UBC News Digest

The UBC News Digest is a weekly summary of news stories about UBC people, research, learning, community, and internationalization initiatives. News Digest past issues are also available on-line.

Jan. 6, 2006

• National Wildlife Federation Recognizes UBC For Leadership in Campus Sustainability
• Three UBC Students Awarded $90,000 Scholarships to Protect National Parks in North America
• Stephen Lewis, David Suzuki, and David Orr to Speak in Global Citizenship Seminar Series
• Michelle Aucoin and Barney Ellis-Perry Join Alumni Association
• Call for Nominations: Distinguished Academics Awards

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National Wildlife Federation Recognizes UBC For Leadership in Campus Sustainability

The National Wildlife Federation, North America’s largest wildlife conservation agency, has presented the University of British Columbia with a NWF Campus Ecology Recognition for sustainability initiatives.

As part of this honour, the NWF has created a Campus Ecology Yearbook, available on its website, which offers a comprehensive look at UBC’s sustainability efforts during the 2004/2005 academic year. These include the Ecotrek infrastructure upgrade, which has reduced campus energy use by 10 per cent since 1998 despite a 24 per cent increase in students; a colour-coded composting system for food organics in cafeterias; and the Campus Sustainability Strategy, which seeks to collect, synthesize, and publish all UBC actions relating to sustainability on campus.

As a result of these initiatives, UBC is on track to meet and surpass the Kyoto Protocol’s 2012 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent. The first Canadian university to adopt a sustainable development policy in 1997, UBC is the only Canadian university among the 12 North American campuses to receive this recognition.

Visit http://www.nwf.org/campusEcology/dspYearbook.cfm?stateCode=BC&#listing for more information on the UBC Campus Ecology Yearbook, or contact Ruth Abramson, UBC Campus Sustainability Office, at 604.822.0473.

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Three UBC Students Awarded $90,000 Scholarships to Protect National Parks in North America

Three UBC doctoral students have been awarded $90,000 multi-year U.S. scholarships to conduct research critical to conserving and managing national parks throughout the Americas.

The Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program, a collaboration among the National Park Service, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Canon U.S.A., selects eight students annually from the biological sciences, physical sciences, social and cultural sciences, and technology innovation in support of conservation science.

The students will focus their research efforts in national parks across B.C., the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Natalie Ban, in UBC’s Resource Management and Environmental Studies program, will conduct research in Pacific Rim National Park to assess the ability of the latest site selection technology to incorporate social and ecological dimensions into new park establishment. Benjamin Gilbert, a UBC Ecology student, will study exotic plants in Kluane National Park to determine if invasive species cause the greatest loss of native species in areas protected from land-use change. Trevor Lantz, in UBC’s Centre for Applied Conservation, will look at climate change, disturbance and tall shrub dynamics in Tuktut Nogiat National Park.

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Stephen Lewis, David Suzuki, and David Orr to Speak in Global Citizenship Seminar Series

Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, David Suzuki, award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster, and David Orr, a leading expert in environmental literacy and ecological design, will offer public lectures as part of UBC’s Global Citizen Seminar Series, beginning January 13 at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.

A joint initiative of the UBC Faculties of Arts and Science, in cooperation with Student Development and Community Affairs, the Global Citizen Seminar Series will focus on pressing global issues, including climate change, sustainability, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and AIDS.

David Orr, Prof. and Chair of the Environmental Studies Program at Ohio’s Oberlin College, will present the series’ inaugural seminar at noon January 13. He will be followed by Stephen Lewis on February 6 and David Suzuki on March 13.

Seminars are free to UBC students, staff and faculty (with ID) with 100 additional free tickets available to the general public. Visit www.terry.ubc.ca/index.php/speakers for ticket information, schedules and speaker bios.

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Michelle Aucoin and Barney Ellis-Perry Join Alumni Association

Marie Earl, Associate Vice President Alumni, has announced the appointments of Michelle Aucoin as Director of Alumni Relations, effective November 28, 2005, and Barney Ellis-Perry as Director of Professional Affairs, effective December 15, 2005.

With 15 years of experience in the office of the UBC’s Vice President Students Office, Development, and the University of Victoria's Continuing Studies, Aucoin will be responsible for alumni relationship management and key alumni events.

Ellis-Perry, BA '87, has 15 years of development experience with UBC’s Land and Building Services, St. Paul's Hospital Foundation, and Malabar Group. He will oversee the revenue-generating operations, volunteer initiatives, and be responsible for moving the proposed alumni centre through the formal planning process.

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Call for Nominations: Distinguished Academics Awards

The Confederation of University Faculty Associations of British Columbia’s (CUFA/BC) is currently accepting nominations for the April 11, 2006 Distinguished Academics Awards.

These awards, created in 1994 to recognize and promote the value of research and scholarly activity carried out by public university professors, comprise two awards: the Academic of the Year Award, which recognizes a B.C. university faculty member for distinguished academic research or scholarly activity, and the Career Achievement Award, which recognizes sustained contributions over the course of a career to the non-academic community through research and scholarly activity. Nominations must be submitted by February 3.

For more information on CUFA/BC, the Distinguished Academics Awards, to download nomination forms, or to purchase tickets to the event, visit www.cufa.bc.ca or contact 604.646.4677.

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