 winners were selected by judges who are all members of the Order of Canada. Winners will be honoured at an awards banquet in Toronto this week and will receive a bursary worth up to $2,000 to be applied toward an educational experience.

Almost everyone has succumbed to the urge of buying on impulse at least once, but a University of Guelph researcher is investigating what makes some of us more addicted to the shopping high than others.

Sunghwan Yi of the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies suspects the answer lies in the way a person copes with making an impulse purchase.

Yi is researching the different types of coping strategies people use after making an impulse purchase with the aim of finding which are the most effective in curbing the urge to spend.

Just like a drug, the high of an impulse purchase doesn’t last and is often followed by feelings of regret, guilt and shame. Yi said people will cope with these negative feelings in various ways.

“People who are regular impulsive shoppers may find reasons to justify their spending, try to forget about the cash they just dropped or hide the purchase from others because they know it’s inappropriate behaviour,” he said. “These are some of the coping strategies that lead to future impulse purchases.”

Less impulsive shoppers, on the other hand, will likely be more open about their behaviour and may even take preventative measures such as shopping with a friend or spouse who can help talk them out of impulse purchases, he said.

Although there has been research conducted on the addiction of compulsive shopping, Yi said very little has be done on impulsive shopping.

“It’s an area worth studying because significantly more people impulse shop and some impulse buyers eventually become compulsive buyers.”

Compulsive shoppers have little control over their spending habits and will binge buy, he said. The rush they get from buying something is followed by long-term feelings of depression and anxiety and their only relief from this is to make another purchase. About 1 per cent of the North American population is made up of compulsive shoppers.

Impulsive shoppers differ from compulsive shoppers because they have more control and often buy things to reward themselves or because they feel they are entitled to shop, he said.

As part of the research project, Yi is conducting interviews with consumers who have recently purchased a significant item on impulse and asking them how they initially felt the moment of purchase and how they felt subsequent to the purchase. Participants will then be asked how they coped with the subsequent negative feelings.

Based on the answers, Yi will then conduct a large-scale survey to determine which coping strategies are used most frequently by shoppers and which strategies are more likely to prevent further impulse purchases.

“Once we can identify which coping strategies lead to beneficial outcomes, we can make suggestions to the general public on how to prevent impulsive purchases. If we can reduce the number of impulse purchases, we can start to reduce the onset of compulsive behaviour.”

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo school of optometry, Canada's only English-speaking optometric training institution, will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking Friday for a new addition to expand its top-level teaching and research program in vision care.

The school will also recognize a special gift of $500,000 from philanthropists Dr. Marta Witer and Ian Ihnatowycz to support the project. The gift is the largest donation the school has ever received from an alumnus.

DATE: Friday, June 8 TIME: 11:15 a.m. LOCATION: School of optometry, north campus, UW

"Marta and Ian's passion and commitment to the school and the profession of optometry will not only enhance optometric education, but better prepare us to embrace growth and change in optometry practices across Canada," says Dr. Thomas Freddo, director of the school. "The school is truly grateful to have Marta and Ian among our top donors, volunteers and friends."

Their leadership gift toward the school's expansion and renovation project will be celebrated in the naming of the Witer Learning Resource Centre. To be located on the second floor of the 40,000-square-foot addition, the centre will be a hub for optometry students to further their knowledge and pursue academic excellence.

"The profession of optometry has given me a fulfilling and dynamic career that has allowed me to work with patients to address the eye care needs of my community," says Witer, a 1979 graduate. "By giving back to my alma mater, I am acknowledging the meaningful educational experience I had here as a student but am also investing in the education of Canada's future optometrists."

The addition will accommodate the school's surge in enrolment to meet the high demand for eye care professionals across the country. Featuring a large atrium, the two-storey building expansion will enhance the profile of the school while providing additional teaching space and essential student resources.

The construction of the addition will begin this fall and it is scheduled to be finished in 2009. It will include a 125-seat lecture theatre, the Witer Learning Resource Centre, a new home for the Museum of Vision Science, as well as student study rooms and computer areas. It will also provide expanded space for the TLC laser centre and a new Founders' Hall.

More than 400 alumni and friends, faculty and staff and senior UW officials are expected to attend the ceremonial groundbreaking. The event will showcase the architectural drawings of the new addition, as well as old photos of optometry building's original groundbreaking in 1972.

