![[University of Waterloo]](/images/logobars/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Tuesday, July 5, 2005
|
Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Cover shows high-rise skyline]](/images/2005/0615magcover.jpg)
A new issue
of UW Dimensions, a student-created magazine in Chinese, is
now available in Math and Computer, the Student Life Centre and the
Dana Porter Library, among other locations. "Our UW Glory section
currently features graduate studies," the editors report, "discussing the
trend of an increasing market need for higher education, UW's popularity
with overseas graduate students, and our new MBET program." The
cover story focuses on summer activities, and the issue also includes
fashion, creative writing and a continuing series on photography. The
magazine's web site has
been updated in Chinese and English.
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Undergraduates at Waterloo conduct quite a lot of research, some of it surprisingly sophisticated, Bird says. They do research as research assistants in professors' labs, as co-op students, as winners of NSERC Undergraduate Research Awards, in senior honours projects and theses, and in design competitions. An undergrad research internship program was first established at UW in 2002 to encourage such activity.
All the same, undergrad research generally has a low profile. The new program is intended to change that. Having a UW-URI milestone on the transcript would give UW students an edge when it comes to applying for jobs or graduate school.
Under the new plan worked out by Bird and John Thompson, associate vice-president (university research), to earn the URI recognition students must successfully complete at least two approved research modules: one-term, full-time or part-time paid research jobs with a UW regular faculty member. The modules would not replace regular course credits. The program will be open to all students in honours programs with a minimum cumulative average of 80 percent and would normally start after the end of first year.
A mandatory part of the program will be a research portfolio -- a record and summary of all research experience for which the student has received credit. To qualify for the milestone, the student must have the portfolio approved before convocation.
One aim driving the program is to attract more students to graduate studies by giving them a taste of research at the undergraduate level. What's more, with some of the necessary skills already mastered, they will get off to a faster start once they do get to grad school. If this aspect of the program succeeds, it will help to fulfill the recommendation of the Sedra review of graduate studies that graduate enrolment be doubled by about 2010.
Bird believes the program will be valuable even for students not headed towards grad school. Merely absorbing huge amounts of information is not education, she says. "But if you are competent in research, you have problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills that you can apply to any theory or idea you are presented with."
The new program will be directed by Bill Power, associate dean of graduate studies. (The GSO oversees both graduate and undergraduate student research programs, including the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award program.) UW-URI forms are posted on the GSO website and students may begin modules as early as this fall.
![[Pedlar]](/images/2005/0501pedlar.jpg)
Acting chair
of the department of recreation and leisure studies, for a year beginning
July 1, will be faculty member Alison Pedlar. She takes over the reins
from current chair Susan Shaw.
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"The funding for these projects will keep Canada at the forefront of research," said Emerson. "The government recognizes the value of research that not only boosts our economy, but improves the quality of life for Canadians."
CFI's New Opportunities Fund enables universities to provide research infrastructure for new faculty members in their first full-time academic job, so that these researchers can undertake "research that benefits Canadians". The fund also enables institutions to recruit new faculty members in the areas of research identified as priorities in their strategic research plans.
At UW, these researchers are receiving awards in the latest round of grants:
§ Xiangdong Fang, chemistry, $260,378 for an "Organometallic/Polymer Chemistry Research Laboratory." An announcement explains that "The work will result in novel materials and new technologies of potential benefit to Canada's pharmaceutical and chemical industries."
§ Kevin Hare and Nicolaas Spronk, pure mathematics; Ashraf Aboulnaga, Shai Ben-David, Ihab Ilyas, Kate Larson and Pascal Poupart, computer science; Andris Ambainis, combinatorics and optimization; Hans de Sterck, Francis Poulin and Marek Stastna, applied mathematics; Guangzhe Fan, Yulia Gel and Paul Marriott, statistics and actuarial science, $348,469 in "Resources for Computational Research Innovation." Says the announcement: "Technologies that may ultimately be realized from this group's research include artificial intelligence systems; tools for early cancer detection; quantum computers; better web search tools; foolproof computer encryption; highly localized and accurate weather forecasting systems; and software able to link many computers to vast super-computers."
