Guelph - Kate Smolina, a fourth-year biomedical sciences student at the University of Guelph, has won a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to pursue graduate studies in global health science at the University of Oxford.

Students from about 20 countries compete annually for 90 Rhodes Scholarships, which are worth about $35,000 per year and cover tuition, fees and a living allowance.

“This is literally a dream come true," said Smolina. "There are no words to express the gratitude, the excitement and the honour that I feel. I will do my very best to be a great ambassador for the University of Guelph as well as for Canada.”

Smolina attributes her drive for excellence to the hard work of her parents, who decided to immigrate to Canada from Russia nine years so that she and her sister could have a better life.

"I had to fight to justify my parents' sacrifice, to prove that they had not come for nothing. I was given an opportunity to change my life for the better, and I was determined to use it."

President Alastair Summerlee, who is also a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, has high words of praise for Smolina.

"Kate is an exceptionally rare student in terms of her intellectual ability, passion for learning, unrelenting determination and genuine deep desire to help others by improving the world we live in," he said. "She has the talent, the drive and the winning personality to succeed wherever she goes in life."

Smolina won the Lionel Bradley Pett Scholarship for the highest average in third-year biomedical sciences and has the top average this year as well.

A U of G President's Scholar, she also received a Loran Award (formerly the Canadian Merit National Scholarship) when she graduated from high school. The award is given annually to up to 30 Canadians for academic excellence, leadership skills, community involvement and character.

In addition to her academic achievements, Smolina is dedicated to volunteering, particularly in areas related to health care, peace building and international development.

She is vice-president of YOUCAN, a national youth organization that promotes peaceful conflict resolution and violence prevention in Canada and internationally. She started a Duke of Edinburgh's Award Club at the University in 2004 to encourage more students to participate in the program. She also served on the 21st Century Committee created to develop practical ways to enhance the learning experience of undergraduate students.

She has also travelled to India and Costa Rica, where she helped communities with construction, farm work, teaching English and volunteering in rural hospitals.

Smolina hopes her graduate work at Oxford will lead to research in epidemiology of infectious diseases, an interest sparked by her travels to developing countries. Her long-term career goal is to work for the World Health Organization and take a leadership role in bridging the fields of medicine, epidemiology and public health to control infectious diseases in the developing world.

Created in 1902 and named for Cecil Rhodes, the scholarships recognize "high academic achievement, integrity of character, a spirit of unselfishness, respect for others, potential leadership and physical vigour."

Past recipients have included country presidents, Supreme Court justices, poets, writers, scholars, politicians, Olympic athletes and Nobel Peace Prize winners. Among them are former Canadian governor general Roland Michener, astronomer Edwin Hubble, Fulbright Fellowship founder J. William Fulbright, actor Kris Kristofferson, former U.S. president Bill Clinton, feminist social critic Naomi Wolf, Canadian commentator Rex Murphy, and former Ontario premier Bob Rae.

WATERLOO - About 350 high students from Waterloo Region will participate in the annual federal-provincial conference simulation at the University of Waterloo on Tuesday and Wednesday. Guest speaker will be Ian Urquhart, provincial affairs columnist for the Toronto Star.

The simulation, sponsored by UW's political science department and the local History Heads Association, has been an annual event at UW for more than 30 years. This year, delegations from 17 regional schools will take part in the event. For the first time, Rockway Mennonite Collegiate will be participating in 'Fed-Prov,' as it is popularly known.

The role of Canada's prime minister will be handled by Fatemeh Mayanloo, of Waterloo Collegiate Institute. Other students from the same school will serve as federal ministers. Students from other schools will have responsibilities to chair meetings of provincial and territorial ministers.

Besides first ministers meetings, ministerial delegations will participate in committees dealing with finance, justice, health, the environment, agriculture and economic affairs, immigration and aboriginal affairs.

A number of special interest groups will also be represented at this year's conference. They include the National Citizen's Coalition, the Council of Canadians, Greenpeace and the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.

Two schools -- Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School and Glenview Park Secondary School -- will produce newspapers during the conference to provide information and promote debate over the two days. One of the schools will be the recipient of The Record's Federal-Provincial Conference Press Award.

The John Boulden Award, named after one of the founders of the simulation, will be presented to one of the student First Ministers on the basis of a vote by all conference participants. In addition, the Derksen Award will be awarded for best website.

Working sessions will be held in several rooms in the arts lecture hall, J. G. Hagey Hall of the Humanities and the modern languages building on Tuesday and Wednesday, beginning at 9 a.m. The concluding plenary session will be held in the theatre of the arts, modern languages building, on Wednesday, from 1:45 p.m. to 3 p.m.

WATERLOO - Two University of Waterloo professors, one studying neurological disorders and the other advances in information processing using nanostructures, have received Canada research chairs from the federal government.

UW was given multi-year funding for the two chairs -- one new award and one renewal. The positions allow faculty members to focus on research and training the next generation of scientists. The federal money includes payments for associated infrastructure -- such as laboratories and state-of-the-art equipment -- from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

"This announcement brings the total number of Canada research chairs established at Waterloo to 51," says George Dixon, 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 École Polytechnique de Montréal on Thursday, Jim Prentice, minister of industry and minister responsible for the Canada Research Chairs program, announced an investment of $109.7 million for 109 Canada research chairs across the country.

UW's new Canada research chairholder is Pavle Radovanovic, a professor of chemistry. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Physical Chemistry and Spectroscopy of Nanoscale Materials. He will receive $100,000 annually for five years. As well, he obtains $205,000 in CFI money for infrastructure.

The research explores optical, magnetic and electronic interactions in nanosystems, says Radovanovic, and their uses in creating advanced forms of information processing and computer memory.

The work will result in improved computing performance, speed and energy consumption through new forms of non-volatile information processing and computer memory. These new forms will overcome many limitations of existing technology.

The renewed Canada research chair is held by James Danckert, professor of psychology. He also receives $100,000 annually for five years as the Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience. As well, he gets $361,323 in CFI funding for infrastructure.

Danckert says his research compares healthy individuals with patients who have an unusual but common neurological disorder, known as unilateral neglect.

His work will lead to better ways in rehabilitating stroke victims, along with a new understanding of neurological conditions resulting from right-side strokes.

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.

"We're thrilled for Christopher and are proud to have played a role in

his success and achievements," says Centennial College president Ann Buller.

"He is a shining example of the contribution college graduates are making

across the country."

The Balsillie School of International Affairs, a joint project with the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the University of Waterloo.

The Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work in the historic St. Jerome’s high school building in Kitchener.

The Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship.

Renovations and upgrades to University Stadium in Waterloo.

The new Alumni Field on the Waterloo campus.

The development of the Laurier Brantford campus, including major renovations and additions to the Heritage Block, such as the Student Centre, the Post House residence, the Wilkes House residence and recreational facility, Journalism House, and the new University Centre.

Increased research capacity, including new research centres such as the Laurier Movement Disorder Research and Rehabilitation Centre, the Laurier Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and the Laurier Centre for Music in the Community.

New student fellowship programs, such as the Balsillie Fellowships and the Cleghorn Battlefield Study Fellowships.

