THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA IJBC REPORTS Volume 45, Number 8 April 15, 1999 Find UBC Reports on the Web at www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca >n! IS tf ■J*t* + "1SS*iE|* *'<^ < < v * ^ %< r ». A ' ~i w ^ * — _i,l Hilary Thomson photo At The Crossroads The hustle and bustle of Flagpole Plaza doesn't distract second-year Mechanical Engineering student Peter Lee from his studies on a sunny day. There are 1,566 undergraduate and 61 graduate courses holding exams which started April 13 in most faculties. More than 90,000 exams will be written during the exam period which runs to April 29. Funding basic science research crucial: donor Geologist and mining explorer Stewart Blusson's $50 million gift to UBC last fall carried only one condition — that it be used to support basic scientific research. "Basic science can be the hardest to fund because there's no immediate pay-off," says Blusson, who was on campus recently to get a first-hand look at some of UBC's research facilities. "You don't know where it's going to lead — it's a little bit crazy." On visits to the Biotechnology Laboratory, Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Lab and the Centre for Integrated and Computer Systems Research, Blusson said the enthusiasm, motivation and scientific discipline of researchers and students impressed him. When research funding gets cut back, says Blusson, researchers tend to pursue less risky investigations that stand a better chance of funding because positive results are more predictable. That goes against the grain of basic science," he says. Taking risks is the only way to get breakthroughs." A substantial portion of Blusson's gift will be used to attract federal Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) funding that helps universities upgrade their research infrastructure. That hit the right note, he says, because he wanted the donation to be used for new tools and not be consumed by administrative or building costs. Blusson's own research took place in cramped huts on UBC's campus where he completed his undergraduate Science degree in the '60s. Austere conditions Blusson See FUNDING Page 2 New vice-president, Students appointed Brian D. Sullivan will join the University of British Columbia on Aug. 1 as its new vice-president. Students — a position responsible for shaping the lifelong student experience for prospective and current students, and alumni. Currently associate vice-president of Student Affairs at the University of Guelph, a position he has held since 1988, Sullivan will oversee a portfolio which includes recruitment and admissions, student services, residences, athletics and recreation, community outreach and alumni relations. The portfolio has a total budget of $142 million and about 460 staff. "We place a high value on the well- being — intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual — of our students," said UBC President Martha Piper. "We feel that Brian's experience, skills, vision and energy will help us provide the learning environment in which students will thrive. This key position is critical to realizing Trek 2000, the university's vision for the next century." Sullivan's appointment is for a five- year term. Among his roles will be to emphasize the importance of student well- being in all key university initiatives and to provide leadership in moving UBC to a more learner-centred environment. Sullivan received his A.B. (Biology) from Harvard College in 1968 and a Master's of Public Health (Hospital Administration) at Yale University in 1970. He joined the University of Guelph in 1984 and acted in various positions including executive assistant. Office of the Provost (1984-86), and acting provost. Student Services (1987-88). Among his accomplishments, he has helped initiate ongoing surveys of the undergraduate and graduate student experience, co-founded the Office of First Year Studies and restructured central funding to the Student Affairs Division. He was also responsible for establishing the Sexual and Gender Harassment Office, serving for the last two years on the See VP Page 2 Geographer wins Dean of Arts award by Susan Stem Staff writer Historical geographer Prof. Cole Harris has earned the 1998/1999 Dean of Arts Award. The $5,000 award, established by an anonymous donor, is equal in value to the Killam Teaching Prize and recognizes exceptional contributions by a faculty member in teaching, research, administration and service. "I've won a number of awards but this one comes from my own community. I was a student here in the 1950s and I've been on campus on and off for 45 years," says Harris. "UBC is my home and an award coming from home is particularly meaningful." Undergraduate and graduate students, alumni and colleagues unani- Harris mously supported the award to Harris for his contributions as a teacher in the Geography Dept. as well as his work as a scholar and an editor. Dean of Arts Shirley Neuman says Harris has had a tremendous impact on students with his passion for and deep knowledge about his subject. "Students come out of his courses not only knowing a great deal more about the evolution of Canada but caring about it," says Neuman. Harris has taught geography at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has also supervised numerous PhD students who have gone on to distinguished academic careers in Canada, the United States and Great Britain. See AWARD Page 2 Inside Eggs Porters Offbeat: UBC's flock of quail earns its keep Healthy Budget? Forum: Was the budget about health or spending, asks Prof. Robert Evans Learning To Learn 8 A new method teaches learning disabled students the skills to help themselves 2 UBC Reports • April 15, 1999 Letters Don't forget AMS says archivist Editor: I read with interest the Forum article (March 18) reprinting excerpts from the speech made by CBC reporter Eve Savory when she received the 1998/99 Great Trekker Award. There did, however, seem to be a slight oversight in the introductory blurb to the article. It should be noted that the Great Trekker Award is an award made by the Alma Mater Society. The students initiated this award in 1950 to commemorate the spirit of the Great Trek of 1922, in which the student body marched across Vancouver to protest delays in building the University campus in Point Grey. In determining who should receive the award, the students generally consult with the Alumni Association and various UBC departments. However, it is a student award, made by the Alma Mater Society, and should be referred to as such. Sheldon Goldfarb AMS Archivist LETTERS POLICY UBC Reports welcomes letters to the editor on topics relevant to the university community. Letters must be signed and include an address and phone number for verification. Please limit letters, which may be edited for length, style and clarity, to 300 words. Deadline is 10 days before publication date. Submit letters in person or by mail to the UBC Public Affairs Office, 310 - 6251 Cecil Green Park Road, Vancouver B.C., V6T 1Z1, by fax to 822-2684 or by e-mail to janet.ansell©ubc.ca. VP Continued from Page 1 group charged with developing a new umbrella human rights policy for the University of Guelph. Along with the student affairs' directors, Sullivan worked closely with the provost and deans to integrate student services units with academic programs, a partnership that has helped promote learner- centredness and student success. UBC has about 33,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs and about 167,000 alumni living in 120 countries. Funding Continued from Page 1 prevailed while he was working for the Geological Survey of Canada, he says. The only piece of equipment provided in some cases was a helicopter. Some projects had no food budget so researchers snared rabbits for their meals. Blusson says he chose UBC to receive his donation because of its excellence and highly integrated research activities. "As far as I'm concerned this is the best university in Canada," he says. Lett shining symbol, says student Editor: It is with great sadness that I wish to pay tribute to Evelyn Lett, one of UBC's pioneering student leaders and most illustrious graduates, who passed