December 17, 1999
Northern toxicology, biomolecular structures chosen as U of S priorities
Posted December 17, 1999
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 17, 1999 | 99-12-11-OTHER |
Northern toxicology, biomolecular structures chosen as U of S priorities
The process of identifying academic priorities for the University of Saskatchewan began two years ago. All members of faculty were invited to submit proposals, either individually or in groups, for areas they thought should be priorities at the U of S. A set of criteria for judging the merits of each proposal was developed that included promoting cooperation among disciplines, building on the University's comparative advantages, filling a societal need, and building a national or international reputation for the university. These proposals were considered by a selection committee consisting of members of the Planning Committee of Council and others to round out the disciplinary expertise.
Council is the body charged with academic decision making under The University of Saskatchewan Act. Northern ecosystems toxicology and biomolecular structure join biotechnology, chosen by Council last November, as priority areas for the University of Saskatchewan. The University will engage in a similar process next year to identify the final priority areas for the university as defined by this process.
Each U of S college has contributed a portion of its operating budget to a central pool that will be used to fund the successful proposals. Funding for NETI would cover four additional faculty positions: one each in Veterinary Pathology, Soil Science, Geological Sciences, and Biology. Some funds will also be required for program coordination. In total, $250,000 will be required from the University's operating grant each year to support NETI.
Funding for the Biomolecular Structure Teaching and Research Program will permit the hiring of up to four new faculty members with expertise in the use of the Canadian Light Source and the Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Center. The University will contribute $250,000 annually to this project. The Departments of Biochemistry and Chemistry would each hire an expert in x-ray crystallography, while Biochemistry would hire an additional expert in NMR spectroscopy and Chemistry would hire an expert in biophysical chemistry.
For more information, please contact:
Michael Atkinson, Vice-President (Academic)
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-8484
or
Karsten Liber, Director
Toxicology Centre
(306) 966-7441
or
Bruce Waygood, Professor
Biochemistry Department
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4381
NORTHERN ECOSYSTEMS TOXICOLOGY RESEARCH INITIATIVE
NETI will provide the first undergraduate toxicology program in western Canada, while building upon the strength of the existing graduate program. NETI will also conduct research and create a public outreach and communication program to disseminate toxicological risk information to Aboriginal people and others living in, or concerned with, Canada's North.The impact of industrial and municipal developments on northern ecosystems and peoples has become an important scientific, political, and socio-economic issue in Saskatchewan and the rest of Canada. Some people are concerned that these developments are not sustainable, and could have serious long-term impacts on fragile northern ecosystems.
The Northern Ecosystems Toxicology Initiative will evaluate the ecotoxicological and human health risks associated with northern resource development, provide the next generation of toxicologists with the necessary training to address northern issues and other emerging concerns, and disseminate toxicological information to relevant government agencies and the people of Saskatchewan's and Canada's North.
The initiative will be built around the existing U of S Toxicology Centre and various departments such as Biology, Geological Sciences, Soil Sciences, Veterinary Pathology, and Veterinary Physiological Sciences which have developed their own environmental toxicology strengths. Future developments could include initiatives linking toxicology concerns with northern health, nutrition, and social issues.
Proponents of the initiative include the Toxicology Centre, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Colleges of Agriculture, Pharmacy & Nutrition, Engineering, Medicine, and College of Arts & Science.
BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE TEACHING AND RESEARCH PROGRAM
The University of Saskatchewan has been awarded two major infrastructure grants through the Canada Innovation Foundation (CFI): the Canadian Light Source (synchrotron) and the Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Center. These facilities have created a unique opportunity to develop research-driven academic programs, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, in macromolecule structure/function studies, polymer chemistry, and material sciences at the University of Saskatchewan.Proponents of the initiative say it will help the U of S to compete for research funding through the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR). In Canada, one of the strongest Networks of Excellence is PENCE (Protein Engineering Network of Center of Excellence), based at the University of Alberta. PENCE has been a strong supporter of the Canadian Light Source project; the Biomolecular Structure Teaching and Research program will also permit the U of S to have a more substantial presence in PENCE.
