February 16, 2006 Vol. 42 No. 6 The University of Western Ontario’s newspaper of record www.westernnews.ca PM 41195534 IN PROFILE OFF CAMPUS LISTEN UP Nobody in Canada wins like Jack When the classroom gets hot, Lorin MacDonald is prepared Fairs and his Western squash a cool basement and a glass to push for what she needs. And teams. cutter become the perfect stress many Canadians with disabilities relievers. will enjoy the benefits. Page 7 Page 10 Page 12 Karmen Dowling, Western News Psychology Professor Michael Atkinson has discovered how to turn Western’s biggest classes into an engaging, fast-paced and popular learning event. A long-term teaching mentor, Atkinson will receive the Edward G. Pleva Award, Western’s highest teaching honour. Top teachers make student connections B Y K ARMEN D OWLING in Teaching. ninth to get the Robinson Award – to be coming into its own. Including Atkinson and Kelly, creating an enormous resource at The four recipients will be In an environment where INSIDE 87 Pleva awards have been made, a time when promotion of teaching presented with their awards at research skills are often rewarded For details about this year’s top teach- while Narain is the 11th recipient excellence as part of an improved the 2006 Spring Convocation with major contracts and broad ers see Page 8. of the Armitt and McDayter is the experience for students appears ceremonies. acclaim, four Western professors are being lauded instead for their efforts in teaching. room instruction, academic coun- This year Western is recogniz- selling and tutoring, thesis super- Support possible for strike-hit students ing four faculty members who can vision, course design, curriculum boast they are at the top of their development, preparation of edu- B Y K ARMEN D OWLING place this term, 375 students will of-pocket costs if the term were game when it comes to teaching: cational materials, research on be affected. extended.” Michael Atkinson, Gregory Kelly, university teaching, and devel- Western is promising access “While the university would Nearly 550 Fanshawe teach- Nigmendra Narain and Mark opment of innovative teaching to financial aid to the hundreds not be able to directly address ers, counsellors and librarians McDayter. methods. of students who could lose part any academic issues caused who belong to the Ontario Pub- “Teaching is the single most The awards were name for of their school year if Fanshawe by the strike for Western stu- lic Service Employees Union important thing we do here at the Edward Pleva, a celebrated West- faculty hit the picket lines next dents attending Fanshawe,” says could be off the job if a contract university,” says Atkinson, who ern teacher and geographer. Two month. Glen Tigert, Director, Student settlement isn’t reached before will be honoured with the Edward additional teaching awards were Western and Fanshawe have Financial Services and Aca- March 7. G. Pleva Award, along with Kelly. later approved, the Angela Armitt two large collaborative programs, demic Records, “we would be Key issues include workload Senate established teaching Award for Excellence in Part- Media Theory & Production and able to provide some financial and salaries. About 15,000 Fan- awards in 1980 to recognize out- Time Teaching and the Marilyn Nursing, with more than 565 stu- aid assistance if students were shawe students would be affected standing contributions to class- Robinson Award for Excellence dents enrolled. If a strike takes required to incur additional out- by a strike. INSIDE: Academe 20 | Careers 18 | Classifieds 19 | Coming Events 20 | Letters 6 | Registrar’s Bulletin 18 | Tax Tips 20 | Viewpoint 4 2 FEBRUARY 16 , 2 0 0 6 WESTERN NEWS CAMPUS DIGEST Western’s new Ombudsperson LYNDA SHAW LECTURE: The 15th annual Lynda Shaw lecture equity, human rights specialist will feature a presentation by London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco. The title of her presentation Feb. 21 at 1:30 p.m. in Spencer Engi- B Y P AUL M AYNE issues university-wide and student appeals, rights and dis- neering 1059 is Past, Present and Future. The lecture, which annu- included edu- cipline. ally addresses issues of women in engineering, was established to Adrienne Clarke, an advisor cating stu- “Coming to Western has proved commemorate the life of the Western Engineering student. in Equity and Human Rights dents, staff to be a wonderful decision in so Services at Western, has been and faculty many ways,” says Clarke, who is LUNCH AND LEARN: The Book Store and Computer Store are appointed University Ombud- about dispute excited about taking on this chal- offering an opportunity to get acquainted with new technology and sperson effective March 1. resolution, lenging new role. “In the short office essentials at the annual Lunch and Learn Trade Show. Prizes Clarke, who has a BA, BEd and m e