![[University of Waterloo]](/images/logobars/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Thursday, July 7, 2005
|
Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Ledrew]](/images/2005/0621ledrew.jpg)
Ellsworth LeDrew (left), who is interim dean of environmental studies as well as holder of a University Research Chair, was given the Canadian Remote Sensing Society's Gold Medal Award at a recent symposium. The medal, introduced in 1986, recognizes either a significant new advance in remote sensing research, development, technology or applications, or a significant long-term contribution to the field of remote sensing in Canada. Remote sensing is the process of gathering information about the earth from a distance using satellite or airborne images.
The medal was announced last month at the Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing, held in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. The Canadian Remote Sensing Society is part of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute.
"The award recognizes Ellsworth's many contributions to research, education and service in the remote-sensing community," said Phil Howarth, who just finished a term as chair of the geography department. The award's citation says: "His research on arctic sea ice and atmospheric dynamics has been critical to our current understanding of climate change and global warming." And his work on coral bleaching and ocean/atmosphere dynamics is recognized as "leading-edge science, placing Canadian remote-sensing expertise within a global context."
To date, 14 PhD students and 27 master's students have completed their theses under LeDrew's supervision. As a result, he has "populated Canada's universities, government agencies, and the international private sector with well-trained remote-sensing scientists." As well, his extensive ties with the climatological, meteorological, engineering and physics communities has meant that "all who were taught by him benefited from his breadth and depth of remote-sensing knowledge. Of his many accomplishments, this would surely rank as the greatest."
Ledrew is a Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute and was president of the Canadian Remote Sensing Society from 1999 to 2001. He has been a UW professor since 1977.
Only three faculty members are among previous winners of the society's Gold Medal: Ferdinand Bonn, of Sherbrooke, who started the French-Canadian strength in remote sensing; John Miller, of York University; and Howarth himself.
LeDrew's research interests embrace the use of remote sensing in modelling feedback between synoptic patterns and sea ice and snow cover in the Arctic. His work is expected to lead to a better understanding of climate change and variability. He also studies the retrieval of spectral signatures of tropical coral reefs from airborne and satellite imagery in order to detect and monitor environmentally induced change as well as to assess stress for coastal management.
![[Adrian]](/images/2005/0707adrian.jpg)
Elisabeth Adrian (right), of UW's career services department, offers
that metaphor in a workshop on "Working Effectively in Another
Culture", which was introduced this year and is being offered again
this term, on Tuesday, July 19. Registration, as for all career services
workshops, is
online,
and Adrian says there's room for 60 to 70 students, to allow
some discussion and activities as well as the PowerPoint
presentation that is the basis of the 90-minute session.
![[Examining the Canadian Work Culture]](/images/2005/0707powerpoint.gif)
"We are all creatures of a certain culture," says Adrian, who
suggests the session should be equally useful for Canadian students intending
to go to work in another country, and international students
trying to understand how to live and work among Canadians.
Students from China, for instance, "struggle to adapt" in a
Canadian environment (left) that calls for more assertiveness than
the culture in which they've grown up.
"Understand your own cultural background, life and work style," her PowerPoint slides urge students. "Cope with culture shock. . . . Respect local culture and consult with locals before coming to conclusions."
She cites one expert's rough classification of cultures into "linear-active", "multi-active" and "reactive", each with its distinctive expectations about time management, demeanour and deference. Another slide, using the iceberg metaphor, indicates some of the cultural assumptions that lie under the surface: "courtship practices . . . conception of justice . . . tempo of work . . . eye behaviour . . . approaches to problem-solving . . . notions about logic and validity."
The workshop can't say much about the details of the many cultures participants may visit, but books and other resources are available through career services, Adrian says. She does, however, include a few home truths about the English-Canadian culture, quoting one observer's statement that Canadian business protocol stresses "egalitarian relationships", "respect for space", and "blind individualism".
| WHEN AND WHERE |
|
Boggan Burgers ($2) at the main entrance to Carl Pollock
Hall, 11:00 to 1:00, in support of the Concrete Toboggan team.
