Waterloo Region police seek pharmacy student

Waterloo Regional Police Service are looking for assistance from the public in locating Justin Alcorta (right), aged 23 years. Alcorta was last seen on the evening of Saturday, 21 February 2009, in the Kitchener area.

Alcorta is a pharmacy student at Waterloo University. Alcorta does not have access to a vehicle and travels on foot or by bus. Alcorta has links to the Markham and Toronto area.

Alcorta is described as Asian, 5'7", slim build, short black hair, brown eyes. Alcorta wears glasses and is believed to be wearing a grey Columbia jacket, brown boots, jeans, carrying a dark green 'Eddie Bauer' back pack.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Waterloo Regional Police Service on 519 653 7700 x 3330 or Crime Stoppers on 1 800 222 TIPS.

UPDATE: Justin Alcorta has been found alive and well.

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Scientists eye rock glaciers in Chile

From the Faculty of Environment website

Mountain researchers from the Waterloo Department of Geography and Environmental Management visited Chile in December to conduct field research and develop future collaborative research projects with the Dirección General de Aguas (Chilean Water Directorate, DGA) and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

According to geography professor and project leader Alexander Brenning (left), rock glaciers are more important as stores of frozen water than “normal” glaciers in some dry areas of the Andes. These rock glaciers are not only threatened by climate change, but also by the impacts of mining operations, according to research conducted by professor Brenning.

Brenning’s team is using geomatics technology to measure the movement of rock glaciers and possible changes in rock glacier ice volumes in the Laguna Negra watershed, an area that provides two-thirds of Santiago’s drinking-water supply during the dry summer months. The importance of this research, which was initiated in 2002, is underlined by Chile’s new National Glacier Policy, which aims at protecting and monitoring glaciers and rock glaciers.

As a result of a meeting with the Ministry of Public Works in Santiago on the initiative of the Chilean Ambassador to Canada, the DGA and the Canadian research team have started to develop a joint rock glacier monitoring program.

The research team led by Brenning includes postdoctoral researcher Xavier Bodin and two Chilean geography students, who are both funded by the Graduate Student Exchange Program (GSEP). Brenning says that there are more opportunities for Chilean students to study at the University of Waterloo.

“Future research in the Chilean Andes," he explains, "will provide further scientific training opportunities for Chilean students and professionals within the geography and geomatics specializations at the University of Waterloo and its Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change (IC3).”

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Around the world and right on campus

The university marked the official launch of its UAE campus yesterday with a celebration and information session in Dubai. Potential students and their families, along with UW alumni and other friends, joined officials from the university and its partners in the project, the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), to hear how Waterloo is importing its successful co-op model to that part of the world.

Engineering dean Adel Sedra (above, centre, with Yousif Al-Khder, 2B co-op student and Elena L’Pris, BASc ’06) was on deck to deliver one of two keynote addresses, with the other coming from Tayeb Kamali, vice-chancellor of HCT. Rocco Fondacaro, director of student and faculty relations in Co-operative Education & Career Services, introduced UW’s proven system of co-op education, which differs significantly from the unpaid internships common to the region.

The time change made getting an update on yesterday’s event tricky. Look for more on the UAE campus in the days ahead.

Call for creators

Another sure sign of spring’s approach is this announcement from the Friends of the Library. This year’s Authors Event will be held Monday, April 20 in the Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages Building. Chancellor Elect Prem Watsa will be the featured speaker.

“As part of the event, we will honour members of the university community who, in 2008, authored a book, composed a musical score, were recognised for their design or photography work, or mounted an art show. Participants are publicly recognized during the event and their work is on display.

"We would appreciate receiving information about anyone in your department whose achievements should be included in our celebration. Please send this information to Cheryl Kieswetter in the Dana Porter Library (LIB 421) or email ckieswet@library.uwaterloo.ca .”

Drama thesis is Bent

As spring nears, thesis projects begin to bloom. For fourth-year drama students, the honours thesis project may emerge on stage. This year, graduating students Monty Martin and Joe Recchia directed plays; both are being performed this week in Studio 180 in the Humanities building. High Life by Lee MacDougall, directed by Monty Martin, plays Thursday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Bent by Martin Sherman, directed by Joe Recchia, can be seen this Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m.

Left, student actor Jeff Ulrich plays Max and Ryan Walsh plays Wolf in Bent, which deals with the treatment of gays in the Third Reich. The project was begun, says the media release, “to bring more examples of Queer Theatre to the University of Waterloo campus in an effort to educate, provide positive role models, and promote tolerance. It appeals to those from all walks of life with its universal story of love and survival in the face of adversity.” Tickets are $10 each, or $16 for both plays. Book tickets from the box office, 519-888-4908.

Spring's coming: guess when?

The University of Waterloo weather station is holding its annual contest to predict the arrival of spring-like weather, reports UW Media Relations. The station challenges the public to guess the date and time when the recorded temperature at the station will first exceed 20 C.

"The winter season seemed to come early this year. Does that mean that it will stick around longer than usual or does it mean that spring will be early?" asked Frank Seglenieks, co-ordinator of the weather station, which is celebrating 11 years of service.
To enter the contest, visit the website before the deadline this Friday at 3 p.m.

Last year, almost 1,000 people from the campus and local community participated in the contest. Winners will receive book prizes, courtesy of UW Retail Services. Since the weather station was launched in 1998, the earliest day that the temperature hit 20 degrees was March 8, 2000. The latest it occurred was April 19, 2006.

News from the south

Following up on the news of his trip to Diamond, Louisiana with 24 Grebel students in reading week, Eric Kennedy writes: "We may have only spent 10 days away from Waterloo, but it is an experience we will carry with us for a long time. We did everything from flooring to insulating, from transporting supplies by boat to installing metal cables to strengthen the new homes against strong winds.

The project coordinators from Mennonite Disaster Services were warm and welcoming (much like the weather!), and meeting the families that we were building for was an incredibly powerful experience.

"We each learned many new skills, battled with clouds of gnats, and experienced the world in such a real way. Over the course of the week, we worked on about a half dozen different homes - part of a larger effort that sees a new group of volunteers each week to carry on the project.

"We are happy to be back in Canada, but we'll really miss taking a boat to work, seeing dolphins and pelicans pass our site, and the absolutely beautiful weather."

Report from UW Athletics

“The Waterloo Warriors hosted the McMaster Marauders in the OUA season finale on Saturday afternoon and came out on top with a 72-66 win. With the win, Waterloo advances to the playoffs at 7 p.m. today at Guelph. A Guelph win over Lakehead later Saturday night put the Warriors and Gryphons in a deadlock for fourth place. However, Guelph holds the tie-breaker and therefore receives home court advantage when the two teams clash in round one of the playoffs.” Click the buttons for more information.

CPA staff

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