Publications mail agreement No. 40014024 No. mail agreement Publications Fall Convocation 6 NOVEMBER 2007 www.uvic.ca/ring GERARD YUNKER, COURTESY OF ENBRIDGE INC. ENBRIDGE OF COURTESY YUNKER, GERARD UVic congratulates Nobel Prize-winning researchers Several University of Victoria-based university’s growing reputation as researchers woke up on the morning an international leader in climate of Oct. 12 to fi nd out they were co- change research, notes Brunt. winners of the most coveted award “Th ese strengths are enhanced by on the planet—a Nobel Prize. our close links with federal laborato- As is now widely known, the ries, especially the Canadian Centre Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 is being for Climate Modelling and Analysis shared by environmental activist and (CCCma), the Institute of Ocean former US Vice President Al Gore Sciences (IOS) and the Water and and the UN Intergovernmental Climate Impacts Research Centre Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (W-CIRC), all of which are located The award cites the efforts of on or near the UVic campus.” Gore and the IPCC “to build up and Th e CCCma is an Environment disseminate greater knowledge about Canada research centre, W-CIRC man-made climate change, and to is a joint initiative of UVic and the lay the foundations for the measures National Water Research Institute that are needed to counteract such of Environment Canada, and IOS Dickie change.” is part of Fisheries and Oceans In announcing the prize, the Canada. Writing student wins national Aboriginal writing prize By Maria Lironi will reach a larger audience.” given me an even greater sense of A member of the Fort Nelson First respect for the strength of those who Her powerful tale of the life of a young Nations community, Dickie describes came before me. I am a member girl at a residential school has earned her stint as the project assistant to the of the fi rst generation not to go to writing student Kerissa Dickie a top Residential School Healing Project as residential school in my community, prize (for the 19–29 age category) in one of her inspirations for the story. and acknowledging that comes with Th e Aboriginal Writing Challenge—a One of the project’s goals was to a feeling of responsibility. short story contest for young Aborigi- create a book using a compilation of “Th ere is nothing we can do to Nobel Committee said they are At press time, Th e Ring was aware nal Canadians. Dickie’s winning story, survivors’ stories and artwork aimed fi x past sorrows, but we can honour highlighting the link they see be- of the following IPCC contributors “Wild Flowers,” is about longing, to help in the healing process for each them by emulating their strength in tween the risk of accelerating climate (listed by level of involvement) as- loss, and connection as part of the storyteller, to bridge the gap of under- our own lives,” Dickie explains. “As to change and the risk of violent con- sociated with UVic: residential school experience. standing for younger generations, and where the inspiration for ‘Wild Flow- fl ict and wars. • Coordinating lead authors— She wrote it as part of UVic writ- to preserve a part of Aboriginal history ers’ came in, I must say that the stories Th e IPCC was established by the Dr. Ken Denman, an adjunct pro- ing professor Lorna Jackson’s writing that might otherwise be lost. of the survivors in my family and United Nations Environmental Pro- fessor in the School of Earth and workshop. “Her story is full of heart, “Th rough reading their stories, I community have made a huge impact gram and the World Meteorological Ocean Sciences (SEOS) and a and she has taken such care with the was given the opportunity to better on the way I see the world and on the Organization in 1988 to provide research scientist with the CCCma depiction of another time and place,” understand what my grandparents, kind of stories I want to tell.” policymakers with neutral summa- and IOS; and Dr. Francis Zwiers, comments Jackson. “Only a compas- mother, aunts and uncles have been “Wild Flowers” is now taught as ries of the latest information related an adjunct professor in the Depart- sionate, talented writer can write this through and how it has shaped who to human-induced climate change. ment of Mathematics and Statistics, way. I’m so pleased that Kerissa’s work they are today,” says Dickie. “It has SEE ABORIGINAL WRITING P.4 Th ere are currently three working and a research scientist with the groups within the IPCC, focusing CCCma. on the science, impact and mitiga- • Lead authors—Drs. Greg tion of climate change. Th e views Flato and John Fyfe, both adjunct “Cosmic train wreck” baffl es astronomers of the working groups are presented professors in SEOS and research as “assessment reports” which are scientists with the CCCma; Dr. A recent study