Around the ring

UVic seeks new university secretary
UVic is looking for a new university secretary to replace Sheila Sheldon-Collyer, who is retiring. Applications and nominations are invited for the position, which is responsible for the direction, efficient operation and general oversight of the major governing bodies of the university. As a key member of the university's senior leadership team, the university secretary provides strategic input and advice to ensure the university's successful management and governance. The position reports to the president. The successful candidate will take office Jan. 1, 2005, will have a track record of accomplished leadership in senior-level administration within an organization of comparable complexity, and will possess strong expertise in policy development, consensus-building, planning and co-ordination. The committee begins reviewing applications by early May 2004. Send applications to Janet Wright & Associates Inc., 21 Bedford Road, suite 300, Toronto, Ontario M5R 2J9, tel: (416) 923-3008 or e-mail uvicsecretary@jwasearch.com.

Law students argue their way to the top
Last month in Toronto, four UVic law students won the Gale Cup Moot Competition, the country's pre-eminent event for law students to showcase their courtroom skills. Coached by law professor Don Galloway, the team of Gordon Buck, Aidan Cameron, Cameron Elder and Adam Perry beat out students from 15 other law schools for the title. This year's competition case revisited a Supreme Court decision on the right against self-incrimination. In the competition final, two UVic students were chosen at random to appeal the decision against a team from the University of Western Ontario. According to Galloway, the UVic law students "entered the realm of transcendency" in their winning arguments. The team's written brief on their appeal was judged the best in the competition.

All-nighter puts student on the road to fame
Organizers of the Enbridge playRites Festival's 24-Hour Playwriting Competition locked Leah Bailly in a Calgary office tower for 24 hours and told her to produce a script. When the UVic writing student emerged, contest organizers named her play about exotic dancers as the winner over 24 other contestants. Her play, Stripped, will receive a professional reading in Calgary this spring and undergo a number of dramaturgical meetings with an aim to getting the play produced. Stripped is based on the exotic dancers Bailly met during a cross-Canada trip last summer. "Their world has a lot of tragedy and beauty, and some amazing characters too, which is pretty well everything you want to have in a great play," she says.

What is genomics, anyway?
How does genomics differ from genetics? How does it impact our health? What social and ethical implications do new discoveries have? UVic's Ben Koop (biology) and Conrad Brunk (centre for studies in religion & society) will be among the panelists discussing these issues at "Genomics and Us," a free public forum on Wednesday, April 21, 6:30–8:30 p.m., at the Royal B.C. Museum's Newcombe Conference Hall. The forum is being presented by Genome BC and is part of a series designed to make science more accessible to the general public. No science background is needed and attendees are encouraged to participate in the discussion. For more information call 1-866-637-4390 or e-mail info@genomebc.ca.

Engineering ingenuity on display
A method of deterring wild animals using sound and motion detectors was just one of 21 projects on display when UVic's fourth-year electrical and computer engineering students presented their final design projects last month. Other projects included: a fuel-cell powered portable infant incubator; a voice processor that melds spoken percussion and digital audio; a filter that allows musicians to custom-create their own audio files; and a fully functional autonomous robot. Awards were given for the best designs by the local chapter of the international organization, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. For a complete list of projects and awards visit www.ece.uvic.ca/499.

Cycle safely - and with confidence!
Have you contemplated cycling to work or class but don't feel comfortable in traffic? Boost your confidence levels by taking a free, one-day cycling traffic skills course on Saturdays and Sundays in April, May and June. The eight-hour course, developed by the Bike to Work Society and sponsored by UVic, combines classroom and practical on-road training. Topics include: riding comfortably and safely in heavy traffic; tips for night riding and rain; how to maneuver around obstacles and make sudden stops; and bike safety checks. For more information visit www.biketoworkvictoria.ca or contact Susanna Grimes at 920-5705 or courses@biketoworkvictoria.ca.

Springing ahead with high-tech clocks
The new continuing studies building is sporting the latest in high-tech time-keeping - a wireless analog clock system that is accurate to the second and never out-of-sync, even during a power outage or a seasonal time change. The same technology will be part of the soon-to-be-completed medical sciences and engineering/computer science buildings. The wireless technology includes a transmitter that receives signals from a constellation of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, and then rebroadcasts the signals via FM radio to the clock system. The clocks run on batteries that last more than five years, keeping maintenance and costs low.

UVic honours community-minded students
Eleven UVic students who combine good marks with good works in the university and wider community were honoured March 16 with Blue and Gold Circle Awards. The awards recognize those who combine solid scholastic achievement with community involvement and activism. Each student received a certificate, a pin and a cash award. This year's recipients were honoured for work in organizations as diverse as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the B.C. Special Olympics to William Head Theatre on Stage and the World University Services of Canada. To learn more about the award-winners, read their biographies at communications.uvic.ca/tips/tip040317a.html.