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December 2008
Stephen Hawking finds second 'research home' at Perimeter
Waterloo's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) recently announced the appointment of internationally regarded scientist Prof. Stephen Hawking to the position of Distinguished Research Chair. Prof. Hawking will conduct regular stays at PI in coming years, beginning in the summer of 2009. Director Neil Turok said, "The appointment marks a new phase in our recruitment that will see leading scientists from around the world establish a second 'research home' at Perimeter Institute." Learn more at www.perimeterinstitute.ca.
U of T Scarborough opens new science research building
The University of Toronto Scarborough recently opened its new Science Research Building, a facility that provides collaborative space for interdisciplinary teaching and research. The 6,080-square-metre building is home to 16 principal investigators and their research staff of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. On the first floor researchers examine the impact of the physical and social environment on brain function and response. The second floor is directed towards the study of plant form and function, with the ultimate aim of improving crop productivity and value. Researchers on the third floor are using sophisticated technologies to identify, track and asses the impact of dangerous contaminants in the environment. The open concept design of the laboratory space with adjacent graduate student and post-doc desk zones intends to stimulate collaborative activity between groups of researchers and increase opportunities for innovation. Read more at www.news.utoronto.ca.
World-class marine simulation and training centre opens at Georgian
An extensive $7.8-million renovation took place at Georgian College's Owen Sound campus to upgrade and modernize the facilities and training equipment at its Great Lakes International Marine Training Centre (GLIMTC). The newly-opened 20,000-square-foot facility is equipped with four navigational training bridges designed to simulate real system interfaces including modern ARPA/Radar, ECDIS, AIS, GMDSS communications, and the most up-to-date integrated navigation systems on the market today. Upgrades allow the College and the marine industry to keep up with the demand for skilled professionals, said Archie Dickson, Director of GLIMTC. The new facility officially opened last month. Read more at http://www.georgianc.on.ca/news-events.php#491 and view photos at www.georgianc.on.ca.
Canada, California campuses agree to combat greenhouse gas emissions
In one of the first efforts of its kind, universities in Canada and California recently pledged to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on their campuses while developing "green cyberinfrastructure" - information technology that improves energy efficiency and reduces the impact of emissions on climate change. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed recently by the University of British Columbia (UBC), the University of California, San Diego, and Prompt Inc., a non-profit corporation that fosters university-industry partnerships in research and development in the ICT sector. The MoU signing took place at the third Summit of the Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership held last month in Montreal. In the near term, the institutions agreed to develop methods to share greenhouse gas (GHG) emission data in connection with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards for information computer and telecommunications equipment, as well as baseline emission data for cyberinfrastructure and networks. Learn more at http://green-broadband.blogspot.com.
Conestoga acquires land for new Cambridge campus
Kitchener's Conestoga College recently acquired land from the City of Cambridge for a new campus.
The groundbreaking will make way for a new School of Engineering Technology specializing in advanced technology programs related to: Robotics, Process Automation, Electronics, Communications, Engineering, and Information Technology. With over 200,000 square feet of applied learning and research space, Conestoga plans to have Phase 1 construction completed by 2011, creating capacity for 3,000 new students at the campus. A further 800,000 square feet of applied research and learning space is anticipated to be built in subsequent phases of development, adding capacity for another 11,000 students. Learn more at www.conestogac.on.ca.
YouTube comes to ORION
ORION-connected institutions can now access YouTube via ORION, via peering arrangements with Google. For more about peering and who ORION peers with, consult www.orion.on.ca/peering.
U of T astronomer involved in discovery of another solar system
A team of Canadian, U.S. and British astronomers have used telescopes atop the summit of a dormant Hawaiian volcano to capture images of three giant planets orbiting a star known as HR 8799, the first known images of another solar system. Comparisons of images obtained in different years show that the three planets, each roughly 10 times the mass of Jupiter, are all moving with and orbiting around the star, proving that they are associated with it and are part of a solar system. The research team, led by astronomer Christian Marois of the National Research Council Canada/Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, used advanced instrumentation and image-processing techniques to detect the three faint planets against the bright glare of their host star. The images were captured by the high-resolution adaptive optics technology of the Gemini North and Keck telescopes at the Mauna Kea Observatories in Hawaii. Researchers say that in some ways, the HR 8799 planetary system seems to be a scaled-up version of our solar system, with more massive planets in orbit around a larger and brighter star. Read more at www.news.utoronto.ca.
York joins TRIUMF
York University was recently welcomed as an associate member of TRIUMF, Canada's national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics. By joining TRIUMF, York will substantially enhance its access to advanced, large-scale research facilities and expertise in both the physical and life sciences. Through this agreement, York's scientists, especially physicists, will have the opportunity to lead and participate in large-scale research collaborations with their peers across the country. Since its inception as a local university facility, TRIUMF has evolved into a national laboratory while maintaining strong ties to the research programs of Canadian universities. The science program has expanded from nuclear physics to include particle physics, molecular and materials science, and nuclear medicine. Read more at www.yorku.ca.
People News
ORION welcomes Blair Brenot as Technology Innovation Leader, joining the Partnerships & Strategic Alliances team. Former ORION Award winner, Dr. Ron Baecker, is the new interim director of the U of T's Knowledge Media Design Institute (KMDI). Former Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA) president and COO John Jung recently became the CEO of Canada's Technology Triangle in Waterloo Region. University of Toronto professor Dr. Alberto Leon-Garcia recently became the new Academic Director of Bell University Labs (BUL). Mohawk College recently created a new Applied Research and Innovation department, of which professor Ted Scott will serve as acting director for the first year.
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