The Biomolecular Structure Teaching and Research Program builds on the University of Saskatchewan's traditional strength in this area. The U of S Department of Chemistry continues to have a strong research performance in the tradition of the two Nobel Laureates have been associated with the U of S Department of Chemistry (Dr. Taube and Dr. Herzberg). Researchers in the Department of Biochemistry have maintained a strong research base with the Medical Research of Council and are involved in protein structure determinations by both x-ray diffraction and NMR.
December 10, 1999
U of S Professor on International Team Tracking Pollution withNew Satellite Instrument
Posted December 10, 1999
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 10, 1999 | 99-12-07-AR |
U of S Professor on International Team Tracking Pollution with New Satellite Instrument
Professor Gary Davis is a co-investigator on the 11-member team that has developed an instrument called MOPITT (Measurements of Pollution In The Troposphere) that will be aboard Terra when it's launched from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California next week.
MOPITT is Canada's first major instrument to measure pollution of the Earth's atmosphere from space. Built by a consortium of Canadian companies including SED Systems of Saskatoon, MOPITT is the most expensive and most ambitious space science experiment ever funded by the Canadian Space Agency.
Its aim is to enhance knowledge of the lowest region of the Earth's atmosphere, known as the troposphere, information which could reveal how pollution is affecting the environment and how pollution levels are affected by human activities. The data will be used to predict the long-term effects of atmospheric pollution and evaluate the effectiveness of pollution controls worldwide.
During its five-year mission, MOPITT will continuously scan most of the planet every four days. It will measure two pollutant gases - carbon monoxide and methane -- in the bottom 10-15 kilometres of the Earth's atmosphere.
"MOPITT is making completely unprecedented measurements," said Davis, noting that there are currently few measurements of tropospheric chemicals due to the region's great variability and cloud cover. "No space experiment has ever measured these two gases on a global scale."
Methane, a greenhouse gas, is increasing in the atmosphere at a rate of about one per cent per year, but the source of this increase is not certain. Measurements of carbon monoxide will shed light on the chemical reactions that occur in the Earth's lower atmosphere as a result of human activities such as biomass burning.
"We'll be directly measuring the effects of the burning of the Amazon rain forest which releases both methane and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere," he said.
"There's a lot of carbon monoxide produced in big cities and we'll be able to measure the plume as it's carried away by the wind."
NASA's Terra satellite, which will carry four other scientific measurement instruments, represents the biggest and most significant study of the Earth's environment to date. NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and the instrument teams will collaborate throughout the operation of the satellite to release new information as it is discovered, whether it relates to forest fires, pollution, polar ice cap melting, or other atmospheric changes.
The Canadian members of the research team are building a MOPITT lookalike, called MOPITT-A, which will be used to double-check the measurements made by the satellite instrument. The MOPITT-A instrument will be periodically flown on a high-altitude research aircraft directly beneath the satellite so that both instruments "see" the same surface and atmosphere.
"All experiments are capable of going wrong in various ways and producing the wrong numbers but with space experiments we have no way of checking because they're in orbit," he said. "So we validate the satellite data by comparing against independent but comparable measurements of exactly the same stuff."
The data validation program will be run from the U of S by Davis and his team. "We anticipate U of S graduate students will be involved in the processing and interpretation of data," he said.
MOPITT-A is currently being built at the University of Toronto using spare parts from MOPITT itself. "We hope to put MOPITT-A on the research aircraft for the first time in March of 2000," he said.
The major project for MOPITT-A in 2000 will be scanning southern Africa in September. Davis will be in South Africa for the take-off and landing of the research aircraft carrying MOPITT-A. He notes the aircraft, known as the ER-2, is the same design as the Cold War spy plane known as the U-2.
