Nov. 25, 2015 Volume 48 | Number 6
A m e m o r i a l u n i v e r s i t y o f n e w f o u n d l an d p u b l i c at i o n
Registration Mail No. 4006252
‘So surreal’ Engineering student is Canada’s Smartest Person
CBC PHOTO
By Jackey Locke
Brainiac Memorial student Katy Warren, 21, used numerous types of intelligence to take the title of Canada’s Smartest Person on CBC Television during the Nov. 22 finale.
Fourth-year electrical engineering student Katy Warren beat out seven other finalists on the Nov. 22 finale of CBC Television’s Canada’s Smartest Person to claim the show’s coveted title. The St. John’s native competed in the fourth round of the competition series where she beat out three other competitors to earn her place in the finals, and proved she deserved to be in the final top four when she finished in the top two after the finale’s qualifying round. “It felt pretty great to come first in the rapid fire round at the beginning of the night,” said Ms. Warren. “I had thought I bombed on it because I got snagged on the physical challenge, so it was a total surprise when I found out it had gone that well for me.” See SMARTEST on page 8
Big fish Memorial researcher invents first genetically modified animal approved as food in U.S. By Kelly Foss
CHRIS HAMMOND PHOTO
The life’s work of a Memorial University of Newfoundland researcher has taken a long road from an experiment in a laboratory to kitchen tables in the United States. Dr. Garth Fletcher, head, Department of Ocean Sciences, along with Dr. Choy Hew, a former Department of Biochemistry researcher, co-invented the technology behind the first genetically modified animal approved as food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday, Nov. 19.
“It has been a long time coming, but many years of hard work have finally come to fruition,” said Dr. Fletcher. “This approval is good news for all academic researchers interested in genetic modification of animals being bred for human consumption. “It demonstrates that with care, good science and patience, innovative research in this somewhat controversial field can be taken from the laboratory bench to the market place.”
See FISH on page 4
Dr. Garth Fletcher
3 best all-around
7 l e g e n da r y e x pl o r e r
features
2 U n a n i m o us d e c i s i o n
Dr. Mary Bluechardt, vice-president (Grenfell Campus), has been re-appointed for a second five-year term.
A nursing student is the second Sea-Hawk to win the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Student-Athlete Community Service award.
The late Dr. Harold (Hank) Williams will be inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame.
10 s pe c i a l t h a n k s
Donors and their families of the Anatomical Gift Program were recognized and honoured recently.
CHRIS HAMMOND PHOTO
Alumni spotlight
Dr. Matthew Parsons Sixteen years after his first class at Memorial, Dr. Matthew Parsons, B.Sc.’04, M.Sc.’06, PhD’11, has returned to where it all began. He’s one of the newest faces in the Faculty of Medicine, beginning as assistant professor this fall in the Division of BioMedical Sciences. The St. John’s native credits hard work and plenty of luck with his return from British Columbia, where he worked as a post-doctoral fellow. His research interests focus on neurosciences, specifically glutamate, the most important transmitter for normal brain
function. Contributor Jeff Green spoke with Dr. Parsons.
JG: Why did you return home? MP: I was offered a faculty position. To be able to do what I love in my hometown . . . not many people get that kind of luck. I will miss Vancouver’s lack of wind and their cheap sushi but overall it’s good to be home.
JG: What are you doing now? MP: As a new faculty member, my
need in smaller labs.
days consist of grant writing and more grant writing. I am also talking to a lot of different vendors and purchasing the equipment necessary to start my research. Neurons communicate with each other by releasing neurotransmitters and my lab will focus on identifying and understanding the small, subtle alterations in neurotransmitter signalling that occur in certain neurodegenerative diseases. This requires very specialized equipment. Starting a lab is an expensive endeavour—not currently helped by the Canadian dollar! Funding is required not only for the equipment, but to hire a research assistant and to pay for a few graduate student stipends, which will be leveraged in part through the School of Graduate Studies and Research and Graduate Studies.
JG: Any advice for current or future graduate students? MP: I think it is particularly important—especially for us at Memorial—to go to as many national and international conferences as possible. Being on an island can isolate us from the rest of the country in certain ways and building a wide network of colleagues is essential to a successful career in research. After all, these are the people that will be reviewing your next fellowship application or your manuscript, or even acting as external examiner on your thesis committee. These conferences also give a good idea of the important science going on outside of Memorial and it’s incredibly important to make every effort to stay up-to-date on the latest findings.
JG: Why did you initially decide to study at Memorial? MP: I always thought the Faculty of Medicine is an excellent place to pursue a graduate degree. The lab sizes are ideal for that first real exposure to conducting your own relatively independent research—not too big, not too small. Many talented researchers get lost in the shuffle in bigger labs and others don’t receive the support they
The School of Graduate Studies is highlighting current graduate students—and alumni such as Dr. Parsons who’ve gone on to start their careers—in a series of profiles. To read a longer version of this Q&A, as well as other profiles, visit www.mun.ca/ become/graduate.
Visionary leader
EDITOR Mandy Cook GRAPHICS Shane Mills
By Pamela Gill
chris hammond PHOTO
Memorial’s Board of Regents has approved the reappointment of Dr. Mary Bluechardt as vice-president (Grenfell Campus) for a second five-year term effective July 1, 2016. Dr. Bluechardt was appointed as vice-president (Grenfell Campus) on July 1, 2011. In May 2015 Dr. Bluechardt indicated her willingness to be renewed for an additional five-year term and, in accordance with university procedures, a review of her performance was initiated. A review committee chaired by the president and comprised of students, faculty and staff, completed a review of Dr. Bluechardt’s performance as vice-president (Grenfell Campus). “After an extensive review process, which involved significant consultations, the review committee unanimously recommended Dr. Bluechardt’s reappointment,” said President Kachanoski. “Based on her countless successes to date, we are sure that she will continue to provide visible, intelligent and visionary leadership and administration to Grenfell Campus, specifically, and to the entire university.”
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS
Dr. Mary Bluechardt During her four years at Grenfell Campus, Dr. Bluechardt has reinforced Grenfell’s position in the Memorial University family. As a full-fledged member of Memorial University’s Vice-Presidents Council, she has championed Grenfell Campus on many fronts, including the teaching and learning, research, internationalization, recruitment and public engagement agendas. “I’m absolutely thrilled to be reappointed and to be able to serve Grenfell Campus, Memorial University,
for another five years,” said Dr. Bluechardt. “With the support of the Grenfell Campus community and Board of Regents, I will now turn my attention over the next five years to completing the goals we have laid out in our Vision 20/20 strategic planning document. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the Grenfell community, as well as our surrounding communities, for their support over the last four years.”