d i a t i n g time I’ve been at the university and giveaways are up for grabs as well as the ability to chat with MEd from Queen’s University, a c a d e m i c I feel as though I’ve made mean- travel, graphics and office supplies representatives about their held several positions at Queen’s and non-aca- ingful connections with Western’s latest gizmos. For information, contact 661-3520 ext. 84592. including Assistant to the Uni- demic dis- students, staff and faculty, and I versity Registrar and Coordina- p u t e s a n d look forward to making more in PAWNS: The Faculty of Education is presenting Chess, a Tim Rice tor of Dispute Resolution Mecha- Clarke developing the months to come.” musical that delves into the twists and turns of the Cold War, an nisms, before coming to Western university Clarke replaces Frances Bauer, international chess match and romance. Chess runs at Althouse in November. policy and who is retiring as Ombudsperson College, Feb. 21 to 25, with tickets $8 to $12 available through the The latter position involved procedures on human rights, and after 18 years. Grand Theatre at 672-8800 or www.grandtheatre.com SPIKE IT: Western Law’s Rebecca Moskowitz, an Olympic beach volleyball hopeful, is challenging the Western Law community - students, alumni, professors, and staff – to beach volleyball MaRS landing at Western matches. For three hours, Rebecca and partner Lily Markovic will take on six people at a time for 20-minute matches. The project as B Y P AUL M AYNE MaRS London, managed locally well as auction of gold seats to Maple Leafs and Raptors games MaRS - Medical & Related by TechAlliance and operating Western is going the distance supports athletes on the Dig Deep Team for training and competi- Sciences from Western’s Research Park, to improve commercial possibili- tion. Contact Rebecca at [email protected] and will enable the sharing of entre- ties for local research – to MaRS, Major research and development cen- visit Dig Deep at www.digdeepcanada.com. tre opened last year in Toronto to make preneurial programs and busi- in fact. Not the red planet, how- Ontario a leader in biotechnology and ness services and development ever. information. The complex is expected of talent and knowledge networks This MaRS is a not-for-profit to reach 1.5 million square feet and in Southwestern Ontario, building 25 YEARS AGO AT WESTERN corporation founded by leaders include 50 companies and groups. So on recognized strengths in imag- from the business and public sec- far, partnerships have been created in ing, immune-based diseases and Guelph and London. ■ Western may withdraw from the Canadian Interuniversity tors that fosters collaboration surgical technologies. Athletic Union over ongoing opposition to the practice of awarding within the communities of sci- “The MaRS organization is athletic scholarships in the Maritimes and Western provinces. ence, business and capital. Institute, Lawson Health Research increasingly becoming a critical ■ The Senate Committee on Student Housing is considering a Along with London-based Institute, the Stiller Centre for driver of innovation in Ontario bump in rates for next year of up to 13 per cent. TechAlliance, the newly formed Biotechnology Commercializa- and across Canada,” says Mari- ■ The Program in Journalism for Native Peoples has put out two MaRS London will link the tion, and London Economic Devel- lyn Sinclair, general manager of issues of Indian News, a publication with a print run of 100,000 research community in south- opment Corporation. TechAlliance. and distributed to native communities across the country. Nine western Ontario, with the ulti- students are in the program established through a grant from the mate goal of improving innova- Donner Foundation. tion and investment. “This partnership will enable the London community to more Publishing reminder fully leverage and promote the incredible talent and innovation Western News does not publish [email protected]. in this region’s research and during Conference Week – Febru- For advertising, contact West- technology sectors,” says West- ary 27 to March 3 – although our ern News at advertise@uwo. ern’s Ted Hewitt, Vice-President offices remain open for campus ca. To list events on the homep- (Research & International Rela- news and advertising. age calendar, send a message to tions). “We see this partnership Western News reporters Kar- [email protected] as a very important step for the men Dowling and Paul Mayne will We hope you will enjoy the London region to create a global continue to provide news updates many events scheduled for this address.” on the Daily News Service on year’s Staff and Leaders Con- Along with Western, TechAl- the Western homepage at www. ference. A few openings remain liance’s community partners uwo.ca. Please contact Karmen – check availability at http://uwo.