Daily Bulletin

UW can expect 30 new profs

"It looks as though it could in fact be quite helpful," UW provost Jim Kalbfleisch says about the program, which the prime minister called "exciting and ambitious". Chrétien said in the House of Commons that the government was creating

a plan for brain gain, not brain drain . . . a plan, Mr. Speaker, to establish, over the next three years, 1,200 new 21st century Chairs for Research Excellence in universities across Canada. To provide enough financial support for the total costs of research for each new research chair to make them internationally competitive. And to set as an objective reaching a total of 2,000 new Chairs for Research Excellence across Canada as soon as possible thereafter. A plan I welcome. A plan for excellence and international competitiveness which this government endorses enthusiastically.

Although the new faculty members will hold "research chairs", the provost said, he'd like to see them involved in some teaching as well, just as the holders of the existing industrial research chairs do. "We've always had all of our regular faculty members involved in a full range of activities," Kalbfleisch said, "and I would hope that would continue."

Waterloo will be in a good position to influence the writing of the rules on such things: UW president David Johnston has been named to Ottawa's "implementation group" to put the program into operation.

There's no doubt that the government will set precise rules for the new professorships. Kalbfleisch noted. "What it comes down to is that governments no longer want to give us money that we control. They want to control the way it's spent, at a fairly detailed level."

Government funding for UW's general operations is still a big question mark. "We still don't have any information about operating funding even for next year, let alone for the enrolment expansion that appears to be coming our way," Kalbfleisch said yesterday. Ontario government grants make up about $106 million of UW's $201 million operating budget in the current year.

News did come Friday about provincial funding for university and college buildings, but it wasn't exactly what UW wanted to hear. "All existing proposals have to be resubmitted," said Kalbfleisch, which means UW is back to square one on the proposed Centre for Environmental and Information Technology, to be constructed on the site of parking lot B1. "It's bad news," said the provost -- especially as applications for money under the province's Superbuild fund are due November 15.

Newbridge head visits campus

The highlight of his visit is a lecture at 2:30 in Davis Centre room 1350, under the title "Smart Communications: The Next Ten Years". The talk is cosponsored by UW's InfraNet Project and the Federation of Students.

In the morning, Matthews will meet with UW officials, researchers in areas of interest to Newbridge, and students who have worked at Newbridge. At noontime he'll speak to a Communitech luncheon for people in local high-tech industry, to be held at Bingeman ballroom in Kitchener.

Newbridge, based in the silicon belt south of Ottawa, now employs more than 6,000 people in making and delivering data networking products.

Matthews (pictured above) was already well known when he left Mitel Corp. to found Newbridge in 1986. He had been co-founder of Mitel, along with Michael Cowpland, now the head of Corel Corp. "His telecom career officially began at the age of 16 at British Telecom Research Labs," his biography says, but along the way he also earned formal qualifications including a degree in electronics from the University College of Wales. He came to Canada after graduating, to join Microsystems International Ltd. before the founding of Mitel in 1972.

Science minister visits Ontario science minister Jim Wilson will be on campus today to announce grants to several young faculty members from the Premier's Excellence Awards. Wilson will also help celebrate the official launch of the Centre for Applied Cryptographic Research. Today's event with Wilson and other VIPs starts at 3 p.m. in the Festival Room of South Campus Hall.

More than $5 million for research

The money has actually been expected since last spring, when similar amounts came to UW in April from the federal Canadian Foundation for Innovation. This week's grants come from the Ontario Innovation Trust, set up earlier this year to provide matching funds when CFI makes grants to Ontario institutions.

"These investments will provide equipment and facilities to help today's researchers become established and break new ground in some of the most important areas of research today," said Michael Gourley, the prominent Ontario civil servant who is chair of the Ontario Innovation Trust. The $5 million will go to these six UW projects:

• Synthetic and Biosynthetic Materials Research Facility (research headed by John Hepburn in the chemistry department).
• Infrastructure support for the Institute of Vision Science and Technology in the optometry school.
• The Bell Emergis University Labs (partnership with Bell Emergis).
• Materials Technology and Analysis Facility and equipment (research headed by Tong Leung in chemistry).
• Instrumentation for molecular biology and biotechnology for environmental problems (research headed by Shaun Frape, earth sciences, and Patricia Schulte, biology).
• Network and cabling infrastructure improvements on campus.

