The University of British Columbia

NEWSLETTER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EARTH, OCEAN AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, UBC

 

SEMINARS & COLLOQUIUMS

      Mathematical Modelling of Geophysical Fluids

Workshop in Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013 (MPE2013) at African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) intended for graduate students and interested researchers. 13-17 May, 2013.

 

Babatunde Abiodun (BA)a, Susan Allen (SA)b, Mapundi Banda (MB)c, Mark Jellinek (MJ)b, Catherine Johnson (CJ)b, Christian Schoof (CS)b, Douw Steyn (DS)b.

 

a Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Cape Town.

b Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of British Columbia.

c Department of Mathematics, University of Stellenbosch.

 

Topic 1) Introduction to the phenomena and governing equations (BA, SA, MB, MJ, CJ, CS & DS)

Topic 2) The Atmosphere I - Introduction (DS)

Topic 3) The Atmosphere II - Atmospheric Numerical modelling (BA)

Topic 4) The Atmosphere III - Turbulent Diffusion in the Atmosphere (MB)

Topic 5) The Oceans (SA)

Topic 6) Flowing Snow and Ice (CS)

Topic 7) Mantle convection and volcanism (MJ)

Topic 8) Planetary Cores (CJ)

Topic 9) Pulling it all together - developing a regime diagram (BA, SA, MB, MJ, CJ, CS & DS).

 

The workshop will be offered on a daily schedule of 5 hours: 3 hours of lecture, 2 hours

 

(PDF attached)

 

      Three Upcoming Public Open Houses

You are invited to attend three upcoming Public Open Houses in May.

 

1. 1.     Aquatic Centre

 

The proposal is for a new Aquatic Centre (7,399 m2) that will incorporate a competition pool, leisure pool and change rooms.

 

Thursday, May 9, 2013, 4 - 6 pm

SUB Concourse, 6138 Student Union Blvd

 

Preliminary plans on this project are available on the C+CP website: Aquatic Centre. More information will be available by April 25, 2013.

 

1. 2.     Mundell Park, Wesbrook Place

 

The proposal is for Mundell Park and surrounding green streets in Wesbrook Place.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013,4 - 6 pm

Commons Room, MBA House, 3385 Wesbrook Mall

 

1. 3.     Three Public Realm Projects

 

1)    Geography Courtyard - landscape improvements to the courtyard for the Geography Building

2)     BioSciences Pathway - pathway improvements along Biological Sciences Road, west of Earth Sciences Building to Lower Mall

3)     Frank Forward Pathways - pathway improvements by the Frank Forward Building and Coal and Mineral Processing Laboratory

Thursday, May 9, 2013, 11 am - 1 pm

Location: TBD – Please check website by April 24

 

Please direct any questions to Karen Russell, Manager Development Services, var a,b,c,e;a='';a+= 'lto:';b+= '@';e = '';b+='ubc.ca';document.write(a+b+c);MailMe">MailMe

 

AWARDS & HONOURS

 

      *REMINDER* 2013 Scholarship Award Application Deadline

Geoscience BC would like to remind those interested that up to ten scholarships in the amount of $5000.00 (CAD) each will be awarded once again in May 2013. Students who have registered and started in a Masters (MSc) or Doctorate (PhD) program in earth science or geoscience and working on a mineral, oil and gas, coal or geothermal exploration and/or development thesis topic in British Columbia are eligible and encouraged to apply.

The scholarships will be awarded to students based on their project's technical merit, the ability of the project to attract investment to BC, the student's interest in exploration, and the academic qualifications of the student.

Masters students may receive the Geoscience BC scholarship only once during their program. Successful PhD students may reapply for a second year of funding ($5000.00 CAD) provided they can demonstrate that they have made significant progress in their studies.

The application deadline is April 30, 2013.

Please visit the Outreach section of the Geoscience BC website for further details, or click this link to access the web page directly.

PROGRAMS & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

It is our pleasure to introduce you to the graduate programs in Environmental Science at the University of Toronto Scarborough; we are enclosing brochures about our professional Master's program and our new PhD program. Please forward this package to anyone in your organization or department who may benefit from the information.

 

Our Master's program is a one year course based degree designed to provide people with an interest in environmental issues with the scientific knowledge and skills central to solving many of our pressing problems. It includes either a four month internship or a research project and can also be taken on a part time basis. Students graduating from this program have a high placement rate in environmentally related organizations. In our programs they upgrade skills related to contaminant fate and remediation, risk assessment, climate change impacts and biogeochemical cycling.

 

For those interested in employing our interns, we have skilled professionals available for placement each year, beginning in May. Ontario businesses may be eligible for the Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit, and there are additional funding options.

 

Our PhD program attracts students from a wide range of fields and facilitates the study of complex problems using approaches and insights from perspectives as different as geology, ecology and chemical engineering. We have a unique multidisciplinary faculty drawn from all three University of Toronto campuses.

 

So if you are seeking further training in the environmental sector, looking for an opportunity for truly interdisciplinary research, or have a need for highly skilled environmental scientists see the enclosed brochures and visit our websites for more information.