WATERLOO - The latest research on vision in healthy and frail elderly people, as well as the impact of infant epilepsy on vision, will be among the diverse topics discussed at the sixth annual Canadian Optometry Conference on Vision Science to be held Dec. 7-9 at the University of Waterloo.

The event celebrates the 40th anniversary of Waterloo's optometry school, UW's 50th anniversary and the approaching start of the centennial year of the University of Montreal's optometry school. About 150 faculty and graduate students are expected to attend the conference, hosted by UW's school of optometry.

"The conference will highlight research carried out by the two Canadian optometry schools at the universities of Montreal and Waterloo," says Jake Sivak, conference co-chair and a professor of optometry. Also participating will be researchers from University of Toronto, York University and the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind).

"The conference will emphasize graduate student work at both schools," Sivak says. "We are going to have 70 research poster presentations by graduate students."

The event will be held on the UW campus and the Delta Kitchener-Waterloo Hotel. Because of space limitations, the event is not open to the public, but media representatives can attend. For more information, visit link

Among the research highlights are the following presentations:

* Saturday, Dec. 8, 2:40 p.m., Vision in the Healthy and Frail Elderly, with Hélène Kergoat, Université de Montréal. It takes place (as do all Saturday presentations) in Delta Kitchener-Waterloo Hotel, Kitchener suite.

The normal aging process is accompanied by physiological decline in many organs, thereby increasing their susceptibility to disease. Therefore, aging is linked with an increased prevalence of pathologies, including ocular and neurodegenerative diseases. The research features clinical as well as experimental data on visual systems in healthy and frail elderly people.

* Saturday, Dec. 8, 3 p.m., Epilepsy during Infancy: Disrupted Plasticity in Visual Development, with Carol Westall, University of Toronto.

The research investigates electrophysiological markers of visual dysfunction attributed to the anti-epileptic drug vigabatrin among children with infantile spasms, an age-specific epilepsy. The drug results in an increase of gamma-aminobutyric acid in the brain and retina, which is associated with visual toxicity in adults.

* Sunday, Dec. 9, 9:20 a.m., Useful Field of View, Mobility and Visual Impairment, with Susan Leat, UW. It takes place (as do all Sunday presentations) in the school of optometry, room 347, on the UW campus.

The useful field of view is a composite measure of visual attention and the ability to detect objects amid clutter, along with such basic visual functions as visual field loss and contrast sensitivity. The study explores whether people with visual impairment show greater losses of useful field of view than conventional fields. Results indicate that attention, visual function and age are key factors in orientation and mobility performance.

* Sunday, Dec. 9, 9:40 a.m., Unmet Needs for Aids, Devices and Supports for People with Vision Loss in Canada, with Deborah Gold, CNIB.

There is a growing need in Canada for information on the estimated 600,000 people with significant vision loss. Disability increases with age and limits the participation of older persons in society. The study describes the findings of the 2001 Participation and Activity Limitations Survey on adults with sight impairment in Canada. It examines needs for devices and supports in adults.

Resources

Contacts:

Jake Sivak, professor of optometry and conference

co-chair, 519-888-4567 ext. 33174

Chris Hudson, professor of optometry and

conference co-chair, 519-888-4567 ext. 35562

Jeff Hovis, professor of optometry and conference

co-chair, 519-888-4567 ext. 36768

John Morris, UW media relations, 519-888-4435 or jmorris@uwaterloo.ca

UW news release no. 106

2007-11-28 10:47:39

Ten years in the making, the NutriSTEP screening checklist is the first of its kind in Canada. It has the backing of the Ontario government and is being piloted in selected areas across Canada as part of immunization programs and preschool screening fairs.

Created by Guelph professors Heather Keller and Janis Randall Simpson, both of the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, and Lee Rysdale and Joanne Beyers of the Sudbury and District Health Unit, the checklist focuses on children between the ages of three and five, an age group that often slips between the cracks when it comes to keeping track of their nutritional behaviour.

"Routine nutrition monitoring with a physician stops after children reach age three, and they don't normally go back to the physician until they need vaccines to start school at age five, so there is little monitoring during that time," said Keller.

By age three, children are typically finished with breastfeeding and are beginning to form nutritional habits, so this is the optimal time to intervene and make changes to prevent future nutritional problems, Randall Simpson added.

"In the past, at-risk children were identified only at the clinical stage when they already had nutritional problems," she said. "We need to be identifying these children before they suffer from obesity or get diabetes."

Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the screening tool has the potential to change the way childhood obesity and malnutrition are addressed because it can be administered by parents, without the aid of a medical professional, and be used across cultures universally, said Keller.

"It can be used in a doctor's office, public health clinic, day care or school to identify children who should be further assessed and treated by a dietitian before they have problems."

The checklist consists of 17 questions covering a child's physical growth, what the child is eating and drinking, physical activity and sedentary behaviour, as well as factors affecting food intake such as how the parents control what the child eats and if parents have challenges with the cost of food.

To ensure that the checklist is valid, more than 300 parents filled out NutriSTEP. Each child was then assessed by a dietitian, and the results of the assessment and the questionnaire were compared to ensure they both came to the same conclusions, said Keller.

The results revealed that more than half of the preschoolers in the study weren't getting enough grains and fruit and 45 per cent weren't getting enough vegetables. Just over 30 per cent were spending more than three hours a day watching television or doing some other type of sedentary activity, and nearly 13 per cent were eating fast food more than twice a week.

The checklist also found that 37 per cent of parents reported they often control how much their children eat. Randall Simpson said there is some evidence that strict parental control over how much a child eats, particularly food restriction, may play a role in the development of childhood obesity.

"Ultimately, more than one-third of the sample preschoolers were considered to be at moderate to high nutritional risk. These results demonstrate a real need for a screening checklist that can help make parents aware of harmful nutritional habits and intervene before a child becomes high risk."

WATERLOO - Three accomplished Hong Kong residents are among the 50 dedicated alumni being recognized as Canada's most innovative university turns 50 this year. The three will be recognized at a gala celebration being organized by and for Hong Kong alumni of the University of Waterloo.

UW is celebrating its 50th anniversary by recognizing the achievements and involvement of 50 alumni who remain engaged with the university long after they graduate.

"The university is very fortunate to have such committed alumni who share their time, expertise and connections to continue to make UW a dynamic institution," says Jason Coolman, director of UW's alumni affairs department. "A great many of them were able to attend a recognition event close to home. The Hong Kong event is a great way of ensuring that distance does not prevent us from demonstrating just how much we value their significant contributions."

The Hong Kong award-winners are:

* Rex Auyeung, senior vice-president and chief executive-Asia at Principal International, Inc. Details on Auyeung can be found at link

When Auyeung arrived on campus as an undergraduate student in the 1970s, he expected to earn a degree in environmental studies. Today he reports that he received much more. He is the senior vice-president and chief executive-Asia at Principal International, Inc. in Hong Kong, China.

Over the years, Auyeung made donations to the Hong Kong Alumni Trust for promising Hong Kong scholars at UW. He also established his own scholarship fund.