Courtenay Alcock Laura Barron Jennifer Batten Melanie Callahan Rebecca Cohoe Nora Daly Krista Davidson Kelly Foss Elizabeth Furey Leslie Earle Pamela Gill Jeff Green Janet Harron Jill Hunt
Jackey Locke Virginia Middleton Cathy Newhook Michelle Osmond David Penney Marcia Porter Kristine Power Dave Sorensen Melissa Watton Meaghan Whelan Susan White Heidi Wicks Laura Woodford Sandy Woolfrey-Fahey
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Kelly Hickey PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Hammond ADVERTISING Mandy Cook T. 709 864 2142 mandyc@mun.ca Next gazette deadline Dec. 9 for Dec. 16 publication. The gazette is published 17 times annually by the Division of Marketing and Communications at Memorial University. Material in the gazette may be reprinted or broadcast without permission, excepting materials for which the gazette does not hold exclusive copyright. gazette, Room A-1024 Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7 T. 709 864 2142 F. 709 864 8699 mandyc@mun.ca ISSN 0228-88 77 With the exception of advertisements from Memorial University, ads carried in the gazette do not imply recommendation by the university for the service or product.
www.mun.ca/gazette 2 gazette | Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015 | www.mun.ca/gazette
Best all-around Nursing student takes national student athlete award With files from Atlantic University Sport
Noseworthy has become the second Memorial Sea-Hawk to win the national Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Student-Athlete Community Service award. The talented third-year striker follows Samantha Hansford who won the award in 2010. Ms. Noseworthy first earned the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) StudentAthlete Community Service Award earlier this month, and just last week was named a first-team AUS all-star after finishing fourth in the AUS soccer conference with a team-leading nine goals in 13 league games. She is an exemplary student-athlete, balancing athletics, academics and extensive community involvement. She is a longtime volunteer with the Easter Seals program, teaching weekly swim lessons to children with physical and mental disabilities including children with brittle bone syndrome, autism and neuromuscular disorders She volunteers with the Ronald McDonald House Home for Dinner Program, where she and other varsity student-athletes cook meals for families whose children are undergoing treatment at the Janeway Child Health Centre. Ms. Noseworthy is also a volunteer in the palliative care unit at the Health Sciences Centre. A driving force behind the Street Reach Christmas Stockings drive, Ms. Noseworthy is in her second year of co-ordinating the initiative in which the
DUSTIN SILVEY PHOTO
NURSING STUDENT Jessie
Jessie Noseworthy in action on the soccer pitch, at left. Memorial varsity athletics community collects personal care items and small gifts to put together Christmas stockings for a local organization. This initiative supports young people who are struggling with food security, lack of safe and affordable housing, live in poverty, have low literacy skills, have mental health issues and have limited or no access to a strong social support network. In June 2015 Ms. Noseworthy travelled on a four-week volunteer trip to India.
Spending her time in a small Tibetan refugee village in Northern India, she travelled to schools, monasteries and seniors’ homes to assist a local physician with physical assessments on patients, conducted English conversation classes in small villages and played cricket, volleyball and soccer with local children at the end of their school day. Along with some of her teammates, Ms. Noseworthy has volunteered with the Association for New Canadians to co-ordinate and organize a food drive at
home soccer games, with all food collected donated to the annual Thanksgiving dinner. The other nominees for the national award were McGill defender Julia Vetere, Guelph defender Bianca Ferlisi and Alberta midfielder Annalise Schellenberg. Last year, Ms. Noseworthy helped lead the Sea-Hawks to their first-ever AUS women’s soccer title.
Why high school academic performance does not necessarily reflect university success In my first week of my first year of university, I was already feeling overwhelmed by my five courses. Between the class readings, essays, mid-terms, and exams, it felt like a world I was not ready for. This feeling of self-defeat was furthered by the fact that my academic track record in high school was average. Upon entering university, I wanted to do well but I was worried. There is a stark difference between high school and university courses. High school focuses on delivering English, mathematics and science courses, while university offers a wide array of disciplines. In high school all my friends took advanced math but I needed a tutor just to get by in academic math. Furthermore, I experienced test anxiety and needed to write my math public exam in a separate room. Essentially, if a student excels in high school it creates positive reinforcement when entering university. On the other hand, there is a lack of motivation for students who receive average or low grades. While students with lower grades could still be eligible for university, they might not feel as academically prepared for school as others. When Memorial came to my school in the fall of
Grade 12, a university representative provided us one-on-one guidance in our areas of interest and helped us choose courses for the following year. I opened up the thick university calendar book and found a ton of degree options, such as anthropology and sociology which I had heard of, but was not entirely sure what they were. It created a sense of possibility to succeed in the future. A great help in finding university success was completing the First Year Success program. Comprised of three courses, Arts 1500, University 1010 and University 2020, this program taught me how to write and study in university. Beyond academic guidance, it taught me about the Writing Centre and how to use the library’s resources when writing research papers. This program eased my worries upon entering university and encouraged me to continue studying. For many students like me, high school performance
does not necessarily reflect one’s intelligence. Personally, I have not taken one math course since high school, instead choosing to take psychology courses for my numeracy/science requirement in my bachelor of arts degree. There is nothing wrong with pushing aside courses that hold students back, in favour of selecting more interesting courses. When I clicked the ”view your term marks” button on Memorial’s self-service page for the first time in December of 2012, I could not believe what I was seeing. I had straight Bs in all five courses. I did not in fact, fail out of university like I initially thought I might. On the contrary, suddenly I realized I was capable of performing at the post-secondary level. Now in my fourth year, I am set to graduate this spring. Certainly, university is much more work than high school. However, if you find a degree you love, the work is easier and your true intelligence will be properly reflected in your marks.
Maria Browne is a fourth-year English and communication studies major. She can be reached at mariakbrowne@gmail.com.
Continued from FISH on page 1
notable
Research on these genetically engineered (GE) salmon, which grow twice as fast as their non-GE farm-raised counterpart, began in a lab at Memorial as far back as 1982. Drs. Fletcher and Hew formulated the idea of using gene transfer to produce strains of Atlantic salmon for aquaculture that could better tolerate the harsh winter conditions that prevail in Newfoundland and Labrador waters. At the time they were looking into adding an antifreeze protein gene to salmon that would allow farmed fish to be raised in sea cages in locations where water temperatures declined to lethal levels. Such antifreeze genes are found in a number of Newfoundland fish, and Peter Davies of Queen’s University, the third member of the research team, had already isolated the one found in winter flounder. It took the group a couple of seasons to figure out how to transfer the gene, but by the mid-1980s they were finally seeing it showing up in salmon DNA and being expressed and passed on from generation to generation in the laboratory. However, the genes were only making trace amounts of antifreeze that were
insufficient to protect the salmon from freezing. “We decided to take what we had learned and see if it could be used to develop a fast-growing fish by transferring a growth hormone gene, rather than an antifreeze gene,” said Dr. Fletcher. “The thinking was that rapidly growing salmon would have worldwide appeal to the aquaculture industry.” Those first tests began in 1989, and in the following spring began to pay off with big fish that were five and six grams in weight, versus non-GE modified salmon of the same age which were only about a quarter of a gram. Dr. Gary Kachanoski, president and vice-chancellor of Memorial University, says this is a prime example of the importance of curiosity and discoverybased research. “Drs. Fletcher and Hew had no way of knowing their research would lead to a milestone like this for the aquaculture and food industry,” he said. “But their tenacity and vision may now go a long way towards supporting food security in one of the most populous countries in the world. Amazing things are continually
obituaries
In brief Grenfell Campus would like to advise the university community of a change in leadership at the Corner Brook campus. Dr. Antony Card is stepping down as associate vicepresident (Grenfell Campus) research in order to dedicate more time to his research on national projects and to focus on youth health behaviours in rural communities. He will continue in his capacity as a faculty member
in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation. Dr. Ivan Emke will fill the role of acting AVP (Grenfell Campus) research until further notice. Dr. Mary Bluechardt, vice-president (Grenfell Campus), thanks Dr. Card for his dedication, vision and leadership in the role and wishes him the very best as he pursues a different path in his academic career.