In 1967, a group of optometrists from the College of Optometrists of Ontario signed the deed that launched the school at UW. The event will celebrate both the 40th anniversary of the optometry school and UW's 50th anniversary.

"The UW school of optometry is a source of great pride to the university," says UW president David Johnston. "The school is a research and education leader and through its increased student enrolment and expanded facilities will be better able to prepare optometrists to practice in an evolving profession and embrace their expanding role in family health care."

In 2001, the school began the process of gradually raising enrolment from 60 to 90 students per class, a 50-per-cent increase in the student body. This has put considerable strain on the school's current facilities, which have remained virtually unchanged since the building opened in 1974.

To cope with the rise in enrolment, the school embarked on a $7.2-million fundraising campaign to support the expansion and renovation project. To date, $6.5 million has been raised through the support of alumni like Witer, friends and corporate partners.

"It is through their passion and commitment toward the profession and education that the school continues to expand its profile and impact on the North American stage," Freddo says. "It is with heartfelt appreciation that we acknowledge everyone who has contributed to the campaign and to the future of optometric education."

With a little less than a million dollars left to raise in the existing campaign and with the reality of higher construction costs, the school plans to extend its fundraising target to $12.4 million by 2011. This will provide the school with the essential resources to support the expansion and renovation of current facilities while ensuring critical funding for the costly clinical program, the basis of optometric education.

The school's students are enrolled in a post-undergraduate four-year degree program leading to a professional Doctor of Optometry. An extensive clinic program provides practical experience for students and health services for the public. The school's faculty members engage in innovative research in vision science and optometry.

The school's public clinics provide a wide range of eye care services, including a low vision clinic offering vision rehabilitation services. As well, a centre for contact lens research investigates the ocular response to contact lenses and other forms of vision correction.

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo is continuing one of the most successful university fundraising campaigns in Canadian history in order to pursue the education and research opportunities outlined in its new strategic plan.

At a meeting of the UW board of governor's last night, the university announced it will maintain its current campaign beyond the most recent stated goal of $350 million and anticipated closing date of December 2007. The decision was taken because the campaign's momentum shows no sign of slowing and because UW has set a number of ambitious goals.

"Our supporters have made it perfectly clear that they are far from finished helping us meet Canada's research and teachings needs," said Bob Harding, chair of the board of governors. "They are excited by several of the projects identified in our strategic plan, Pursuing Global Excellence: Seizing Opportunities for Canada, and very much want to support our vision for the coming decade."

With a half-year still to go in its current campaign, the university is already within striking distance of its $350-million goal. The campaign total currently sits at $341 million.

The campaign's success has prompted the university to continue. A third goal and an end date have not been set at this time. UW will assess the campaign as it progresses and as the university seeks to double its annual fundraising by 2017.

"We have been exploring how best to continue to grow our annual private sector revenues from $50 million to $100 million over the next decade," explained UW president David Johnston. "The answer is simple: we continue to campaign."

The university will continue to campaign for the objectives outlined in Engineering Vision 2010, and to secure gifts for the school of pharmacy and health science campus. It will support the faculty of arts and its aspirations to be a force for social and human innovation in the world.

"Every faculty and department on this campus is committed to helping UW seize opportunities for Canada," said Johnston. "Campaign Waterloo is here to support this campus-wide effort."

Several gifts have helped move UW to its current total and supported the decision to continue. Two in particular deserve mention.

The JW McConnell Foundation recently awarded UW $4.3 million of a $10-million commitment it is making to strengthen social innovation in Canada. Petro Canada has donated $1 million to support scholarships in engineering and science, making UW the first Ontario partner in the Petro Canada Emerging Leaders Awards program.

The university publicly launched Campaign Waterloo: Building a Talent Trust, in March 2004. It surpassed its $260-miilion goal two years ahead of schedule in 2005 and raised the target to $350 million.

People visiting petting zoos may be meeting critters other than the typical rabbits, sheep and goats. They may also encounter pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella because few people wash their hands after a visit or take other precautions to protect themselves from zoonotic agents, according to a new study by University of Guelph researchers.

“Petting zoos can be an excellent educational and social event, but there are potential health risks that are not always being properly addressed,” said Prof. Scott Weese, a clinical studies professor in the Ontario Veterinary College who recently headed the most comprehensive study to date on the practices of petting zoos in Ontario.

