The new dean of science, Terry McMahon, started his new job on Tuesday, but not in the dean's office — it's having some maintenance work done, so he was relegated to a temporary location nearby. "In step with plans for a general revitalization of the Faculty," a note from the deanery advises, "Terry’s taking a fresh and practical approach to his own space. His 'new' desk is a recycled old chemistry bench stripped down to its original wood. He is likely anxious to get moved into the dean’s office. On his first day in the temporary location, a chorus of banging metal from work related to upgrades to the building ventilation welcomed him all day long."

Back to top

Graduate dean takes post at Windsor

The University of Windsor announced yesterday that Ranjana Bird (left), UW's dean of graduate studies since 2003, will go to Windsor this fall to become vice-president (research).

Ross H. Paul, Windsor's president, announced that she will begin a five-year term in the new job on October 1. She's the second administrator at Windsor to come from Waterloo, as Jim Frank, formerly a kinesiology professor and associate dean at UW, is Windsor's dean of graduate studies.

Bird did undergraduate biology studies at UW and at Ranchi University in India, then received her master's and PhD degrees in nutrition and toxicology from the University of Guelph. Before her appointment at Waterloo in 2003, she spent 14 years at the University of Manitoba, where she received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council career award and served as associate dean of graduate studies, and later as dean of the Faculty of Human Ecology. She has also served as a research scientist in experimental carcinogenesis at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Toronto. She is on the editorial board of the journal Nutrition and Cancer.

“Dr. Bird is both an outstanding role model and someone who takes great delight in the achievements of others,” Paul said in a news release. “I am confident that she is the right leader at this time to advance significantly the profile and reputation of research in all fields at the University of Windsor.” He said Bird "is widely regarded as an effective problem-solver and consensus-builder, who brings a strong student orientation to everything she does. She is known to have a deep appreciation for different disciplines and multi-disciplinary approaches to problem-solving."

Said the Windsor news release: "Bird is recognized as an outstanding scientist who, despite administrative responsibilities, has maintained an impressive research record and an international presence. She has a strong funding history, holding major grants from Canada’s three national funding agencies, as well as the Cancer Research Society, the American Institute of Cancer Research, and the National Cancer Institute of Canada. Her research interests include the role of environmental factors in the genesis and prevention of colon cancer, and exploration of the metabolic and molecular connections among chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes and cancer. While at Manitoba, she won awards for both teaching and research, and was recognized in the journal Cancer Research for developing the original method to describe and quantify precancerous lesions in the colon."

Said Bird about her new job: “University research is important to the academic fabric of an institution of higher education and to the future of its community and the world. I am committed to continue building relevant, futuristic and cutting-edge research at the University of Windsor, which adds value to society and its stakeholders.”

UW provost Amit Chakma had this comment last night: "While we are pleased that a member of our leadership team has been asked to move into a senior role at a sister institution, and celebrate the recognition this appointment bestows on Ranjana, we will miss her many contributions, particularly as we are growing our graduate enrolment. I wish Ranjana the best as she starts her Windsor adventure."

Back to top

Prof's 'unique talents' are recognized

From the Centre for Teaching Excellence — third in a series profiling the 2007 winners of the Distinguished Teacher Award.

Wei-Chau Xie (right), professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been teaching at the University of Waterloo since January 1992. Xie teaches a wide variety of courses including Statics and Solid Mechanics, Probability and Statistics, Differential Equations, and Structural Dynamics.

His students appreciate his well-prepared lessons and his eagerness to offer assistance and guidance. He often puts additional time into preparing extra help sessions and assisting with tutorials. A student notes that “through concise lecture notes and crisp-clear diagrams, he exhibits proficiency and confidence in his teaching”. Another student notes that “his kindness and dedication are legendary among all his students” and “his unique teaching talents build students’ confidence in learning and helps them realize their highest potential”.

His relationship with his students is friendly, supportive and oriented to success in both their studies and subsequent careers. He continues to have a strong influence and lasting impact upon the academic life and subsequent career experience of his students.

Back to top

Sabbatical leaves started July 1

Here’s another list of UW faculty members who began sabbatical leaves on July 1, with summaries of their plans as submitted to the UW board of governors, which has to give approval for all sabbaticals. The leaves are for six months (until December 31, 2007) unless otherwise noted.

Kevin Hare, pure mathematics: “A majority of my research will be done here at the University of Waterloo, with possible visits to P. Borwein, J. Bell (SFU), and D. Garth (Truman State University).”

David Fuller, management sciences: “During the proposed sabbatical, I propose to concentrate on revising and writing research papers, catching up on the reading of research papers that are relevant to my current research interest, and pursuing opportunities for industry funding of future research projects.”

Jennifer Lynes, environment and resource studies: “My current area of research looks at the adoption of community-based social marketing technique towards encouraging energy conservation in the residential sector. This sabbatical will provide me with the opportunity to complete journal articles and establish a record of expertise in this area. The first two-thirds of my sabbatical time will be spent writing/finishing off articles for submission to journals. The last third will be spent writing a SSHRC Standard Research Grant application in the area of energy conservation demand management.”

Zoran Miskovic, applied mathematics: “I shall continue working o modeling and simulations of interaction of nano-structures with their surrounding and with external probes during my visits to Vinca Institute in Belgrade, Serbia, and to Instituto Balseiro in Bariloche, Argentina.”

Stephen Mann, computer science (twelve months): “I will investigate various research issues related to surface modeling, including investigations of how to make fair curves that can be extruded into fair surfaces. I will also look at the interplay between the constraint systems and construction systems that are common within parametric solid modeling systems, especially with regards to surfaces.”

Jochen Konemann, combinatorics and optimization: “I am planning to visit Dr. M. Skutella at the University of Dortmund in Germany in order to work with him on problems in algorithmic game theory and approximation algorithms. I plan to visit Dr. G. Schaefer at the Technical University of Berlin to continue with our research. Apart from this, I am keen on intensifying work with colleagues and my PhD student at the University of Waterloo.”

Changlin Chen, accountancy: “The purpose for applying for the leave of absence is to complete my unfinished research projects and start a couple of new projects. Right now, I have five research projects in progress and several research ideas to explore.”

CAR

Back to top