designated the first gender-inclusive washrooms on the St. John’s campus last week. The two washrooms are located on the sixth floor of the University Centre. Memorial has been working on a plan to designate gender-inclusive washrooms in buildings across the St. John’s campus over the past few months in consultation with student union representatives and other university stakeholders, and plans are in place to complete the work
DR. GERALD SQUIRES Dr. Gerald Squires, an honorary degree recipient of Memorial University, passed away Oct. 3, 2015. He was 77. ANGELA ABBOTT Angela Abbott, a retired employee of the Queen Elizabeth II Library, passed away Nov. 1, 2015. She was 90. DR. PATRICIA MARIE CANNING Dr. Patricia Marie Canning, a member of the Faculty of Education, passed away Nov. 18, 2015. She was 65.
First gender-inclusive washrooms designated on the St. John’s campus Memorial University officially
happening here at Memorial, many of which stem from our unique northern, coastal location.” Drs. Fletcher and Hew patented the research and, with the encouragement of the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, which funded the project, began looking for a private sector partner to take over licensing the technology and running the test fish farms. Elliot Entis, an American businessman involved in the fish industry in the United States, realized the potential value of the gene transfer technology. The three, along with another colleague, became founding members of the company now known as AquaBounty Technologies, which began seeking FDA approval for the salmon nearly 20 years ago. Dr. Fletcher worked with AquaBounty for approximately 10 years, supervising much of the research required by FDA for regulatory review. While the salmon may soon be on the table in American households, Health Canada has not yet approved it for sale in Canada.
to be able to designate additional single-stall washrooms across the campus over the next few months. “Working together, we will continue to ensure that Memorial is a safe, welcoming and inclusive university—a place of mutual regard and mutual respect,” said Kent Decker, vice-president (administration and finance). “These first gender-inclusive washrooms are a solid step in the right direction, and I’m proud of the work being done to ensure a comfortable and positive university experience for
4 gazette | Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015 | www.mun.ca/gazette
DR. RONALD HYNES Dr. Ronald Hynes, an honorary degree recipient of Memorial University, passed away Nov. 19, 2015. He was 64.
everyone on our St. John’s campus.” Memorial University is committed to creating a learning environment that is inclusive, safe and welcoming to all. Grenfell Campus also has a designated gender-inclusive washroom, and in March 2015, Burton’s Pond apartments at Memorial became gender-inclusive. Further information on genderinclusive washroom locations across the St. John’s campus will be shared with the university community as it becomes available.
Noah MacAulay and Michael Sullivan, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, won first prize in the Mathematics Problem Solving competition during the recent Science Atlantic Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Conference. The last time Memorial won first place was in 2008. Faith Geok Horng Lee also won third prize in the statistical oral presentations. The conference took place Oct. 23-24 at Acadia University, in Wolfville, N.S. Andrew Kim, director, graduate enrolment services, School of Graduate Studies, has been elected to the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies’ (CAGS) board of directors for a two-year term, effective this month. On the CAGS board, Mr. Kim will represent senior administrators of graduate schools and programs across Canada. Founded in 1962, CAGS brings together 58 Canadian universities with graduate programs and the three federal research-granting agencies, as well as other institutions and organizations having an interest in graduate studies. Sonja Knutson, director, Internationalization Office, has been elected to a national position with the Association of International Educators (NAFSA). As of January 2016, Ms. Knutson will take on the role of chair of the International Education Leadership Knowledge Community. The chair works in partnership with staff to define programming and develop professional development activities for those who lead internationalization on their campuses. NAFSA’s 10,000 members are located at more than 3,500 institutions worldwide, in more than 150 countries. NAFSA advances public policies that promote international education and is committed to supporting a broad public dialogue about the value and importance of international education. Kazuhiro Mizutani and Nathan Ash have each received a $3,000 scholarship from the Canadian Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Newfoundland Branch. Mr. Mizutani is a fourth-year earth sciences undergraduate student and received the branch’s Silver Jubilee Scholarship, created in 1978 to celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary. The award is available to students in their final or penultimate year in earth sciences at Memorial University. This is the first year the award has been issued. Mr. Ash is in his final year of a mechanical engineering degree, and received the branch’s Golden Jubilee Scholarship, created in 2003 to recognize the organization’s 50th anniversary. The award is given to a student majoring in studies related to the fields of interest of CIM, specifically earth sciences, geophysics, geography, economics, environmental science, engineering, business and commerce. Mr. Mizutani also won the Atlantic Geoscience Society Environmental Geoscience Award at the recent Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference, which took place Oct. 22-24 at Saint Mary’s University, in Halifax, N.S.
Frameworks in action
Memorial’s frameworks in action
RESEARCH STRATEGY
Advocating for the humans in human research By Moira Baird
Dr. Russell Adams wants to spread the word to researchers on Memorial’s St. John’s campus about the inner-workings of the Interdisciplinary Committee on Ethics in Human Research (ICEHR), Memorial’s largest human research ethics board. ICEHR reviews all non-medical research proposals that involve human participants, which is anyone who is a source of data for a study. “Our main job is to make sure that people are treated fairly, and they voluntarily give their consent to
participate in studies,” said Dr. Adams. “Also, we look at the procedures that researchers will use to protect people’s privacy.” A psychology professor in the faculties of science and medicine, Dr. Adams has been the chair of ICEHR for the past six months. He was a founding member of the committee created 15 years ago, when the individual ethics boards for the social sciences, humanities, education, social work, sciences and engineering were combined under one organization. As chair, he plans to be a vocal advocate for ICEHR and for research ethics in general. “A lot of people don’t know what we do. One of the things that we can do is a better job of educating the rest of the research community about research ethics—both for their sake and for ours.” Another goal is providing more support to students who undertake
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The three overarching frameworks guiding Memorial’s future direction — the Research Framework, the Teaching and Learning Framework and the Public Engagement Framework — are the result of several years of consultations with the university community and the people and organizations of Newfoundland and Labrador. This regular feature will help showcase the frameworks in action by sharing projects and highlighting the successes that are bringing them to life.