“They pose risk of exposure to pathogens that can jump from animals to humans. These organisms can make their way into a human visitors mouth and then cause serious illness,” he said.

The research is scheduled to be published in the July 1 edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases and is available now online.

While petting zoos are commonplace, there has been minimal evaluation of their practices, Weese said. His study examined 36 petting zoos in Ontario between May and October of 2006. Researchers collected information on the zoos’ layout, the types of animals present and the permitted animal contact, manure removal, hand hygiene facilities and location of food vendors.

They uncovered numerous problems, including infrequent hand washing, food being sold and consumed near the animals, and children being allowed to drink bottles or suck on pacifiers in the petting area.

“Even though nearly all of the zoos provided hand hygiene facilities, on average only 30 per cent of people washed or disinfected their hands after leaving a petting zoo,” Weese said. “This is concerning because hands are the most likely route of transmission of infectious agents from petting zoos, and hand washing is the most protective measure that people can take.” The worrisome bacteria can live in the intestinal tracts of some animals and are shed in the animals’ feces, he added.

In addition, food or beverages were observed in the petting zoo 82 per cent of the time. And at more than half of the petting zoos, items that would come into contact with the mouths of infants and children were carried into the animal area.

“It was a common occurrence to see people with items such as baby bottles, pacifiers and baby toys in the petting zoo, which is of concern because babies are at higher risk of acquiring certain zoonotic diseases,” Weese said.

He added that risk can be significantly reduced by taking some simple measures including locating hand-washing stations at the exit of a petting zoo, posting signs promoting good hygiene and educating people about the risks of bringing food, beverages or items that may end up in a child’s mouth into the zoo.

Other OVC researchers who worked on the study are Lisa McCarthy, Michael Mossop and Hayley Martin of the Department of Clinical Studies and Sandra Lefebvre of the Department of Population Medicine.

Pedagogy. It's a word Carol Duncan uses often when she talks about her profession, and it suits her graceful and thoughtful tone. It’s defined as "the art or science of teaching," and for Duncan, it’s a perfect choice of words, because what she does is so much more than teaching. To her, it's an art.

“I teach because I care,” says Duncan, associate professor and chair of Laurier’s Religion and Culture Department. “I love teaching. It excites me. It energizes me. I learn a lot from my students.”

Peter Erb, a Religion and Culture professor at Laurier, as well as Duncan’s other peers, were so impressed by the profound impact Duncan's passion for teaching has had on others that they nominated her for a prestigious 2006 Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) teaching award. She will receive the award at a ceremony in Toronto on June 8th.

“In short, the faculty is most fortunate to have a teacher-scholar of Carol’s calibre,” writes Erb in his nomination letter. “It now has the opportunity to declare it publicly.”

Duncan is no stranger to teaching awards. She holds many of them, and has two of Laurier’s top teaching awards to her name: the 2004 Award for Teaching Excellence and the 2004 Faculty of Arts Teaching Scholar Award. But her latest award from OCUFA carries with it the distinction of coming from an umbrella association and advocate group representing 16,000 university faculty from across Ontario.

Duncan is “thrilled and very touched” by what she sees as “a gesture of thanks and acknowledgement of the importance of teaching to what we do as scholars.”

While the teaching awards in themselves are meaningful, it's the sincere praise and admiration from colleagues, superiors, students, and community members making up her award nomination package that paint the real picture of Duncan's teaching impact.

From their words emerges an image of a woman who, in addition to her role as a pioneer in her area of research on Caribbean and African diasporan religion and culture, takes a genuine interest in mentoring students, consulting with colleagues on teaching issues, lending her voice to community initiatives, and honing her craft to create relevant and meaningful dialogues within the classroom.

But perhaps the greatest affirmations of her teaching abilities come from the students she inspired to continue their studies and who are now teachers themselves.

Chris Klassen, an assistant professor of Religion and Culture at Laurier and former student of Duncan’s, models her teaching after Duncan. “I try to provide multi-media resources as she has always done. I try to engage students in questioning the material, as she has done. I try to be approachable and yet always professional, as Dr. Duncan continues to be. If I can achieve even half (Duncan’s) level of teaching skill, I know I’ll be a good teacher. Dr. Duncan, however, is one of the best.”