away March 26. Evelyn Lett was intimately associated with the history of UBC, Vancouver, and British Columbia; few people embodied the complementary ideals of service and leadership quite as well as she. I had the great fortune of interacting with Evelyn Lett on a personal as well as professional level and can truly say that she was one of the most inspiring human beings that I have known. Even in her old age, she was funny and witty and she told the most amazing (true) stories. Evelyn Lett's lifetime of contributions to UBC, to the city of Vancouver, and to the Province of British Columbia was an inspiration to all who knew her. She was and will continue to be a shining symbol of those values to which we might all aspire. Although it is with profound sadness that we mourn her passing, her life will no doubt continue to inspire us all. Andrew Lim Recipient, 1997 Sherwood Lett Memorial Scholarship Award Continued from Page 1 One of his most established courses. Geography 327 and its sequel 328, explore the historical geography of Canada. Harris scored high marks from his students for course content and his ability to make the subject matter relevant, interesting and challenging. Harris has also made major contributions to the understanding of the evolution of Canada, and particularly British Columbia, as it relates to the interaction between First Nations' people and immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries. His books include Canada Before Confederation. Historical Atlas of Canada, Vol. 1, and The Resettlement of British Columbia: Essays on Colonialism and Geographical Change. After almost three decades, Harris remains enthusiastic about his work and the Geography Dept. "I enjoy the greatly varied interests of my colleagues and being in a department that studies both culture and nature," he says. "I think the perspective that geography brings to people and land, to people and place, is particularly important in a big, raw-boned land like Canada." Harris has also been very involved in the community, serving on the board of the Vancouver Museum as well as giving many public lectures. 'The university must try to connect its scholarship to the communities that support it. Our research should give people a richer understanding of the province," he says. He has received many prestigious awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a senior Killam Fellowship, and an honorary Doctor of Laws from York University. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Harris recently completed two years as the Brenda and David McLean Chair in Canadian Studies. Each year the Dean of Arts Award is given in the name of a distinguished emeritus professor. This year it is named for Prof. J. Ross Mackay, one of Canada's foremost Arctic scientists and one of the creators of the Geography Dept. I Monitor Repair J • Free estimates in shop Drive-in service. Full time technician on staff Pick-up/Delivery avail. Most major brands handled Service you can trust | Notebook Rental Toshiba pentium system with CD ROM & Sound Card $50 per week $150 per month I System Upgrade Pkg. 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C Reports do not n Material may be appropriate crec jblished twice monthly (monthly , July and August) for the entire e UBC Public Affairs Office, 310 Road, Vancouver B.C., V6T 1Z1 mpus to most campus buildings be found on the World Wide W caffairs.ubc.ca Paula Martin (paula.martin@ubc i: Janet Ansell (janet.ansell@ubc.c jce Mason (bruce.mason@ubc.ca 3n.stern@ubc.ca), (hilary.thomson@ubc.ca). 3 Boucher (natalie.boucher@ubc.c rtising enquiries: (604) UBC-INFO (8: -2684 (fax). UBC Information Une: ( comes the submission of letters c Opinions and advertising publish ecessarily reflect official universi reprinted in whole or in part wit lit to UBC Reports. in university -6251 Itis ebat ca) a) ). :a) 22-4636) 604) UBC- jnd ed in UBC ty policy. i UBC Reports ■ April 15, 1999 3 Bruce Mason photo Forestry graduate student Hauke Chrestin grasps the future in UBC's Centre for Advanced Wood Processing (CAWP). The national educational, research and service centre, dedicated to Canada's wood products manufacturing industry, is located in the Forest Sciences Centre. Typical of the centre's high-tech tools is this Altendorf F45 Elmo 3 sliding table saw. "It's accurate to within one-tenth of a millimetre and can cut angles to within one-tenth of a degree," says Chrestin, who is transferring advanced sawmilling techniques to B.C. industry. Offbeat by staff writers Cathleen Nichols has found a few fine-feathered friends — about 3,000 of them. Nichols tends UBC's flock of Japanese quail at the Quail Genetic Resource Centre, the largest breeding stock centre of its kind in the world. And the flock earns its keep. Sale of quail eggs for food brings in $14,000 annually for the centre which is part of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. The funds support the raising of the birds which are used by researchers at UBC and around the world to investigate diseases with a genetic component such as glaucoma and artery diseases. Nichols, a senior technician at the centre, feeds the chicks quail kibble, better known as turkey starter diet. There are about 2,000 hens in the flock and they start to lay eggs when six to eight weeks old. Each day Nichols and her co-workers hand-collect about 700 white, blue or brown speckled eggs, which are about one-third the size of a chicken egg. Packed into 24-egg cartons — some bearing the UBC name — the eggs are sold exclusively through distributors for prices ranging from $3 to $4 in nearby Richmond and Vancouver's Chinatown. The eggs taste like chicken eggs because of the standard poultry diet and are most often used in soups or added to sushi. "Kids seem to love eating quail eggs because they're tiny," says Nichols. "It takes about 11 eggs to make an omelette." Some children with an allergy to chicken eggs are able to eat quail eggs, she adds. The tiny shells are also used for Ukrainian egg painting. The craft of eggery uses the shell as a display case for an ornament. The centre also sells hatching eggs. Some go to local daycare facilities and schools where centre staff work with teachers to help children learn about raising poultry. New centre defines industry's cutting edge Canadians moved further from the status of hewers of wood when the national Centre for Advanced Wood Processing (CAWP) opened at UBC April 9. The centre is the result of a national industry initiative to add value to Canada's most important natural resource. The first 10 graduates of the centre's Bachelor of Science in Wood Products Processing program, who are in very high demand in industry, were at the opening. So were representatives of Canada's wood products industry who banded together in 1992 to create an education system dedicated to filling a training void in Canada. Technology, environmental concerns and globalization have brought Canada's wood industry to a crossroads," says centre director Tom Maness. "Our future prosperity depends increasingly on knowledge, new technologies and a highly skilled workforce which is prepared to innovate on an international scale." CAWP — in UBC's new $47.5-million Forest Sciences Centre — contains a state- of-the-art secondary manufacturing pilot plant and complete industry education centre. The opening was staged among the high-tech moulders, saws and computer-aided design and manufacturing labs housed in the unique educational centre in Canada. Companies are clamouring to hire the first graduates who have the skills to become innovative managers as well as specialists in wood engineering and processing. The industry-driven program has a strong focus on internship — the five-year undergraduate degree includes at least 19 months of carefully selected work experience. 