Dr. Russell Adams research, ensuring they understand the ICEHR process and the potential ethical issues in a study. “I would like to see, under my leadership, the development of more formal talks for different departments to familiarize people with the process.” All research proposals go through a delegated review process to assess the risk to human participants. Once the initial assessment is done, proposals deemed to be of more than minimal risk are reviewed by the 15-member committee, which includes faculty members, two ethicists and a lawyer. Decisions are usually made by consensus. Those are guided by the “ethics bible”—better known in research circles as the federal government’s Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (2014). High-risk studies could include
children, the elderly, those with cognitive impairments who might require third-party consent to participate, or people who have been physically or sexually abused. “Most of the high-risk cases are those in which very vulnerable people might be identified, victimized or even re-victimized,” he said. “You certainly don’t want someone to be worse off after they’ve been in a research project.” On average, Dr. Adams says the committee receives more than 200 new applications annually, not including renewals, multi-university collaborations, amendments and offshoots of existing research projects. Reviews usually take 3-4 weeks.
To learn more, please visit www.mun. ca/research/ethics/humans/icehr.
Grannies unite By Marcia Porter
Dr. Kay Matthews, a retired School of Nursing faculty member, honorary graduate of Memorial, retired mid-wife and registered nurse has added another title to her resumé: Terra Nova Grannie. The Terra Nova Grannies are a group of grandmothers, and grand“others”—women who aren’t grandmothers but who support the cause. The cause is helping grandmothers in Africa raise their orphaned grandchildren. The group came together in 2007 after Dr. Matthews attended her daughter’s parish church during a visit to Toronto, Ont. It was Development and Peace Sunday, and a grandmother there had a display about the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s (SLF) Grandmother Campaign. “As a grandmother, I realized this was a project I could really relate to at the other end of life, the African
grandmothers whose children had died from AIDS and who were caring for their orphaned grandchildren,” she said. When she returned home to St. John’s, she told her “non-reading” book club about the group, and everyone was interested. Coincidentally, another friend of Dr. Matthews was already a member. “Initially, we were just going to contribute $5 each every month to the SLF for the grandmothers, but soon found that other grandmother groups were doing much more,” she said. “We now have raised over $50,000 through our annual walk, Scrabble games, silent auctions, dinners, a raffle and other donations.” Most recently, the grannies held a successful Scrabble fundraiser at The Lantern in St. John’s, with a full house of Scrabble players, including CBC Radio St. John’s Morning Show host Anthony Germaine and NDP MHA Lorraine Michael.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Retired nursing professor raising funds for African families with celebrity Scrabble and more
Dr. Kay Matthews at a Scrabble fundraiser with the Terra Nova Grannies.
CHRIS HAMMOND PHOTO
Latin American and Caribbean delegations connect on St. John’s campus
Delegates participate in a networking session at the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program Collaboration Mission. By Jennifer Batten
Delegates from 16 Latin American and Caribbean post-secondary institutions travelled to Newfoundland and Labrador on Nov. 17 to participate in a one-day session as part of the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) collaboration mission taking place Nov. 16-25 in Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario. The collaboration mission is a key part of ELAP, offered by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada. The ELAP scholarship, funded by the Government of Canada, provides students and researchers from Latin
America and the Caribbean with short-term exchange opportunities for study or research at the college, undergraduate and graduate levels. According to Sonja Knutson, director of the Internationalization Office, Memorial is increasingly successful in winning ELAP scholarships. “This year we submitted 32 applications and were awarded 22 scholarships amounting to $167,500,” she said. “The students are top scholars from our partner institutions and following their Memorial exchange experience, they often express interest in returning to pursue graduate studies.” The St. John’s event took place at
C-CORE on Memorial’s St. John’s campus. The mission, organized by the Canadian Bureau for International Education in collaboration with Memorial, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development and other Canadian institutions, helps to develop stronger ties between educators in Canada and in the Americas. The desired outcome of the mission is the establishment of formal partnerships between Canadian and Caribbean and Latin American institutions that lead to increased bilateral student mobility. In supporting the collaboration mission, the goal of the Internationalization Office at Memorial
is to educate representatives from potential partner universities and institutes about what the university has to offer, both for academic and research interests. The Internationalization Office also facilitates contact between the visiting delegates and representatives of Memorial’s faculties, schools and units to build relationships and foster future collaboration—not only to help attract ELAP scholars but also to increase other potential academic and research partnerships.
For more: www.scholarships-bourses. gc.ca/scholarships-bourses/can/ institutions/elap-pfla.aspx?lang=eng.
By Jeff Green
AS A KID growing up in St. John’s, N.L., Dr. Doug Angel always knew he wanted to be a doctor. Now, the Memorial alumnus—who recently set up practice in the capital city—hopes to have a positive impact on young physicians-in-training. “I had to see an eye surgeon when I was probably eight or nine years old and I remember telling my parents, ‘That’s it, I’m going to be doctor,’” he said with a proud grin. “I was always fascinated with surgery shows on TV and thought I’d end up in medicine.” A 2008 graduate of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Angel recently set up practice in his hometown as an otolaryngologist—a head and neck surgeon with Eastern Health. He specializes in ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery, head and neck oncologic surgery, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, skin cancer and microvascular reconstructive surgery of the head and neck. “For me, Memorial offered an
exceptional medical program,” said Dr. Angel, who also holds a music degree (honours) in piano performance from Memorial. His dad is also a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine and practises psychiatry in St. John’s. “From an academic standpoint, the medical training you receive here exceeds some of the top places in the country,” added Dr. Angel. “The faculty are with you 100 per cent of the way and they definitely helped shape the physician I am today.” He says he embraced medical school to its fullest and was active with student leadership, charity fundraisers, the faculty choir and clinical advisory committees. He was also honoured academically, receiving several scholarships and bursaries; made the dean’s list multiple times; and was recipient of the prestigious University Gold Medal for Academic Excellence in Medicine. Finances aside, he says, the accolades pushed him to aim higher. “As a medical student and resident, you’re always striving to be on the
6 gazette | Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015 | www.mun.ca/gazette
top of your game. I firmly believe that the scholarships and awards help make you want to be a better student, trainee and physician,” he said. After graduation, Dr. Angel moved to London, Ont., where he completed his residency in otolaryngology—head and neck surgery at Western University along with a one-year fellowship in head and neck oncologic surgery and microvascular reconstructive surgery. He moved back east in 2014. In addition to running a busy office practice, Dr. Angel is in the operating room twice a week, sees patients at the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre, lectures in the Faculty of Medicine, mentors student clerks and is the undergraduate medical director for students doing ENT electives. “I’m loving it,” he says of his hectic life and practice. “I especially enjoy undergraduate medical education. That’s one thing I’ve always remembered about Memorial’s medical school—the exceptional faculty. Good teachers and mentors can really make a positive impact on young
CHRIS HAMMOND PHOTO
Alumnus aims to have impact on patients and doctors-in-training
Dr. Doug Angel physicians-in-training and I’m really hoping I can make a difference in the lives of the students I work with.”