Purnima Sundar, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Carleton University, writes in her letter of support: “(Dr. Duncan’s) enthusiasm for her subject material is something I strive to emulate in teaching, and her challenging but supportive style of supervision is something that I draw on to guide my interactions with students.”

It is not surprising that Duncan’s former students connect with her teaching style. She views the interaction between teachers and students as a creative enterprise.

“I’ve used the jazz analogy before,” Duncan says. “But teaching is similar to the discipline and preparation required by jazz musicians and vocalists. The preparation allows you to let go and fly in the moment – it allows for improvisation and conversation between the players as the moment requires.”

And prepare she does. Duncan uses strategies she’s learned from conferences and workshops, and from previous experiences to bring multiple perspectives and an interdisciplinary approach to her topics. She incorporates multi-media, popular culture references, guest speakers, cutting-edge research and group and individual work into her classroom. Her approach keeps students interested and helps her to stimulate class discussion, encourage critical thinking and challenge her students. Because “many of my students haven’t had the opportunity to explore the controversial areas of my courses (race, gender and religion) in sensitive ways,” she also models appropriate ways for students to address these topics.

Based on her consistent above-average student evaluations in all of her courses, she’s doing something right.

Sue Horton, Laurier’s vice-president: academic, agrees. “Carol’s commitment to excellence as a Chair has greatly impressed me, and I believe she carries this commitment to excellence in all aspects of her professional work.”

This commitment is also evident in Duncan’s approach to curriculum design. Duncan describes the 12 courses she’s developed at Laurier – including designing and teaching the department’s first PhD course in ’04 – as representing “a concerted effort to broaden the curriculum in religious and cultural studies by including specific focus on gender, race, class and sexuality as social relations of power.”

Duncan is currently a visiting professor at the Harvard Divinity School. While there, she has developed a course on Gender, Religion and Visual Culture in the African Diaspora, which involved working with students on a course website — something she hopes to bring back to Laurier.

Despite her accolades and accomplishments, Duncan remains grounded.

“I need not emphasize that more of us, scholars and pedagogues, human beings sometimes made insular and selfish because of our research imperatives, need to learn and practice charity and humility,” says George Elliott Clarke, an esteemed poet Laureate and professor of Canadian literature at the University of Toronto. “In my interactions and communications with Dr. Duncan, these are the qualities she constantly exudes. Such a teacher is a rare and powerful presence.”

WATERLOO - Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo will welcome thousands of scholars to the region in 2012 as co-hosts of the largest academic gathering in Canada -- the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.

The Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences (CFHSS) recently approved a joint bid by the two universities to host the organization's 2012 conference in Waterloo.

"The level of co-operation between Laurier and UW's faculties of arts is a rare and valued commodity among Canadian universities," said David Docherty, Laurier's dean of arts. "We look forward to showcasing our capabilities to the more than 7,500 national and international academics who will visit our schools."

"Congress 2012 is a collaborative effort that will highlight why Waterloo Region is widely recognized as being one of the world's most innovative communities," said Ken Coates, UW's dean of arts. "We are excited to host the congress delegates as one of the many joint efforts between our two universities."

The prospect of hosting the congress in Waterloo for the first time in the federation's 76-year history gained early support from such local organizations as the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), the City of Waterloo, the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

"We have been extremely impressed by the level of commitment and enthusiasm expressed by both universities as well as representatives of the local community, and we know that this bodes well for the 2012 congress," CFHSS president Noreen Golfman said in a letter announcing the successful bid.

Delegates will enjoy lectures, a speaker series, symposia, a scholarly book fair with more than 150 publishers, special events put on by the host universities and local cultural attractions as part of the weeklong conference.

CFHSS organizes the annual conference, formerly known as the Learneds, in collaboration with host universities. A non-profit charitable organization, CFHSS represents more than 50,000 researchers in 66 associations and 71 universities and colleges. The Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences has been an annual event since 1931.

The Council of Ontario Universities (COU), which represents Ontario’s 18 universities and two associate member institutions, has appointed a new president and CEO.

Paul Genest will begin his term July 1. He is currently serves as assistant vice-president, public affairs and e-service, for Bell Canada.

Genest completed an undergraduate degree in English and philosophy at the University of Guelph. He also earned an MA in Philosophy from the University of Ottawa, and an MA and PhD in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo and the Garden Club of Kitchener-Waterloo will unveil the Valentine O'Donovan Memorial Garden at a ceremony next week on the university campus.