'The centre's innovative, hands-on approach has been designed and is evolving to fill a strongly perceived need across the country." says John McLean, acting dean of Forestry at UBC. "Our graduates will not only play an important role in taking better advantage of Canada's wood supply, but will also utilize the business and marketing skills they have acquired to create new opportunities in the global marketplace." CAWP provides workshops, seminars and training in advanced manufacturing to transfer the latest technology to industry. As well, it conducts industry-supported applied research projects and provides consulting services, technical support and customized training programs. UBC was chosen as Canada's national education, research and service centre dedicated to the wood products manufacturing in 1994. CAWP was created in 1996 by a joint partnership among the university, industry and senior levels of government and is guided by its industry advisory board, the National Education Initiative of the Furniture and Wood Products Manufacturing Industry. Science, Arts students top scholarship winners An outstanding chemistry scholar who insists on giving credit to others for her accomplishments is one of six recipients in this year's Sherwood Lett Competition, the premier scholarships for senior undergraduates at UBC. Fahreen Dossa graduates next month with a combined honours bachelor of science degree in chemistry and biochemistry. "It's not just about me. When you accomplish something, you don't accomplish it alone," says Dossa. Dossa won the Sherwood Lett Memorial Scholarship, named in honour ofthe late chief justice of B.C. and first president of UBC's Alma Mater Society. The scholarship carries a $5,000 prize. Dossa says that both Science One, a first-year interdisci- plinary program and her exchange studies at Lund University in Sweden shaped her learning philosophy. The crucial part is in both instances I was learning in a community of learners. I learned from my peers as much as from my professors," says Dossa. Dossa hopes to join Canadian Crossroads International for a four-month posting in West Africa before pursuing a PhD in chemistry on a scholarship at Cambridge. Third-year Law student Kim Stanton, who has been in the top 10 per cent of her Law class, receives the $7,000 John H. Mitchell Memorial scholarship. She graduates May 28, but doesn't necessarily plan to practise law. A community activist with a passion for human rights since she was 16, Stanton says she came to law school for legal training to help her affect change. "I think we need to find ways to make the law effective for people," Stanton says. "Going to court isn't always the answer. Educating people about their rights and Stanton educating law-makers about the impact of law on people is effective too." Stanton will article at the B. C. Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC). A non-profit organization providing legal representation and advocacy support to public interest groups, PIAC is currently representing the B. C. Civil Liberties Union at the APEC hearings. Winnipeg native Jenna Newman leaves UBC next month with a bachelor's degree in honours English and the $3,500 Amy E. Sauder scholarship. Newman, who has financed her education through scholarships, hopes to earn a PhD after taking a year or two off and eventually plans to be a writer of contemporary fiction. "My critical thinking and writing skills developed immensely through interaction with my professors and classmates," says Newman. Other Lett winners this year include: fourth-year medical student Laura Bennion, C. K. Choi Scholarship ($7,500); Kristine Chambers, fourth-year Human Kinetics, Harry Logan Memorial Scholarship ($5,000): Kibben Jackson, third-year Law, Jean Craig Smith scholarship ($2,000). Last year, UBC awarded more than $19 million in scholarships, fellowships, awards and prizes to UBC students. Newman Correction The Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities Policy, which appeared in the April 1 issue of UBC Reports was a draft. Comments are welcome and should be forwarded to Dennis Pavlich, University Counsel, 822-6330 or e-mail dp@oldadm.ubc.ca 4 UBC Reports • April 15, 1999 Calendar April 18 through May 1 Sunday, April 18 School of Music Concert Pacific Baroque Orchestra. Music Recital Hall at 2pm. Call 822- 5574. Monday, April 19 Bio-Mega/Boshringer- Ingelheim Lecture Exploring The Biology Of Human Cytomegalovirus With DNA Arrays. Thomas E. Shenk, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Princeton U. IRC #2 at 3:45pm. Refreshments at 3:30pm. Call 822-3178. Science And Society Performances, Text And Contexts: Reflecting On A Collaborative Research Project With The Philippine Women Centre. Geraldtoe Pratt, Geography. Green College at 6pm. Call 822-1878. St. John's College Lecture The Making Of Vancouver. Alex Stomper. St. John's College Fairmont Lounge at 8pm. Call 822-8788. Tuesday, April 20 MOA Lecture New Context, New Meaning - The Thunderbird Pole Of Gitanoyow. Marjorie Halpin, curator, Ethnology. MOA Theatre Gallery from 7- 9pm. Web site: http:// www.moa.ubc.ca or call 822-5554. Wednesday, April 21 Orthopedics Grand Rounds Osteoporosis As It Relates To The Orthopedic Surgeon. Dr. David Kendler. VGH, Eye Care Centre Aud. at 7am. Call 875-4192. Respiratory Research Seminar Lung Volume Reduction Surgery: Friend Or Foe? Dr. Jeremy Road, Medicine; Dr. Ken Evans, Surgery. VGH, doctors' residence, third floor conference room from 5-6pm. Call 875-5663. Senate Meeting Regular Meeting Of The Senate. UBC's Academic Parliament. Curtis 102 at 8pm. Call 822- 2951. Thursday, April 22 25th Anniversary Open House CUPE 2950 Celebrates 25 Years - Think About That! Leon and Thea Koerner University Centre from4:30-6pm. Prizes, entertainment, hors d'oeuvres. To RSVP call Leslie 822-1494. Chan Centre Fundraising Concert Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Norio Ohga. CEO, Sony Corporation, guest conductor. Chan Centre at 8pm. Web site: http:// www.chancentre.com. Call Ticketmaster 280-3311 or for more information 822-2697. Friday, April 23 Pediatric Grand Rounds Management Of Acute Otitis Media In The Era Of Antimicrobial Resistance. Dr. Ron Dagan. Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit. Ben Gurion U. GF Strong Aud. at 8:30am. Call Ruth Giesbrecht 875-2307. IHEAR Conference Interdisciplinary Views Of Hearing Accessibility For Older Adults: The Sum Of The Parts. Various speakers. Graduate Student Centre lower level ballroom from 8:30am-5:30pm. Continues April 24. $240; $50 student (includes two breakfasts and lunches). E-mail: seniors@audiospeech.ubc.ca or call Lisa Dillon Edgett 822-9474. Health Care And Epidemiology Rounds The Need For Alternative Levels Of Care For Patients In Canadian Hospitals: Analysis Of Studies Across The Country. Charles Wright, director. Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation; Karen Cardiff, research associate. Centre for Health Services and Policy Research. Mather 253 from 9- 10am. Paid parking available in Lot B. Call 822-2772. Chan Centre Concert A Heart and Stroke Benefit: Music From Benny Goodman. Tommy Banks and His Big Band. Chan Centre at 8pm. Web site: http:// www.chancentre.com. Call Ticketmaster 280-3311 or for more information 822-2697. Saturday, April 24 UBC Botanical Garden Lecture Hanging Baskets. David Tarrant; Judy Newton. UBC Botanical Garden Reception Centre from 9am- 12noon. $40; $36 members. To register call 822-3928. Swim Meet Pacific Dolphins Swim Association. UBC Aquatic Centre from j 8am-12noon. Continues to April 25 from 4-8pm. Register with or- i ganizer. Call 822-9623. j Sunday, April 25 Vancouver Recital Society Steven Isserlis, cello; Stephen ! Hough, piano. Chan Centre from I 3-5pm. Web site: http:// www.chancentre.com. Call Ticketmaster 280-3311 or for more information 822-2697. Monday, April 26 Chalmers Institute Ministry Of Supervision, Phase 1. Rev. Aldona Ewazko; VST faculty; team. VST at 8:30am. Continues to April 30. $360. To register call 822-9490. St. John's College Lecture Regulating Rice Wine Consumption. Shannon Waters. St. John's College Fairmont Lounge at 8pm. Call 822-8788. Tuesday, April 27 Chemoprevention/Medical Oncology Seminar Approaches To Prevention Of Breast Cancer. Norman Boyd, head, Epidemiology and Statistics, Ontario Cancer Institute. BC Cancer Agency, 600 W. 10th Ave. John Jambor Room from 12:15-1:15pm. Call Dr. Kirsten Skov 877-6098 local 3021. Green College Speaker Series The Notion Of Time In Science And Mythology. Luigi Luisi, Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Green College