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December 2004
June 13-14 set for 2005 R&E Summit
ORION is finalizing details for its second annual Ontario R&E Summit, in Toronto June 13 and 14, 2005. The focus of the 2005 Summit will be on collaboration and expanding the use of the ORION network among the research and scientific community. ORION Marketing and Communications Manager Andre Quenneville says he expects the Summit, which kicked off with a successful two-day conference last June, will likely expand on some of the themes that participants explored in the first session, particularly in the area of collaborative and grid technologies. Feedback from the 2004 Summit showed participants were unanimous in wanting the event to continue. ORION expects to finalize the program in the New Year.
Ontario plugs into Megaconference
Several Ontario schools and universities were front-and-centre on the global stage last week, as the sixth annual Megaconference kicked off, attracting over 370 participating sites worldwide. York University, the University of Toronto and Lakehead University – all connecting over the ORION network - were among the global institutions of higher learning, which participated in the annual event. They joined a number of Ontario school boards, also connected to the global grid over the ORION network, including the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board and the Rainy River District School Board. Presentations ranged from the humorous to the serious, yet all illustrating just how far the use of videoconference technology has come in recent years and how it has been adopted in everyday learning and teaching. Other Canadian participants came in from Alberta, BC and the Northwest Territories. Visitors have access to over 13 hours of archived broadband streams of the Dec.9 global videoconference – all hosted by “Dr. Bob" Dixon of OARnet and Ohio State University, known globally as the “grandfather of the Megaconference and supreme leader”, at www.megaconference.org.
“Yellow pages" for Alberta videoconferencing
A new portal - that Ontario hopes to emulate - was recently launched in Alberta, providing a “Yellow Pages” directory of video conferencing facilities in the K-12 and postsecondary institutions in the province. The new site makes it easy to find a video conferencing facility, the technical capabilities of the facility, the person responsible for that location. It also includes tools, forums, FAQs and tips. ORION expects to work with the Ontario network user community to develop a similar resource for Ontario. The project began as a collaborative project between Mount Royal College and the University of Lethbridge, with funding from Alberta Learning. The site was developed over the summer of 2004. Visit the site at www.vcalberta.ca.
Queen’s biologist wins top science prize
Queen’s Biology Professor John Smol is the winner of Canada’s top science award – the prestigious Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal, awarded by Science and Engineering Research Canada (NSERC). Dr. Smol, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change at Queen’s University and pioneer in the reconstruction of past environments, received the medal Dec. 6 at a gala ceremony at the National Gallery of Canada. The award comes with a guarantee of $1 million in NSERC research funding over the next five years. His studies of ancient lakes have generated new knowledge about past and present environments, and about what climate change may mean for our future. Recognized as one the world’s leading environmental scientists, Dr. Smol is founder and co-director of the Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL) at Queen’s. “I am of course tremendously honoured to receive the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal,” says Dr. Smol, which credits his partnership with dedicated students and other colleagues at Queen's University and elsewhere. Finalists for the award included André Salama of the University of Toronto and David Dolphin of the University of British Columbia, who receive the NSERC Award of Excellence. “This is fantastic news,” says Vice-Principal (Research) Kerry Rowe. This is the second consecutive year the award has gone to a researcher from Queen's. Learn more about all the winners, including additional awards to Ontario researchers at www.nserc.gc.ca.
Funds for VR technology at Niagara
A federal investment of $600,000 will help Niagara College support “smart growth” decision-making in land-use planning by developing and sharing virtual reality (VR) technology. The grant is the first under the College and Community Innovation Pilot Program, a new initiative of Science and Engineering Research Canada. The funding will help the college’s Centre for Advanced Visualization expand VR technology through software that provides high levels of realism into three-dimensional scenes; and to share the technology by helping partners and municipalities acquire the knowledge and skill required to use VR technology in planning scenarios. The funding will also help increase the use of VR technologies in land use planning projects. Since its inception in 2001, the Centre has become an important resource for the region’s business, government and industry. Municipalities and urban planners have found the technology to be an excellent communications tool in the development of buildings, roads, bridges and other projects.
