This fire-breathing pumpkin, designed by Helen Chong and Mike Chong of UW's department of chemistry, was featured on the cover of this month's Chem 13 News, published for high school science teachers. "A methanol solution of various salts", sprayed onto a burning candle, can make the pumpkin breathe in a range of colours (pictured, boric acid). Visitors can see the flaming pumpkin live at the "chemistry magic" show that's part of Saturday's science open house, Mike Chong says.

Back to top

Johnston updates goals for the Region

One year after proposing 10 goals to make Waterloo Region the knowledge capital of Canada, UW president David Johnston has updated the goals and is inviting others to make the vision a reality.

During his second speech on the knowledge capital theme to the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, delivered this morning, Johnston reported on what the university learned during a year-long community consultation process. That process included feedback from the public, meetings with dozens of individuals and community groups, and a community leaders forum.

What emerged is a picture of a region where a great deal of work is already underway in three broad areas identified by social theorist and public intellectual Richard Florida: talent, technology and tolerance. The individuals and groups doing the work include the Alliance for a Grand Community, Conestoga College, Heartwood Place, KidsAbility Centre for Child Development, the Prosperity Council of Waterloo Region, Tamarack, the Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network and Wilfrid Laurier University.

By continuing and further supporting that work, Johnston believes the community can improve on what Waterloo Region has already achieved. “By 2010, when people think of Waterloo Region, it is my hope that they say, it raises school achievement,” he said. “It leads in higher-education innovation. It promotes healthy living. It transforms through research and development. It is socially innovative. It invests in smart infrastructure. It welcomes and integrates immigrants. It reduces poverty. It is culturally vibrant, and it celebrates leadership.”

Three organizations have already embraced the knowledge capital vision and have volunteered to lead initiatives.

In the first initiative, the community foundations of Kitchener-Waterloo and of Cambridge and North Dumfries will measure progress towards achieving the goals. Both will continue to track the base measurements outlined in their inaugural Vital Signs report. They will also identify the need for primary research where measurements do not currently exist.

The second initiative relates to the tenth goal on the original list: to celebrate the area’s collective achievements. That goal now involves celebrating leadership and revolves around the Mennonite tradition of coming together to accomplish what an individual cannot. “I am very proud to announce today that The Record, under the leadership of publisher Dana Robbins and editor-in-chief Lynn Haddrall, has agreed to establish a barn-raising award,” explained Johnston. “This award will be given annually, beginning next year, to the individual or group in Waterloo Region who best exemplifies that community-minded spirit.”

The 10 goals have evolved as follows:

1. Engage our community and school boards to provide educational experiences and outcomes embodying a culture of continuous learning, innovation and achievement.
2. Ensure our universities and colleges remain innovative leaders and are seen as outstanding across Canada.
3. Waterloo Region should be one of the top three healthiest places to live in Canada.
4. Attract and grow transformational investment in research and development.
5. Waterloo Region should be as good in social innovation as it is in technological innovation.
6. Invest in ‘smart’ infrastructure.
7. Encourage immigration and integrate immigrants.
8. Reduce poverty.
9. Develop and promote a vibrant cultural community.
10. Celebrate leadership.

Though other members of the community must now assume responsibility for the goals, Johnston has pledged to remain involved. “As I prepare to give these goals over to the Region, I promise you I won’t be walking off the field after making the hand-off. I remain committed to these 10 goals and will continue to do my part to champion them in the years to come.”

Johnston first outlined his 10 original knowledge capital goals in a speech to the Chamber of Commerce last September. He and the Record invited the general public to propose 10 other goals, but the responses suggested the initial 10 should simply be refined. The text of today's speech is available online.

Back to top

Research chair in groundwater coming

from the UW media relations office

A new endowed research chair will investigate ways to protect and restore the quality of groundwater in order to provide a reliable supply of safe and clean drinking water.

The UW chair in groundwater research, based in the department of earth and environmental sciences, will improve the quality of water by preventing contamination from pollutants or by removing those pollutants after contamination. About 35 per cent of North Americans depend on groundwater for drinking water. Since aquifers convey water downstream to lakes and rivers, pollutants pose a threat to surface water quality.

"There is ample evidence from around the world that water — especially clean drinking water — is becoming increasingly scarce," says George Dixon, UW's new vice president (university research) and a water researcher himself. "The impact on people and their economic activities will be enormous, but there's also tremendous opportunity for researchers and industry leaders determined to seek innovative solutions."