* George Woo, associate dean of the faculty of health and social sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Details on Woo can be found at link

After graduating from UW in 1964, George Woo completed graduate work in the United States before returning to Waterloo in 1970 to take a faculty position at the school of optometry. Woo taught at UW for 26 years before moving to Hong Kong where he is associate dean of the faculty of health and social sciences and chair professor of optometry at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

While at UW, Woo developed the low vision program at the school of optometry. He was the founding director of the centre for sight enhancement, which became a national centre under his leadership.

* David Yau, president and chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Institute of Continuing Education. Details on Yau can be found at link

UW, consistently ranked as the most innovative university in Canada, served as the model for David Yau to establish an educational institution in his home of Hong Kong.

Yau, who received a bachelor of mathematics in 1992, is the founder, president and chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Institute of Continuing Education. The private education institution offers degree and short programs to students in Hong Kong and Mainland China. Before entering into the educational sector, Yau was an associate vice-president with Prudential Securities.

Candidates for this special 50th award were nominated by fellow alumni as well as by faculty and staff. The recipients were picked for extraordinary citizenship to UW through such activities as volunteering, mentoring and involvement with committees, boards or panels, as well as philanthropic support or advocacy.

Each recipient receives a limited-edition print entitled Fifty: Upholding Imagination, an artwork created by UW graduate Paul Roorda (BA 1988). The piece, selected from an array of submitted works by alumni artists, will be on permanent display at UW.

For biographies of the 50 recipients, visit link

Hong Kong alumni, who number close to 1,000, will celebrate the University of Waterloo's 50th anniversary at a gala dinner on Friday, Nov. 23. The celebration begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Kowloon.

This report projects the potential future population of students in colleges and universities in Canada and the provinces during the next quarter century. It does this by applying various assumptions regarding participation rates in postsecondary education to projected demographic trends.

The report creates three scenarios for projecting enrolment levels in universities and colleges to 2031 under certain conditions.

The first—the "status-quo" scenario—is based on the assumption that future participation rates would match those observed in the recent three-year period between 2003/2004 and 2005/2006.

The second scenario is based on participation rates observed over a much longer term. It assumes that rates would continue to grow until 2016/2017 on the basis of historical trends in the period between 1990/1991 and 2005/2006, then remain at the 2016/2017 levels up to 2030/2031.

A third scenario assumes that participation rates for male students would rise to match rates for women that existed between 2003/2004 and 2005/2006. (Participation rates are consistently higher at the university level for women, especially those aged 17 to 24.)

Demographic projections show that over the coming decades, large shifts will occur in the size of age cohorts that have historically constituted the majority of students in Canadian colleges and universities.

Due to the baby-bust during the 1970s, there was a relatively large decline in Canada's population aged 17 to 29 between 1991 and 1998. However, numbers started to increase for this age group around 2003 as a result of the Echo Boom cohort, the children of the Baby Boomers.

This effect is projected to peak around 2012 or 2013, after which projections again show a decline in the size of this population.

Under the "status quo" scenario, total full-time postsecondary enrolment is projected to grow steadily until 2012/2013 to nearly 1.3 million students, about 50,000 more than between 2003/2004 and 2005/2006.

After 2012/2013, a major decline in the size of the youth cohorts would begin to affect enrolments. Full-time postsecondary enrolment would reach a trough in 2025/2026, with a student population 9% below the peak 13 years earlier.

Under this scenario, the national pattern would mask considerable differences in the magnitude and timing of enrolment peaks and troughs across the provinces.

For example, in the Atlantic provinces and Saskatchewan, projected enrolments start to drop early in the projection period. In Quebec, the number of new entrants into the postsecondary system would increase significantly early in the period, with total enrolments peaking in 2009/2010.

In scenario 2, which assumes that participation rates will grow in line with historical trends, postsecondary enrolment for the age group 17 to 29 would first rise, due in part to increases in the size of this population early in the projection period and in part to the assumed increases in participation rates. Rising participation rates would then compensate for declines in the size of the age cohort to 2016/2017.

However, by 2030/2031, enrolment levels would plunge by more than 90,000, reflecting the decline in the population aged 17 to 29 over the latter part of the projection period.

Scenario 3 looks at what would occur if the gap in participation rates between men and women were to close. If the university participation rate among men were to rise to match that of women, male university enrolment would increase dramatically to 2030/2031.

In other words, raising the university participation rates of men could offset some of the potential enrolment deficits that would result from a decline in the size of the university-age cohort after 2012/2013.

WATERLOO — The question of identity is something many people struggle with in one form or another, regardless of culture, religion or race.

But for today’s contemporary Muslims, the questions are becoming increasingly complex.

With Muslim community ideals on the one hand, and effects of the ongoing “global war on terror” contributing to a climate of conflict on the other, some Muslims are reaching back to past forms of Islamic community to define themselves, while others are looking to identify new ways of being Muslim in today’s world.

On Nov. 24, scholars from across Canada and the United States will gather at Laurier to debate the nature of Islamic belonging and identity at the Association of Muslim Social Scientists of North America (AMSS)’s regional conference: Cosmopolitan Islamic Identity and Thought.

“Following the tragic events of 9/11, Muslim identities and the religion of Islam have been under siege. There is a need to explore this crisis of identity within the broader geo-political context,” says Jasmin Zine, an assistant sociology professor at Laurier, an AMSS board member, and conference co-chair. “We hope that this conference will provide a thought-provoking forum to discuss timely issues of interest to the fields of international affairs, globalization and religion and religious identities in the postmodern world.”

Conference participants will explore the Muslim identity in the context of global citizenship, religious and cultural pluralism and human solidarity.

The conference’s keynote addresses will include Consumption and Cosmopolitanism: The Veil, The Body, The Law by Reina Lewis of the University of East London, and Muslimwoman Cosmopolitanism by miriam cooke of Duke University.

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Muslim studies program committee, religion and culture, women’s studies, sociology and language and literature are co-sponsoring the event. Laurier professors Shahnaz Khan and Jasmin Zine are conference co-chairs.

The event takes place on Saturday Nov. 24, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. in the Senate and Board Chamber, Wilfrid Laurier University. It is open to the public and registration is free. Luncheon and keynote tickets are $10. Please register by email: amsscanada@yahoo.ca. For additional conference details, please visit http://amss.net

WATERLOO - Canada's most innovative university is bringing the country's largest outreach program for students in mathematics and computing to China and Hong Kong.

Officials with the University of Waterloo's Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC) will be in Beijing and Hong Kong this week, offering problem-solving workshops for students and teachers. They will also discuss education and career opportunities for students in mathematics and computer science.

The university has been running competitions for 40 years and its outreach activities now impact close to 500,000 people annually. While most of the students and teachers are in Canada, the CEMC has in recent years worked to increase its involvement in Hong Kong and other parts of China.

"There are many excellent students in this part of the world and we have a strong interest in introducing them to one of the best educational options for any student interested in mathematics and computing," said Thomas F. Coleman, dean of the faculty of mathematics.

