Thursday, February 23, 2017

Tales of a Teacher: Jonathan Witt

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by Sophie Twardus. This is the second of two Centre for Teaching Excellence Teaching Stories that will appear in the Daily Bulletin this week.

Step into Dr. Jonathan Witt’s classroom and you can’t help but be enthralled by his sonorous voice. Every word he says is clearly enunciated, every sentence is uttered without hesitation, and every idea is carefully, clearly, and patiently explained. During his lecture, there is no chatter of students whispering to one other, and even at the back of the classroom everyone is fully engaged. As his graduate student Jessica Leung says, “John has a gift when it comes to teaching: he’s very eloquent. He can explain a topic to you in many different ways. He also has an awesome speaking voice – it’s very soothing and it takes control of a class somehow.” His undergraduate students echo this assessment. “He’s a great lecturer who never fails to keep class interesting,” says one. Another adds, “He reels you in during the first lecture and after that you won't want to miss a class.” A third raves, “He’ll answer all questions until you understand it. Go to class because he explains things really well!” Most students, it seems, heed this advice: in his fourth-year courses, attendance for any given class hovers around 95% to 98%. With such an enthusiastic following, it’s no surprise that in 2011 Witt received an Excellence in Science Teaching Award.

Witt is not only an expert communicator but is also committed to helping his students acquire and hone that same skill. Jessica Leung says that “From him I’ve learned how to write much better and how to communicate more effectively with people who are not in the field.” This is important, Leung adds, because “many students don’t know how to communicate in a professional setting.” Witt’s emphasis on clear and effective communication permeates all aspects of his teaching. Concerned that his students lack the general vocabulary that they need to communicate effectively, he begins each class with a “words of the day” segment in which he introduces and defines two new words – “opprobrium,” for example, or “nefarious.” By learning all the words, Witt’s students have the opportunity to earn up to four bonus marks at the end of the term. Witt’s rationale for this learning activity is that students need a wide vocabulary to communicate effectively. “Science students,” he says, “tend to have a very recondite vocabulary. Compared to their peers in the humanities, the breadth of their vocabulary can be lacking.”

Witt also strives to create multiple alternative opportunities where he and his students can communicate and interact. This term he has organized a “Study with the Prof Night” before each midterm: he books a room and informs students that he will be present to answer questions. He’ll even offer them tips on how to study effectively. Additionally, if six or more students meet as a group for additional study sessions, Witt will – at their request – make time to attend in order to provide further guidance. Why? Because it’s important, Witt says, given the large size of his classes, “to create more personal learning environments where students don’t feel intimidated.” Students remark frequently on how readily Witt makes himself accessible to them. Graduate student Patrick Pathammavong comments that “He’s very available all the time. He has so many office hours!” Another student remarks on how promptly Witt responds to emails.     

Witt clearly takes a many-pronged approach to teaching, but what drives him, as Jessica Leung observes, is really quite simple: “He really cares about students learning.” 

University of Waterloo official appointed as Canada 150 Community Leader

Kelly McManus, the Senior Director of Community Relations and Events at the University of Waterloo, was appointed as Canada 150 Community Leader by Waterloo mayor Dave Jaworsky.

As a member of the community leaders across the country, Ms. McManus added with honour, "Many local residents - close to 60,000, in fact - share their patriotism with the University of Waterloo when we host our Canada Day celebration each year. However, in 2017, our University joins with the City of Waterloo and other partners for a full year of community events that embody the spirit of innovation that the University of Waterloo, our city, and our country, are known for. Participating as a Canada 150 Community Leader allows the University to be an ambassador and connect our community to our students, faculty and staff."

The City of Waterloo's involvement in the Canada 150 Community Leaders network enables the representation of our local voices during the Canadian celebration of 150 years.

Study finds over-prescription of antipsychotics for Parkinson’s patients

Older adults in long-term care homes who have Parkinson’s disease (PD) are frequently prescribed antipsychotic medications without clear justification, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo and the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging.

The study, published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, found that doctors prescribed antipsychotics to more than one third, 34 per cent, of PD patients in long-term care (LTC) and almost one quarter, 24 per cent of PD patients in complex continuing care facilities.

Antipsychotic medications can treat symptoms of dementia and other neuropsychiatric manifestations associated with PD, but guidelines suggest their use be reserved for those with severe agitation, aggression or psychosis, or those who are a risk to themselves or others.

