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May 2009
ORANO President/CEO Phil Baker (right) discusses broadband and advanced networks with Ontario Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, George Smitherman, at a recent event.
Nominate a project or team for an ORION Award
ORION is looking for Ontario researchers and educators who are leading the way in leveraging advanced networks to improve their research outcomes and/or enhance teaching practices to boost student learning. Submissions can be made in one of three categories: Discovery, Learning and Leadership. Go to www.orion.on.ca/2009awards.
Province announces $100M in genomics research
To attract and retain world-leading genomics researchers, the Ontario government recently announced $100 million in new funding for collaborative research projects. The Global Leadership Round in Genomics and Life Sciences fund will create highly-skilled jobs in research and technology for globally-significant, research projects headquartered in Ontario. Although focused on genomics and gene-related research, the new fund will also support innovation in agriculture, environmental protection and clean technologies. Read more at www.mri.gov.on.ca/news.
U Guelph prof models spread of H1N1 flu virus
A University of Guelph mathematics professor is developing a model to predict the spread of the H1N1 flu virus and guide public health strategies to combat a potential pandemic. Prof. Chris Bauch is one of a handful of researchers in Ontario who were approached last fall by the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion to create mathematical models to help with the province's pandemic preparedness planning. In previous work, Bauch has used game theory to predict the spread of infectious diseases such as smallpox. A working model for the transmission of the new H1N1 flu virus is still a couple of weeks away, he said. A critical piece of the H1N1 flu puzzle is calculating the "R-zero" of the virus, to predict how quickly the pathogen can spread through the population. R-zero is the number of people who can be infected by a single infected person. "Right now, we've got a small sample size issue that makes it difficult to predict what will happen," he said. Read more at www.uoguelph.ca/news.
ROM unveils digital technology plans
At a recent preview of its new Schad Gallery of Biodiversity, the Royal Ontario Museum showcased its digital access technology and shared its plans for increasing its educational opportunities using videoconference technology, for which its ORION connection will come in handy. The ROM plans to unroll a videoconference initiative to connect K-12 students in real-time to its many researchers out in the field and in the lab. The ROM is actively incorporating the latest digital technology in its galleries and websites. Online and on-site digital tools, such as touch screens and e-labelling, present new opportunities for visitors to learn more about objects in a self-directed way. Learn more at www.rom.on.ca/news.
ABEL launches Second Life island
With the help of the Virtual Worlds Design Centre at Loyalist College, the ABEL Program Office at York University has created an island in Second Life to host professional learning events and act as a virtual space for ABEL members to connect with each other and share ideas. Learn more at www.abelearn.ca
Report finds Ontario falling behind in wireless revolution
A new white paper by the Mobile Experience Innovation Centre (MEIC) finds that too few mobile phone users, overly expensive data rates, and lack of access to capital, distribution and markets are holding Ontario back in one of the only sectors poised for growth in the current recession. It suggests that Ontario could and should be a leader in the global mobile and wireless sector, but that key challenges must be overcome for the province to realize its potential. One of the key findings is that Ontario does not have enough people with the right set of skills to keep up with the demand to develop applications for new and emerging mobile platforms and devices. Sixteen recommendations are made to address current and anticipated gaps in the province's mobile sector. To read the report, visit www.ocad.ca/news.
Trent offers Canada's first B.E.S.S. degree
Trent University recently created Canada's first Bachelor of Environmental Science/Studies (B.E.S.S.) degree, a new type of academic designation for undergraduate students interested in developing the critical skills and knowledge that bridge the sciences and arts aspects of the environmental field. Taken as a four-year honours single major, the B.E.S.S. is an intensive degree that requires full integration of science and policy, ecological and political, preventive and interventionist approaches to environmental problems. The program is expected to commence in September. Read more at www.trentu.ca/news.
New environmental research facility planned for Huntsville
The University of Waterloo (UW) and the Town of Huntsville, in co-operation with the federal government, recently announced the creation of a world-class research and learning facility for environmental and ecological sustainability, to be built in Huntsville. The new facility will be used to support G8 activities in June of next year and, thereafter, will be fitted up for occupancy by the University of Waterloo in the fall of 2010. Delivering both undergraduate and graduate courses, the new UW Summit Centre for the Environment research program will involve ecology, climate change, tourism, land-use planning and local economic development. Read more at www.uwaterloo.ca/news.
Carleton launches program to aid tech workers
Carleton University is helping laid-off technology workers get back to work, retain talent in the Ottawa region and help the economy grow by launching the 2009 Lead to Win program with the City of Ottawa and Ontario's Talent First Network. The program will offer technology workers an opportunity to learn all the skills they need to become entrepreneurs and to develop their own venture idea in an applied workshop. The program is free to qualified applicants. Learn more at www.leadtowin.ca.
People News
Paul Davidson became the new Executive Director of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Former Associate Provost, Research at UOIT, Dr. Kamiel Gabriel has been appointed Assistant Deputy Minister and Science Adviser for Ontario's Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI). He will assume the duties of Dr. Tony Vander Voet, who is retiring after 28 years of public service. The Canadian Association of University Research Administrators (CAURA) recently announced the appointment of L'naya Hindman as Executive Director. Polytechnics Canada, an alliance of Canada's largest colleges and institutes of technology that advances the cause of polytechnic education, has appointed Nobina Robinson as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Nigel Smith begins his term as the new Director of the SNOLAB International Underground Science Facility on June 1. Congratulations to Dr. Ted Hewitt, VP Research & International Relations at the University of Western Ontario, who played the O3 Collaboration Game at the ORION booth at Discovery '09 and won the draw for the pocket-size FLIP HD video camera.
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