"The University of Waterloo's strategic plan calls for significant expansion of our international activity and the faculty of mathematics, in particular, sees a great deal of potential in bringing our teaching and research to this part of the world."

Two faculty members have confirmed visits with six schools in Beijing from Nov. 19 to 22, while two others will visit eight Hong Kong schools Nov. 19 to 23. "The aim is to visit a handful of schools, talk to teachers and conduct workshops with the students," said Ian VanderBurgh, director of the CEMC.

The four will also join other officials of the university for a students and parents reception on Saturday, Nov. 24, between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., at the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel and Towers. The event is primarily for coop and exchange students in Hong Kong and for the parents of current UW students. Prospective students and their parents are also welcome.

Formally established in 1995, but with mathematics contest activity dating back to the early 1960s, the CEMC is Canada's largest mathematics and computer science outreach program. Its activities have produced a successful model for teaching math and computer science students, for youths and educators.

During the last year alone, CEMC contests, workshops and Internet resources have impacted more than 450,000 students (in Grades 4 to 12) and almost 10,000 teachers at about 1,500 schools.

The centre has been expanding its activities and recently announced a $12.5-million gift from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The gift will allow the CEMC to improve access to its enrichment and outreach activities, placing more emphasis on young women and students facing geographic or economic barriers. It will also allow the centre to develop a train-the-trainer network and further develop its global contests.

About the University of Waterloo's faculty of mathematics

The University of Waterloo's faculty of mathematics is the world's largest centre for education in mathematical, statistical and computer sciences. It is one of only four such faculties in the world. With more than 5,300 students, 185 full-time faculty members, and 180 courses in mathematical, statistical and computer sciences, the faculty is a powerhouse of discovery and innovation.

Guelph - The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) awarded more than $378,000 to the University of Guelph today. The funding will support research ranging from creating wireless and mobile networks to understanding ecosystems to establishing disease surveillance and risk assessment programs to improve human health.

Canada-wide, CFI is investing $28 million to support 149 projects at 35 institutions, with the bulk of the funding coming from the Leaders Opportunity Fund. The program is designed to help universities recruit exceptional scholars and to retain leading researchers.

"This CFI investment will significantly enhance the University's recognized capacity for doing excellent research across a wide range of disciplines," said Alan Wildeman, Guelph's vice-president (research).

Prof. Nidal Nasser of the Department of Computing and Information Science received $114,687 to establish a unique wireless computing laboratory. There, researchers will address the performance, scalability and resilience of new and emerging technologies, as well as the feasibility and effectiveness of proposed solutions.

"I am so happy about receiving this funding," said Nasser, who specializes in developing novel algorithms, architectures, protocols and mathematical models for wireless and mobile networks. "It will enable me to conduct practical research and to create new innovations." Wireless sensor networks have numerous applications, including use in health care, energy management, public safety, disaster recovery and emergency response.

Environmental biology professor Marc Habash will use his $124,350 grant to develop a cutting-edge research lab to study microbial biofilms in water distribution systems. Municipal water systems are a significant source of microbial contamination, where communities of micro-organisms (known as biofilms) form on the surface of pipes.

"The equipment that will be obtained with this funding will enable research examining how bacteria adhere to surfaces and the impact they have in our drinking water distribution systems," said Habash. Currently there is little published information on microbial microfilms, and that lack of knowledge negatively affects scientists' ability to assess the risk to human health.

Providing a scientific basis for predicting and mitigating ecosystem responses to things such as climate change and invasive species is the goal of integrative biology professor Karl Cottenie's research. He will use his $63,099 grant to create a dynamic pond system that will be used as a model to advance understanding of the roles of spatial, temporal and environmental processes in determining community structure.

Ontario Veterinary College Prof. David Pearl received $75,963 to create a high- performance computer laboratory that will give epidemiological researchers the tools to perform advanced quantitative analyses. The lab will support research for the design of surveillance systems to protect animal and human health, and the identification of risk factors for disease at the individual, community or farmlevel that could be amenable to intervention.

WATERLOO - A University of Waterloo student research team will hold a workshop next month, sharing expertise on how municipal governments can better protect historic places in order to preserve Canada's rich past.

Over the last year, the students have helped nominate 325 key historical sites in southwestern Ontario. They are members of a local historic places initiative, set up by the heritage resources centre at UW in collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of Culture.

The project assists municipalities to nominate heritage sites in the Grand River watershed and surrounding area to a national register. The nominations, once approved, are listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places and available on-line at link The register is an information tool that places no additional legal constraints on property owners.

Next month, the students will host a heritage conservation workshop for local municipal staff and officials. The all-day event, which covers research methods and case studies, will be held at the historically restored Huether Hotel in Uptown Waterloo.

Already, two heritage sites researched by the UW students are listed on the national register.

The Freeport Bridge in Kitchener is one of four multiple-span concrete bowstring arch bridges spanning the Grand River, which were erected in the same time period and are similar in style. The listing features pictures, a Google map and related links. The other UW-researched site is St. Peter's Seminary in London, Ont.

"Our heritage enriches us, inspires us, enlightens us and guides us in our growth and development," says Emily Elliott, one of the seven student researchers. "We want to build the capacity of local planners and heritage committee members in order to maintain the momentum of the historic places initiative."

Robert Shipley, director of UW's heritage resources centre, says that steady progress has been made in the effort to standardize the methods for recognizing historic places across the country.

"Through these efforts a national registry has been created and new programs for heritage conservation have been introduced," says Shipley, a planning professor who has conducted research on the enhanced value of historically designated properties.

"A major element in each nomination," he says, "is to draft a statement of significance, outlining in a few paragraphs the historical, architectural or contextual value of a heritage site. Students learn to write clearly and succinctly."

Specifically, the historic places initiative has five goals:

* To greatly increase the number of sites in Ontario nominated for inclusion on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.

* To train and provide experience to the skilled heritage workers of the future.

* To improve the ability of local planners, heritage committee members and others to complete the historic places initiative documentation processes.

* To encourage local councils to plan and budget for the completion, ongoing maintenance and upgrading of their heritage property registers.

* To increase local interest in and knowledge of the historic places initiative.

Shipley says that all the provinces and territories in Canada have joined the program and various projects are underway to achieve the goal of promoting a better understanding of Canada's historic places.

Bruce Hodges ’97

Bruce has proven himself to be an international financial powerhouse. Now president and chief executive officer of Manulife Insurance (Thailand) PCL, he has worked in the life insurance and financial services industry for over 17 years in Canada, the U.S., Japan and Thailand. During his career, he has worked in banking, insurance and technology. Like many successful senior executives, Bruce has held diverse roles including product development, marketing and communications, operations, IT, and HR, before being recognized in his current general management role. Bruce received both his BBA and his MBA (with distinction) from Laurier and has been a frequent speaker at financial services events as well as having published research on the deregulation of financial services.

Outstanding Innovation and Achievement

Dave Lacey ’95

Dave, a licensed and active racing driver in the Rolex Sports Car Series, is currently serving as senior vice-president, corporate development for Brookfield Asset Management with a focus on growth in the residential real estate services sector. Dave has also served as a founding partner in The Futura Loyalty Group and currently sits on the board and the audit committee. After completing his MBA at Laurier, Dave held positions at Affinity Investments, a brokerage firm focused on servicing affinity and alumni associations, The Loyalty Group (Air Miles), and he co-managed the $75-million Borealis Financial Technology Fund.