O'Donovan, who served as UW's chancellor from 1997 to 2003, died in February 2005 at age 68. Founder of Com Dev and an innovator in satellite communication, he played a key role in the relocation of UW's school of architecture to Cambridge in 2004.

The dedication ceremony will be held Tuesday, June 5 at 1 p.m., with UW president David Johnston among those attending the event.

The memorial garden, located near the physical activities complex and facing the student life centre, was built with a donation from the garden club, one of 13 member clubs of the Garden Clubs of Ontario. The club is also a member of the World Association of Flower Arrangers.

Founded in 1957, the same year as UW, the 125-member garden club has a long-standing relationship with the university. Through the support of club members and other contributors, a special fund was set up to develop the O'Donovan memorial garden. O'Donovan was a gardening enthusiast, with a keen interest in his own rose garden.

"In many ways Val O'Donovan embodied the comprehensive nature of this university," Johnston says. "He was an engineer with a love of the arts. He was as much at ease in a discussion of rare books, space age technologies or, most relevant to today's celebration, exotic and beautiful flowers.

"In dedicating this garden to the memory of Val, we are also recognizing the generosity of the Garden Club of Kitchener-Waterloo. Starting in the late 1980s, a special fund was established to develop a garden such as the one we are dedicating today. Those seeds bear fruit."

"The Garden Club of Kitchener-Waterloo is pleased to be able to establish such a garden in memory of Val O'Donovan and mark the occasion during the 50th year of the university and the club," says Ann Diebel, past president of the club.

"The garden club continues to expand our relationship with UW through the recent establishment of a student scholarship in the faculty of environmental studies. This is part of the many contributions we make to our community through our involvement in initiatives such as the Festival of Trees, the restoration of Laurel Creek and the establishment of the Walter Bean Trail to name a few."

O'Donovan and his family have also been generous benefactors to UW in several ways, including the creation of an endowed research chair in the faculty of engineering and an endowed directorship in the school of architecture. He also donated a number of rare Canadian historical volumes to the UW library.

A University of Guelph graduate student has received a $40,000 scholarship to study how climate change may affect Ontario's water resources.

Qi (Tina) Sha, a master’s student in the School of Engineering, will officially receive the two-year award May 31 from the Consulting Engineers of Ontario during reception in Waterloo. The engineering association launched a water-quality research scholarship program after Queen's Park altered regulatory requirements for municipal water facilities following the Walkerton water tragedy in 2000.

The program is intended to foster research in water quality and to allow Ontario faculty members to attract top graduate students. In 2004, Guelph master's student Sarah Watts received the same award in its inaugural year.

This year's funding will allow Sha and a trio of faculty in the Guelph Watershed Research Group to study the impact of climate change on groundwater and surface water. They will use Environment Canada data tracking rainfall and temperature patterns, as well as information captured by geographic information systems (GIS) and available from libraries and conservation authorities. They’ll also use models of water quality and climate change to predict changes in water balance in Ontario watersheds.

The researchers will then make recommendations for municipalities, conservation authorities and engineers to mitigate adverse effects. The work is also intended to help managers and policy-makers in land-use planning and projecting the effects of municipal growth on infrastructure needs.

Sha studied water supply and drainage for her undergraduate degree and has a master's degree in municipal engineering. She is working on the project with engineering professors Bahram Gharabaghi, who is also her advisor, Ramesh Rudra and Ed McBean.

“Environment Canada is saying that climate change is happening,” said Gharabaghi. “How is that going to affect water availability, quality and quantity?”

Warmer winters will probably result in more rapid runoff of rainwater than gradual snowmelt, which could mean less water available for recharging groundwater resources — a key concern for a city such as Guelph, said Gharabaghi. Warmer summers may cause more water to evaporate and remain in the atmosphere.

Global climate change may also cause more frequent and severe floods and droughts. That could lead to water-quality problems, with contaminants such as manure from farm fields washing directly into streams and lakes. Fluctuating water levels also pose problems for water managers operating reservoirs and dams, he said.

Although global warming has been in the headlines for years, Gharabaghi says much of the debate about climate change has involved politicians and climate scientists — until now.

“When climate change turns into a disaster that happens more frequently than people are used to or can cope with, then it becomes an engineer's problem,” he said.