 

http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/physsci/menvsci/

http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/physsci/phd/

 

(PDF attached)

HOT OFF THE PRESS  

 

Inês G. Nobre Silva, Dominique Weis and James S. Scoates:

 

Isotopic systematics of the early Mauna Kea shield phase and insight into the deep mantle beneath the Pacific Ocean Inês G. Nobre Silva, Dominique Weis and James S. Scoates Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 14, 3, 659-676, DOI: 10.1002/ggge.20047, 2013.

 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ggge.20047/abstract

BULLETIN BOARD

 

      Announcement - Bob Shadwick, Head, Department of Zoology

I am delighted to announce that Professor Bob Shadwick has accepted a five-year term as Head of the Department of Zoology beginning July 1, 2013. I am looking forward to working with Bob to advance zoology research and biology education at UBC.

Dr. Shadwick is internationally recognized for his research in animal physiology and biomechanics. Bob earned his Ph.D. in Zoology from UBC in 1983. After two post-doctoral stints, Bob was appointed as an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary (1985-1989) and subsequently as an Assistant/Associate/Full Professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego (1989-2005). In 2005, Bob returned to UBC as a Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair. Since 2010, he has served as UBC’s representative on the Management Council of the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. Bob is deeply committed to the Department of Zoology and looks forward to advancing the department’s undergraduate education, graduate training, research, and outreach goals. Please join me in welcoming Bob in his new role as Department Head.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Bill Milsom for his outstanding leadership of the Department of Zoology since 2002 (yes, 2002!). The Department has made exceptional strides under Bill’s decade of leadership, including the construction of four modern research facilities for zoology researchers, the development of an excellent, innovative undergraduate biology program in partnership with the Departments of Botany and Microbiology & Immunology, and the opening of our Beaty Biodiversity Museum. Thank you, Bill, for your extraordinary efforts.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Zoology Head Search Committee – Ninan Abraham, Colin Brauner, Chris Harley, Carol Pollock, Lacey Samuels, Patrick Tamkee, David Toews, and Ivy Wang – for their help in identifying the next leader of the Department of Zoology. Thanks to all!

Best regards, Simon Peacock

 

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

      LSI Director Search - Candidates' interview dates

Please find attached a memo from Simon and Dr. Howard Feldman, Faculty of Medicine announcing interview dates for the two candidates applying for the position of Director of the Life Sciences Institute (LSI).  

(PDF attached)

 

      Faculty position in Mineralogy or related field

The Faculty of Science at the University of Ottawa invites applications for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level in Mineralogy, or a related field. The anticipated start date of the position is January 1, 2014. A PhD is required at the time of appointment and post-doctoral experience is desirable. The successful applicant will have a strong commitment to excellence in research and teaching; he/she will be expected to supervise graduate students, and teach undergraduate courses in Mineralogy and graduate courses in their field of research. Collaboration would be anticipated with researchers and laboratories of the new Advanced Research Complex, housing XRF, XRD, Scanning Electron Microscope, Accelerating Mass Spectrometer, ICP-MS, HR-ICP-MS, electron microprobe, noble gas, and stable isotope equipment.  The candidate must be able to teach in both French and English (the two official languages of the University).

Interested candidates should submit an application consisting of the following:

• A letter of application formally expressing interest in the position, summarizing research objectives and outlining teaching goals/philosophy
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae
• Copies of three recent peer-reviewed publications
• Three letters to be sent directly and confidentially to the address below

The application package should be sent by post or email to:

André Desrochers

Chair
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Ottawa
140 Louis-Pasteur
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
Canada
Email: var a,b,c,e;a='';a+= 'lto:';b+= '@';e = '';b+='uottawa.ca';document.write(a+b+c);MailMe">MailMe
Fax: 613-562-5192

Review for application will begin on September 1, 2013 and will continue until the position is filled.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Equity is a University of Ottawa policy; women, aboriginal peoples, members of visible minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The University of Ottawa is proud of its 160-year tradition of bilingualism. Through its Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, the University provides training to staff members and to their spouses in their second official language. At the time of tenure, professors are expected to have the ability to function in a bilingual setting.

(PDF attached)

 

      An Academic Director, International Program, UBC Vantage College

Now that Senate and Board have approved the creation (and name!) of UBC Vantage College we have launched a search for the Academic Director. This is an internal posting and while the individual could come from any Faculty we hope that faculty members in Arts or Science would see this as an exciting opportunity.

 

The call for applications and position profile are on the Provost's website <http://vpacademic.ubc.ca/> http://vpacademic.ubc.ca/ and we would greatly appreciate it if you would ask your academic heads of unit to circulate this widely. We would also of course appreciate any nominations of individuals you might think of.

Many thanks for your assistance (again), and if there are any queries/questions please send them over to Angela Redish.

 

OTHER JOB POSTINGS

http://www.eos.ubc.ca/public/employ

ABOUT AURORA

 

Full details about positions and other listings in AURORA are available at ESB, 2020 – 2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC.

Please submit items electronically to var a,b,c,e;a='';a+= 'lto:';b+= '@';e = '';b+='eos.ubc.ca';document.write(a+b+c);MailMe">MailMe by Friday at 12:00pm.