Atkinson leaves Brock for Carleton
Brock University President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. David W. Atkinson, will leave the University to assume the presidency of Carleton University in Ottawa, effective August 1, 2005. He will replace Dr. Richard J. Van Loon who has served as Carleton's President since 1996. Dr. Atkinson, Brock President since 1997, “has led remarkable change at Brock University," says Dr. Norris Walker, Chair of the Brock University Board of Trustees. "He is responsible for aggressive growth based on a strong strategic plan and we will stay the course.” During his tenure at Brock, enrolment increased from 10,700 to more than 16,000 while the University's operating budget grew from $63 million to more than $156 million. Faculty grew from 315 to more than 490. ”I am excited by the opportunity to join a research-intensive University that is already recognized nationally and internationally,” said Dr. Atkinson.
Guelph opens Ozone Research Lab
The University of Guelph has opened a new Ozone Research Lab that helps advance research on projects from enhancing greenhouse production to human life support in space exploration. The centre opened Dec. 13 at the university’s Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility. The lab is funded in part by a $100,000 gift from Phil and Laura Greenway of Purification Technologies Research Inc. (PTRI) in Guelph. The investment from PTRI has leveraged more than $1 million in support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Centre for Research in Earth and Space Technology (CRESTech) and the University. Ozone is already widely used as an alternative disinfectant in water treatment and has been demonstrated to be among the most promising technologies for other uses. www.ces.uoguelph.ca
K-12 students access remote microscope
K-12 instructors and students can now access one of the world’s most powerful electron microscopes by remote control over broadband networks and bring a new learning tool to their science class. For only $40 (US) an hour, instructors can obtain realtime, remote access to the Lehigh University’s new Nanocharacterization Lab XL30 microscope. Lehigh, located in Bethlehem, Pa. is making the remote instrumentation device available to schools as part of its ImagiNations outreach program. This new program is among several that are making new resources available to teaching and learning over high-speed R&E networks. Learn more at www.lehigh.edu/~inimagin.
HPCS2005 Call for Papers Deadline Extended
SHARCNET has extended the deadline to January 3, 2005 for its Call for Papers for the International Symposium on High Performance Computing Systems and Applications – HPCS 2005. The symposium, to be held at the University of Guelph May 15-18, 2005, will focus new scientific and technical work involving High Performance Computing. Researchers from all disciplines in the sciences, engineering, mathematics and applied human sciences are invited to participate. Papers will be refereed. Oral presentations and posters sessions will be available. Students are particularly encouraged to submit papers. The 3rd annual OSCAR (Open Source Cluster Application Resources) Symposium will also be held in conjunction with HPCS 2005. The call for papers for that Symposium has also been extended to Jan. 3. Learn more at www.sharcnet.ca/events/hpcs2005
Manhattan on the Rideau
The National Arts Centre is partnering with the Manhattan School of Music to produce jazz masterclasses connecting leading jazz faculty at the New York City school with accomplished music students in Ottawa and in New York, all connected over CA*net 4 and Internet2 in the US. Four sessions, which use the latest in broadband videoconference technology to connect teachers and students in real time with high fidelity audio and video, kicked off last week. Three student musicians participate in each masterclass, followed by a Q&A period in which the audience is invited to participate. The next session is Tuesday January 11, 2005 featuring Bob Mintzer on saxophone at the NAC Salon. Admission is free. Learn more at www.nac-cna.ca.
Chamber and ACAATO sign agreement
Ontario's colleges of applied arts and technology and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) have a signed an agreement which is expected to lead to new training programs that will meet the needs of Ontario’s business community. "Ontario's economic and social success depends on a dynamic and healthy relationship between the Ontario college system and the Ontario business community," says David Lindsay, President of the Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario (ACAATO). OCC President Len Crispino believes this collaboration will help ensure Ontario's business has the career-ready workforce it needs to grow, prosper and contribute to the province. The agreement includes a commitment to share information on advocacy for economic development and skills training and to cooperate in developing customized training opportunities, programs and services to meet the needs of OCC members.
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