Two teams of University of Victoria scientists are ready to delve into separate research frontiers—one on the leading edge of earth sciences to better understand fundamental aspects of how our planet works, the other pursuing how new nanomaterials can help create useful technological devices—thanks to funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

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Humans have a complex relationship with animals. Although animals ourselves, we humans, especially in Western cultures, often see ourselves as exceptional or “above” other species with which we share the planet. Yet those other animals are integral to virtually all aspects of our existence.

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Professor Jamie Cassels will serve as the University of Victoria’s seventh president. UVic Board of Governors Chair Susan Mehinagic announced Cassels’ appointment Dec. 20. Cassels, 56, is a legal scholar of international stature, a nationally recognized master teacher, and a talented university administrator noted for outstanding leadership and vision. He was UVic’s vice-president academic and provost from 2001–2010, and, before that, dean of law. His five-year term as president will begin July 1, 2013.

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To recover strength and ultimately perhaps the ability to walk, the best bet after a severe stroke might just be to forego working the weaker, more-affected side. It seems counter-intuitive, but high-intensity strength training on the less-affected side could have remarkable potential for helping recover mobility after a stroke, new UVic research indicates.

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Two educational leaders who are respected for their proven abilities to inspire and challenge students will receive the prestigious Alumni Awards for Excellence in Teaching at an awards celebration during Alumni Week, which runs Feb. 3–9 this year Dr. Annalee Lepp (women’s studies) is this year’s recipient of the Harry Hickman Award (faculty category) and Dr. Alex van Netten (physics) will receive the Gilian Sherwin Award (instructors category) from the UVic Alumni Association.

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In early December a presidential delegation from UVic visited India to formalize relations with leading Indian universities, explore potential partnerships with other post-secondary institutions and celebrate the launching of the UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education.

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The large and complex challenges facing society today don’t respect the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines. In support of research and education that address such problems, UVic has—for decades—offered a growing number of programs that integrate approaches and insights from different disciplines, providing students with deeper and more holistic understandings of complex issues.

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Air quality tests conducted in the Sedgewick Building have confirmed the building’s air quality meets all standards for office buildings. The testing followed a WorkSafeBC report in April 2012 citing employee health concerns. An environmental consultant recommended by WorkSafeBC conducted comprehensive tests in the late spring of 2012 and found no evidence of mould or building moisture problems or of anything that would represent a general health concern.

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Later this month, when four men push off from Africa’s westernmost point to row across the Atlantic, they’ll give both the mundane routine and the complexity of their daily schedules over to a computer program developed at UVic. The Ocean Adventure Rowing (OAR) Northwest team, including Olympic gold medalist and UVic and Vikes alumnus Adam Kreek, will share a modified 29-foot rowboat for the Africa to the Americas 2012 trip, embarking from Dakar, Senegal for Miami, Florida—a 6,700-kilometre trip across the Atlantic expected to take 60–100 days.

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If you’re lucky enough to already own a copy of Ian MacPherson’s recently published history of UVic, Reaching Outward and Upward, you might want to make just a little bit of room on the shelf next to it for this year’s special anniversary edition of the UVic Annual Review.

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