Legend of exploration By Kelly Foss
This January, the late Dr. Harold (Hank) Williams, Department of Earth Sciences, will be inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. The organization “recognizes and honours the legendary mine finders and builders of a great Canadian industry.” Candidates are individuals who have demonstrated outstanding lifetime achievements to the benefit of the Canadian or world mineral industry in the areas of exploration, corporation building, technical or supporting contributions, or mining in society. “This is a very rare accolade and only given to a few,” said Dr. Stephen Piercey, professor, Department of Earth Sciences at Memorial. “The nomination was spearheaded by Frank Blackwood, a Memorial alumnus, Peter Dimmell, and myself, with immense support from numerous letter writers from industry, government, and universities. “It’s recognition of a colleague who has made immense contributions to global geoscience and it’s great to see him recognized posthumously.” Born and raised on “The Rock,” the province inspired Dr. Williams during his fruitful years with the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and prolific career at Memorial University. A GSC-mapping program on the island of Newfoundland led to his seminal 1964 paper, The Appalachians in Northeastern Newfoundland: A Two-Sided Symmetrical System, which advanced the groundbreaking concept
of plate tectonics for the first time. His landmark paper and 1967 geological compilation map of Newfoundland represented the first on-land syntheses of an orogenic belt in a tectonic framework. They were also keystones to internationally acclaimed Canadian geologist and geophysicist J. Tuzo Wilson’s recognition of the concept of an opening and closing proto-Atlantic (Iapetus) Ocean. Dr. Williams continued his work at Memorial to international acclaim. One of his greatest achievements was a tectonic lithofacies map of the entire North American Appalachian mountain chain from Alabama to Newfoundland, which interpreted terrane divisions across the Atlantic. It was a gargantuan feat and a bestseller when it was released in 1978, with 10,000 copies sold worldwide. The map provided a regional framework for geologists to focus their search for specific types of deposits, which led to discoveries such as the Duck Pond Mine in Central Newfoundland. The implications for mineral exploration were exciting, and plate tectonics, once hotly debated, became widely accepted around the world as Dr. Williams helped establish this unifying theory for the drift of continents, the evolution of mountain belts and the formation of related mineral deposit types within mountain belts. Dr. Williams also inspired a generation of geologists and helped
CHRIS HAMMOND PHOTO
Late earth sciences professor to be inducted in Canadian Mining Hall of Fame
In this May 2005 photo, Dr. Harold (Hank) Williams is pictured with his bestselling tectonic lithofacies map of the North American Appalachian mountain chain from Alabama to Newfoundland and Labrador. establish Memorial as a leader in earth science research. One of the youngest fellows of the Royal Society of Canada when he was inducted in 1972, he also received many other awards, including the Logan Medal of the Geological Association of Canada.
Dr. Williams passed away in September 2010. The induction will happen Jan. 14 at the annual Canadian Mining Hall of Fame dinner in Toronto, Ont.
‘Persistence and passion’ By Sandy Woolfrey-Fahey
Dr. David Behm, a professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR), has come a long way since his spelling championship in Grade 5. As an international scholar, he has helped elevate Canada’s recognition and status in exercise physiology research and racked up numerous impressive accomplishments along the way. But it is his most recent award that he says is his most significant recognition. At its annual conference in Hamilton, Ont., last month, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) presented Dr. Behm with its highest form of recognition: the CSEP/SCPE Honour Award. This is the first time since the award’s inception 30 years ago that a researcher from Atlantic Canada has been recognized. His acceptance speech was full of humour—like the reference to his spelling success—and also humility. “For me this is not an award for brilliance or intellect,” he said. “In my case, this is an award for persistence
and passion for what we are doing.” He was also quick to acknowledge the team of colleagues, mentors and graduate students he’s worked with along the way who have contributed to his success. “A teammate is always a teammate. You can’t get anywhere without a great team.” Dr. Behm’s career has focused on various aspects of neuromuscular responses, adaptations associated with strength training responses, muscle activation and its impact on health and performance. Dr. David Hood, a professor at York University, nominated Dr. Behm for the award. Dr. Hood says his nomination was based on the impact of Dr. Behm’s scientific work internationally and the contribution he has made directly to CSEP and Canadians through committee work and knowledge translation. “Dr. Behm has been very productive in his research,” he said. “He has been an important leader in Canada in applied exercise physiology, especially in the areas of techniques for the measurement of muscle activation,
DAVE HOWELLS PHOTO
Human Kinetics and Recreation professor receives national honours
Dr. David Behm instability resistance training and stretching. “Dr. Behm’s work ethic, scientific impact and knowledge transfer activities serve as an exemplary role model for scientists not only in
Atlantic Canada, but nationally and internationally as well.”
Read the full text of Dr. Behm’s award at http://bit.ly/1H6fD1T.
‘Not a heritage project’
Artist and public engagement fellow harnesses local knowledge for world to see
Dr. Pam Hall with her encyclopedia at The Rooms in the fall of 2014
Pages from The Encyclopedia of Local Knowledge on display at the Fogo Island hockey rink.
CBC PHOTO
Continued from SMARTEST on page 1
Katy Warren
As part of the final four, Ms. Warren continued to move through the challenges with confidence. In this segment of the competition, competitors completed six intelligence challenges— syllable switch, orders up, sliding scale, sum challenge, screen test and ball handler. Ms. Warren was in the lead after the first three challenges and finished second overall securing her spot as one of two competitors to compete in the final challenge, The Super Gauntlet. “I was just trying to stay calm,” she said. “I learned from the first gauntlet I did that my biggest enemy would be my own nerves. Beyond that, the only real strategy I used was in the visual challenge at the end. We had to take a bunch of pieces of a big cube and combine them back into their original shape. I decided to do the
8 gazette | Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015 | www.mun.ca/gazette
outside pieces first by matching up the images printed on them, then wiggle the middle block in at the end, which meant that I got it done just in time to race Jason, my competitor, to the end.” Her strategy clearly paid off. Ms. Warren can now add “Canada’s Smartest Person” to her resumé, which will likely earn her some smart remarks from her friends as well as some well-deserved compliments. “We’re really proud of Katy’s accomplishments in this competition,” said Dr. Dennis Peters, head, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “She showed us how she can use all parts of her brain to solve the problems before her—these are great skills for an engineer to have.” For the TV finale and the big reveal, Ms. Warren surrounded herself
with approximately 50 of her closest and dearest family and friends. “We had Bitters Pub booked out to watch it, and that was fantastic,” she said. “It was so cool to have all the people I love so much there to support me. It also meant we had sort of a weird sporty vibe to it, I’ve personally never gone to a bar to watch the Stanley Cup but I can totally understand why people do it if it’s that much fun to watch everybody screaming at the TV!” So, how does it feel to be Canada’s Smartest Person? “I still have trouble believing it,” she said. “It’s so surreal to finally have everybody know about me winning. A few people have been calling me “Canada’s Smartest Person,” which is really flattering, but also seems crazy.”
