Around the Ring
What's in a road name?
In this case, a better sense of direction around UVic campus. New road signs will be up soon now that UVic's board of governors has officially named two previously unnamed roadways on campus. The entrance to campus from Gordon Head Road into parking lot 6 and the Fine Arts Building is now called West Campus Gate and the road leading from there to the Fraser building and parking lot 8, behind the University Club, is called West
Campus Way. For more information, contact facilities management at 721-7591.
UVic researchers star on Knowledge Network
Several UVic researchers will be featured in upcoming episodes of The Leading Edge: Innovation in B.C., a
Knowledge Network-produced series about research and innovation at B.C.'s postsecondary institutions. Each of the 13 half-hour episodes profiles three researchers whose work shares a similar theme. On Jan. 20, biology PhD candidate Purnima Govindarajulu's research on the invasion of alien bullfrogs on Vancouver Island will be featured. On Jan. 27 the spotlight shifts to Dr. Herb Dragert, of earth and ocean sciences, and his research on earthquakes. The Feb. 3 episode features psychologist Dr. Jim Tanaka and his work using computer games to assist children with autism with face recognition. Other UVic researchers will be featured throughout February and March. The shows air on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. and repeat the following Thursdays at 1 and 7 p.m. and Tuesdays at 2 p.m.
This is one Fever you want to catch
Every winter the theatre department shines a spotlight on its alumni or, as in this year's case, its almost alumni. After an 18-month hiatus, theatre student Meg Roe returns to UVic to finish her fine arts degree and perform The Fever, running Jan. 29 to Feb. 7 at the Phoenix Theatres. It's a solo turn perfectly suited for Roe, who recently wowed audiences with her performances as Anne in The Diary of Anne Frank at Theatre Calgary and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at the Vancouver Playhouse. In The Fever, she'll command the stage for 90 minutes playing a traveller in a war-torn country sickened by the social injustice she sees around her. This discomforting reflection on privilege and poverty is written by acclaimed playwright Wallace Shawn, known to film audiences for his distinctive character roles in movies such as My Dinner With Andr‚ and The Princess Bride. Preview performances at special "$5 after 5 p.m." prices are on Jan. 27 and 28 at 8 p.m. For tickets call 721-8000.
Study to assess impact of government restructuring
How is the restructuring of B.C.'s public services affecting the province's most vulnerable citizens? That's the focus of a five-year, $1-million Community-University Research Alliances (CURA) project directed by SFU's Dr. Marjorie Griffin Cohen. Her research team includes UVic's Dr. Marge Reitsma-Street from the studies in policy and practice program and Bruce Wallace from the Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group. "We'll be examining how the restructuring of government policies and funding is affecting communities in terms of what kind of welfare, health and employment services they'll be able to offer," she says. The CURA project, a partnership between SFU and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, is funded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and was one of several announced last month.
Alumni nomination deadline extended
The UVic Alumni Association has extended the deadline for nominations for the Distinguished Alumni Awards and the Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching. Nominations will now be accepted until Jan. 30. Up to three Distinguished Alumni Awards will be presented this year to grads prominent in academics, athletics, fine arts, business or professional life, or public and community service. Current faculty members, senior instructors, sessional lecturers or senior lab instructors who have taught at the university for at least three years are eligible for the Excellence in Teaching Award. Winners will be honoured at the 2004 Legacy Awards dinner. Nomination forms are online at: alumni.uvic.ca/awards/index.html.
Calendar unblocks the writer within
Writing can be hard work. So, to help writers survive from January to December, UVic English professors Dr. Kim Blank and Michael Cullen have published the 2004 Writer's Block Calendar. The calendar is small enough to fit on an untidy desk and large enough to hold over 300 writing tips. Teachers, students and other wordsmiths use it for tips on everything from grammar to motivation. Alternately, suggests Cullen, "you can use it as a notepad, a bookend or even in the kitchen for pounding peanuts." Published by Umberto Press, the fifth annual Writer's Block Calendar costs $10 and is available at the UVic Bookstore where $1 from each sale is donated to the UVic student bursary fund. The calendar is also available at most regional bookstores.
What to eat, what not to eat?
Confused by genetically modified food, or the cholesterol controversy? Befuddled by all those lofty claims made by popular "diets?" Then join Dr. Joe Schwarcz, one of North America's foremost science educators for an evening of informative entertainment when he presents a lecture at UVic on Monday, Feb. 2 titled "What to Eat, What Not to Eat? That's the Question." Schwarcz is director of McGill University's office for science and society, which is dedicated to de-mystifying science for the public and disseminating up-to-date information in the areas of food, medications, cosmetics and health topics in general. Schwarcz, or "Dr. Joe," is known for his radio and TV shows and is a familiar face to anyone who watches the Canadian Discovery Channel. The free lecture takes place at 7:30 p.m. in the Centre for Innovative Teaching, room C105. To reserve a seat, call 721-7152.
Poetry booklet is lasting tribute
The family of Claire Minkley, the Victoria teenager who worked with the UVic Assistive Technology Team (UVATT) to develop a communication system based on brainwaves, has published a booklet of her poems. Titled Utterly in Jesus' Love, the poem collection displays Minkley's unwavering faith and remarkable insights on life despite a genetic disorder that left her unable to speak and with virtually no voluntary muscle control. Minkley was a first-year science student at UVic when she died in December 2002. "This booklet is of interest to anyone who was inspired by Claire or who has continued to contribute to UVATT's ongoing 'Claire project,'" says her father, John. "We wanted to share Claire's extraordinary vision of a world full of beauty, grace and challenge." The booklet is $15 and is available at the UVic bookstore and other local bookstores.
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