UBC This Week | Apr. 27, 2006

UBC This Week is a weekly summary of UBC people in the news, recent media releases and upcoming event hightlights. UBC This Week past issues are also available on-line.

Sign up for UBC This Week and other UBC Public Affairs e-mail services at www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/eservices.

Upcoming Event Highlights

• Apr. 27-May 21: Sonny Assu - Art exhibit at the Belkin Satellite
• Apr. 28-29: Persistence Of Vision Film Festival - Short Films by UBC Film Students
• Apr. 28: Birdsong - Persian poetry of Rumi
• Apr. 30: Vancouver Recital Society - Ewa Podles, Contralto
• May 1: My Heart is Africa

Find out what else is happening at UBC this week. For sports events, visit the UBC Athletics site at www.gothunderbirds.ca/schedule.asp.

UBC People

• UBC innovators earn BC Biotech awards
• Engineering student wins community achievement award
• 2006 Let's Talk Science National Volunteer Award
• New book highlights student creative writing talent
• UBC Instructor wins Alberta geotechnical award
• University-industry team recognized for UBC Okanagan School of Engineering

UBC People

UBC innovators earn BC Biotech awards

A blood scientist, a cancer researcher and a UBC spin-off company will be honoured at BC Biotech's gala ceremony May 4.

Ross McGillivray, director of UBC’s Centre for Blood Research and a professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has earned the Genome BC Award for Scientific Excellence. MacGillivray has combined his training in protein chemistry and molecular biology with the evolving technology of genomics and proteomics to study blood proteins. He was the first in the world to clone a blood clotting factor gene.

Martin Gleave, UBC professor of Surgery, founder and Chief Scientific Officer of OncoGenex Technologies, and Director, Clinical Research, Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital was awarded the Innovation and Achievement Award. Gleave's research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression and the development of treatment. His spin-off company, OncoGenex, now has three products in development that target different genes and types of cancer.

Neuromed Pharmaceuticals earned the Life Sciences Company of the Year award. The company began as a UBC spin-off in 1998 to commercialize UBC researcher Terry Snutch development in pain-killing drugs. In March 2006, Neuromed Pharmaceuticals announced one of the largest Canadian pharmaceutical partnerships with Merck & Co.

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Engineering student wins community achievement award

Fourth-year Chemical Engineering student Monty Raisinghani was awarded a 2006 B.C. Community Achievement Award at Government House in Victoria, along with 43 other outstanding British Columbians.

Raisinghani exemplifies the spirit of community volunteerism through such initiatives as founding his high school’s annual Queen Elizabeth Secondary School Christmas Dinner for less fortunate people in Surrey, for which he won a 2003 Governor General's Caring Canadian Award at the age of 19. He has also taken part in the B.C. Children's Hospital telethon, developed a United Way 10km fundraising run, and organized a 2004 tsunami relief radiothon that raised $16,000. Currently, he is organizing and promoting a Students Taking Initiative youth leadership conference to be held in May to encourage and inspire other young individuals to make a positive difference in their communities.

Established in 2004 by the British Columbia Achievement Foundation, the B.C. Community Achievement Award recognizes the spirit, imagination, dedication and contribution of British Columbians to their communities.

For more information visit: www.bcachievement.com.

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2006 Let's Talk Science National Volunteer Award

UBC’s Derrick Randall was presented the 2006 Let's Talk Science National Volunteer Award for his multidisciplinary approach to science, his application of the scientific method in his projects and activities, and his interest in developing scientists. As part of the award, Derrick will travel to the National Let’s Talk Science Conference in June. UBC’s Lisa McDonnell was also one of five finalists.

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New book highlights student creative writing talent

In his new book "Brave New Play Rites” (Anvil Press), creative writing associate professor Bryan Wade compiles a collection of one-act plays produced over the past two decades for Prof. Wade's annual festival of the same name. The plays are the result of new work from students in the creative writing program that are held at UBC and directed by students in the theatre program. Recently celebrating the festival’s 20th anniversary, more than 250 one-act plays (approximately fifteen minutes) have launched the careers of numerous young writers including Lynn Coady, Steven Galloway, Dennis Bolen, Kevin Chong, and Aaron Bushkowsky.

For more information, visit: www.creativewriting.ubc.ca.

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UBC Instructor wins Alberta geotechnical award

UBC Instructor Chuck Brawner, P.Eng. was presented the Frank Spragins Technical Service Award for outstanding accomplishments and geotechnical expertise. Presented by the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA) the 16th annual APEGGA Summit Awards recognize industry excellence in engineering, physics and geophysics. A UBC instructor for 16 years, Brawner contributed his expertise to the Syncrude Geotechnical Review Board before retiring in 2003.

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University-industry team recognized for UBC Okanagan School of Engineering

Awarded by the Okanagan Science and Technology Council at the 2006 Silicon Vineyard Innovation Awards, UBC Okanagan and the Okanagan Partnership's Engineering Advisory Group were presented the 2006 Science and Technology Community Leadership Award for leadership and collaboration related to the establishment of the new Okanagan School of Engineering.

Special recognition was awarded to former UBC Okanagan Deputy Vice Chancellor Barry McBride, Urban Systems Managing Partner Dick Fletcher, UBC Faculty of Applied Science Dean Michael Isaacson, and UBC Faculty of Applied Science Dean Emeritus Martin Wedepohl.

Established in 2004, the Silicon Vineyard Innovation Awards recognize individuals or organizations for their achievements and their role in building the Okanagan region as a centre of excellence for innovation.

For more information, visit: www.ostec.ca.

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