PAM HALL PHOTO
DR. PAM HALL: renowned artist, researcher and lifelong cultural inquisitor, was named Memorial’s first public engagement post-doctoral fellow in the fall of 2014. A creation of the Office of Public Engagement in partnership with the Faculty of Arts and in association with the Shorefast Foundation, the position is meant to build public engagement capacity and contribute to research and learning on a topic of mutual interest to the people of Fogo Island and Change Islands, the Shorefast Foundation and the university. The unique opportunity provided Dr. Hall with the ability to gather unique local knowledge to add to her visual compendium of cultural lore: while in Fogo and Change Islands, she added 75 new pages to her Encyclopedia of Local Knowledge, a creative project she started in 2010 which is now on display at Memorial’s Queen Elizabeth II Library. She says the experience changed her life. “I was very keen to get to Fogo Island and I worked very hard to get this fellowship because I knew, having been there already, there was an awareness and a commitment on Fogo Island and Change Islands to their own local knowledge,” she said. “The presence of the Shorefast Foundation and the building of the Fogo Island Inn and the harnessing of all kinds of old traditions from quilt making to making partridgeberry lassie tarts to fishing to punt building, this was all being reclaimed and put in renewal-based conversations. ” Dr. Hall’s encyclopedia, which includes local knowledge on ecology, fishing, baking, animal care, hunting and trapping, tanning seal skin, gardening, knitting mitts and nets, boat-building, local names for places and names of local experts, community structure and population, weather, boats, and berries, among other things, aims to challenge the way we think of
knowledge and its relationship with power, authority and ownership. “We think that local knowledge is always traditional,” Dr. Hall explained. “We think of the local as still and static and global knowledge as modern and progressive. But actually the global is just made up of a whole bunch of local knowledge.” The library is a fitting place to pose such questions, according to Dr. Hall, since libraries are holders of knowledge and have been for centuries. “I am hoping that students who are looking at (the encyclopedia)…will ask themselves some questions,” she said. “‘What is this doing here? This doesn’t belong here. Why is there a recipe for a pie in the library? Why is this called an encyclopedia but it isn’t a book?’” Dr. Hall wants to be clear. She isn’t out to save traditional ways of knowing, but rather to show how resilient and adaptable it is, that her encyclopedia is “not a heritage project.” “If knowledge is represented in the Encyclopedia of Local knowledge, it means it is alive and lively and being used. Now, some of it may be in danger of being lost, but while a lot of the knowledge is traditional, a lot of it is evolving.” Joan Ritcey, director, Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Queen Elizabeth II Library, believes Dr. Hall is creating one of the province’s most important works of art this decade. “The idea of making panels which depict Newfoundland and Labrador’s practical culture is inspired. Each panel is a lesson and a preservation document,” she said. The Encyclopedia of Local knowledge will be on display on the third floor of the Queen Elizabeth II Library until Jan. 6. To view Chapter One of The Encyclopedia of Local Knowledge, visit www.curra.ca/local_knowledge. htm. Chapter Two, featuring Dr. Hall’s fellowship research on Fogo Island and Change Islands, will be available online in the New Year.
CHRIS HAMMOND PHOTO
By Kristine Power
Change makers
SHAD program inspiring leaders of tomorrow
THIS SUMMER, 56 students from high schools across Canada converged on Memorial’s St. John’s campus to take part in the annual SHAD program. SHAD is a renowned enrichment program which attracts exceptional, highly creative students from across the country and empowers them to recognize their own capabilities and envision their tremendous potential as tomorrow’s leaders and change makers. The unique program, focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), takes place at Memorial and other host campuses over a four-week period every summer. Many enthusiastic young learners have come to Memorial over the years, eager to learn from the faculty and researchers who participate as facilitators and instructors. Among the group of students who participated this year was Jessica Wei, a senior high school student from Markham, Ont. The SHAD experience gave Ms. Wei the opportunity to travel to a place she’d never been before, participate in a once-in-a-lifetime program and meet young people from other parts of Canada and the world. “SHAD is a launch pad for future leaders to take off and reach for their goals,” said Ms. Wei. “It taught me new concepts, fuelled me with passion and gave me the chance to be part of a team bonded by the desire to inspire others. I can safely say that SHAD has transformed me as a person, and given me a boost in confidence that I never would have been able to find anywhere else.” In addition to the positive experience, Ms. Wei was named the winner of the Dave Black Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which honours SHADs who embody leadership, entrepreneurship and teamwork. She was also a member of the SHAD Memorial team that
SHAD PHOTO
By Jennifer Batten
SHAD Memorial student Jessica Wei at the 2015 SHAD John Dobson Entrepreneurship Cup earlier this fall. took home third place overall in the SHAD Entrepreneurship Challenge. Both awards were presented at an event during the SHAD John Dobson Entrepreneurship Cup in Waterloo, Ont., earlier this fall. The team was also awarded first place in the Best Prototype category and second place in the Best Website category for their innovation. During their time together this summer, Ms. Wei and her winning team members came up with a unique idea to address the theme presented to the SHAD teams at the beginning of their experience: “Why don’t you go play outside?”, which was intended to address the issue of Canadians’ increasingly sedentary and indoor-based lifestyles. With that question in mind, student teams across Canada worked diligently to create a product or service. The teams
created solutions by applying scientific principles to develop engineering, design and entrepreneurship projects. For their part, the SHAD Memorial team created Get Out and GO Incorporated — GOGO Inc., for short. A free app for smartphones, it encourages Canadians to participate in popular activities to earn points which can then be redeemed at participants’ favourite businesses. “Instead of just asking ourselves, ‘Why don’t you go play outside?’ our team thought, ‘Why can’t we use our love of technology to fuel a passion for the great outdoors?’” said Ms. Wei. “Our idea came from asking ourselves what makes us get out and go outside—and GOGO was our answer.” Dr. Leonard Lye, program director, SHAD Memorial, says he can’t stress enough the importance of programs
like SHAD and encourages all students to take advantage of the opportunity. He says students who complete the SHAD program become part of the SHAD alumni network, a valuable networking resource for students as they progress throughout their academic and professional careers. “SHAD is a remarkable experience for high school students across Canada,” he said. “Ms. Wei and all the students on the SHAD Memorial team that I had the pleasure of working with this summer are our future—the leaders of tomorrow.” . SHAD is accepting applications from high school students in Grades 10-12 until Monday, Nov. 30, for the summer 2016 program. For details on how to apply, visit www.shad.ca/apply.
Emergency calls to 999 can no longer be redirected to 911 By Michell Osmond
THE NUMBER 999 is used in many countries for emergency services. Memorial’s campus community is a diverse one, with students, faculty and staff from all over the world, many of whom may call 999 in the event of an emergency. In the past, Memorial’s Information Technology Services (ITS) has forwarded 999 calls to 911, Canada’s emergency services number. However, 999 is now registered as a local exchange by Telus and, more specifically, a federal government office. As a result, calls from the St.
John’s campus to those offices are incorrectly being routed to 911 services. This means no one on the St. John’s campus can call the local 999 extensions and that calls are being unnecessarily forwarded to emergency services. Because of this, ITS will no longer forward 999 to 911. Calls to 999 will be routed to the local exchange to which they normally belong. “Given this is currently an emergency number that many people are accustomed to, the absence of this could have a potentially serious impact,” said Steve Greene, director of ITS. “It’s certainly possible that people have used 999 in the past and
would expect it to work. So we’re hoping whomever this is relevant for, gets the message about using 911 instead so that if they have an emergency, it can be responded to.” Also, please note this change only affects calls placed from a Memorial VoIP phone and does not apply to mobile devices.
