Colleagues,
Despite the weather, the calendar tells us spring has arrived — and along with it, the end of another term. I wish everyone success and fulfillment in all you do as classes wrap up, and hope that there are many accompanying opportunities to refocus and rejuvenate.
In news this month:
- Space renovations continue in the Faculty. The next phase will include the area from BMH 2210 through 2326 (which is being renovated to accommodate the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies). During construction, all of RLS will temporarily move to the first and second floors of the Mathematics & Computing Building (MC). Moves are scheduled to begin the last week in April, with renovations starting the first week in May. Completion is scheduled for late October. Closer to the move date, more specific information will be circulated and posted for awareness. Also in progress: former Kinesiology research space on the first floor of BMH (behind 1005 and 1016) is being converted to a series of offices and small meeting rooms to facilitate undergraduate students’ access to instructors and TAs. These renovations are expected to be completed in early May.
- Nominations are now open for the AHS alumni awards. Each year we are proud to recognize alumni who have made outstanding contributions to the health and well-being of society through their professional accomplishments, public service, and/or academic excellence. Nominations will be accepted until April 30. Any questions regarding the award program can be directed to Wanda K. Deschamps, Director of Advancement.
- The AHS Recognition Reception will be held on Friday, March 31 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in AHS 1689. This annual event recognizes undergraduate and graduate students who have received awards over the past year, as well as the generous donors who make student awards possible. All faculty and staff are encouraged to attend and help celebrate our students. If you haven’t done so already, please RSVP to Rebecca Lintaman.
- Congratulations are extended to Craig Janes, who recently received funding from the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Advanced Scholars Program. Working with researchers from the Faculty of Environment and the Water Institute, Craig will build institutional capacity in Zambia to address linkages between climate change and health.
- If you’re visiting the Dean’s office, you will soon notice a new face at the reception desk. We are pleased to welcome Eden Mekonen as the new Support Services Assistant, beginning April 4. Eden comes to us from Equitable Life, where she worked as the New Business Coordinator. Please join us in welcoming Eden to AHS.
- On Saturday, April 1 the Department of Kinesiology will host the ninth annual Brain Bee competition. Over 100 high school students will compete for prizes by answering multiple-choice questions on neuroscience. The first-place winner will take home $400 and qualify for the national Canadian Institutes of Health Research Brain Bee, held in the spring. The event will also feature a brain exhibit and laboratory demonstrations following the competition. Graduate students will showcase several brain specimens, including two full brains and a portion of a brain affected by Alzheimer's disease, and perform three other lab demos, including brain stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation).
- Applications for the RBC Retirement Research Undergraduate Fellowship program will open on Monday, April 10. This award is designed to foster interest and encourage students’ exploration of issues related to retirement and aging. For more information please contact Catherine Maine.
- The AHS HeforShe Committee will host Dr. Cara Tannenbaum, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute for Gender and Health for a special event, Transforming Health Research, on Wednesday, April 5. A few spots are still available to attend the event. Please email Madyson Taylor if you are interested in attending.
- A reminder that the annual graduate student Symposium on Aging Research (SoAR) is scheduled for May 5 in the Davis Centre. The agenda includes a keynote address by Professor John Lewis from the School of Planning on age-friendly cities. Registration deadline is April 28.
- Congratulations are extended to the Faculty’s nine NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) winners: Brianna Hanson (supervised by Joe Quadrilatero), Donna Fok (Jack Callaghan), Jessica Clancy (Laura Middleton), L. Gabrielle Lugod (Russ Tupling), Sebastian Jania (Bill McIlroy), Siyavash Izadi Sokhtabandani (Michael Barnett-Cowan), Adrian Flis (Ken Stark), Michelle Loo (Stacey Acker) and Ambika Bansal (Ewa Niechwiej-Szwedo). These awards are meant to nurture undergraduate student interest and fully develop potential for a research career in the natural sciences and engineering. They are also meant to encourage undergraduate students to undertake graduate studies in these fields. Various graduate scholarship results are coming out and will be announced in a future monthly update.
All the best,
Jim
James W.E. Rush, PhD
Professor and Dean
Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
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