at 5pm. Reception Green College Coach House from 6-6:30pm. Call 822-1878. Wednesday, April 28 Orthopedics Grand Rounds Case Presentations: 20 Minutes On Shoulder. Elbow, Wrists. And Hands. P. Cropper; W. Regan; R. Hawkins. VGH, Eye Care Centre Aud. at 7am. Call 875-4192. Nursing Rounds The Work And Impact OfThe AIDS Prevention Street Nurse Program. Various speakers. UBC Hosp., Koerner G-279 from 4-5pm. Call 822-7453. Chan Centre Concert Johann Strauss Capelle: The Original From Vienna - North American Tour 1999. Chan Centre at 8pm. Web site: http:// www.chancentre.com. Call Ticketmaster 280-3311 or for more information 822-2697. Thursday, April 29 Health, Safety And Environment Occupational First Aid Level I. Vancouver Fire Hall #10, 2992 Wesbrook Mall from 8:30am- 4:30pm. $90. To register call Pamela Rydings 822-2029. Physiology/Neuroscience Seminar Src And Na+ In Gain Control Of Excitatory Synaptic Transmission. Dr. Michael Salter, U of Toronto. IRC#3 from 3:45-5pm. Call 822- 2083. Friday, April 30 Pediatric Grand Rounds Can Perinatal HIV Transmission Be Eradicated In Canada. Various speakers, B.C.'s Children's and Women's Hosp. GF Strong Aud. from 9-10am. Refreshments at 8:30am. Call Ruth Giesbrecht 875- 2307. Health Care And Epidemiology Rounds Beyond Health For All: Does Public Health Figure In the Health System Of The Future? Nancy Kotani, director. Health Design System. Vancouver/Richmond Health Board. Mather 253 from 9-10am. Paid parking available in Lot B. Call 822-2772. Pride UBC Meeting Sessional Collective Meeting To Change Bylaws. #26 - 795 W. 7th Ave. at 5pm. Call Co-chair 222- 3542. Chan Centre Concert The Beethoven Trio Vienna: Piano, Violin, Cello. Chan Centre at 8pm. Web site: http:// www.chancentre.com. Call Ticketmaster 280-3311 or for more information 822-2697. Saturday, May 1 Chan Centre Concert Phoenix At The Chan. Phoenix Chamber Choir; Carol Weisman. Chan Centre at 8pm. Web site: http://www.chancentre.com. Call Ticketmaster 280-3311 or For more info 822-2697, Notices UBC Food Services Exam Hours Effective April 12-30. Pacific Spirit Place from 7:30am-2pm; Subway from 7:30am-7:30pm; Barn from 7:30am-4pm; Trekkers from 9am- 2pm; Express at Trekkers from 7:30am-7pm; Yum Yum's from 8am-2:45pm; Bread Garden from 7:30am-4:30pm: IRC from 8am- 3:30pm; Arts200 and Edibles closed. See ad in this paper. Web site: www.foodserv.ubc.ca or call 822-3663. Museum Of Anthropology Exhibition Objects Of Intrigue. Continues to Dec. 31. Mary Anne Barkhouse: Selected Works; Partners In Action: Musqueam Creek Enhancement Project. Continues to June 30. Nunavutmiutanik Elisasiniq: A Tribute To The Peoples Of Nunavut; A Break In The Ice: Inuit Prints From The Linda J. Lemmens Collection. Continues to Sept. 6. Free to UBC students, staff, faculty. Web site: http:// www.moa.ubc.ca or call 822-5087 or 822-5950. Gardens Open The Nitobe Memorial Garden, UBC Botanical Garden and Shop in the Garden will be open until October 11 (inclusive) from 10am-6pm daily (including weekends). For the gardens call 822-9666 and the Shop 822-4529. Vancouver (European) Handball Team Is looking for players at all levels. We meet Fridays from 8-10pm at the Osborne Gym. For more information, visit our Web site: http: Whandball-bc. hypermart.net or call 822-4576. Female Volunteers Daughters who have returned home to live with their parents are needed for a PhD psychology study. An interview at your convenience is required. Please call Michele 269-9986. Twin Research Are you, or do you know a female adult twin? We are studying the relationship types of fraternal and identical female twins. If you can help by completing some questionnaires and being interviewed Next deadline: noon, April 20 about relationships, please e-mail: tmacbeth@cortex. psych.ubc.ca or call Tannis MacBeth, Psychology 822 4826. UBC Utilities Advisory Notice UBC Utilities regularly performs maintenance work on underground piping and electrical systems. Work sites are always blocked off with appropriate signs and barriers, however sometimes these signs and barriers are removed by unauthorized individuals. Please approach work sites cautiously and respect signs and/or work crew instructions to avoid potential harm. If you have any questions concerning a UBC Utilities work site, please call 822-9445. Research Study I am a grad student looking for families with an autistic child(ren) to answer a questionnaire regarding the effects of raising autistic children. The child must be seven years old or younger. Please call Keri Smalley 738-8025. TRIUMF Public Tours An 80 min. tour takes place every Wednesday and Friday at lpm. Free parking. Continues to April 30. To arrange for a group tour call 222-7355 or Web site: http:// www.triumf.ca/. Volleyball Faculty. Staff and Grad Students Volleyball Group. Every Monday and Wednesday. Osborne Centre GymAfrom 12:30-1:30pm. No fees. Drop-ins and regular attendees welcome for friendly competitive games. Call 822-4479 or e-mail kdcs@unixg. ubc. ca. UBC Zen Society Each Monday during term (except holidays) meditation session. Asian Centre Tea Gallery from l:30-2:20pm. All welcome. Call 822-2573. Parents with Babies Have you ever wondered how babies learn to talk? Help us find out! We are looking for parents with babies between four to 21 months of age to participate in language development studies. If you are interested in bringing your baby for a one-hour visit, please call Prof. Janet Werker's Infant Studies Centre, Psychology, 822-6408 (ask for Kate). Studies in Hearing and Communication Senior (65 years or older) volunteers needed. If your first language is English and your hearing is relatively good, we need your participation in studies examining hearing and communication abilities. All studies take place at UBC. Hearing screened. Honorarium paid. Please call The Hearing Lab, 822-9474. Parents With Toddlers Did you know your child is a word-learning expert? Help us learn how children come to be so skilled at learning new words! We are looking for children (two- fouryears old) and their parent(s) to participate in language studies. If you are interested in bringing your child for a forty-five minute visit, please call Asst. Prof. Geoffrey Hall's Language Development Centre, Psychology at UBC, 822-9294 (askfor Kelley). UBC REPORTS 1CTAJ>TP DEADLINE^ The tJBC Reports Calendar lists university-related or university-sponsored events on campus and off earn-* pus within the Lower Mainland. Calendar items must be submitted on forms available from the UBC Public Affairs Office, 310-6251 Cecil Gteen Park Road. Vancouver B.C., V6T 1Z1. Phone: UBC-INFO (822-4636). Fax: 822-2684. An electronic form is available at http://wwmpubMcaffaars.ubc.ca. Please limit to 35 words. Submissions for the Calendar's Notices section may be limited due to space. Deadline for the April 29 issue of UBC Reports — which covers the period May 2 to June 12 — is noon, April 20. UBC Reports • April 15, 1999 5 Bruce Mason photo "It's an Indy-style race car and it will be ready," says Brian Ward, leader of Team UBC Formula SAE. He and nine other Engineering students are putting the final touches to the open-wheeled vehicle they have built from the ground up and will take to Detroit May 19-23. Teams from universities across North America and Europe are entered in the annual competition. Students ready for racetrack challenge by Bruce Mason Staff writer A pile of pipes and bolts is actually an Indy-style race car in progress. It's being constructed by UBC Mechanical and Electrical Engineering students for the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) competition in May in Detroit. The 250-kilogram UBC vehicle is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 kilometres an hour in under five seconds and reaching a top speed of 150 kilometres an hour. The competition appeals to students who want to be the best engineers they can be," says team leader Brian Ward, a third- year Mechanical Engineering student. Formula SAE involves the design, construction and dynamic testing of an open- wheeled racing car. The competition, which attracts about 100 teams from across North America and Europe, has been staged since 1981 and is supported by Ford, GM. Chrysler and other