For an emergency on campus, please call 4100 from a campus phone or 864-4100 from a mobile phone. For an emergency off campus, please call 911 which is the emergency services number in Canada.
Psoriatic arthritis research published by highest ranking journal in its field A MEMBER OF the Faculty of Medicine has published an article in a prestigious international journal for his research on a form of arthritis that impacts many people of all ages in the community. Dr. Darren O’Rielly is a senior research scientist in the Faculty of Medicine with Memorial University and is the director of the Molecular Genetics Laboratory with Eastern Health. His research focuses on psoriatic arthritis, which is a type of inflammatory arthritis that attacks the joints in combination with psoriasis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the skin. Private Rare Deletions in SEC16A and MAMDC4 May Represent Novel Pathogenic Variants in Familial Axial Spondyloarthritis was accepted in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, which
is the official scientific publication of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and a journal that focuses on rheumatology. EULAR is an organization that represents people with arthritis/ rheumatism, health professionals and scientific societies of rheumatology of all the European nations. Each year, clinicians and researchers from around the world gather at the EULAR conference to discuss the latest research in rheumatology. The conference this year included participants from 120 countries. Also working on the research is Dr. Proton Rahman, associate dean of clinical research in the Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Rahman is a clinicial scientist and professor of medicine at Memorial and staff rheumatologist at Eastern Health. While the Rahman-O’Rielly research team is responsible for the design of the study, whole exome
sequencing using next-generation sequencing technology and subsequent analyses was performed at the Centre for Applied Genomics (TCAG) in Toronto, Ont. With the opening of the translational genomics laboratory and the Centre of Health Information and Analytics in the Craig L. Dobbin Centre for Genetics Research, whole-exome sequencing is now routinely performed in-house at Memorial. An analysis pipeline has also been developed for analysis of next-generation sequencing data―a big step forward for genomics research in the Newfoundland and Labrador.
This research has been funded in part through the Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency – Atlantic Innovation Fund, the Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Canadian Institute for Health Research.
HSIMS PHOTO
By Virginia Middleton
Dr. Darren O’Rielly
Recognizing donors of Anatomical Gift Program For some students, the best way to learn is through hands-on experience. Thanks to the Faculty of Medicine’s Anatomical Gift Program, future health-care professionals have an opportunity to see and work with donated human bodies. Donors and their families of the program were recognized and honoured during a recent Service of Gratitude. Memorial University’s Anatomical Gift Program provides an opportunity for members of the community to possibly donate their body, as a gift, to the anatomical unit in the Medical Education and Laboratory Support (MELSS) unit of the Faculty of Medicine. The program provides students with knowledge that is the foundation of medical education and research. Donor cadavers are used to teach medical and other health science students the relationship between the systems and structures of the human body. The service was held at St. Augustine’s Anglican Church on the St. John’s campus, where faculty, staff and students participated in an event held for family and friends of participants who have donated their bodies to the program. “What our students learn from
donated bodies transcends the obvious teaching of anatomy,” said Dr. Donald McKay, associate dean of undergraduate medical education, Faculty of Medicine. “They also learn about mortality, altruism and respect.” As part of the service, candles were lit by students in medicine, pharmacy and nursing to symbolize grief, joy, thanksgiving and love as a way of honouring and thanking donors. Dr. Elyse Jewer, a resident in general surgery, thanked the families on behalf of medical students and explained that hands-on experience with the donors allows students to learn important skills that in turn help make them better doctors for their future patients. Judy Foote, manager, MELSS, said the service was an opportunity to provide families with a sense of closure. “The donors of the Anatomical Gift Program can be considered teachers and play an important part in health-care education and we wanted to say thank you in a special way.” With such a positive response from family and friends who attended the service, it is anticipated that this type of event will be held again in the future. Ms. Foote said that since its inception, there have been over 345
10 gazette | Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015 | www.mun.ca/gazette
SUBMITTED PHOTO
By Virginia Middleton
Pharmacy student Ashleigh Nicole Snell lights the candle of thanksgiving during the Service of Gratitude. donors accepted in total and there are over 930 people on who have requested to be considered as a future donor with the list constantly growing. “It’s important to remember that human bodies are an indispensable aid in medical teaching and research. The basis of much medical
knowledge is human anatomy; human anatomy is best learned by the study of the human body.”
For more information about the Anatomical Gift Program, visit http:// www.med.mun.ca/Melss/Anatomy/ Anatomical-Gift-Program.aspx
Lori Lee Hollett photo
out & about
Star service Lorna Payne, co-ordinator of Grenfell’s Learning Centre, is the recipient of this year’s Vice-president Grenfell Campus Staff Service Award. She received her award from Dr. Mary Bluechardt at the Employee Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony last week.
out & about For more on these events and other news at Memorial, please visit www.today.mun.ca.
Wednesday, Nov. 25 Green Mindfulness, 10-11:30 a.m., The Loft, UC3013, Sponsor: Student Wellness, Counselling Centre Arts Information Session, 1-1:50 p.m., SN-4063, Sponsor: Academic Advising Centre MUN Cinema Series: Learning to Drive, 7-8:30 p.m., Cineplex Theatre, Avalon Mall, Sponsor: MUN Cinema BioMedical Sciences Research Forum: Presentations on Biomedical Engineering, 5-6 p.m., Medical Education Center, room 1M101, Sponsor: Division of BioMedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine An Afternoon in the Garden, 2-3 p.m., Botanical Garden, 306 Mount Scio Rd., Sponsor: Memorial University Botanical Garden An Introduction to Graduate Studies at Memorial University, 3-4 p.m., UC-4002, Sponsor: School of Graduate Studies
Thursday, NOV. 26 Mitacs Information Session, 2-4 p.m., A-5014, Sponsor: Faculty of Arts A Curriculum of Wellness, 12:30-2 p.m., ED2030B, Sponsor: Faculty of Education, Graduate Programs
Common Room, R. Gushue Hall, Sponsor: Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development Film Screening: Guardians of Eternity, 7-8:30 p.m., SN-2109, Sponsor: History Department, Geography Department, Aboriginal Resource Office, CRC in Aboriginal Studies
Friday, nov. 27 Unravelling the Mechanism of Annealing in Pulse and High Amylose Maize Starches, 1-2 p.m., SN-4015, Sponsor: Department of Biochemistry Blue Box Seminar, 3-4 p.m., SN-2025, Sponsor: Department of Geography
Tuesday, Dec. 1
Saturday, Dec. 5
Queer Prospects: The Changing Pitch of SameSex Writing, 7-9 p.m., The Rocket Room, Rocket Bakery, Water Street, St. John’s, Sponsor: Faculty of Arts and Canada Council
MUN Chamber Music Showcase, 8-9:30 p.m., D.F. Cook Recital Hall, School of Music, Sponsor: School of Music
