Making green roofs greener Engineers at UBC's Okanagan campus develop construction process with global potential Prof. Kasun Hewage and Civil Engineering MASc student Fabricio Bianchini are taking a good idea and making it better, perhaps spawning a new construction technology for use in arid countries worldwide. Since last fall, the assistant professor of Project and Construction Management has been looking at ways to make green roofs even more environmentally friendly by using construction waste. Green roofs -- where plants are grown on specially designed matting -- are no longer a novel idea. But there is room for improvement, and Hewage and Bianchini are looking at recycling waste building materials to form the base layers of a green roof.
Save the date: DVC Town Hall, Orientation Fair and annual barbecue organized for September 1
Email invitations to these events will be distributed to all faculty and staff members later in July. Please contact the Ceremonies Office at okanagan.ceremonies@ubc.ca for further information.
Get out and learn something this summer Continuing education offers shorter courses appealing to many interests Tired of sitting around at the beach every summer? Why not go back to school? It will not take years of your time and thousands of dollars to learn about wine, culture, photography or how to write a book through Continuing Studies. Continuing Studies provides a variety of courses through July and August, and for the first time some courses are offered in a one-week package. Writing for children, creative writing, fiction writing, romance and even how to write a cookbook memoir are all on the educational menu, says program leader Elaine Crebo.
City, UBC partner to research sustainable transportation Tuesday workshopS focus on Glenmore pilot project aimed at reducing vehicle traffic Glenmore residents will have an opportunity to comment on a pilot project planned for their neighbourhood to study urban transportation use and reduce road congestion, lessen vehicle pollution and promote traffic safety. The joint initiative by the City of Kelowna and the School of Engineering seeks public input at design workshops Tuesday, Aug. 16 and Tuesday, Sept. 20 to promote sustainable transportation options in Kelowna's Glenmore neighbourhood. The workshops will be held behind Glenmore Elementary School by the portables from 6 to 9 p.m. and refreshments will be served. The intent of the Glenmore ComPASS project is to examine sustainable transportation options so residents can better compete with and significantly reduce single-occupancy vehicles (SOV). Reducing SOV use leads to many community-wide benefits by reducing collisions and congestion and improving air quality and community health.
Aboriginal educators visit UBC for student success conference Representatives from across Canada share information, discuss best practices More than 90 Aboriginal education coordinators and students from Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon and across B.C. gathered at UBC's Okanagan campus July 13-15 for a series of workshops, forums and tours. The conference was designed to create a sharing of understanding about common issues and best practices. "We feel there is a need for Aboriginal Education Coordinators to get together for networking and to build best-practice models," says Johanna Sam, Aboriginal Student Advisor at UBC. "Aboriginal people already make great contributions to our post-secondary system, both as students and educators."
Carolyn Labun leads new Centre for Scholarly Communication Carolyn Labun has been appointed director of the new Centre for Scholarly Communication. The Centre is a two-year pilot program offering graduate students opportunities to develop advanced writing skills and providing support as they share their research findings in the digital world. "The goal of the Centre is to help graduate students develop the skills to communicate their message and knowledge, not only to other scholars, but also to members of the wider community who will benefit from their work," says Labun, who joined UBC's School of Engineering in 2005 to teach academic and technical communication to undergraduate students in Applied Science. Since 2005, Labun has worked with graduate students on a variety of communication-related topics, contributing to the development of a course in graduate communications. Labun's office and meeting spaces for the new Centre for Scholarly Communication are located LIB 101, on the first floor of the Library building. Psychology Course Union gives back to the community Students donate $300 to psychiatric unit The Psychology Course Union (PCU) has donated $300 to the Adolescent Psychiatry Unit (APU) at Kelowna General Hospital for patient comforts. The donation was 30 per cent of the total money raised by the group through a series of fundraisers over the past year. The PCU wanted to make a difference in the community, and chose the APU from the suggestion of a course union member who had volunteered there and saw the need for such a donation. The donation will allow the APU to purchase items that will make the youth's stay more enjoyable. The money will go towards such items as board games, video games and systems, as well as opportunities to go on field trips outside the unit. To find out more visit the PCU facebook page, the PCU website, or email them at ubcpsyc@gmail.com.
Immigrant health is subject of three-year study UBC professor examines wellbeing of newcomers who settle in smaller centres Studies have shown the health of immigrants to Canada who live in large cities like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver declines after only a few years, but can the same be said about immigrants who settle in smaller centres? And if so, why? Shirley Chau hopes to answer those questions over the next 36 months when she looks into the wellbeing of immigrants. An Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work, Chau has received a $238,000 grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research to conduct the study involving communities in three provinces.
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OKANAGAN CAMPUS News • Making green roofs greener People • Carolyn Labun leads new Centre for Scholarly Communication Research Spotlight • Immigrant health is subject of three-year study
Latest issue of LAKE Magazine launches tonight Acclaimed and new talent featured in bi-annual publication The latest issue of LAKE Magazine -- a journal of arts and environment -- will be available later today. The official launch for the semi-annual publication will be held at the Bike Shop Café, 1357 Ellis St., from 5 to 8 p.m. The latest issue features artwork by Lyndal Osborne and Tomoyo Ihaya, essays on canoeing in Nunavut plus works by local writers Harold Rhenisch, Lee Hannigan, Laura Ralph, and Natalie Rice. Tickets are $25 at the door and include appetizers and one drink. To find out more, contact Thesen at 250-807-9417 or visit the LAKE website. Weighing in: current scientific evidence and community perspectives on obesity This half-day symposium will showcase current research initiatives to reduce adult obesity, advances and challenges related to improving healthy living with obesity and look at capacity building for collaborative community-based research on obesity. Speakers include:
Date: Friday, Sept. 30 There is no charge for this symposium, but registration is required. To download the registration form, or find out more, visit the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention website. This event is sponsored by the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention, the Faculty of Health and Social Development, and the School of Health and Exercise Sciences. What's Happening on campus The Okanagan campus events calendar is the central point for online information about university-related events, on and off campus. Events at a Glance:
For a full listing visit the Okanagan campus events calendar.
Upcoming writing camps and photography courses being offered by Continuing Studies Members of the campus community who would like to enhance their writing or photography skills should take note of the courses being offered in the next month by Continuing Studies. Writing Camps
Photography courses
Employees can visit the UBC HR Benefits website for more detailed information on tuition benefits for particular groups. To find out more about these courses visit the Continuing Studies website. Exchange your information The Exchange is your newsletter. Let everyone know what's going on in your corner of campus. Send submissions to University Relations c/o Chris Guenard.
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