large corporations. UBC students have entered each year since 1990. At the start, most have little or no knowledge of vehicle engineering or fabrication. They gain valuable design and project management experience by working on a selected portion of the car — experience they don't get in a classroom. "We've earned the electronics award two years running," says Ward. "Evan Short, who was in charge of electronics and graduated last year, is being interviewed by five of the top auto racing teams in the world. Others have gone on to exciting and rewarding jobs in industry." Eight separately judged stages determine whether various performance and design objectives have been met. Static events include design and cost analysis. Among the dynamic events are acceleration, fuel economy and endurance. Restrictions on vehicle design ensure that team knowledge, ingenuity and imagination is challenged. Driver safety is paramount. The engine air-take is limited to reduce power output and cars must meet strict side- and front-impact and roll-over standards. The current team of 10 is busy with everything from engine testing and chassis analysis to constructing displays and maintaining a Web site at http:// www.mech.ubc.ca/~sae/links.html. The project is run entirely by students, including fund raising. The team's dream budget is $55,000, but they operate on less which is part of the challenge. 'To keep the competition fresh no car can be driven in more than two competitions, so the biggest job every year is finding new sponsors," says Ward. The team has 35 to 40 sponsors including the Mechanical Engineering Dept., Kawasaki Canada and Magna International. Forum Was the budget about protecting health? by Robert Evans Economics Prof. Robert Evans is a research associate with UBC's Centre for Health Services and Policy Research. This budget is about health," Finance Minister Joy McPhail said firmly a few weeks ago. Perhaps so; it was certainly about health spending. She also reiterated her government's claim, alone among the provinces, to have protected the funding of health care against cuts in federal transfer payments and general economic slowdown. And the numbers bear her out. But they also reveal a remarkable coincidence. Allegations of "underfunding" and responses of "cost explosion" are as old as Medicare. Behind the rhetoric, expenditures in all provinces (per person, adjusted for inflation) moved steadily upward for a quarter-century. But 1992 saw a real turning point. Driven by fiscal crisis, provincial governments finally became grimly serious about cost control. In the six years since, national data and projections compiled by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) show that per person spending on health by provincial governments has been essentially flat — not even increased for inflation. Except in B.C. Health-care spending (per person) by the B.C. government rose by 11.7 per cent, or nearly 2 per cent per year, during this period of general restraint. B.C. actually keeps the national average on the positive side of the ledger; per person spending by the other nine provinces fell by nearly 2 per cent. If spending by the B.C. government had changed in parallel with the others, it would have been $1,714 per person last year instead of the reported $1,950. The discrepancy of $236 is an interesting figure. There were (estimated to be) 4.013 million people in B.C. last year. Multiplying $236 per person by 4.013 million people yields $947 million. Compare this with the provincial deficit of $890 million budgeted for the coming year. Just by the numbers, the cumulative effect of B.C.'s decision to keep health spending growing while other provinces froze it, now accounts for the entire difference between the forecast deficit, and a modest surplus, even including the substantial increases budgeted for this year. Also interesting is the breakdown of B.C.'s spending. The state of relations between the provincial government and B.C.'s doctors might suggest that they, at least, had been particularly badly treated. Not so; per capita expenditure on physicians' services in B.C. rose 18.2 per cent in the last six years, compared with a Canadian average of 2.5 per cent. Excluding B.C., spending on physicians in the rest of Canada rose less than one percent (per person) in six years. The gap of over $100 per person that has emerged between spending in B.C. and in the rest of Canada (recall that the all-Canada average includes B.C.) is enough to account for over $400 million, roughly half of the currently projected deficit. Hospital spending did contract in B.C., but very little, and the decline was exactly matched by a modest expansion in other institutions. In other provinces the reduction in acute care was much larger, and was not offset by the small increases for other institutional care. On the other hand, while pharmaceutical spending has risen dramatically during this period of general restraint, it rose less rapidly in B.C. The attempts by Pharmacare to rationalize prescribing — "lowest cost alternative" dispensing and "reference pricing"— appear to have exercised at least relative restraint on costs. But budgets are about choices, and the B.C. government clearly chose the spending policies of the last six years. They rejected the quite brutal cuts that have been associated with so much distress elsewhere in the country. Are British Columbians healthier or happier as a result? Well, not the providers of care. Doctors, dissatisfied with their fees, damned the new budget as not nearly enough and threaten further job action. (One might ask what would be enough? The only answer seems to be "more.") Nurses and other hospital workers? Well, they went on strike last fall, for higher wages and more positions. If they are less unhappy than elsewhere, it isn't obvious. Providers' consistent message to the public has been crisis and imminent system collapse; nothing about the B.C. health-care system being so much more generously funded than elsewhere; nothing, for example, about the fact that while hospitals have been downsized, access to hospital care has not been reduced. Hospital beds have been closed (and staff positions cut) because patients simply spend less time in bed now, for a variety of mostly good reasons. Hospitals have become substantially more efficient. On the backs of overworked nurses? Perhaps, but nurse staffing per acute bed in B.C has continued to rise over the past decade. Maybe not by enough. It might have been smarter politics for B.C.'s government to follow the lead of Ralph Klein and Mike Harris. Impose harsh cuts on health, trigger a crisis, recognize it and put back part of the money. That way, you get political credit for being responsive, and for running a surplus. You'll be criticized for "underfunding" health care in any case - that seems to be an iron law of Canadian politics. Pretty cynical? This government would probably say they have chosen the high road. They believe that the health of British Columbians is more important than the approval of the bond rating agencies, and worth the public floggings over the deficit. Well and good, but are we healthier than we would otherwise have been? The fact is, we don't know. Data on outcomes of care or on the general health of the population have never been a high priority, either for those who provide care or for those who pay for it (or, it must be said, for the rest of us). But if "underfunding" is such a threat to health as providers claim, surely we should be seeing some evidence of a health gap opening up between B.C. and less favoured provinces. (Stories about B.C.'s older population or higher cost of living are irrelevant. The data above compare changes in spending since 1992.) After all, we are now spending a billion dollars a year more on health care than we would be if our provincial government had chosen to follow the spending patterns of the other provinces. Our government has certainly protected health care providers, but have they protected our health? Well? 6 UBC Reports • April 15, 1999 News Digest Classified This year's Faculty and Staff Golf Tournament will take place at the University Golf Club on Monday, May 10 at 1:00 p.m. Spouses, family