EPortfolios presentation by three faculty members, 12:00, Needles Hall room 3004. Group walk around the ring road, sponsored by UW Recreation Committee: meet outside Student Life Centre, 12:15. Career development workshops: "Interview Skills, the Basics" 2:30, "Preparing for Questions" 3:30, Tatham Centre room 1208. Forum for Independent Thought student think-tank, 5:00, upstairs level, Student Life Centre. Bomber Night sponsored by Engineers Without Borders, from 6:00, Bombshelter pub, Student Life Centre: Drum Circle, spoken word, guitar, Soulmates, centred on the theme Make Poverty History. 'Sexuality and Culture in a Parallel Universe': readings from Robert J. Sawyer's Hominids and comments by B. J. Rye, St. Jerome's University, 7 p.m., Huether Hotel, tickets from The New Quarterly 884-8111 ext. 290. K-W Art Gallery opening reception for 2nd Biennial Exhibition, including work by several UW fine arts faculty, 7 p.m., Centre in the Square, Kitchener. Movie night sponsored by Mathematics Society: "Guess Who" 7:00, "Fever Pitch" 9:00, Math and Computer room 2066, free. Beach volleyball tournament sponsored by campus recreation, Saturday all day, information at Physical Activities Complex. Materials and Manufacturing Ontario centre of excellence offers an information meeting for interested faculty, July 14, 10:30, Needles Hall room 3001, information ext. 6004. |
The school of optometry mourns one of the people most influential in its creation: E. Fred Attridge, who died June 2 at the age of 96. Attridge was a 1936 graduate of the College of Optometry of Ontario, the training institution in those days, and by the late 1960s had become president of the College of Optometrists, the governing body for the profession in Ontario. In that role he led the negotiations that brought the College from its Toronto home to become part of UW's faculty of science in 1967. The following year he led the optometry section in the university's Tenth Anniversary Fund campaign; he later served (1971-77) on UW's board of governors, and was involved in many other professional activities, including the negotiations that brought optometry into the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. He was "a role model and leader in his profession . . . a quiet, effective and dedicated gentleman," recalls optometry professor Bill Bobier.
How many books are in the UW library? The number has less and less meaning, as more and more material is available electronically, but for those who really want to know, the answer is 1,992,700 "print volumes", according to a statistical summary provided by the library. Also at your service: 149,335 maps and similar items. And the library's web site had a little more than 6 million hits last year.
Mary Jane Bauer, academic services officer in the school of planning, officially retired July 1, ending a UW career that began in 1980. . . . Jimmy Latta, who tied for fourth place in the Ontario Junior Masters golf championship earlier this year, will be starting arts-and-business studies this fall and joining the golf Warriors. . . . The Conrad Grebel University College chapel choir is offering a pre-release special on its latest CD, "Then and Now". . . .
UW's joint health and safety committee has struck a subcommittee to look at issues related to storm closings, in the wake of bad winter weather last December 23 and February 14 when the university stayed open. The committee deals with a wide range of issues; minutes of its May 26 meeting, for instance, include discussion of a scary incident in April when a bolt let go in a ceiling in the Optometry building, and a heavy artwork nearly fell onto a public area below. Also discussed: fire drills, electric fans, and diving regulations that might affect biology researchers. The committee has elected new co-chairs: Les Barber of the central plant, representing "workers", and Karen Trevors of the dean of science office, representing "management".
![[Moose in defiant mode]](http://www.renison.uwaterloo.ca/images/alumni_images/MooseTongue.gif)
I'm just getting around to noting the spring issue of
Renison Reports, the newsletter published by Renison College
for its alumni. It's chatty and thoroughly alcine --
that is, full of moose (mooses?), in keeping with the college's mascot.
The original moose is the stuffed one who lives in the main Renison
lounge: "He has looked after us and over us for more than forty
years," writes graduate Laurie Best on the front page of the newsletter.
Lately he was joined by an inflatable sibling, ReniMoose, who can
get out a little more: "It's hard to preside over graduation and control
the pipers when you're stuck on a wall," Best explains. "As befits his
status," she adds, "we have begun a collection of moose memorabilia."
And . . . I'm about to head away for a brief vacation. Over the next two weeks, colleagues here in communications and public affairs will see that the Daily Bulletin continues to appear. Information and announcements can be e-mailed to bulletin@uwaterloo.ca.
CAR