Ringers

Dr. Werner Israel (physics & astronomy) has been named a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIAR). The category honours the CIAR's most distinguished senior scholars who have made "sustained research contributions at a signficant level of originality and impact."Israel is a fellow of the CIAR cosmology and gravity program, the author of numerous seminal papers on black holes, gravitational theory and relativistic statistical mechanics, and co-editor (with Stephen Hawking) of two books commemorating the Einstein and Newton centenaries. The CIAR is a "university without walls" that forms interdisciplinary research networks across Canada and around the world to tackle fundamental questions about the natural world and human society.

Research at the University of Victoria 2002-2003, a publication produced by Robie Liscomb (communications services) and Malahat Group International for the vice-president research has won a bronze medal in the Summit Awards for Excellence in design by small advertising agencies. Malahat also won a silver Summit Award for graphic identity and related design materials they developed for the Phoenix Theatres.

Dr. Howard Brunt has been reappointed associate vice president research for a five-year term beginning Jan.1 2004. Brunt has held the post since 1998. He joined UVic's school of nursing in 1990 and for the past decade has been working alongside geneticists, physicians and nutritionists conducting cardiovascular research among the Hutterites of Alberta. He's also a leader in the development of the Canadian International Nurse Research database, a global resource for nursing research, and was the founding coordinator of the nursing research unit at UVic. As associate vice president research Brunt is responsible for university-wide research services, including research regulatory committees, internal research support programs, and liaison with provincial and federal granting agencies.

Joe English, a PhD student in earth & ocean sciences, won the best paper in tectonophysics at the American Geophysical Union-European Geophysical Union (AGU-EUG) joint meeting in June. The two organizations have 70,000 members worldwide, and about 14,000 papers were presented at the meeting. Tectonophysics is the study of the physics behind the movement and deformation of rocks. English's paper described the development of computer-based thermal models of the Earth at subduction zones-regions where oceanic crust plunges down into the Earth's interior.

The faculty of business has named Linda Petch as MBA Mentor of the Year. Petch, who is president of Petch & Associates Ltd. management consultants, joined the MBA mentor program in November 2002 and has made a profound difference in the eyes of her 'mentee,' student Seema D'Souza. "Our relationship has not only taught me about corporate governance, it's also taught me a great deal about myself," writes D'Souza in her nomination of Petch. "Through this relationship I've gained direction, knowledge, and confirmation of my talents. Somehow, Linda knows when to make suggestions and 'problem solve' and when to just sit and listen."

Aboriginal justice and governance professor John Borrows' book Recovering Canada: The Resurgence of Indigenous Law has won the Donald Smiley Prize for the best book in political science for 2002. The prize is made each year to the author or authors of the best book published in English and French relating to the study of government and politics in Canada. The prize was established to honour the life and work of Canadian political scientist Donald Smiley and to encourage the ideals of scholarship he represented.

Dr. Steve Lonergan (geography/global studies) is taking a leave of absence to spend the next two to three years in Nairobi, Kenya, as director of the United Nations environmental program's division of early warning assessment (DEWA). The division collects and provides environmental data and information across all countries, with a focus on developing regions. Examples of DEWA's work include monitoring the drying of the Aral Sea, and the extent of damage from oil fires during the Gulf War.

At recent meetings the board of governors approved the following appointments: Dr. Deborah Begoray, chair of curriculum and instruction (three years); Dr. Dan Smith, chair of geography (three years); Dr. Gary MacGillivray, chair of math and stats (five years); Dr. Michael Roney, chair of physics & astronomy; Dr. Colin Bennett, chair of political science (three years); Dr. Daniel Laskarin, chair of visual arts (three years); Dr. Christopher Thomas, history in art (one year); Dr. Leslie Saxon, chair of linguistics (three years). All appointments were effective July 1.

Several members of the faculty of education are involved in various music performance groups. Christopher Moss (education advising) is directing Gilbert and Sullivan's "Yeoman of the Guard" at the McPherson Theatre; Dr. Robert Fowler (retired faculty) performs with the Peninsula Singers; Dr. Bruce Howe (physical education) is a tenor with the Linden Singers; and Inez St. Denis (elementary teacher education) is with the Island Singers; Dr. Budd Hall sings with the Gettin' Higher Choir; and Connie te Kampe (curriculum & instruction) is in the cast of the Four Seasons Theatre's production of "Peter Pan."