members and off-campus friends are welcome join in the fun. The entry fee of $110 per person includes green fees, pull carts, lockers and towels, half-way refreshments, and dinner. Prizes include two floor-level seats for the Vancouver Grizzlies 1999/ 2000 season worth approximately $10,000. Deadline for entries is April 19 at 4:00 p.m. For more information or an entry form contact David Williams at 822-4219,e-mail williams@physics.ubc.ca or Doug Quinville at 822-6090, e-mail doug.quinville@ubc.ca GREEN COLLEGE THEMATIC LECTURES Green College is pleased to announce two new Thematic Lecture Series for 1999-2000: Myths of Nations Convenors: Profs. Sima Godfrey and Frank Unger Institute for European Studies Nature, Culture, and Colonialism Convenors: Profs. Graeme Wynn and Derek Gregory Department of Geography These series will begin in September 1999 and run throughout the academic year. Speakers and schedules will be announced in late summer. For further information: cmtander@interchange.ubc.ca or 822-1878 iiQL Biomedical Communications Phone 822-5769 for more information. The classified advertising rate is Si6.50 for 35 words or less. Each additional word is 50 cents. Rate includes GST. Ads must be submitted in writing 10 days before publication date to the UBC Public Affairs Office, 310 - 6251 Cecil Green Park Road, Vancouver B.C., V6T 1Z1, accompanied by payment in cash, cheque (made out to UBC Reports) or journal voucher. Advertising enquiries: UBC-INFO (822-4636). The deadline for the April 29 issue of UBC Reports is noon, April 20. Accommodation Accommodation POINT GREY GUEST HOUSE A perfect spot to reserve accommodation for guest lecturers or other university members who visit throughout the year. Close to UBC and other Vancouver attractions, a tasteful representation of our city and of UBC. 4103 W. 10th Ave., Vancouver, BC, V6R 2H2. Call or fax 222-4104. TINA'S GUEST HOUSE Elegant accommodation in Point Grey area. Min. to UBC. On main bus routes. Close to shops and restaurants. Includes TV, tea and coffee making, private phone/ fridge. Weekly rates available, Call 222-3461. Fax: 222-9279. GREEN COLLEGE GUEST HOUSE Five suites available for academic visitors to UBC only. Guests dine with residents and enjoy college life. Daily rate $54 plus $14/day for meals Sun- Thurs. Call 822-8660 for more information and availability. BAMBURY LANE Bed and breakfast. View of beautiful B.C. mountains, Burrard inlet and city. Clean,comfortable. Useofliving room, dining room, and kitchen. Min. to UBC, shops and city. Daily, weekly and winter rates. Call or fax 224-6914. GAGE COURT SUITES Spacious one BR guest suites with equipped kitchen, TV and telephone. Centrally located near SUB, aquatic centre and transit. Ideal for visiting lecturers, colleagues and families. 1999 rates $85-$ 121 per night. Call 822-1010. PENNY FARTHING INN 2855 West 6th. Heritage house, antiques, wood floors, original stained glass. 10 min. to UBC and downtown. Two blocks from restaurants, buses. Scrumptious full breakfasts. Entertaining cats. Views. Phones in rooms. E-mail: farthing@uniserve.com or call 739- 9002. _ B & B BY LOCARNO BEACH Walk to UBC along the ocean. Quiet exclusive neighbourhood. Near buses and restaurants. Comfortable rooms with TV and private bath. Full breakfast. Reasonable rates. Non-smokers only please. Call 341-4975. CAMILLA HOUSE Bed and Breakfast. Best accommodation on main bus routes. Includes television, private phone and bathroom. Weekly reduced rates. Call737-2687. Fax 737-2586. ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE GUEST ROOMS Private rooms, located on campus, available for visitors attending UBC on academic business. Private bathroom, double beds, telephone, television, fridge, and meals five days per week. Competitive rates. Call for information and availability 822-8788. ALMA BEACH B&B Beautiful, immaculate, bright rooms with ensuite in elegant, spacious home. Two blocks to Jericho Beach/Vancouver Yacht Club. Gourmet breakfast. Central location to downtown/UBC. N/S. Call 221-0551. THOMAS GUEST HOUSE 2395 W. 18th Ave. Visitors and students of UBC are most welcome. 15 min. to UBC or downtown by bus. Close to restaurants and shops. Daily rates form $50 to $ 100. Please call and check it out at 737-2687. TRIUMF HOUSE Guest house with homey, comfortable environment for visitors to UBC and hospital. Located near the hospital. Rates $40-$65/night and weekly rates. E-mail: housing@triumf.ca or call 222-1062. FRANCE Paris central one BR. Close to Paris, one BR Provence house, fully furnished. Call 738- 1876. SUBLET Main floor of house in Kitsilano neighborhood on tree- lined street. Nicely furnished 1 BR with study and backyard with picnic table. Great location for the university. Also close to beaches, bus routes, shopping, and entertainment. Available May lstto end of August (flexible). Rent $1200 inc. util. Prefer N/S with N/P. Ref. req. E-mail: ecairns@interchange.ubc.ca or call 736-9405. MARPOLE/SW MARINE Lovely 3 BR house, study, L/R, family room, 2 1/2 bath, huge open sunny kitchen/D/R. Convenient to shops/airport/UBC. Avail. July and August. $2750/mo. E-mail: mathonathomson@hotmail.com or call 266-3731. FOR RENT Dunbar character home. Immaculate 3 BR and office, 2 bath, large kitchen, open plan. 2 gas F/P, sundeck, H/W floors, 5 skylights, insuite laundry. Close to UBC and schools. N/S. $ 1600. Call 264-8661. BE AUTIFUL FURNISHED view house. Avail. July 31 '99-Jan. 2 '00. East Vancouver. 10 min. downtown and 30 min. UBC. BR, guest room and study. Gardener, cleaning lady inc. N/P. N/S. $1250 plus util. E-mail: sdavis@sfu.ca or call home 255-7033; office 291 -4855. HOUSE OR INDIVIDUAL ROOMS for rent. 4 BR, 2 bath home in Point Grey starting May 1. Close to UBC, shopping, public transit, beach. N/S, N/P. Prefer female students or couple. $1750/mo. or $425/ room/mo. Plus util. Call 222-4491. ENGLISH COUNTRY GARDEN B&B Warm hospitality awaits you at this centrally located view home. Large rooms with private baths, TV, phones, tea/coffee, fridge. Full Breakfast, close to UBC, downtown, and bus routes. 3466 W. 15th Ave. Call 737-2526 or fax 727-2750. SUMMER RENTAL Immaculate fully furnished home Queen Elizabeth Park/Oakridge area on direct bus route to UBC. Avail, three months mid-May to mid-August (flexible). Rental includes gardener and housecleaning. E-mail: apaul@home.com or call 327- 1745. UK ACADTMlCS~seek furnished accommodation Kitsilano area for two adults and one child, or possible house swap with Cambridge, UK April-August '00. E-mail: sjsl 6@hermes.cam.ac.uk. ARE YOU A FAMILY or older couple with space to share? Woman in her 50's with a mild disability looking for long-term accommodation in Point Grey or South Vancouver, Seeks bed- sitting room with private bath. Situation with family or older couple ideal. Enjoys kids, pets. Very flexible tenant. Needs some help with meal preparation and housekeeping, but adjusts easily to family's routines. Will pay up to $600/mo. rent and $130/mo. food. Desires occupancy after May 1. If interested, call Andrea 222-2279. HOUSE OR APARTMENT wanted for rent or sublet by a couple. Call 604-886-2607. House PROFESSIONAL COUPLE with no children would like to housesit. Avail. June 1. Somewhat flexible regarding dates. Call 473-0326; 731-0645. HOUSE AND PETSITTING Planning a vacation, visit or business trip? We provide experienced and reliable care for your home, pets and garden/plants. Top ref. Serving the West side since 1988. Call Vancouver Homewatch 734-5885. SerrMsii TRAVEL-TEACH ENGUSH 5day/40 hr TESOL teacher certification course (or by correspondence Jun. 23-27, Sept. 22-26, Nov. 24-28). 1,000s of jobs available NOW. FREE information package, toll free (888) 270-2941 or (403) 438-5704. ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, TEACHERS, WRITERS all belong to Science Connection, the networkforsingle people whose interests include science or nature. Check it out! Website: www.sciconnect.com/ or call (800) 667-5179. INCOME TAX PREPARATION Call Ed Jackson 224-3540. Berkowitz & Associates Consulting Inc. Statistical Consulting ' research design • data analysis • sampling • forecasting Jonathan Berkowitz, Ph.D 4160 Staulo Crescent, Vancouver, B.C., V6N 3S2 Office: (604) 263-1508 Fax: (604) 263-1708 UBC Reports ■ April 15, 1999 7 Overleaf Overdrive Susan Stern photo Close to 900 titles were collected recently in a Keys to Literacy children's book drive in Brock Hall organized by members ofthe Golden Key National Honour Society. Society members include (1-r) Stephanie Bendickson, third-year Commerce and Business Administration, Yvette Lu, third-year Integrated Science, Elaine Chong, third year Pharmaceutical Sciences, society president Pahreen Dossa, fourth-year Chemistry, Zina Lee, fourth-year Psychology, Andrew Lim, fourth-year Microbiology, and Claudia Buff ore, fourth-year English. The books are being donated to students at Queen Alexandra Elementary School in East Vancouver. New classroom teaches Arts students and faculty A new electronic classroom, the Faculty of Arts Multimedia Lab, is being used as both a learning venue for student courses ranging from modern languages to economics, and a training ground for faculty and staff in multimedia development. A leader in electronic communication at UBC, the Faculty of Arts has two other multimedia labs which have been serving various departments in the faculty since the mid-1990s. "Language-learning software is available to students for in- SB* & ITServices Bug busters Plant Operations Building business as usual come 2000 Stashing cash and hoarding food may be the way some people expect to meet the millennium bug but UBC's Plant Operations is aiming for business as usual come Jan. 1, 2000. Plant Operations has been testing systems since early last spring and recently hired a consultant to audit about 130 buildings. They checked all life-safety, heating, ventilation, lighting and elevator systems. "Y2K preparedness is nowhere near as big an issue for us as we expected," says Dan Leslie, associate director. Building Operations. "Most of our building systems are Y2K-compliant with the exception of a few control and fire alarm systems which need some upgrading." Building Services will reprogram or replace affected systems by early summer at a cost of about $200,000. Many of the campus' older building do not use date- sensitive automated systems, Leslie adds. Y2K certification has been requested from vendors of fire alarms, elevators and building controls such as computer-operated heat valves. Supplied services such as electricity, water and gas and sewage disposal have also been audited. The Y2K bug will not affect water, electricity and gas systems because they use real-time controls rather than date controls, says Gordon Apperley, director of UBC Utilities. If supply is disrupted, systems will automatically shut down without reference to date or time, he says. Apperley has received confirmation of Y2K-compliance from BC Hydro and expects to receive similar confirmations from BC Gas and the Greater Vancouver Regional District. struction in French, German, Italian Chinese, Spanish and other languages," says Ulrich Rauch, co-ordinator of the Multimedia Language Centre which will use the lab. "Students practise languages by recording and playing audio and video files on the computers." Currently about 24 Arts faculty and instructors are learning how to use WebCT, a computer program developed at UBC. WebCT allows teachers to build their own Web pages for courses and include discussion groups and chat rooms for students who have access to the Internet. Faculty are also becoming familiar with software to develop presentations and lectures that incorporate audio and video clips. The lab can also be used for video conferencing. High-tech applications are making learning and communicating easier, but Rauch says maintaining a teacher-friendly environment is also important. 'The human element is still very critical in the teaching and learning process," he says. Other departments using the facility include Economics and Anthropology and Sociology who are using the lab to teach statistical analysis. The Fine Arts Dept. has digitized its collection of paintings and made them available for viewing. The History Dept. is offering a Web-based course on world history. The newest lab has been established with hardware and software donated by Hewlett- Packard (Canada) Ltd. It is the fourth year of Hewlett-Packard's 5-year commitment to give UBC computer equipment to support learning initiatives. Previous recipients include the UBC Library, the Faculty of Applied Science and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. People by staff writers uciana Duranti. a professor of Archival 'Studies in the School of Library. Archival and Information Studies, has been named academic of the year by the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of B.C. (CUFA BC). Duranti has been honoured for her contribution to the world community resulting from her research in the creation, maintenance and long- term preservation of reliable and authentic electronic records. A committee of CUFA BC representatives selected Duranti for the award. Duranti Prof. Stan Hamilton has been appointed acting dean in the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration. Hamilton will serve to Aug. 1 when new dean Daniel Muzyka begins. Hamilton is currently associate dean of Academic Programs and Student Services in the faculty. Dr. Carol Herbert, former head of the Dept. of Family Practice, has been named dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario (UWO) for a five- year term. Herbert, who obtained her undergraduate and medical degree at UBC. joined the department in 1982 and served as head from 1988 to 1998. Her research interests include the patient-doctor relationship, behaviour change and family violence and sexual assault. A leader in providing services for sexually abused children. Herbert was the founder and co-director of the Shaughnessy Hospital Sexual Assault Assessment Service. Her appointment to UWO is effective Sept. 1. Herbert Educational Studies Prof. Charles Ungerleider was recently named deputy minister of Education for B.C. Ungerleider's research interests focus on multicultural, media and citizenship education. He has worked with a variety of public agencies including school districts, police agencies and both federal and provincial ministries and departments. Ungerleider was serving as associate dean. Teacher Education, when he was seconded to the position for a two-year term. Psychiatry Prof. Emeritus Juhn Wada has received the William G. Lennox award, the highest honour of the American Epilepsy Society. The special recognition reflects Wada's career achievements as a neuroscientist, researcher, physician and mentor. Wada, a consulting neurologist at UBC Hospital, developed a diagnostic test to help brain surgeons assess speech and memory function and a new surgical treatment for epilepsy patients. Alan Donald, Ph.D. Biostatistical Consultant Medicine, dentistry, biosciences, aquaculture 101-5805 Balsam Street, Vancouver, V6M 4B9 264 -9918 donald@portal.ca 8 UBC Reports • April 15, 1999 Bruce Mason photo The Loneliness Of The Long-Distance Painter Pausing between strokes on an Olympic-sized canvas is UBC painter Corky Cortusan. He was touching up the 742 square metre surface before the outdoor pool was filled with 1.5 million litres of water and opened to the public on April 12. Up to 525 swimmers can be accommodated between Corky's carefully crafted lines. Call the Aquatic Centre's 24-hour pool schedule line, 822-4521. For information on lessons call 822-4522. Island research farm transition continues UBC's Faculty of Agricultural Sciences will support an Intensive Grazing Seasonal Production trial currently being proposed for the Oyster River Research Farm during the consolidation of the faculty's dairy cattle research at Agassiz. The faculty has been working with the Vancouver Island Dairymen's Association and the B.C. Milk Marketing Board to leave infrastructure in place to support the grazing trial proposed by the Dairymen's Association and to be funded by Investment Agriculture. The trial is to help assess ecologically and economically sustainable grazing practices. The faculty has agreed to retain cows, quota and staff to continue the grazing trial at Oyster River until Oct. 31. Last November, the faculty