December 19, 2000
U of S Graduate Awarded Rhodes Scholarship
Posted December 19, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ? December 19, 2000 2000-12-05-LAW
U of S Graduate Awarded Rhodes Scholarship
A U of S law graduate has been awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship by
Oxford University in England.
Dwight Newman will begin his studies in October 2001 along with only 10
other scholars selected from Canada. The scholarship was based on his high
academic achievement, leadership ability and his contribution to the
community.
Mr. Newman follows in the footsteps of previous recipients who include: U.S.
President Bill Clinton, former Prime Minister of Australia, Bob Hawke, and
Chairman of the Senate in Pakistan, Wasim Sajjad.
Mr. Newman convocated from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law in
1999 and was accepted as an articled clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada
serving under Chief Justice Antonio Lamer and Justice Louis LeBel. He is
currently working in Cape Town, South Africa, for the Human Rights Committee
of South Africa, monitoring and reporting on human rights issues.
University President, Peter MacKinnon, said: "Mr. Newman was an exceptional
undergraduate student and is a credit to the University of Saskatchewan. We
are proud of his achievements."
Mr. Newman added: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to study at
Oxford. I am positive the experience will be enriching and I hope that
through my work I will be able to make a valuable contribution to society."
Since 1981,12 Rhodes scholarships have been awarded to the University of
Saskatchewan graduates. A total of 90 scholarships are awarded each year.
For more information, contact:
President Peter MacKinnon
University of Saskatchewan
Tel: (306) 966-6612
December 08, 2000
U of S Scientists to Analyze Bacterial DNA in 550-Year-Old Hunter?s Frozen Remains
Posted December 08, 2000
Three University of Saskatchewan researchers have joined scientists from
around the world to conduct detailed studies on the 550-year-old frozen
remains of a hunter found at the edge of a remote glacier in British
Columbia.
The U of S project ? one of 10 different studies underway in Canada,
Britain, the U.S. and Australia ? is aimed at learning what diseases were
present in the area at the time.
Microbiologist Harry Deneer has teamed up with anthropologist Ernie Walker
and graduate student Treena Swanston to perform microbial DNA analysis on a
variety of tissues from the hunter?s body to determine how present-day
bacteria have evolved from ones from the 1400s.
They will extract bacterial DNA from very small tissue samples taken from
the hunter, and analyze the DNA sequences of the microbes to identify any
disease-causing as well as non-pathogenic bacteria that may be present.
By comparing the bacteria that inhabited the body 550 years ago to modern
micro-organisms, the researchers anticipate being able to detect differences
in certain genes.
"That?s useful in determining what environmental pressures may cause
organisms to change over time," said Deneer. "What we hope to find out is
what gene sequences are more prone to evolve and this could help predict how
disease-causing organisms may evolve in future."
The hunter?s remains and his walking stick, woven cedar hat, spear-thrower
and leather pouch were found by modern-day hunters last August. Local First
Nations people named the find Kwaday Dan Sinchi meaning "long ago person
found."
The terms under which the human biology studies will proceed was worked out
under an agreement between the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and the
B.C. government. The First Nations are also leading several cultural
research projects. The agreement ensures cultural concerns are respected
while recognizing the significant potential of the discovery for learning
about the past.
Tissues to be used in the U of S research were obtained in September. Should
any tissues not be used for research, they will be returned to B.C. for
burial in the near future.
The team will begin work shortly to extract the DNA and make multiple copies
in order to study microbial gene sequences. At the completion of this
project, the results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed
journal. Until the results are found acceptable through this peer review
process, it will not be possible to provide specific details of results.
Results aren?t expected for up to a year.
Deneer said it?s very exciting to be involved in this project, particularly
because DNA analysis of ancient remains is still a relatively new field. He
noted the U of S has significant expertise in the area of microbial DNA
analysis, particularly through the Clinical Microbiology Department at Royal
University Hospital.
According to the B.C. government, initial radiocarbon dating indicates the
artifacts are roughly 550 years old, predating Christopher Columbus? voyage
to the New World, as well as being 300 years before first known European
contact on the Northwest Coast.
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For more information, contact:
Harry Deneer
Associate Professor
Department of Microbiology
University of Saskatchewan
1-306-655-1782
deneer@duke.usask.ca
Kathryn Warden
U of S Research Communications Officer
University of Saskatchewan
1-306-966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
"Investing in Ideas" ? U of S Research
http://www.usask.ca/research
U of S Announces New Associate Vice-President
Posted December 08, 2000
The Board of Governors at the University of Saskatchewan approved the
appointment of Dr. Rick Bunt as Associate Vice-President (Information and
Communications Technology) for a five-year, renewable term, effective
January 1, 2001. This is a newly-created position.