Dave is actively involved in the not-for-profit sector as Ontario chairman for the Children’s Wish Foundation, an organization he has been involved with for more than 10 years. Dave also serves on the National Board and Finance committee for ACE (Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship), a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship in Canada.

Outstanding CMA / MBA Alumnus

David Hayter ’98

In nine years since graduating from Laurier with his MBA (CMA and CMC), David has soared to controlling one of Canada’s largest and most influential pension plans. Directly out of Laurier’s MBA program, David developed a critical international perspective by traveling the globe for Ernst and Young as a financial consultant.

Leveraging this experience, David was scooped up by Manulife Financial, quickly moving into a vice-president’s role as head of Global Securities Operations, managing offices around the world in New York, Boston, Tokyo and London, and considered one of the firm’s top young executives.

David went on to join the Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan where he holds the position of chief financial officer. Like many Laurier grads, David is also very active in his community, raising thousands of dollars each year for a number of charitable organizations. This past summer, David hosted a champagne tasting at his home in Toronto to raise money for Project Peter, which helped a young boy come to Canada for life saving surgery.

Recent Graduate - MBA Alumni Award of Distinction

Debra Gillies ’07

A graduate just this year of Laurier’s Toronto-based combined MBA and CMA program, Debra Gillies worked full time throughout her academic career and is currently the director of finance at Maple Leaf Foods. She received the unprecedented mark of 99 per cent on her final CMA exam and has the honour of holding the highest CMA exam mark in Canada this year. Typical of Laurier grads, Debra views her accomplishment with a high degree of humility and looks forward to participating in future alumni events so that she can mentor future graduates.

WATERLOO — The Laurier International Centre for Students officially opened Tuesday as part of Laurier’s International Education Week celebrations.

“The centre will serve as a ‘crossroads’ between Laurier students interested in the student abroad experience, and students who have traveled from outside Canada to study in Waterloo,”
says Peter Donahue, director of Laurier International and international liaison officer.

Located in Room 1101 of the Alvin Woods Building, the centre is designed as a student space that provides opportunities for those who have “gone global” to share their experiences with those who wish to go abroad. The centre also hosts an international film series, presentations on international opportunities and experiences, and a speaker’s series on global issues.

The space consists of a lounge, a resource centre, and the offices of the student abroad advisor, the international student advisor, Laurier International Friendship Exchange (LIFE), Laurier Exchange Assistant Program (LEAP), and the International Student Association.

Visitors from Shanghai Finance University attended the opening as part of their Laurier tour.

Additional events taking place during Laurier’s International Education Week celebrations include displays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Concourse.

Tuesday’s events focused on the “global local” theme, featuring representatives from local international agencies and support centres as well as local stores that promote free trade. Visitors also had the chance to try out free Scottish dancing and belly dancing lessons.

Wednesday’s events will highlight Laurier’s diverse and international community. Visitors are welcome to sample international food and try their hand as a contestant in international Jeopardy. All proceeds raised will go to charity.

Education week will conclude on Thursday with a student forum featuring guest speaker Mona Lisa Wessel from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Bricker Academic Building, Room 110.

Laurier International provides international study experiences for Laurier students that enable them to develop international skills and perspectives, and to enrich their own understanding of the world outside Canada. Laurier offers bilateral and consortium exchange agreements with institutions within Canada and 28 other countries.

Laurier also welcomes students from other countries through its degree visa, international exchange programs, short-term study program and distance education programs. Students from more than 60 countries are currently studying at Laurier.

WATERLOO - People living with early stage dementia and their partners in care will share their unique perspectives this Saturday, learning to become stronger advocates and more in control of their disease.

A Changing Melody, held in Toronto this Saturday, is a one-day forum that focuses on the experience of those living with dementia. While other conferences and forums look at research or professional care, A Changing Melody bills itself as 'a learning and sharing forum designed specifically by and for persons with early-stage dementia and their partners in care.'

"One of the biggest issues facing people with dementia relates to a loss of control, both real and perceived," says Sherry Dupuis, director of the Kenneth G. Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP) at the University of Waterloo. "This forum is one way in which they can regain some control, find hope, and learn to become much stronger advocates for themselves as individuals and as a group."

The goal is to provide people living with the Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as well as their family members with information and strategies for planning ahead and living a meaningful life with dementia. The program focuses on three key areas: working effectively with a healthcare team, enhancing communication and healthy living with dementia.

David Knight, a retired university professor and administrator diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2002, will set the tone with the forum's keynote address. His talk, entitled Forging Ahead with Courage and Hope: One Step at a Time, will discuss the challenges associated with receiving a diagnosis of dementia and the difficulties with increasing limitations. Knight continues to write music and perform with the Guelph Symphony Orchestra, Guelph Concert Band and the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra.

The day will end with an interactive workshop entitled Healthy Living with Dementia - Pantyhose Programs: One Size Doesn't Fit All. Christene Gordon, director of services for the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories, and Alzheimer's advocate now living with dementia, Jeanne Bentley, will explore programs and activities that provide appropriate stimulation, socialization, purpose and dignity for people living with memory loss.

Two new By Us For Us guides will also be launched at the forum. The guides, created by people with early-stage memory loss and supported by MAREP, offer exercises and tips to improve or maintain memory and quality of life for people with dementia.

"The By Us For Us group is very excited to be introducing our two new guides at the forum, one focused on enhancing communication and the other on managing triggers," says Brenda Hounam. "It is so nice to work on a project to completion, that shows everyone what we are still capable of doing when we work together as a group dealing with memory loss."

The forum is organized annually by people with dementia and their family partners in care with support from MAREP, the Alzheimer Society of Canada, the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, and the Dementia Advocacy and Support Network International.

A Changing Melody runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 89 Chestnut Street in downtown Toronto, across from the Metropolitan Hotel. Information is available online at marep.uwaterloo.ca.

A University of Massachusetts biology professor, Magdalena Bezanilla, was awarded the Packard Fellowship Award for her research in alternative fuel options. Bezanilla was chosen out of 100 applicants to receive $625,000 over a five-year span to continue her research in finding new ways to use plants to create energy. This marks the first win in over a decade for UMass.

The Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering was established in 1988. It aims to fund promising and creative professors whose research anticipates profound impacts in the scientific community in the future.

According to Bezanilla, the world is running out of natural oil, therefore it is necessary to find a renewable source. Due to the abundance of hay and plants, discovering a way to create ethanol would be beneficial in the long run.

The Packard Fellowship Award is allowing Bezanilla to further her studies. By searching for plant genes that increase biomass production and favorable cell wall contents, she can help to provide plants that will serve as feedstock for renewable fuels, such as ethanol. Searching for the genes in moss, a simple model plant with genes similar to those in seed plant, can save both time and space.

Moss is a prime candidate for this study because it is "easily manipulated." It also grows at a rapid rate, in about one week, and requires limited space for storage, said Bezanilla.