Davis has been involved in the MOPITT experiment since 1991. He was invited to help test the MOPITT instrument by Professor James Drummond of the U of T who heads up the international science team and who was Davis' graduate supervisor 20 years ago.
"This project is the culmination of many years of effort by many people," said Davis. "Though the international team advises on the design and will interpret the data, this is a major space experiment built and paid for by Canada. It demonstrates Canada's commitment to understanding how human activities produce changes in our atmospheric environment."
For more information, contact:
Dr. Gary Davis
Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-6462
G.R.Davis@usask.ca
http://physics.usask.ca/~davis
$3.4-Million Canadian Light Source Contract Awarded toSaskatchewan Firm
Posted December 10, 1999
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 10, 1999 | 99-12-08-OTHER |
$3.4-Million Canadian Light Source Contract Awarded to Saskatchewan Firm
PCL-Maxam's bid was one of three, all from Saskatchewan. The work includes the installation of the roof deck and roofing, wall cladding, exterior doors and windows, and a glass wall on the north-facing side of the building with a 60-metre perforated metal screen.
"We're thrilled to be a part of a project of this size," says Dave Marriott, PCL-Maxam project leader. "It will take us about three months just to gather the building components together. We expect to be putting the 'skin' on the building structure in about three months and to complete the work by summer."
Construction of the $173.5-million national facility remains on schedule and on budget.
The building that will house the synchrotron will be complete in December of 2000. Design and tendering is now underway for construction of the synchrotron itself. The synchrotron machine will be built by February of 2003.
The initial set of six beamlines (conduits for carrying synchrotron light to experimental work stations) will be complete by December of 2003 when the project is expected to begin operations.
The $173.5-million total budget is comprised of $140.9 million in new funding plus almost $33 million in existing facilities and equipment.
A synchrotron is a huge machine that produces extremely bright light by using powerful magnets and radio frequency waves to accelerate electrons to very high speeds and energies. This brilliant light allows matter to "seen" at the atomic scale - from the cross-sectional images of a mosquito's knee to the nanosecond-by-nanosecond behavior of protein molecules such as antibodies.
Around the world, major corporations are using synchrotrons to develop better drugs, more effective oil additives and the next generation of computer chips. Other applications range from tiny biomedical implants and stronger metal alloys for airplane wings to better athletic shoes and more absorbent disposable diapers.
The CLS will attract more than 2,000 researchers per year once all beamlines (conduits for carrying synchrotron light to scientific work stations) are fully operational.
For more information, contact:
Barry Hawkins
Project Manager
Canadian Light Source
(306) 966-6065
U of S Security Services introduces Highway Help program
Posted December 10, 1999
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 10, 1999 | 99-12-06-OTHER |
U of S Security Services introduces Highway Help program
Working with the President's Advisory Committee on Personal Safety, Security Services is launching a Highway Help program on campus. The program is intended to create a safe and effective means for motorists to both give and receive help in the event of an emergency.
The Highway Help Program makes available to students, faculty, and staff a "PHONE POLICE" sign that can be displayed on the exterior of the vehicle when help is needed. The sign alerts motorists that help is required and they can provide that help without jeopardizing their own safety by simply alerting the police about the stranded motorist. The sign also provides added security for the driver of the stranded vehicle by informing would-be criminals that the police may have been notified by other passers-by.
This initiative was originally launched in Ontario and the President's Advisory Committee on Personal Safety recognized the value of the program and brought it back to the campus community.
"This program is of particular importance here in Saskatchewan where a sparse population in rural areas and a harsh climate raise serious concerns about travel in the winter," said Bob Ferguson, Acting Director, Security Services. "We want to ensure that the members of our community arrive at their destinations safely."
Signs are available at the Place Riel kiosk, the Women's Centre (Memorial Union Building), Security Services, the Agriculture Building kiosk, and the residence office in Saskatchewan Hall.
"A national launch of the program will take place on January 12, but by providing these signs free of cost to the university community now, we are hoping to make the holidays that much safer for family travel," said Candace Northey, Women's Centre Co-ordinator and member of the President's Advisory Committee on Personal Safety.