“We found that antipsychotic prescribing among individuals living with Parkinson’s disease was far greater than that of severe aggression and psychosis combined,” said Dr. George Heckman, Schlegel Research Chair in Geriatric Medicine and a professor in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. “Given the risks associated with this kind of medication, which includes worsening mobility, falls, cognitive impairment, infections and mortality, the prescription of antipsychotics without strong justification of benefit is concerning.”

The study also found that use of physical restraints was frequent among LTC residents living with PD, particularly those who were male, disabled, cognitively impaired and incontinent.

“Our findings suggest that individuals with PD are not receiving optimal care and may be exposed to serious risks associated with antipsychotic and restraint use,” said Professor John Hirdes, of the School of Public Health and Health Systems and head of interRAI Canada. “Persons with PD are affected by a complex burden of issues, both from the disease itself and the health care system.”

While care practices were similar in homes across the country, the study points to the general need for better care for persons in continuing care settings. More frequent physician visits were associated with lower use of restraints or antipsychotic medications. Additional education and training for the health care team can also offer opportunities for better care.

“Increasing access to health-care professionals with advanced training in geriatrics is key to ensuring optimal outcomes for this disease,” said Professor Hirdes. “We need a truly collaborative shared-care approach between primary care clinicians, specialists and inter-professional health providers. Understanding the complexities associated with aging should be a basic requirement for all health professionals.”

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. It affects more than 100,000 Canadians.

The study is part of the National Population Health Study of Neurological Conditions, and is one of the largest Canadian studies ever conducted on Parkinson’s disease.

Powerful radio jets surprising fuel source for star formation

Composite image showing how powerful radio jets from the supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy in the Phoenix Cluster inflated huge "bubbles" in the hot, ionized gas surrounding the galaxy (the cavities inside the blue region imaged by NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory). Hugging the outside of these bubbles, ALMA discovered an unexpected trove of cold gas, the fuel for star formation (red). The background image is from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Astronomers have discovered powerful radio jets from a supermassive black hole – which normally suppress star formation – are actually stimulating the production of cold gas in the galaxy’s halo, proving the existence of a powerful feedback mechanism that potentially fuels future star birth.

The study, published this week in the Astrophysical Journal and led by Helen Russell of Cambridge University, may shed light on the complex relationship between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies – helping explain the workings of the cosmic “thermostat” that controls the launching of radio jets from the supermassive black hole.

"This supermassive black hole is regulating the growth of the galaxy by blowing bubbles and heating the gases around it. Remarkably, it also is cooling enough gas to feed itself,” said Brian McNamara, a University Research Chair in Astrophysics at the University of Waterloo, and co-author on the paper. 

The researchers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to study a supermassive black hole at the heart of a galaxy in the Phoenix Cluster, an uncommonly crowded collection of galaxies about 5.7 billion light-years from Earth.

The supermassive black hole, also referred to as an active galactic nucleus (AGN), is in the process of devouring star-forming gas, which fuels a pair of powerful jets that are erupting from the black hole in opposite directions. Earlier research with NASA’s Chandra X-ray observatory revealed that the jets are carving out a pair of giant "radio bubbles," huge cavities in the hot, diffuse plasma that surrounds the galaxy.

In 2014, McNamara, Russell, who was then a postdoctoral fellow at Waterloo, and their colleagues found evidence of a powerful feedback mechanism in another AGN that was somehow producing an enormous amount of cold molecular gas to fuel new star formation and the nuclear black hole itself.

The latest ALMA observations indeed reveal long filaments of cold molecular gas condensing around the outer edges of the radio bubbles. These filaments extend up to 82,000 light-years from either side of the AGN. They collectively contain enough material to make 10 billion suns.

Thursday's notes

Grade 10 Family Night will take place this evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and will help students learn what they can do now to prepare for applying to any of Ontario's universities.

Location: Applied Health Sciences Atrium and Mathematics 3 building, Waterloo Campus, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue          

Highlights:  

• 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Visit information booths from all Faculties along with Athletics, the Student Success Office, Waterloo International, etc.
• 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. Students and families will gather in the lecture hall for a series of presentations, which will include student speakers and representatives from Admissions and Student Awards and Financial Aid.
• 8:15 to 8:30 p.m. Q & A.