Renison names its next principal

Crossley will arrive July 1 as principal and vice-chancellor at Renison, said the chair of the college's board of governors, Michael Carty. He succeeds Gail Cuthbert Brandt, who has been principal since 1992.

A news release notes that Crossley has held various posts at UPEI: chair of the political studies department, coordinator of Canadian Studies, dean of arts, vice-president (academic support), and chair of the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission.

"His extensive record of research and publication in public policy and aboriginal affairs as well as his extensive administrative experience make him particularly well suited to lead Renison as it expands its facilities and its academic offerings over the next five years," says Carty.

Technology conference comes next week

An information session about the CUTC will be held in the Davis Centre lounge from 5 to 7 p.m., with free pizza and drinks, says math student Doug Sibley, one of the dozens of volunteers putting the event together.

"The organizers have been super busy," I'm told, "putting last-minute touches in place." Kevin Wong, engineering student and chairperson of the conference, is getting famous as well as busy, as he was featured on television's "Bottom Line" on Tuesday, and the conference was also introduced this week on the Canoe web site.

The conference runs January 17-19 at the International Plaza Hotel on Airport Road on the edge of Toronto.

Bob Young, co-founder and chairman of Red Hat, will be the opening keynote speaker at the CUTC.

Says Elaine Lee, in charge of the conference's publicity: "For a fee of $99, or less with faculty subsidy, students are given the opportunity to participate in hands-on workshops, network with industry leaders from Microsoft, IBM, RIM, attend keynote sessions with Jim Mitchell, VP of Sun Microsystems and Bob Young, chairman of Red Hat, participate in tech tours and much more!

"As an added bonus, as every year, there'll be free Microsoft Software and a huge semi-formal banquet on the final night!"

Other conference features include TechJeopardy, a "visionary speech" competition, and the ThinkTank: "TechThink will allow all delegates to work in intimate groups to come up with opinions, ideas, proposals, comments, and criticisms about topical issues pertaining to technology. Each group will be mentored by a dynamic leader from industry or academia to prod you on and maximize this whirlwind of a brainstorming experience! With all the results in, we'll let our expert Gurus integrate your thoughts with theirs and we'll share them at the banquet, and hopefully to the public too!"

UW's faculty of engineering will subsidize engineering students by at least 50 per cent of the conference fee, and several other faculties and departments are also offering subsidies. The walk-up rate is $99. There will be buses between the UW campus and the conference site.

Opening today in the art gallery

Today brings the opening of "entitled", works with an environmental theme by two artists, Simon Frank of Hamilton and Dave Hind of Brantford, at the Gallery I in East Campus Hall.

Frank, who spent Monday and Tuesday in the gallery creating an 18-foot tree out of shavings from trees cut down or trimmed by the city of Hamilton, will be destroying the work on February 8.

Art gallery director Carol Podedworny describes the installation as "part of a long history of landscape-based environmental art produced in the last 40 years which questions the give and take and social responsibility of those of us living an urban, industrialized life."

Staff member's show One more gallery note: Marian Davies, library staff member and part-time fine arts student, says she'll have "an installation", under the title "2000 Stories", for the next couple of days at the little Front Gallery in East Campus Hall. "I'm not planning an official opening," says Davies, "but I will be present in the gallery this evening from 6 to 8 p.m."

Hind's exhibition will be an installation of 88 hand-made drums, for which he built the metal rims and "coordinated the trap line community production at Elliot Lake of the hides that form the drum surfaces.

"There is both a performative and shared aspect to the installation," says Podedworny. "The drums are to be played, the drums are also to be given away. The work acknowledges a body of grass-roots community work first initiated in Canada in the mid-1980s. The character of the work -- like Frank's -- is community focused and socially bound."

Both artists will speak about their work on Thursday, January 17, and Hind will present a performance on Thursday, January 24. The exhibition continues through February 7.

Also on display from today through February 7, in Gallery II in East Campus Hall, will be a selection of works on paper from the UW permanent collection.

