![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Wednesday, June 26, 2002
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Sloan]](/images/2001/1212sloan.gif)
Jim Sloan and his world |
Chemistry professor James Sloan, an internationally recognized researcher in atmospheric chemistry, will occupy the new research chair and lead the activities of the UW-based Atmospheric Sciences Centre. The centre's researchers will employ new and powerful modelling and meteorology tools to improve our scientific understanding of air quality problems.
| Air quality in Ontario: smog alert is ended |
Air quality in urban areas in Southern Ontario is affected by transboundary pollution as well as emissions from a wide variety of local sources.
At the centre, climate research will focus on the little understood influence of clouds and atmospheric particulate matter (aerosols) on climate. Current evidence suggests that these effects are large, but neither their causes nor the precise magnitudes of their effects are known. As a result, the centre will combine laboratory experiments, satellite observations and modeling to investigate this complex atmospheric problem.
Andrew Telegdi, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, announced the establishment of the centre on behalf of Allan Rock, minister of industry and minister responsible for NSERC. "The University of Waterloo is to be congratulated for its role in stimulating new private and public sector partnerships and for leading the way in this important venture," Telegdi said.
"A key to innovation is research, which yields new knowledge and creates new opportunities." said a statement from Rock. "This industrial research chair will tackle important atmospheric problems, and provide knowledge that will help industry be competitive while maintaining the highest air quality standards."
"Air quality in Southern Ontario is affected by many sources," said Ron Osborne, president and chief executive officer of OPG. "We are doing our part to reduce emissions from our fossil generating stations by investing in clean air technologies and cleaner fuels. Today we are helping to launch this new research chair which will advance basic knowledge of how pollution travels and how best to tackle major sources of emissions such as transboundary pollution and the transportation sector."
![[Clean car]](/images/2002/0626cleancar.gif)
Your car might shine like this one today, thanks to an "executive car wash" being held in support of the Keystone Campaign. From 11:30 to 1:30, in between the thundershowers, volunteer washers will be at the Village east cul-de-sac (across from the University Club) to "treat your car to a unique experience" and accept donations. Hot dogs and pop will be for sale. |
Birthday cake during the Canada Day celebrations on the university's north campus will honour not only the country but also the university, which counts its years from July 1, 1957, and is turning 45.
Events on Monday will start at 2 p.m. and run through until after dark, when the now traditional fireworks display will light up the sky over Columbia Lake for a crowd that's annually in excess of 50,000 people. All the festivities are free, and so is the birthday cake. Donations are accepted, and proceeds from food and drink tents will help subsidize the day.
Parking is free (enter by University Avenue). A first aid station and a long row of toilets will meet visitors' physical needs, while they're inspired and entertained by puppetry, children's games, a dunk tank and a water-slide, kite flying, juggling, the Warriors' Band and a visit from the Midnight Sun solar car.
An arts and crafts fair runs from 2:00 to 9:00, Laser Quest will be in operation in the evening, commemorative candles and "glow necklaces" will be for sale, and characters from the Royal Mediaeval Faire are expected.
And then there's the main stage, with music between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. from the likes of the Jolly Llamas, Traces Steel Drum Band, Psyche and the Matt Osborne Band. Welcoming ceremonies will be held on the main stage at 6 p.m.
The Canada Day party is jointly sponsored by the university (through the community relations office) and the Federation of Students, and brought to reality by a host of volunteers. The student Engineering Society is operating the children's "mini-Olympics", the Math Society is operating "Fun Fest", and the alumni affairs office will handle face-painting.
Saitowitz is a professor of architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, and has been in architectural practice for 25 years. His firm works in residential, commercial and institutional architecture and has executed projects including houses, schools, churches, museums, urban promenades, memorials and a winery.
His buildings have been published in journals around the world and he has been honoured with distinguished visiting professorships at the leading schools of architecture in the United States.
The selection committee had 16 members representing the City of Cambridge, the Cambridge Consortium, the school of architecture and other parts of the university. Six short-listed groups were interviewed last week at the Cambridge Public Library. There were no designs presented but each firm described its organization and approach to the challenges presented by the project.
"Each team made a very strong case," said architecture school director Rick Haldenby, chair of the committee. "The members of the selection committee came away from the day with an even deeper appreciation of the potential of the project."
As for Saitowitz, he is "an internationally known architect on the basis of his deep insight into the project and the school," Haldenby said. "He has an extraordinary ability to ask the right questions. The committee was impressed by the clarity of his thought, his obvious dedication to his work and his ability to produce elegant and imaginative design in situations where time and budget were very tight," he added.
Saitowitz must now select an architectural firm in Ontario to collaborate with on the project. The committee will review the proposed team within two weeks, with the design process starting next month. Renovation of the former Tiger Brands building on Melville Street will start in the fall and the school intends to be operating in Cambridge in September 2003.
Credit for work terms"You may recall," writes UW registrar Ken Lavigne, "that, effective this term, students will receive credit for work terms. As of today" -- actually June 21 -- "the course 'COOP N' (where N=1-10) has been added to the records of students on work term this term. The course does not attract fee assessment and no action is required on the student's part to enrol in the course. Once employer evaluations are received at the end of term, a grade of CR will be recorded for successful completion of the work term." |
The senate undergraduate council will meet at 2:30 in Needles Hall room 3004.
The career development workshop series continues, with three sessions today: Letter Writing at 3:30, Resumé Writing at 4:30, and "UW Innovate: Your Business Start-up Plans" at 5:30. The career resource centre in Needles Hall has more information and a sign-up sheet.
From 6 to 9 tonight, the Women in Engineering group will hold "an informal gathering of staff, students, faculty and alumni to discuss balancing career and family". Both sexes are welcome, and there's food; it all takes place in the Davis Centre "fishbowl" lounge.
Topic of this week's gay and lesbian discussion group is "Sex, Drugs, Partying and . . . More Sex? The Seduction of LGBT Sub-Cultures". The talk starts at 7:00 in Humanities room 373.
Tonight in Montréal, isle riverain, there's a gathering for Waterloo alumni at McGill University's Thomson House. The event starts at 8:00; UW president David Johnston will be on hand to talk about "learning communities and the latest developments, success stories and future directions of UW".
The chilled water (that is, the air conditioning) will be turned off in the Humanities building all day tomorrow for maintenance work, the plant operations department advises. "Ventilation fans will remain on."
And tomorrow's an important day for graduate students involved in the Certificate in University Teaching program. Three of those who are nearing the end of the program will present the findings of their research papers, starting at 2:00 in Math and Computer room 5158.
CAR
TODAY IN UW HISTORYJune 26, 1991: An emotional goodbye party is held to honour Robin Banks as he ends twelve years of service as dean of arts. |