For more information, please contact:
Bob Ferguson
Acting Director
Security Services
(306) 966-8877
(306) 222-8276
Angie Montgomery
Special Constable
Security Services
(306) 966-4504
(306) 221-6920
December 08, 1999
Saskatchewan Researchers Undertake Major Population Health Survey
Posted December 08, 1999
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 8, 1999 | 99-12-04-OTHER |
Saskatchewan Researchers Undertake Major Population Health Survey
The Saskatchewan Population Health and Dynamics Survey is being conducted independently for the province's health districts and is being paid for by Saskatchewan Health.
"Its results will provide the most thorough, comprehensive picture we have ever had." said Dr. David Butler-Jones, Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Health Officer. "Good, solid information is essential to make sure our health programs are as effective and efficient as they can be for all Saskatchewan people."
Professor Carl D'Arcy, Director of Applied Research at the University of Saskatchewan, said "By directly asking people about their health experiences and health practices, the survey will provide timely information essential to informed decision-making."
D'Arcy's group and the University of Regina's Sample Survey Unit led by Pamela Smith will each interview 3,500 Saskatchewan residents. The sample has been scientifically selected to be representative of the province's diverse population, drawing from both rural and urban residents, all age groups and both genders from all parts of the province.
To ensure confidentiality, all interviewers are sworn to maintain anonymity and confidentiality. Interviews are securely stored and only grouped data is reported.
Questions in the survey have been developed in consultation with the health districts and expert advisors. Issues to be probed include:
- the health status and problems of Saskatchewan people
- whether some health problems run in families
- how people feel about themselves and their stress levels
- the health care services that people use, including complementary therapies
- health-related behaviors such as smoking, exercise, etc., and health protective practices
- opinions about health issues
As well, the survey will assess the extent to which informal health care is provided by family members and friends.
The population health survey will provide information that will help design accessible, efficient and affordable health policies and programs for Saskatchewan people at the local, regional and provincial level.
Preliminary results are to be reported in the fall of 2000.
For more information, contact:
Carl D'Arcy
Director of Applied Research
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-8769
Pamela Smith
Sample Survey Unit
University of Regina
(306) 585-4764
Pamela.Smith@uregina.ca
FAX: (306)-585-4784
December 02, 1999
Atlas of Saskatchewan available at U of S Bookstore
Posted December 02, 1999
Atlas of Saskatchewan available at U of S Bookstore
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 24, 1999 | 99-09-12-OTHER |
U of S, Province Unveil New Saskatchewan Atlas
The Atlas of Saskatchewan was first published in 1969 as a Canadian Centennial project under the editorship of Professor J.H. Richards and the cartographic direction of Professor K.I. Fung. Although out of print for more than 25 years, the Atlas of Saskatchewan has continued to be a valuable reference tool.
Compiled using state-of-the-art mapping technology, the Second Edition of the Atlas contains 340 pages and over 800 multicolored maps, expanding greatly on the original version. It is a comprehensive, in-depth view of the province and, like its predecessor, the contents have been organized using a thematic approach. Through the use of multicolored maps and accompanying elaborative texts, the Atlas portrays the province's heritage and history, physical environment, wildlife, natural resources, population, Aboriginal peoples, economy, and major cities in individual themes and in their interrelations and interactions over space and time.
The Atlas of Saskatchewan has been designed for a broad range of users and will be a valuable asset for schools, post secondary institutions, libraries, businesses and industry, government and crown agencies, and the general public - not only in the province and Canada, but world-wide.
The Atlas took over three years to complete and represents a collaborative effort of more than 80 Saskatchewan scholars and scientists who are experts in their fields of specialization. All expenditures on the production and printing of the new Atlas were made in Saskatchewan.
As well as creating one full-time and one half-time position for highly skilled professionals, the Atlas provided support for several graduate students to be trained in leading-edge technical skills. Financial support for the production of the Atlas came from the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan.