Bezanilla hopes to translate what happens in the moss into plants that grow in the field. This small scale research may help provide insights and guidance for production of plants in the field.

In order to produce ethanol on a large scale, Bezanilla will work with the Physcomitrella patens, the plant gene functions in the moss. Using her research, she will identify the genes that will enhance the biomass, thus providing an understanding of what causes plant growth.

Om Parkash, assistant professor of plant, insect and soil sciences at UMass, will work with Bezanilla. Parkash has created a genetically modified crambe. His work will help understand the effects of other genes on biomass and cellulose productions. The genes that work to enhance biomass in the crambe will help to find an alternative source of energy using the cellulose the crambe provides.Bezanilla has been working on this model organism since she arrived at UMass two years ago, though she has been doing research on this plant since 2000 as part of her post-doctoral research.

She plans to continue her studies on what genes make plants grow faster, using the five-year funding provided by the Packard Fellowship Award. Bezanilla explains that no one really knows how this process works, therefore an unbiased view can provide useful insight.

Bezanilla was nominated by UMass last spring and applied for the funding in April; she received news of her win in mid-September. With the amount of qualified applicants who competed for the award, Bezanilla said she was "completely shocked, I had no idea they would like the proposal."

Bezanilla attended Johns Hopkins University where she earned her doctorate in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology. In addition, she received her bachelor's degree in physics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Special to The Globe and Mail

WATERLOO - Frances Westley, a leading Canadian scholar who is making key contributions to national and international social innovation, will explain in a public lecture next week how universities in general, and her new field in particular, can help make society a better place to live. She will also accept a donation from two local organizations.

Westley, who holds the J.W. McConnell Chair in Social Innovation, will give a talk entitled Social Innovation and the Role of the University. It takes place Monday at 7 p.m. in the festival room in south campus hall at the University of Waterloo.

"Social innovation explores new and effective ways of addressing intractable social problems," says Westley. "At Waterloo, we will design and lead academic programs to strengthen the capacity for social innovation in engaging researchers and practitioners across the country in collaborative work to find and test innovative solutions to these social problems."

Earlier this year, UW launched a new initiative entitled Social Innovation Generation (SiG) at Waterloo, funded by a $4-million donation from the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and additional support from UW and the Ontario government. Westley joined UW this summer and is developing a Canada-wide network of social innovation researchers.

On Monday, the social innovation initiative will accept $75,000 from the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation and another $75,000 from The Frank Cowan Foundation to hire a community catalyst as well as to launch a social innovation luncheon series, leaders circle and special events.

"Social Innovation Generation has the potential of bringing knowledge to a broader group of people, and the opportunity to affect positive change," says Maureen Cowan, president of The Frank Cowan Foundation. "Once again the Waterloo Region has the opportunity to be the base of an exciting and potentially transformational initiative, and we are pleased to be able to support its launch."

"Social innovation is alive and well in Waterloo Region. This initiative will provide the support and opportunities to advance this innovation to a new level," says Hulene Montgomery, CEO of the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation. "We believe our investment in this project will advance the search to find creative solutions to intractable social problems. A strength of this initiative is the partnership between the university and the community which combines academic knowledge with the lived expertise of people working in the field."

In her talk, Westley will draw on her most recent book, Getting to Maybe, which focuses on the dynamics of social innovation and institutional entrepreneurship in complex adaptive systems. The book, co-authored with Brenda Zimmerman, a business professor at York University, and Michael Quinn Patton, an organizational development consultant, explores real-life examples of social change involving volunteers, leaders and organizations.

Westley is a renowned scholar and consultant in the areas of social innovation, strategies for sustainable development, middle management and strategic change, visionary leadership and inter-organizational collaboration.

Before joining UW, Westley was the director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Previously, she was the James McGill Professor of Strategy at McGill University's faculty of management and director of the McGill-Dupont Initiative on Social Innovation.

Westley serves on numerous advisory boards including Resilience Alliance Board of Science, Emery University School of Ecology, World Conservation Union-Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, the Canadian Biodiversity Institute, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, the Stockholm Resilience Center, the SARAS Institute and Evergreen Canada.

WATERLOO — Wilfrid Laurier University has once again scored well in the annual Maclean’s ranking of Canadian universities, rising to second place from fourth for highest quality in the reputation category among primarily undergraduate universities.

Laurier placed in the top 4 in all the other key reputational categories for primarily undergraduate universities across Canada (most innovative, leaders of tomorrow and best overall). Laurier maintained the same overall position as last year in the primarily undergraduate grouping: sixth out of 21.

“Our move up to second place for highest quality is fabulous,” said Dr. Max Blouw, president of Wilfrid Laurier University. “We are delighted that Laurier continues to provide students with an excellent university experience. Laurier has consistently done well in this area over the past decade and we will continue to be a university that strives for academic excellence, a wonderful student experience, and unparalleled community spirit.”

In other key rankings, Laurier placed third for Medical/Science grants; third for Scholarship/Bursaries; and sixth for Social Sciences and Humanities grants.

Auburn University is on the cusp of commercializing alternative energy solutions. The nation’s energy crisis won’t be solved be these innovations tomorrow or the next day, but they are getting closer with each passing day.

A big help for AU was hosting the Alabama Agriculture Energy Conference this week at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center because it brought multiple sources together to talk about the same topic. Part of Wednesday’s meeting involved representatives from five of Alabama’s universities explaining their bioenergy research.

Larry Filmer, executive director of the Natural Resources Management and Development Institute at Auburn, said it’s very important for each university to know what’s going on in Normal, Tuscaloosa, Tuskegee, Auburn and Huntsville.

“There’s a great opportunity to collaborate here,” he said.

The more collaboration, the closer the universities are to enacting solutions in the real world. To have practical application in the real world, there has to be more than one source of biofuel.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all solution,” Filmer said.

That’s why it’s good to know researchers at Alabama A&M are looking at canola, those at Tuskegee are working with sweet potatoes and Alabama-Huntsville is busy with a particular tree species.

AU has made great strides of its own since it hosted its own energy conference a year ago. The NRMDI has been established since then with a Water Resources Center and a Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts.

“What started last year as a conference to get us started we have taken to the next level in terms of implementation,” Filmer said.

Researchers at Alabama A&M, Alabama, Tuskegee and Alabama-Huntsville want to see practical applications as quickly as those at Auburn do, but they know it’s a step-by-step process, Filmer said.

It takes time, but if they can find areas where they can help one another, they can take those steps faster.

The National Center for Asphalt Testing in Opelika, for instance, is where Auburn and other universities can test their biofuel in real world situations, according to Dr. Steve Taylor, director of the Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts.

“We are going to need some breakthroughs here to move forward rapidly,” Filmer said. “We are going to need the efforts of all these universities to get there.”

Taylor said it’s only a matter of time - literally in six or seven months - before Auburn will have the kind of labs where wood chips will be turned into diesel fuel. It will be a significant step for AU, he said, but there will be more research and collaboration needed to move from the lab to mass production by a biodiesel company.