WATERLOO — Whether they’re coming for the business, social or computer variety, the networking opportunities abound at this year’s Canadian Higher Education and Information Technology (CANHEIT) conference.

Hundreds of information technology (IT) professionals from universities across Canada will have the chance to exchange ideas at the annual conference, held on Wilfrid Laurier University’s Waterloo campus and organized by the University of Waterloo and Laurier.

“It is both timely and appropriate that ‘The Power of Collaboration’ is the theme for this year’s CANHEIT conference,” says John Kearney, Laurier’s director of Information Technology Services. “As we move into the 21st century, only by walking together in teams can we accomplish the growing number of complex projects that we face as IT professionals.”

From May 27-30, CANHEIT will address the latest trends and challenges in educational IT. Sessions will cover areas as wide-ranging as e-learning, infrastructures, management, strategy and information systems, and topics as specific as mobile devices in the university environment and the future of identity management in higher education.

Attendees will join Richard Katz, vice-president of Educause, in his keynote discussion about the role of IT in the future of higher education. They will also join Richard Spencer, senior IT strategist at the University of British Columbia, as he explores the opportunities and challenges for new administrative systems.

Highlights of the social-networking component include a tour of St. Jacobs and the chance to experience Oktoberfest in May at the Concordia Club.

The event’s theme of collaboration speaks not only to the future of IT but also to the organization of the conference itself. “We are very fortunate to have two universities (Waterloo and Laurier) that offer so much to each other,” says Andrzej Gadomski, manager: client services for Laurier’s Information Technology Services. “The power of collaboration was visible in the conference planning, and I hope that it will remain a focus post-conference.”

The first CANHEIT conference was held in 2003. The event brings together senior administrators, managers, and staff who are responsible for the management and evolution of their campus information systems, learning systems, computing systems and network infrastructures. Major conference sponsors include Apple, Cisco, IBM and Sun Microsystems.

For further information about the conference, visit: https://fortuna.uwaterloo.ca/canheit.

• Province of Ontario: $1 million
• Procter and Gamble: $250,000
• Paul Williamson and the Williamson Group: $100,000
• Gabriel Kirchberger and GK York: $100,000
• Roger Davis and Davis Fuels: $50,000
• Peter Vicano and Vicano Construction: $50,000

Laurier and the City of Brantford will continue to seek additional donations for the Academic Centre.

Laurier Brantford opened in 1999 with 39 students; enrolment for 2007-08 will be approximately 2,050 students. With a core curriculum of Contemporary Studies, students are exposed to diverse perspectives and graduate with an interdisciplinary liberal arts degree that helps them form a unique and well-rounded worldview.

WATERLOO - University of Waterloo faculty members, exploring such diverse fields as audio media, bionanotechnology and quantum cryptography received Canada research chairs today from the federal government.

UW was awarded a total of $2.9 million for four Canada research chairs -- three new awards and one renewal. The positions allow faculty members to focus on research and on training the next generation of scientists. The federal funding includes payments for associated infrastructure -- such as laboratories, computers and equipment -- from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

"These appointments bring the total number of Canada research chairs established at Waterloo to 50," said Alan George, UW's vice-president of university research. "UW will continue to attract leading researchers to explore new directions for scholarship that will benefit the entire nation."

At the University of Western Ontario today, Colin Carrie, parliamentary secretary to Maxime Bernier, minister of industry and minister responsible for the Canada Research Chairs program, announced an investment of $83.7 million for 98 Canada research chairs across the country. The funding includes $10.4 million from CFI to pay for research infrastructure.

UW's three new Canada research chairs:

* Karen Collins, professor of drama and speech communication, Canada Research Chair in Communication and Technology, $100,000 annually for five years. CFI associated infrastructure funding: $109,548.

Collins will conduct theoretical research into the production, consumption and social implications of audio in contemporary multimedia. Compared with the work done in visual media, the area of audio media has received surprisingly little scholarly and commercial attention.

Audio is a new terrain for academic researchers, with software developers lagging in the development of user-based interactive audio.

Collins will apply current research to develop a sophisticated software engine capable of composing real-time audio for interactive media to use in educational software, video games and interactive museums.

Her principal area of research is the semiology (signs and symbols) and practice of digital interactive games audio in a rapidly changing media technology world.

