UVic in the News for 2010
Scanning the inky depths of the Pacific, providing a blueprint for Indigenous student post-secondary success, interpreting geometric signs in prehistoric cave art in Europe, and helping to outsmart a viral scourge of the modern era are just four of the many reasons the University of Victoria was featured in the news for 2010.
Here are the top ten stories—from December 2010 through to the beginning of the year.
English Language Centre makes history
There is one phrase that the 2,500 students who attended programs at UVic's English Language Centre (ELC) in 2010 will never forget: "Happy Anniversary!"
LE,NONET a blueprint for Indigenous student success
If UVic's First Peoples House represents the current focal point for Aboriginal programs and initiatives on campus, then the results of the LE,NONET Project—announced in the distinctive building on Nov. 10—represent the future.
Field school experience grooms environmental/community leaders
Creating change in their community is what attracted Skye Augustine and Clare Peacock to the Redfish School of Change program. Augustine is a UVic honours geography and environmental studies student and Peacock is in her final year of a geography major and environmental studies minor. They found the six-week field school provided a perfect opportunity to learn outside the classroom.
Students flip for Law Co-op
Law co-op student Caleb Behn won first prize in the 2010 Co-op Photo Contest for this photo of a rafting trip that he took with clients while working as a legal researcher with the Yukon Department of Justice. Behn and Trevor Cunningham, also a UVic law student, were captured on film and in law attire doing a double backflip over a large wave. More than 115 photos were submitted to the contest by co-op students who had completed work terms over the past year. To see the other winners, chosen in a vote by co-op students themselves, visit http://coop.uvic.ca/?page=photocontest.
My journey from Rwanda to UVic and the UN
I was born in Rwanda, and at the age of seven I experienced the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Without the care and guidance of an adult, I escaped death by walking day and night with my two younger brothers. For over half of my life I lived in a refugee camp in Uganda characterized by food shortages, lack of drinking water and violence. I was unable to envision a future where these basic needs were not the central focus of my life.
A vehicle for Indigenous learning & teaching
In the Faculty of Education, teaching and learning go hand in hand, but not always in traditional classrooms. In its efforts to celebrate Indigenous ways of learning and teaching and incorporate them into UVic’s teacher education programs, the Faculty of Education continues to push the envelope when it comes to innovative ways to learn.
Grad student working to improve HIV testing
Daniel Grace is making a difference in the lives of people living with and vulnerable to HIV in BC. A doctoral student and sessional instructor in the department of sociology, he is researching new HIV testing methods among gay men in BC.
Building leaders for the social economy and civil society
“Communities and societies are grappling with many challenges in a rapidly changing world,” says Lynne Siemens, professor and graduate advisor in the School of Public Administration. “Addressing them requires new leadership and ways of working with individuals, communities, organizations and governments.”
Students supporting students
Starting on a new campus, meeting new people, navigating the demands of a new program all pose some level of anxiety for new students. The nurse mentorship project, initiated by nursing students, has helped relieve some of the stress and made the transition easier.
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