§ Mungo Marsden and Christian Jacobson, biology, $210,964 for an "Integrated Facility for Gene Discovery and Molecular Imaging." Explanation: "The facility is a collaborative effort combining high-throughput genetic screening with sophisticated real-time imaging. The research goal is to integrate these technologically advanced approaches to provide novel opportunities for gene discovery and the functional analysis of novel molecules."
§ Ehsan Toyserkani, Shahrzad Esmaeili, William Melek, Hamid Jahed and Michael Mayer, mechanical engineering, $320,701 for a "Centre for Rapid Prototyping of Advanced Multi-Scale Systems." Says the announcement: "The research programs enabled by the CFI-funded infrastructure will put Canada at the forefront of research in the relevant areas of biomedical, micro-systems and advanced layered manufacturing."
§ Gregor Weihs, physics and Institute for Quantum Computing, $125,000 for a "Laboratory for the characterization and applications of new sources of entanglement." The project promises research aimed at "creating novel sources of entangled photon pairs in semiconductor nanostructures. Entangled photon pairs enable quantum communication and quantum communication applications such as quantum teleportation and quantum cryptography."
The Infrastructure Operating Fund awards will contribute to the operating and maintenance costs of infrastructure projects that are already funded by CFI. UW's latest winners of these awards:
§ Robert Feick, planning, $28,915 to support the Waterloo Spatial Decision Lab.
§Joe Sanderson and Bae-Yeun Ha, physics, $25,500 for their Biophotonics Facility.
§ Andy Houston, drama and speech communication, $29,525 for "The Sensorium Suite: Mapping Sites of Controversy with Multi-Media."
Three fine arts faculty members are showing their work in the "Second Biennial" exhibition that opened this week in the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery in downtown Kitchener. Cora Cluett, Robert Linsley and Paul Dignan are among 13 local artists whose works were chosen for "an exhibition that emphasizes the impressive depth of contemporary production in the region", according to the gallery's web site. The show runs through September 4; an opening reception is scheduled for tomorrow night, 7 to 9 p.m., at the gallery.
| WHEN AND WHERE |
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Sandford Fleming Foundation debates for engineering students,
faculty competition Monday-Wednesday 11:30, Engineering II room 3324;
finals Friday at noon, POETS pub.
Career development workshop: "Successfully Negotiating Job Offers", 2:30, Tatham Centre room 1208. Chemical engineering seminar: G. D. Yadav, University of Mumbai, "Practice of Green Chemistry Though Cascade Engineered Phase Transfer Analysis", Wednesday 12:30, Doug Wright Engineering room 2517. Observatory tour Wednesday 9 p.m. Meet at Physics room 308 for question-and-answer period and, weather permitting, views through UW's telescope. 'Low Risk Guidelines for Safe Drinking' brown-bag presentation by psychologist Darryl Upfold, sponsored by Employee Assistance Program, Tuesday, July 12, 12 noon, CEIT room 1015, reservations to Johan Reis, health services. Family members welcome. Blood donor clinics July 14-15 and 18-21, Student Life Centre, appointments now at the turnkey desk. |
Michael Higgins, president of St. Jerome's University, has been named to fill a vacant seat on the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. . . . Jason Grieve, coach of the women's volleyball Warriors, has happily announced that 5-foot-10 Diana Robbins, from Saunders Secondary School in London, will join the team this fall, playing leftside. . . . The UW Recreation Committee plans a team in the Dragonboat Festival to be held July 16 at Laurel Creek Conservation Area. . . .
And . . . I mangled yesterday's announcement about the brown-bag lunch session on "E-Portfolios" that's being held this week, starring three professors (from biology, history and accountancy) who have been using that technology in their teaching. First of all, I said it was happening Friday, when in fact it's Thursday; second, I said it was sponsored by LT3, the Centre for Learning and Teaching Through Technology, and it's not. The sponsor is the "Learning Resources and Innovation Office", a phrase we're only just starting to see, to mean the office of associate vice-president (LRI) Tom Carey. The workshop is scheduled for 12:00 Thursday in Needles Hall room 3004.
CAR