by a team of Univer- between giant galaxy clusters three Using NASA’s space-based Chan- produced every fi ve years; 2007 is Terry Prowse, professor and Chair sity of Victoria researchers has raised billion light years from Earth in a dra X-ray Observatory as well as an assessment year. in Climate Impacts on Water new questions in the international system known as Abell 520. the Canada-France-Hawaii optical Assessment reports are based on Resources in the Department of astrophysics community about the Each galaxy cluster in the collision telescope, Mahdavi and his colleagues peer-reviewed scientifi c and techni- Geography and a research scientist fundamental nature of dark matter. contains up to 1,000 galaxies, and were surprised to discover a chaotic cal literature and are written by with W-CIRC; Dr. Andrew Weav- Th e study, led by Dr. Andisheh each galaxy has billions of stars like scene in the debris left over by the teams of authors from all over the er, head of the climate modelling Mahdavi, a postdoctoral fellow in our sun. Cluster collisions provide an merging clusters. world who are recognized experts in group in SEOS and the Canada UVic’s Department of Physics and ideal opportunity for researchers to “Whatever happened did some- their fi eld. Hundreds are involved; Research Chair in Climate Model- Astronomy, detailed new observations study the nature of matter and gain a thing really unusual to the galaxies,” none are paid for their time. ling and Analysis. of a massive “cosmic train wreck” better understanding of how the uni- he says. “It moved them all to the More than a dozen researchers • Contributing authors—Drs. verse is evolving. outer edge of the cluster core, leaving associated with UVic were involved Vivek Arora, Jim Christian and only gas and dark matter at the centre. with the 2007 IPCC assessment as John Scinocca, adjunct professors Th at’s never been seen before and it’s coordinating lead authors, lead au- in SEOS and research scientists with really hard to explain.” thors or contributing authors. the CCCma; Drs. Adam Monahan Th ere are three main components “We congratulate everyone as- and Mike Eby, a professor and re- to galaxy clusters: individual galaxies; sociated with UVic who contributed search associate, respectively, in the hot gas in between the galaxies; and to the IPCC’s work,” says Vice- climate modelling group in SEOS; dark matter—a mysterious substance President Research Dr. Howard Dr. Fred Wrona, a professor in the that can’t be seen but which we know Brunt. “Th rough their research, the Department of Geography and a NETHERCOTT DIANA exists because of its gravitational ef- world has become more aware of the research scientist with W-CIRC; fects on visible objects, such as galax- challenges ahead of us and how we Dr. Cornelis “Case” van Kooten, SEE COSMIC TRAIN WRECK P.10 can mitigate the impacts of global a professor in the Department of warming.” Economics; and Terry Lee, a PhD (L–R) UVic astronomers Andisheh Mahdavi, Th e high number of IPCC con- student in the Department of Math- Henk Hoekstra and Arif Babul with a tributors at UVic underscores the ematics and Statistics. photograph of the “Cosmic Train Wreck” Aroundthering UVic leads way with switch to 100-per-cent recycled paper UVic marked International Campus Sustainability Day October 24 by announcing it will switch all bond paper supplies to 100-per-cent post-consumer waste content beginning January 1, 2008. In making the switch from 30-per-cent post-consumer UVIC PHOTO SERVICES PHOTO UVIC waste content, UVic becomes the fi rst BC university to make the commitment to using 100-per-cent recycled paper stock. “We’re very excited to be able to introduce this change as part of our sustainability initiatives on campus,” says UVic Sustainability Coordinator Sarah Webb. “Using 100-per-cent recycled paper means we will be helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also enhancing our ethical purchasing practices.” With the improved quality of recycled paper stocks and more effi cient equipment, the switch is not expected to result in increased costs. International Campus Sustainability Day, hosted by the Society of College and University Planners, celebrates sustainable achievements in higher education at North American colleges and universities. For more information about sustainability initiatives at UVic, visit the website at www.uvic.ca/sustainability. Globe gives UVic high marks UVic received an A- in the 2007 Globe and Mail University Report Card on students’ overall satisfaction with their university experience. UVic sent the Globe and Mail survey out to all its registered students, ensuring that the university’s ratings were based on the opinions of its whole student body, not just those who registered with the Studentawards.com database, as was the case in previous years.