Queer Prospects: The Changing Pitch of SameSex Writing, 7-9 p.m., The Rocket Room, Rocket Bakery, Water Street, St. John’s, Sponsor: English Department
PhD Oral Defence of Erlangga Septama, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., IIC-2014, Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation, Sponsor: School of Graduate Studies
Developing a Human Resource Plan, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., BN-4019, Sponsor: Gardiner Centre
The Critical Thinking Approach for Better Problem Solving, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., BN-4019, Sponsor: Gardiner Centre
Wednesday, Dec. 2 MUN Cinema Series: Heart of a Dog, 7-8:20 p.m., Cineplex Theatre, Avalon Mall, Sponsor: MUN Cinema
Grey Seals in an Ontological Turn: Local Knowledge, Environmental Change and Conservation in Kihnu, Estonia, 4-5:30 p.m., QC4028, Sponsor: Department of Anthropology Seminar Series
Mentioned in Song: A Salute to Our Logging Heritage, 7-8:30 p.m., The Rooms, St. John’s, Sponsor: The Rooms Provincial Museum
Saturday, Nov. 28
Working Towards Balance, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., location TBD, Sponsor: Learning and Development, Human Resources
MUN Wind Ensemble, 8 p.m.-10 a.m., D.F. Cook Recital Hall, School of Music, Sponsor: School of Music
Sunday, Nov. 29
Understanding Financial Statements, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., BN-4019, Sponsor: Gardiner Centre
A Choral Reflection for Advent, 3-4:30 p.m., St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (The Kirk), Sponsor: School of Music
An Introduction to Graduate Studies at Memorial University, 3-4 p.m., online webinar, Sponsor: School of Graduate Studies
Monday, Nov. 30
Haydn Seek, 8-9:10 p.m., D.F. Cook Recital Hall, School of Music, Sponsor: School of Music
The Space of Indigenous/non-Indigenous Solidarity: ‘Step Back, But Not Out’, 12-1 p.m., SN-4030, Sponsor: Aboriginal Studies Minor Program Digital Communication and Advertising, 9 a.m.4:30 p.m., Gardiner Centre, BN-4019, Sponsor: Gardiner Centre
Ottawa Affinity Celebration with Allan Hawco, 6-9:30 p.m., Fairmount Château Laurier, 1 Rideau St., Ottawa, Ont., Sponsor: Alumni Affairs and Development
Irish language film Mondays -- Cré na Cille, 8-10 p.m., Bridie Molloy’s, Sponsor: Department of Linguistics/Irish Scholar
The Ottawa-Newfoundland Relationship: Lessons from History, 12-1:30 p.m., Junior
Deadline: Commuting and Parking Survey -- St. John’s Campus, online, Sponsor: Sustainability Office
Thursday, Dec. 3 Diverse Creations Christmas Sale, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Science building, main lobby, Sponsor: Dianna O’Leary Brown Bag Lunch and Learn: Seasonal Stress, 12-2 p.m., A-2065, Sponsor: Employee Wellness Office, Department of Human Resources MUN Jazz Ensemble, 8-9:30 p.m., D.F. Cook Recital Hall, School of Music, Sponsor: School of Music
Monday, Dec. 7
Tuesday, Dec. 8 “Because You’re Worth It”: Gender Equality at L’Oréal, 12-1 p.m., SN-4087, Sponsor: Department of Gender Studies Speakers’ Series PhD Oral Defence of Fatemeh Mansour Kiaie, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., IIC-2014, Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation, Sponsor: School of Graduate Studies
Wednesday, Dec. 9 Ray Miller Retirement Party, 3-4:30 p.m., IIC-2014, Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation, Sponsor: ACENET Application to Graduate School -- Tips and Strategies, 3-4 p.m., online webinar, Sponsor: School of Graduate Studies Wessex Society Meeting, 8-9:30 p.m., Hampton Hall, Marine Institute, Sponsor: Wessex Society
THURSDAY, Dec. 10 Thesis Club: Best Practices in Digital Data Management for Research, 12-1 p.m., Health Sciences Centre, room 2860, Sponsor: Division of BioMedical Sciences
Monday, Dec. 14 Better Business Writing: The Right Approach, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., BN-4019, Sponsor: Gardiner Centre
Illustrating impact School of Pharmacy to release video annual report
Artist Elayne Greeley’s illustration of the School of Pharmacy’s Annual Report. By Heidi Wicks
the school of of Pharmacy will present its 2014-15 Annual Report a little differently this year. “Here in the School of Pharmacy, we strive to train pharmacists that will have a positive impact on our citizens and the health-care system,” narrates Dean Carlo Marra in the video. “We want to show the impact of our profession. So, for our annual report this year, we are, literally, illustrating.” The video features clips of visual artist Elayne Greeley creating a colourful graphic illustration of a presentation Dr. Marra gave at the Pharmacists Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (PANL) Annual Conference this past September. “We wanted to communicate the highlights of our year in a way that’s innovative, visual and alive, and that brings the faces behind the work we do
to the forefront,” Dr. Marra said about the creation of the annual report. The video is approximately 10 minutes long and centres on the School’s 2014-17 Strategic Plan, which highlights research, teaching and learning, and pharmacy practice innovation as strategic directions. “Our research funding has increased from approximately $200,000 to $500,000 since 2012-13, so we wanted to celebrate some of the successful projects from the past fiscal year,” Dr. Marra said. Projects mentioned in the report include two funded by Memorial’s Teaching and Learning Framework fund. The funding has allowed for work to be done to improve the school’s infrastructure and student spaces and for ongoing effort towards the building of an entry-to-practice doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program, slated to begin in the fall of 2017. Also highlighted in the video is the
school’s continuing commitment to the health-care practice community, which includes patients and other health-care professionals. “We’ll be launching our Medication Therapy Services (MTS) Clinic this winter, which is a pharmacist-delivered, referral-based, non-dispensing clinic that will offer one-on-one medication assessments with pharmacists to address patients’ complex drug related needs,” Dr. Marra says in a voiceover. “The clinic will also be a site for experiential teaching and learning, as well as a research incubation centre to evaluate the enhanced role of pharmacists in health care.” Dr. Marra also outlines in the video that, without partnerships with other areas of the university, the school’s work would not be as successful. He says that the school received funding from the Teaching and Learning Framework fund and the Office of Public Engagement, and
guidance from the Strategic Research Intensity Plan. Distance Education, Learning and Teaching Support will assist with the development of the bridging program, and hopeful partnerships with Memorial’s cold ocean facilities is on the horizon as the school begins its recruitment of a Research Chair in Marine Drug Discovery. Dr. Marra says the chair will examine natural sources of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals in the cold-water environment that exists off Newfoundland and Labrador’s coast. “We have the ability here at Memorial to make major discoveries that will have great impacts on our province’s health.”
The School of Pharmacy’s 2014-15 Annual Report will be online at www. mun.ca/pharmacy and www.facebook. com/schoolofpharmacy later this month.
Explore movement As part of RBC Sports Day in Canada, the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR), hosted HIPP 2B Healthy on Nov. 21. The event included a chance to meet the Paralympic three-time gold medalist Dave Durepos (pictured far right) and opportunities to try new sports. RBC representatives were on hand to present HKR with a $23,200 RBC Learn to Play Project grant to revise the Physical Literacy Experience (PLE) program.
12 gazette | Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015 | www.mun.ca/gazette
SUBMITTED PHOTO
By Sandy Woolfrey-Fahey