Imperial Oil will help launch the endowed $4 million chair, with a $250,000 donation over five years. UW will contribute $1.5 million toward the endowment, with the rest coming from private sector contributions.

"Imperial Oil is pleased to support the University of Waterloo's groundwater research program and its innovative work in the area of groundwater and surface water management," says Cindy Christopher, manager of safety, health and environment at Imperial Oil. "Supporting environmental research, education and conservation has long been a priority at Imperial. Meeting the demand for energy in an environmentally responsible manner requires that we endeavour to support research in many different fields of science." Imperial is now encouraging other industry leaders to support this chair.

The new research chair will honour the founding chair of the department of earth and environmental sciences, the late Robert Farvolden, whose leadership at UW was instrumental in building its worldwide reputation in hydrogeology since the 1970s. The department has named an annual groundwater lecture after Farvolden.

Over the years, UW researchers have developed, patented and commercialized many innovative groundwater remediation technologies. For example, scientists have developed barriers that remediate or remove pollution from the groundwater, barriers that are now widely used around the world.

The specific topics to be explored by the research chair could include industrial contaminants in groundwater, contaminant transport processes in groundwater, groundwater in resource industries, role of groundwater in the ecology of wetlands, and physical hydrogeology.

The main thrust of the research chair's work will be to protect groundwater and encourage conservation, expanding on Waterloo's current expertise in water technology and contaminant remediation. Other key goals include increased industrial research collaboration and training of professionals required in the field.

The holder of the new chair will be an internationally renowned scientist in the field of groundwater research. The process of recruiting the chair will begin once $1.5 million has been raised from the private sector.

Back to top

Things to do tomorrow at Waterloo

Renison College, home of East Asian studies at UW, will host Shumin Lu, the Chinese ambassador to Canada, tomorrow. Lu, who comes from China's Shanxi province, is a career diplomat and formerly headed his government's Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs. He will speak in Renison’s Chapel Lounge at 11:45 a.m. under the title “Challenging Issues Facing China Today", and the lecture will be followed by a question and answer period. Light refreshments will be provided. Space is limited, so anyone hoping to attend should first call ext. 28648.

"Across campus," writes Verna Keller of the Centre for Teaching Excellence, "instructors are exploring ways to engage students in large (and growing) classes. Clickers (which look like remote control units) are designed to help. An instructor can ask specific questions and then students use their clickers to indicate their response. The results can then be displayed to the class, and instructors can explain and discuss conceptual problems in real-time." CTE will hold a workshop on that form of technology tomorrow, from 3:00 to 4:30 in the Flex Lab on the third floor of the Dana Porter Library: "In this CTE workshop, we will explore what makes a good question for use with clickers as well as how using this technology can change classroom dynamics." Would-be participants can register by emailing CTE@admmail.uwaterloo.ca.

The Universities Art Association of Canada is holding its annual conference at UW this year, Thursday through Saturday. Details are online. The schedule, for art educators from across the country, includes a performance by Johanna Householder at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery and a banquet at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery featuring the work of Judy Chicago, as well as working sessions under such titles as "Cinematic Pictures: Staged Photography in Contemporary Art" and "Romancing the Land: Inuit cultural sovereignty and the circumvention of colonial landscapes". Tony Urquhart, Robert Linsley and Jean Stevenson of UW's fine arts department are among the names on the program, and Andrew Hunter, director of Render, the UW art gallery, will take part in a session on "The Market-driven University: its Art Programs and Galleries". The conference starts with a reception in Render's space in East Campus Hall, Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00, that also serves as the ceremonial opening for two new shows:"Cold Storage" by Patrick Mahon and "The Pavilion Project" by UW architecture students. More about that event and those exhibits in tomorrow's Daily Bulletin.

Also on Thursday, the "One Waterloo" diversity program — a project of the student life office and Federation of Students, drawing attention to the incredible variety of people in this community — presents a speaker who himself sounds pretty incredible. He's Seung Bok Lee, at one time a candidate for Korea's Olympic team, now in a wheelchair as the result of an accident. "Come listen to his inspirational story," organizers invite, "as he recounts overcoming his challenges, finishing medical school and teaching at Johns Hopkins University Hospital." He'll give his talk, "The Miracle Within You", Thursday at 6:00 in the Student Life Centre great hall, and all are welcome. (Earlier in the day, at 11:30, he gives a seminar on "Perspectives in Rehabilitation Medicine" in the Clarica Auditorium, Lyle Hallman Institute.)

CAR

Back to top