Opening tomorrow in the Modern Languages Gallery, and continuing through February 28, is an exhibition of photographs by architecture and planning professor Anupam Banerji. "The Expatriate Gods: Mosques, Temples and Shrines in Canada and the U.S." documents Banerji's current architectural research -- funded by a Canada Council grant -- which will lead to the publication of a book by the same title.

The sacred places of "the new religious faiths of the immigrants to Canada . . . challenge the ways in which the aesthetics of religious architecture have been conceived," says Banerji. "On the one hand, these places have been perceived as 'other' -- that is, the antithesis of the traditional and the familiar when seen against the architecture of the Judeo-Christian faith. Conversely, these 'Eastern' sacred architectures have been embraced by some as sources of spiritual enlightenment in the west."

Also in today's field of vision

Next, I realize that I didn't make any announcement about registration for campus recreation programs for this term, held earlier this week. But I'm told that registration is still happening today, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the athletics department office. "There is still lots of room," I'm told, "in many classes: Fitness, Beginner Irish Dance, First Aid & CPR, Swimming, Self Defense, Skating, X-Country Skiing, Squash, Tennis, Tai Chi, Weight Training and more! No tickets required, just come by with your payment -- cash, cheque or Interac. If you have any questions, please contact the athletics office at ext. 5869."

A retirement reception will run from 3 to 5 this afternoon in the Laurel Room, South Campus Hall, for two staff members from parking services: Florence Foster (well known at the kiosk in H lot) and Jackie Weber (attendant at the kiosk in B1 lot until it closed last fall).

And advance notice: there will be a reception January 25 -- two weeks from tomorrow -- to honour David Burns, mechanical engineering professor and former dean of engineering. He's officially retiring from UW, after a career here that began in 1967, and has taken on a new job as vice-president (academic) of Conestoga College.

Co-op students should take note that work reports are due today by 4 p.m. The co-op department adds: "Due dates may differ by faculty, so students should check with their undergrad office for the correct information."

As the latest series of reality television, "Survivor: Africa", comes to its climax this evening, some folks from UW Graphics will be watching and partying. The plans aren't quite as ambitious as last time round, when various participants identified with the televised contestants and competed for local prizes while the tribes did their thing -- but I bet there will still be some hooting and hollering tonight.

The school of architecture lecture series, which ran all through the fall term, resumes tonight with "Building in the Ruins", a presentation by Rick Haldenby, the director of the school. A related exhibition will open this evening in the lobby of Environmental Studies II; the talk starts at 7 p.m. in ES II room 280.

Beginning-of-term festivities continue at the Graduate House: tonight, it's a "Welcome Week Mixer" starting at 8 p.m. Admission is free.

And speaking of graduate students, Penny Pudifin of the graduate studies office reminds me that January 15 is the deadline for applications to present student work at the Graduate Student Research Conference April 1-5. Both oral and poster presentations are welcome, and participation is free. The event is "a forum to acquire valuable experience in presenting professional-level talks and poster presentations", a brochure for the event notes -- but students have only five more days to get that abstract in.

A number of people with UW ties are involved in the JM Drama group, based in downtown Kitchener, which today opens a new program, dubbed ACTOne. "The goal of ACTOne," says a flyer, "is to offer local writers of all ages and experience the forum to discuss, workshop and direct their productions." It'll be launched tonight with the first performance of "The Infamous Evan Lemon" by John Canhoto, at the Registry Theatre on Frederick Street -- phone 575-5782 for details.

Finally, this note from the local Volunteer Action Centre: "Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery is a beautiful place to volunteer! Volunteers who enjoy greeting the public can become involved by welcoming visitors to the gallery and providing telephone reception. Volunteers may also help in the gallery shop by assisting customers, handling sales, maintaining displays or helping with inventory control. Both positions require 3 1/2 hours a week and shifts are available weekdays, evenings and weekends." For more information, the VAC can be reached at 742-8610.

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY January 10, 1995: An advisory committee tells the provost that a link between UW and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College "could be of value to the work of both".