* Gregor Weihs, professor of physics and astronomy, Canada Research Chair in Quantum Photonics, $100,000 annually for five years.

Weihs will develop enabling technology for application in quantum computing and communication, such as efficient sources of entangled photon pairs -- a key resource in quantum optics.

He will also build a quantum cryptography system for secure communication that links three buildings in Waterloo by distributing entangled photon pairs to two remote sites using optical telescopes.

The free-space quantum cryptography system is part of a worldwide effort to perform quantum cryptography using satellites in the future.

Weihs heads the photonic entanglement group at UW's Institute for Quantum Computing. The quantum world holds the promise of an unparalleled revolution of technology with enormous impact on cryptography and secure communications.

* Marianna Foldvari, professor in the school of pharmacy, Canada Research Chair in Bionanotechnology and Nanomedicine, $200,000 annually for seven years. CFI associated infrastructure funding: $125,000.

Foldvari's research program will focus on the development of intelligent drug delivery systems and biomolecular devices.

These delivery systems and devices will provide effective, non-invasive and targeted technologies for administering macromolecular therapeutic agents -- such as proteins, DNA and vaccines -- into the body.

Foldvari will apply novel nanomedicines in the areas of regenerative (skin and neural) medicine, immunology (vaccines), dermatology, diabetes and cancer.

Internationally known for her skills in bionanotechnology, Foldvari's research focuses on advanced strategies for improved needle-free delivery systems for drugs. Bionanotechnology seeks to invent and develop new medical treatments, diagnostic methods and preventative approaches for optimal health.

UW's one renewed Canada research chair:

* Michele Mosca, professor of combinatorics and optimization, Canada Research Chair in Quantum Computation, $100,000 annually for five years.

Mosca's research involves reformulating the theory and practice of information processing in a quantum mechanical framework.

He seeks to develop the capabilities as well as understand the limitations of information processing in the quantum world, including computation, communication and information security.

There are two levels of Canada research chairs: seven-year chairs (tier 1, valued at $200,000 a year) for experienced researchers widely acknowledged as world leaders in their fields; and five-year chairs (tier 2, valued at $100,000 a year) for researchers considered by their peers as having the most potential to lead in their fields.

Bird flu. SARS. Mad cow disease. West Nile virus. Ebola. If these and other threats to public health have you feeling a bit like Chicken Little, try not to panic. That’s the main message of a new book by a University of Guelph professor.

In The Chickens Fight Back: Pandemic Panics and Deadly Diseases That Jump From Animals to Humans, David Waltner-Toews aims to disentangle myth from reality about zoonoses, diseases that people get from animals.

A professor in the Department of Population Medicine in Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, Waltner-Toews is the president of Veterinarians Without Borders, Canada, and president of the Network for Ecosystem Sustainability and Health. He is also arts and culture editor for the journal EcoHealth and is a published novelist and poet.

The Chickens Fight Back, which was recently released by Greystone Books, covers the main zoonoses that have attracted recent headlines from SARS, HIV/AIDS and West Nile virus to avian influenza, encephalitis and BSE.

Waltner-Toews also looks at diseases that are less common in North America, including sleeping sickness, Lassa fever, brucellosis and cystic hydatid disease. The book is organized not by disease alone but also by the way diseases are transmitted.

For example, one section discusses things humans get from mammals and bugs, such as plague, Lyme disease and leptospirosis, the most common zoonotic disease in the world. Another section focuses on bird-borne diseases, including West Nile virus and avian flu. Bats, rats and other mammals take the stage with SARS, ebola, hantavirus and rabies.

Waltner-Toews also brings a personal touch to discussing his work around the world as a longtime veterinary epidemiologist. His experiences, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia, have shaped his main thesis: we need to look not at isolated diseases but at entire ecosystems where zoonoses cycle naturally among various hosts, including people.

“We keep saying the public should be better informed. Who’s helping the public to get engaged?,” he says. Waltner-Toews hopes the book will arm readers with information and questions about the health effects of everything from factory farming to filling in a wetland for a housing development.

This fall, Waltner-Toews will publish a second edition of Food, Sex and Salmonella: The Risks of Environmental Intimacy, about the ecological and social context of food-borne diseases, first published in 1992. Also appearing in June is Fear of Landing, a murder mystery based on the author’s experiences in Indonesia in the 1980s.