Pigs can now be added to the list of potential carriers of the drug-resistant "superbug" methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Researchers at the University of Guelph have discovered the bacterium in 25 per cent of pigs and 20 per cent of hog farmers in Ontario. Their study — the first in North America — was published this week in the journal Veterinary Microbiology.

It's an important finding because it shows the bacterium can be readily passed from animals to humans even when contact between the two is more limited, said Prof. Scott Weese, a pathobiologist at Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College. He conducted the study with Profs. Cate Dewey and Robert Friendship and graduate student Taruna Khanna of OVC's Department of Population Medicine.

Previously, Weese and others have found MRSA in domesticated animals such as dogs, cats and horses, and determined it could be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa. But human-animal contact tends to be different in those species than it is with pigs.

MRSA is a version of a common bacterium carried on the skin and in the nose that can cause skin, soft-tissue and other infections. Occasionally, "staph" –– as it is commonly referred to –– can get into the body and in rare cases cause an infection such as pneumonia in both humans and other animals.

MRSA is resistant to many common antibiotics, which can make treatment more difficult. In most cases, MRSA causes no or very minor symptoms, but in rare cases, it can lead to death, even in otherwise healthy people.

The researchers sampled 285 pigs on 20 hog farms in Ontario and found two main strains of MRSA present. One strain had previously been found in pigs in Europe and has emerged as an important cause of disease in people in some European countries. The other is the most common MRSA strain found in people in Canada.

The results raise concerns that the strain that is causing infections in people in Europe could result in similar problems in North America, Weese said. In addition, finding a common human MRSA strain in Ontario pigs indicates that people were likely the original source of the infection, he said.

Although MRSA doesn't typically cause illness in pigs as it does in people, "pigs could perhaps send this back into the human population," he said.

The researchers found no difference in the prevalence of MRSA among suckling, weanling and grower-finisher pigs, but they concluded that people working on pig farms are at higher risk for MRSA than the general population.
"The presence of MRSA in pig farmers was quite high — 20 per cent — compared with the general population in North America, which has a colonization rate of one to two per cent," Weese said.

The reason for this is unclear, he added. "Further research is necessary to identify and implement control measures to reduce the impact of this pathogen."

Because pigs are food-producing animals, the findings could raise concerns about food contamination, said Weese. "But the food-borne risks are probably minimal. The greater concern is the potential for pigs to serve as a source of MRSA infection for people in contact with the animals."

WATERLOO - An American expert on the Holocaust and Jewish studies will give a public talk mid-month at the University of Waterloo outlining what Russian President Vladimir Putin's influence means to his country and its Jewish population.

Stephen Berk, a historian at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., will deliver the annual Michael and Ida Finkelstein Lecture, entitled Putin, Russia and the Jews, on Nov. 19 at St. Jerome's University on the UW campus. The public lecture, sponsored by UW's Jewish studies program, begins at 7:30 p.m. in Siegfried Hall, room 1030. Admission is free.

"Although President Putin has had an enormous impact on changing Russia from its old Communist ways, the question is whether those changes leave the Jews in as precarious a situation as it was formerly under Communist rule," says James Diamond, who holds the Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Chair of Jewish Studies at UW.

"Our guest speaker will discuss whether Putin will remain in power and what does a Putin-led or -influenced Russia mean for Russia, the world and the Jews."

Berk, the Henry and Sally Schaffer Professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies at Union College, has earned an international reputation for his teaching, writing and research about such topics as Russian and Soviet Jewish history, the Holocaust, the American Jewish experience and anti-Semitism.

At Union College, Berk teaches courses on Russian history, Middle East history, European history, including Poland, and Jewish history. He has extensive field experience in the former Soviet Union, Israel, Egypt and Poland. He is the author of a book, entitled Year of Crisis, Year of Hope: Russian Jewry and the Pogroms of 1881-1882.

UW's Jewish studies program offers courses on Jewish civilization and its importance for the Jewish and non-Jewish world. The interdisciplinary program seeks to share Jewish history, culture, civilization and religion with Jews and non-Jews seeking wider knowledge and understanding.

Officials will also discuss details of future growth plans

OSHAWA – The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) will showcase its innovative and research intensive Graduate Studies programs at an official launch event and trade show on Monday, November 12. The event will feature the exceptional programs currently available at UOIT, and also offer details of UOIT’s plans for future growth that will position it as a leader in graduate education delivery and help deal with the graduate enrolment space crunch expected in the years ahead.

Students currently enrolled in UOIT graduate studies, along with faculty, will be on hand for the official launch and trade show featuring student research work. UOIT currently offers six graduate programs, some of which are the only programs of their kind in Ontario and Canada. A seventh is set to commence in January.

Who:
Dr. Ronald Bordessa; president, UOIT; and
Dr. Brian Campbell, dean, Graduate Studies, UOIT.

When:
Monday, November 12
Reception and remarks, 11 a.m. to noon.;
Tradeshow: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where:
UOIT
Business and Information Technology Building
Mezzanine (reception) and Atrium (trade show)
2000 Simcoe Street North
Oshawa, Ontario

This study maps the various pathways that young people have taken from high school through to regular participation in the labour market.

Statscan - It links this transition to important background characteristics, in addition to highlighting the pathways that lead to successful transitions to employment.

The study, conducted in partnership with Canadian Policy Research Networks, used data from the longitudinal Youth in Transition Survey for 2004. As a result, the labour market experiences of young adults were assessed as of December 2003, when they were between 22 and 24 years of age. (Youth who were still in school at the time of the survey were not included in the analysis.)

The study identified 10 prominent pathways between education and the labour market, with different pathways being associated with different labour market outcomes.

For example, median weekly earnings across all jobs worked by youth aged 22 to 24 in December 2003 were $503. On average, college and university graduates (regardless of whether they had delayed postsecondary attendance following high school graduation) earned more than the median.

High school dropouts (whether or not they had returned to school) and young people who had entered but did not complete a postsecondary program earned less than the median.

However, some university graduates were earning less than high school dropouts. Part of the reason for this is that university graduates would have had less time in the labour market to gain work experience—and the accompanying earnings premium—than youth who had dropped out before completing high school.

The report also documents the characteristics of the individuals following each path. For example, young women were less likely than young men to follow the pathway of dropping out of high school, and were more likely to go on to some type of postsecondary program prior to entering the labour force. They were also less likely than males to delay the start of a postsecondary program.

Marks matter. A very strong relationship was found between grade-point average and dropping out of high school: youth with very low marks in high school were much more likely than those with average to high marks to drop out and not return. Very high marks predicted that the teen would go directly to a postsecondary program after high school rather than delaying.

Report

Note: The Youth in Transition Survey (YITS) is a longitudinal survey that first collected data from two age groups of youth in the first cycle of the survey in 2000. One group began participating at age 15 (Cohort A), and the other at ages 18 to 20 (Cohort B). The focus of the analysis in this report is on the second group. Both cohorts were asked to provide a range of information on their education and employment experiences, as well as information on their personal characteristics, for example, their educational aspirations. The first follow-up interview with the YITS participants took place in early 2002. At that time, Cohort B participants were between the ages of 20 and 22. The second follow-up interview took place in 2004, for the reference period December 2003, when Cohort B participants were aged 22 to 24.