Established by the province in March, the Ontario Innovation Trust is expected to "help the province's colleges, universities, hospitals and other non-profit organizations carry out scientific research and technology development by enhancing the infrastructure needed for research". The Trust "operates under a Trust Agreement at arms' length from the government, but works closely with the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology. The Trust Fund currently has $250 million on deposit."

An announcement noted that the 32 projects receiving funding last week, including UW's six, had been "reviewed" by the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund, which was handling Ontario's matching funds for CFI-supported projects until the new Trust was created.

Also Friday, the Canada Foundation for Innovation announced grants to five UW faculty members under its New Opportunities program. Receiving amounts between $34,000 and $60,000 apiece are Pu Chen of chemical engineering, Tadeusz Górecki of chemistry, Robert Macdonald and Norman Zhou of mechanical engineering, and Ranjini Sivakumar of accountancy.

Grads win medals at convocation

Receiving the alumni gold medal at the PhD level this year will be Cameron Shelley, whose doctorate is from the department of philosophy. Receiving the gold medal at the master's degree level will be Dean Palmer of chemical engineering.

Shelley and Palmer, in their respective departments, are also receiving the "outstanding achievement in graduate studies" designation. Other winners of that title are Allan Bertram (chemistry PhD), Christopher Furgal (planning PhD), Todd Girard (psychology MA), and Jackie Cheuk-Kin Ho (combinatorics and optimization MMath).

Convocation ceremonies on Saturday begin at 10 a.m. (faculties of applied health sciences and arts) and 2 p.m. (other faculties).

A busy day across campus

The senate undergraduate council will meet at 1:30 today in Needles Hall room 3001. The council reviews details of course offerings in all UW's faculties and in the interdisciplinary programs -- including, this time round, a proposal for a "diploma in the sociology of business, industry, and technology", and a proposal for an option, a minor and a diploma in Jewish studies.

Of interest particularly to administrative assistants in UW departments: an open house will be held today by Prior Resource Group, which now has the contract to provide temporary staffing for UW. The open house will run from 3:00 to 5:00 in Davis Centre room 1301, says Neil Murray of the human resources department.

Ken Murray, whose benefactions to UW have already led to the naming of the Alzheimer research and education program in his honour, is being feted today -- it's his 75th birthday. "An announcement will also be made," UW's news bureau says, "on an additional Murray initiative that will allow UW's Faculty of Applied Health Sciences to expand its research in areas related to aging, including Alzheimer's disease." The event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. in the "fireplace lounge" of the Lyle Hallman Institute (Matthews Hall west wing).

The field hockey Warriors host the University of Western Ontario at 7:00 this evening at University Stadium.

Members of le Cercle Français will head for the Princess Cinema this evening to see "Les Contes d'Automne". For more information, club president Christine Labelle can be reached at clabelle@mgl.ca.

"Echoes of Erin" comes to Federation Hall tonight: "a colourful and exciting show of Irish traditional music, song, dance & humour", brought in as part of "the Comhaltas concert tour of North America". The show starts at 7:30; tickets at the door are $18, students and seniors $15.

Tonight brings the first of this year's Pascal Lectures, as Howard J. Van Till, of Calvin College, speaks on "Is Science Held Hostage?" at 8:00 in the Theatre of the Arts. Tomorrow evening, same time, same station, his topic will be "The Universe: Accidentally Robust, Intelligently Designed, or Optimally Equipped?" During his visit Van Till, who has written extensively about the apparent controversy between evolution and creationism, will also give two seminars: "The Fully Gifted Creation Perspective", Wednesday at 2:30 in the Student Life Centre, and "Augustine, Evolution and the Functional Integrity of Creation", Thursday at 2:30 in the common room of St. Jerome's University.

Tomorrow will bring the first of three brown-bag seminars sponsored by the Employee Assistance Program this term. Linda Barton, nutritionist in health services, will talk about "Eating for Energy", at 12 noon in Davis Centre room 1302. Later on the schedule: "Investing in Your Future" on November 17, and "Stress Management for the Holidays" on December 15.

The career development seminar series continues tomorrow, with "The Work Finding Package" at 1:30 p.m. in Needles Hall room 1020. A tour of the career resource centre will follow.

Tomorrow at 12 noon, the teaching resource office (TRACE) offers a "skills-based workshop" on assessment issues: "Assessment is fundamental to our work as university instructors, but why and how do we assess?" The session will be led by four staff members from TRACE, and takes place in Math and Computer room 5158.

CAR

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca | (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
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