For information about ordering the Atlas, contact the University of Saskatchewan Bookstore, Marquis Hall, 97 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 4L3, phone (306) 966-4468 or fax (306) 966-7416.
For more information, please contact:
Ka-iu Fung, Editor of Atlas of Saskatchewan
Professor of Geography
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-5663
or
Dr. Ernie Walker
Dept. of Archaeology and Anthropology
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4181
New Community-University Institute To Forge HealthyCommunities Through Research
Posted December 02, 1999
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Thursday, December 2, 1999 | 99-12-03-OTHER |
New Community-University Institute To Forge Healthy Communities Through Research
The project is one of only 22 to be funded across Canada under the new Community-University Research Alliances (CURA) grants program of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The winning projects were chosen from among 178 initial submissions through a rigorous competition process by an interdisciplinary committee of academic and non-academic experts.
John Manley, Canada's Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for SSHRC, announced late Wednesday that the Saskatoon institute will receive more than $591,000 over three years under the CURA program. The rest of the money will come from the U of S ($455,800) and community partners ($235,900) through both cash and in-kind contributions.
Partners include the City of Saskatoon, Quint Development Corporation, Regional Intersectoral Committee on Human Services, Saskatchewan Research Council, Saskatoon District Health, Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority and The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix.
The new institute will undertake research, education and training, and knowledge sharing in three areas - quality of life indicators, health determinants, and economic development. A wide variety of issues such as child poverty, social housing, and cultural, Aboriginal, gender, and environmental concerns will be addressed.
"This project is an extremely exciting initiative and a major achievement both for the U of S and the community," said U of S President Peter MacKinnon. "It will link the research needs and practical knowledge of community-based organizations with the technical expertise of U of S researchers in a wide range of disciplines. It will bring $600,000 into Saskatoon to help find collaborative, 'town-gown' solutions to community problems."
He noted the proposal grew out of the Saskatoon Quality of Life Roundtable meetings that have taken place regularly between university and community representatives over the past two years.
"The fact that this institute is being launched today is a testament to the long-standing relationship of mutual learning and collaboration that has existed between the University and the community," he said.
Institute co-director and city councillor Kate Waygood said, "The new institute will be an easily accessible centre for research and analysis pertaining to the health, wealth and social cohesion of our community. This partnership between both the community and university experts will bring together the unique skills and assets of each sector. We hope to provide critical analysis based on recognized research methods to enable policy makers to make more timely decisions."
Co-director Jim Randall, a U of S geography professor, said he's excited about the prospect of undertaking community-based social science research and translating this into services and policy. "Instead of having abstract research that sits on a shelf, you can actually make a difference in the lives of people," he said.
Randall said the overall goal of the institute is "to build the capacity of researchers, community-based organizations and ordinary citizens to enhance the quality of life in healthy and sustainable communities throughout Saskatchewan."
Roughly 15 U of S faculty will be involved in the institute. As well, there will be opportunities for students to participate in research projects.
"Built into this proposal are a minimum of 15 graduate student scholarships and 30 paid internships so that graduate students will be able to work directly with community organizations," Randall said. "Not only does this provide a service to the organizations, it exposes students to the issues that are most relevant to the community and trains them to become future community leaders."
The institute will communicate its research findings to the community in a variety of ways including a Web site. It will also create a "data warehouse" accessible to the public and develop culturally and socially appropriate research techniques.
It is expected that the new institute will be self-financing after three years.
SSHRC is Canada's main funding agency for research and graduate training in the social sciences and humanities. A total of $13.6 million in new grants over three years will go to the 22 joint research ventures between universities and community partners announced Wednesday.
For more information contact:
Dr. James Randall
Professor of Geography
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-5678
randall@sask.usask.ca
or
Councillor Kate Waygood
Community Development Worker
Saskatoon District Health
(306) 655-4950
waygoodk@sdh.sk.ca