announced that it is consolidating its dairy cattle research activities at the UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre at Agassiz as part of a recently established collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The need to develop significantly improved research infrastructure, focus limited resources, and the distance between the UBC campus and the farm are among the factors that prompted the reorganization. The critical mass of dairy cattle scientists at this site will help the faculty and its researchers to more effectively serve the needs of industry on the Island and throughout the province," said Dr. Jim Thompson, associate dean of research. The Vancouver Island community has voiced its concern over the farm's future and proposals will be requested from the agricultural community during the next few months to develop a leasing arrangement for specific areas of the farm. This request for proposals will be in parallel with a public process to discuss different models of community partnerships for the future of the farm that will allow the strengths ofthe community, its citizens, its public institutions, its industries and the university to support one another. Current and possible expanded uses include: • development of academic and research facilities in the areas of agricultural, forest and environmental sciences; • regional environmental and agricultural education facilities such as Montfort House; • regional recreational sites and greenway s; • ecological preserves or reserves such as Oyster River Enhancement Society facilities; • managed woodlots and agroforestry; and • agricultural crop research lands. Recently, there has been considerable interest in the farm for a variety of agricultural purposes — from organic farming to dairying to viticulture to small niche market crops. As part of the shift in the role of the farm, staff involved with the dairy operation have been given seven months' notice, and will continue to work until Oct. 31. "Our dairy research has been in the process of consolidation since 1994 and our faculty has been in transformation since July 1997," said Moura Quayle, dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. "It hasn't been easy to make some of the necessary changes for the faculty to more effectively contribute to agriculture in B.C. Despite the changes we are now making, we see Oyster River Farm as an incredible opportunity for partnering with and contributing to the community in new and innovative ways." Students learn how to triumph over disabilities by Hilary Thomson Staff writer UBC students with learning disabilities now have a better chance at academic success, thanks to a strategic approach devised by a Faculty of Education researcher and used by the Disability Resource Centre (DRC). Assoc. Prof. Deborah Butler, who is the Chris Spencer Professor in Dyslexia, designed strategic content learning (SCL) to support post-secondary students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. "Learning disabilities and dyslexia don't go away." says Butler. 'They persist into adulthood, undermining self-confidence and limiting potential. People with learning dis- abilities need to be supported throughout their life." In the SCL model, students are supported in analysing tasks they are given in class, selecting, adapting or inventing learning strategies, monitoring progress and modifying approaches according to effectiveness. Fifty-five UBC students with learning disabilities receive support through the Disability Resource Centre. They come from faculties ranging from Law to Pharmaceutical Sciences to Graduate Studies. Neville Swartz uses the SCL model to train the 30 peer tutors who work part- time at the DRC. "Traditional tutoring typically focuses on memorizing content," says Swartz, an Education graduate student. "Now we're helping students learn how to learn. We give them the tools to continue the job when they're not with the tutor." 'People with learning disabilities need to be supported throughout their life." — Assoc. Prof. Deborah Butler Swartz emphasizes that the SCL model helps students identify their own learning and coping skills and then expand or adapt them. There is no single strategy. If a dyslexic student who has been taught the SCL model is assigned to read a chapter for an exam, for example, they initially analyse the task, taking into consideration such factors as the level of detail involved or whether the test is multiple choice or essay. Selected strategies may involve using an outline, breaking down tasks or reading into manageable ^^^^^^^^^^ chunks, reading to follow the flow of argument, or summarizing points per paragraph. Students monitor their understanding and modify their approach to the task when comprehension breaks down. Butler's model is based on the results of seven studies of almost 100 Lower Mainland college and university students with a broad range of learning disabilities. The DRC participated in one of the studies. It has made the SCL training mandatory for peer tutors who support students with a range of disabilities. "One of our goals is helping students to be self-sufficient," says DRC director Janet Mee. "This approach gives students the skills they need to cope in their existing environment." The SCL approach is unique, says Butler, in that it is useful in one-on-one tutoring, peer tutor training and small- group based study skills classes. Butler hopes to create a multimedia CD-ROM to make the SCL model available to researchers and educators, including those in secondary schools. $2 million goes to health research Fifty-six UBC research projects have received more than S2 million in grants from the B.C. Health Research Foundation (BCHRF) in a recent funding competition. "This funding recognizes the quality of health research being conducted in this province and here at UBC," says Bernie Bressler, vice-president, Research. "Especially important is the foundation's attention to new investigators. BCHRF funding can help scientists develop their research programs early in their careers." Grant recipients come from disciplines ranging from obstetrics and gynecology to radiology and zoology. Projects focus on population health issues such as occupational mortality and domestic violence as well as health services and clinical care. Researchers will also conduct basic science studies of biomedical challenges such as inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease and duodenal ulcers. Most of the funding is in the form of operating grants. BCHRF also provides research scholar grants of up to $48,000 per annum for individuals with demonstrated potential to become outstanding independent B.C. researchers. Psychiatry Prof. Josie Geller is investigating readiness and motivation for change in anorexia nervosa patients. "Readiness to change in these patients has presented a dilemma for treatment providers," she says. "Many pa tients are referred for treatment by physicians and family members and may be quite ambivalent about making changes." Geller will examine whether the models used as a basis for intervention in substance abuse treatment are applicable to eating disorders. Close to 200 patients will participate in the study, which will be conducted at the Eating Disorders Clinic at St. Paul's Hospital, the main treatment centre for the disease in B.C. Psychology Prof. Stanley Rachman will be testing a new explanation of pathological obsessions, the persistent thoughts that are a central feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Rachman will investigate the idea that obsessions are caused by catastrophic misinterpretation of the significance of intrusive thoughts. Four studies are planned including a comparison between the unwanted unacceptable thoughts reported by patients with obsessive compulsive disorder to those reported by patients with other anxiety disorders. BCHRF distributed a total of $3.5 million to fund 85 research projects at universities, hospitals and community agencies. The largest provincial source of health research funding in B.C., BCHRF is the only agency in Canada that funds the full range of health research from basic medical science to community-based studies.