The appointment was the result of a thorough search for qualified candidates
by a search committee chaired by Vice President Academic, Michael Atkinson.
The 10-member committee advertised the position in several publications
nationally and consultants from Bruce Ward Partners Inc. of Toronto assisted
in the search. Nominations were gathered from across Canada.
Four candidates were selected for the two-day interview process. The
appointment of Dr. Bunt, currently Professor of Computer Science and Acting
Associate Dean (Science) in the College of Arts and Science, was strongly
recommended by the committee.
"Dr. Bunt has been an aggressive advocate for information and communications
technology for more than 30 years," said Dr. Atkinson. "We are delighted he
has agreed to take this position."
Explaining the decision to recast the Associate Vice-President position, Dr.
Atkinson added: "Technology decisions are fundamentally changing the nature
of society, opening Canada?s borders to the world and creating a
knowledge-based economy. Dr. Bunt has a mandate to provide leadership on
both the academic and administrative fronts to ensure that the U of S is
well positioned to take maximum advantage of our considerable strengths in
information and communications technology."
Dr. Bunt holds a B.Sc. from Queens, an M.Sc. and a Ph.D. from the University
of Toronto. He joined the faculty at the University of Saskatchewan in 1972
as Assistant Professor. He was appointed Associate Professor in 1975 and was
promoted to Full Professor in 1982. He has served as Head of the
Department
of Computer Science (1986-1991), as Acting Associate Dean (Academic)
(1998-1999) and Acting Associate Dean (Science) (2000) in the College of
Arts and Science. He has a strong publication record in his discipline, and
he currently holds research grants totaling $64,000 in 2000-2001.
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For further information, contact:
Dr. Michael Atkinson
Vice-President Academic
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-8484
December 01, 2000
Former U of S "Cobalt-60" physicist inducted into Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame
Posted December 01, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ? December 1, 2000
Former University of Saskatchewan medical physicist Harold Johns (1915-1998)
was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of
Fame Thursday at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa.
One of the founders of medical physics, Johns made an internationally
significant contribution to medical research that has improved treatment for
cancer and relieved the suffering of countless patients worldwide.
Johns, who worked at the U of S from 1945 to 1956, was best known for his
development of the cobalt-60 cancer therapy unit in 1951. Also known as the
?cobalt bomb,? the unit revolutionized the treatment of cancers located deep
in the body, where previous radiation therapies had proven ineffective. It
has been estimated that seven million people around the world have
benefitted from cobalt-60 therapy.
Johns also developed a table of X-ray dosage rates -- at various depths in
human tissues, for a variety of energies, and for various types of treatment
equipment -- which is still used today as the basis for X-ray dosage tables.
At the Ottawa ceremony, Peter Hackett, Vice-President of Research at the
National Research Council of Canada, presented a plaque to Johns? daughter,
Gwen Greenstock.
He noted that Johns trained in mathematics and physics, taught the practical
aspects of radar and radio navigation to air force pilots, and tested
aircraft castings with X-rays. This practical orientation in physics led him
to his life's work ? the application of radiation in cancer therapy.
In 1948, Johns and his U of S physics colleagues Leon Katz and Ertle
Harrington were instrumental in obtaining Canada's first betatron
accelerator for research into the forces at work in the atomic nucleus. This
25-million volt device facilitated research in the basic sciences of
physics, chemistry, and biology, as well as cancer treatment.
It was from this work that the U of S went on to become a centre of
accelerator expertise and is now the site of the $173.5-million Canadian
Light Source synchrotron project which is now under construction on the
campus. (For more information, see www.cls.usask.ca )
Johns established a program in medical physics that focused on X-ray
radiation and radioactive isotopes for cancer treatment. The radiation
research group worked on the problem of determining the appropriate doses of
radiation and controlling the radiation during treatment.
Johns went on to University of Toronto where he helped establish the
department of medical biophysics. He eventually becoming Chair of the
department and established a multidisciplinary graduate program stressing
both quantitative and analytical approaches to research.
The Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame is a partnership of the
Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation and the National Research
Council of Canada which seeks to promote Canadian achievements and careers
in science and engineering.
At present, there are 26 inductees. These are chosen by a selection
committee composed of distinguished Canadians who represent some of the most
prestigious scientific and engineering organizations in the country. They
identify inspiring role models for young Canadians, individuals who have had
a lasting impact on society.
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For more information, contact:
Kathryn Warden
Research Communications Officer
Office of the Vice-President Research
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