WATERLOO - One year after proposing 10 goals to make Waterloo Region the knowledge capital of Canada, University of Waterloo President David Johnston has updated the goals and is inviting others to make that vision a reality.

During his second speech on the knowledge capital theme to the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, delivered this morning, Johnston reported on what the university learned during a year-long community consultation process. That process included feedback from the public, meetings with dozens of individuals and community groups, and a community leaders forum.

What emerged is a picture of a region where a great deal of work is already underway in three broad areas identified by social theorist and public intellectual Richard Florida -- talent, technology and tolerance. The individuals and groups doing the work are too many to list, but include The Alliance for a Grand Community, Conestoga College, Heartwood Place, KidsAbility-Centre for Child Development, the Prosperity Council of Waterloo Region, Tamarack, the Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network and Wilfrid Laurier University.

By continuing and further supporting that work, Johnston believes the community can improve on what Waterloo Region has already achieved.

"By 2010, when people think of Waterloo Region, it is my hope that they say, it raises school achievement," he said. "It leads in higher-education innovation. It promotes healthy living. It transforms through research and development. It is socially innovative. It invests in smart infrastructure. It welcomes and integrates immigrants. It reduces poverty. It is culturally vibrant, and it celebrates leadership."

Three organizations have already embraced the knowledge capital vision and have volunteered to lead initiatives.

In the first initiative, the community foundations of Kitchener-Waterloo and of Cambridge North-Dumfries will measure progress towards achieving the goals. Both will continue to track the base measurements outlined in their inaugural Vital Signs report. They will also identify the need for primary research where measurements do not currently exist.

The second initiative relates to the tenth goal on the original list: to celebrate the area's collective achievements. That goal now involves celebrating leadership and revolves around the Mennonite tradition of coming together to accomplish what an individual cannot.

"I am very proud to announce today that The Record, under the leadership of publisher Dana Robbins and editor-in-chief Lynn Haddrall, has agreed to establish a barn-raising award," explained Johnston. "This award will be given annually, beginning next year, to the individual or group in Waterloo Region who best exemplifies that community-minded spirit."

The 10 goals have evolved as follows:

1. Engage our community and school boards to provide educational experiences and outcomes embodying a culture of continuous learning, innovation and achievement.

2. Ensure our universities and colleges remain innovative leaders and are seen as outstanding across Canada.

3. Waterloo Region should be one of the top three healthiest places to live in Canada.

4. Attract and grow transformational investment in research and development.

5. Waterloo Region should be as good in social innovation as it is in technological innovation.

6. Invest in 'smart' infrastructure.

7. Encourage immigration and integrate immigrants.

8. Reduce poverty.

9. Develop and promote a vibrant cultural community.

10. Celebrate leadership.

Though other members of the community must now assume responsibility for the goals, Johnston has pledged to remain involved. "And as I prepare to give these goals over to the region, I promise you I won't be walking off the field after making the hand-off. I remain committed to these 10 goals and will continue to do my part to champion them in the years to come."

Johnston first outlined his 10 original knowledge capital goals in a speech to the Chamber of Commerce last September. He and the Record invited the general public to propose 10 other goals, but the responses suggested the initial 10 should simply be refined.

John Milloy was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. He previously served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, and the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

“I’m pleased to have John Milloy as part of our strong team,” said Premier McGuinty. “Our new cabinet shares the priorities of Ontarians — their values, their hopes, their aspirations. We will continue to be a busy, activist government on their behalf.”

“Together, we have a strong team,” said Milloy, “I’m eager to get to work on behalf of the Ontario families we are privileged to serve.”

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo science will host the annual science open house this weekend to introduce children and their parents to an array of science and technology.

The free event offers activities and demonstrations geared to children from kindergarten to Grade 8, as well as their families. Most of the events take place on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the centre for environmental and information technology. The centre houses the earth sciences museum, which is hosting the annual gem and mineral show, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, on Saturday and Sunday.

"The open house is child friendly and has something to offer to visitors of all ages," says Peter Russell, curator of the museum. "Once a year, volunteers from UW's faculty of science come together to share their love of science with the community."

Activities include soapstone carving, chocolate chip mining, turning copper into gold, a treasure hunt and a fossil fish dig, as well as many chemistry and physics experiments. "The most anticipated of activities is gold panning, where you will get to keep the gold you find," Russell says.

The popular chemistry magic show will take place at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday. A carbon grill barbecue will offer lunch for visitors.

Canadian Gold is the theme of the gem and mineral show, commemorating UW's 50th anniversary. The show will feature displays on Canadian gold from the Royal Ontario Museum. Mineral and gem dealers will be on hand with natural crystals and jewelry.

The show continues on Sunday, with a fluorescent mineral display from the Stone's n' Bones Museum of Sarnia. Jim Ebsary will help children and parents create their own soapstone carvings. And there will be demonstrations by Bill Greenfield, who will polish rock spheres, Nicholas Lapidary, who will grind precious stones, and Derek Wickenden, who will feature micro-mineral mounts of tiny crystals.

Also on Sunday, mineral dealer David K. Joyce will give a lecture entitled Canadian Gold, beginning at 1 p.m. Malcolm Back, a mineralogy technician in the department of natural history at the ROM, will deliver a talk entitled Gold in the Royal Ontario Museum at 3 p.m.

Guelph - Once again, the University of Guelph has been ranked Canada's No. 1 comprehensive research university in two surveys released today by an independent national consulting firm.

U of G was named "Research University of the Year" in an annual ranking published by Research Infosource Inc. It's the fourth time Guelph has garnered the top spot.

The rankings are based on total sponsored research income, faculty research intensity, total publications, publication intensity in leading journals and publication impact. The report divides Canada’s top research universities into three categories: medical/doctoral, comprehensive (research universities without a medical school) and undergraduate, and names a winner in each division.

In the comprehensive category, U of G received an overall score of 83.6. The University of Waterloo ranked second with 78.9, and the University of Victoria third with 68.8.

Research Infosource also published a second survey today, its annual Top 50 Research Universities List, which ranks Canadian universities based solely on sponsored research income from both government and non-government sources.

In that survey, U of G was the top comprehensive university for the sixth year in a row, with research income in excess of $149,000, an 18.9 per cent increase over the previous year. Compared to Canadian universities in all three categories, U of G ranks 12th.

“Todays recognition is first and foremost a recognition of the faculty, staff and students who make our university the creative and innovative place it is," said Alan Wildeman, vice-president (research).

"The rankings are based on quantitative measures, but beneath the statistics are the more important qualities of commitment, hard work and dedication and U of G's strength in these areas is immeasurable."

Seventeen Ontario universities made the "Top 50" list, together bringing in $2.3 billion in total sponsored research income. Overall, Canada's universities reported $5.53 billion in sponsored research income in 2006, a 6.4 per cent increase from 2005.

Research Infosource is a division of The Impact Group, a Toronto-based organization that provides information about the research activities of Canadian companies, universities and governments.