Publications mail agreement No. 40014024 No. mail agreement Publications For teaching award It’s smiles all around winner David Clenman thanks to a new device dressing up in costume from the UVic Assistive brings the history of Technology Team. music to life. 2 5 JULY/AUGUST 2005 www.uvic.ca/ring SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA COMMUNITY GREG YOUNGER-LEWIS GREG Inuit law grads celebrate at Arctic convocation by Patty Pitts “Happy National Aboriginal traditional knowledge, culture and Day,” said Clarkson to the cheers language. He provided students with Th ere were tears, cheers and smiles as and applause of the crowd. “Th is is Inuktitut language education and bright as the 24-hour northern sun- a wonderful day for Canada. Today’s counselled, mentored and advised shine when the fi rst graduates of the convocation of the Akitsiraq law school them during the program. Akitsiraq law program accepted their completes a dramatic process—and Madam Justice Beverley Browne, University of Victoria law degrees perhaps an unprecedented one—in senior judge of the Nunavut Court of at a special convocation in Iqaluit, which the larger culture has moved to Justice, also received an honorary law Nunavut, on June 21. accommodate the needs and ways of degree. As one of the grassroots organiz- In a ceremony that combined a much smaller one. Southern people ers of the Akitsiraq law school program, Inuit and academic traditions, the 11 and institutions have made the adjust- she worked for 10 years to help make students were praised and congratu- ment to the northern reality.” the Arctic law school a reality. lated by Canada’s Governor General Speaking mainly in Inuktitut, “We are gathered today to cel- Adrienne Clarkson and Nunavut Pre- Okalik—currently the only Inuk ebrate one of those extraordinary suc- mier Paul Okalik, who were both in lawyer in the territory—also referred cesses that, I think, could only happen attendance. to June 21 as “one special day” and in Canada,” said UVic President Dr. Proud friends and family members spoke of his pride in seeing the Inuit David Turpin at the ceremony. “Th e of the graduates, who completed their students complete a program that triumph that we mark today—the studies based in Iqaluit, fi lled the In- seemed like an impossible dream just graduation of 11 new leaders for Nu- uksuk High School gymnasium. Inuit a decade ago. navut—shows that together we have drummers led the academic proces- Akitsiraq’s elder-in-residence, Lu- managed to overcome geographic sion and the ceremony closed with the cien Ukaliannuk, was presented with distance, cultural diff erence, and long singing of O Canada in English and an honorary doctor of laws degree at economic odds.” Inuktitut by Susan Iglukark, a sister the ceremony in recognition of his Th e government of Nunavut, the of one of the graduates. sustained efforts to preserve Inuit SEE LAW GRADS P.3 New Akitsiraq law graduate Sandra Omik. Students benefi t from $3.6 million surprise gift Contract signed for VENUS A daughter’s love and devotion moved to Duncan to be project installation to her father has resulted in with her father. When he the single largest donation for died in 1953 she moved student awards ever given to to Victoria. She liked by Valerie Shore ing with them on this project.” the University of Victoria. playing bridge and read- Global Marine, based in Eng- Th e faculty of engineering ing, travelled extensively The University of Victoria has land, is an international marine has received an unexpected and dressed impeccably. signed a contract with Global Ma- technology and engineering com- $3.6 million donation from Maurice Summerhayes rine Systems Ltd. in conjunction pany that specializes in the main- the estate of the late Phyllis was a mining engineer with its Canadian subcontractor, tenance of submarine telecom Summerhayes, who died in who came to Canada in OceanWorks International Corp., cables. OceanWorks, located in Victoria in October, 2004 at 1911 to work in the Por- to install the fi rst leg of a subsea North Vancouver, is a leading in- the age of 96. cupine Crown Mine, and cabled observatory in Saanich ternational supplier of specialized “Th is donation came as a later, for Write-Hargreaves Inlet. subsea work systems. total surprise,” says Dr. Michael Mines Ltd. at Kirkland Th e $10-million Victoria Ex- The partners were selected Miller, dean of the faculty of Lake as managing director. perimental Network Under the after a rigorous evaluation proc- engineering. “It’s also a bit of He retired in 1949, but Sea (VENUS) project, led by ess. Winning factors included: a mystery.” continued in a consulting UVic, will be a 50-km network experience with underwater Summerhayes, who had capacity until his death of underwater fi bre-optic cable cabled infrastructure; an interest no previous connection to at the age of 81. He was and instruments. It will provide in commercializing technology the university, made the gift a member of the Cana- scientists and the general public developed through the project; through her will to establish dian Institute of Mining with around-the-clock biologi- and the ability to maximize the Maurice William Sum- and Metallurgy and of cal, oceanographic and geological the science goals of the project. merhayes Memorial Fund. the American Institute of information and images from the Another key factor was a com- Th e endowment will provide Phyllis Summerhayes and father Maurice, circa 1922. Mining and Metallurgical depths of Saanich Inlet and the mitment by the partners to draw bursaries and scholarships in Engineers, and was former Strait of Georgia. on local and B.C. businesses for perpetuity to engineering stu- members of the Summerhayes fam- president of the Ontario Working with the VENUS much of the material, supplies dents in memory of her father, the late ily to piece together a picture of the Mining Association. project team, Global Marine support and skilled personnel. Maurice Summerhayes, one of Cana- donor, who spent the later part of her “Th is endowment will enrich our and OceanWorks will design, “Even beyond construction of da’s leading mining engineers during life in Victoria. student fi nancial awards immeasur- manufacture and deploy the the underwater array, the VENUS the fi rst half of the 20th century. “She was an extremely bright ably,” says Miller. “While there’s still an Saanich Inlet array. Installation project will provide a focal point The donation will provide fi- person,” says Cameron. “ She was a unmet need, we can create signifi cantly in Saanich Inlet, with landfall at for B.C. and Canadian marine nancial aid and awards to about 50 meticulous bookkeeper and a very more bursaries than we do now. We the Institute of Ocean Sciences technology industries to develop engineering students every year. savvy investor. She lived a very quiet hope to create one very prestigious in Patricia Bay, is scheduled for new products, services and exper- Norma Cameron, manager of life, but amassed a substantial fortune $20,000 scholarship that will attract this October. tise that can be exported around planned giving in the development of- over the years. We know that she was some of the most talented students to “Global Marine and Ocean- the world,” says Taylor. fi ce, tracked down the scant details of deeply devoted to her father.” the engineering faculty.” Works have demonstrated a thor- The Global Marine-Ocean- the donor’s life. “Miss Summerhayes Phyllis Summerhayes was born News of the gift was announced at ough understanding of the issues Works contract features many was clearly a woman of vision and in 1908 and spent her youth in a special ceremony in the engineering around this installation and what we improvements over the initial VE- tremendous generosity, but sadly, we California. Following her mother’s lab wing on June 30. Members of need them to do,” says Dr. Martin NUS design concept, including hardly know anything about her.” death in 1940, she moved to Canada the Summerhayes family came from Taylor, UVic’s vice president re- Cameron worked with the de- and worked in the banking business England, South Africa and the U.S. search. “We look forward to work- SEE VENUS P.7 velopment offi ce research team and in Toronto for a short time. She later to attend. Ringers MIKE MCNENEY MIKE When the Vancouver Island Advanced Technology Centre (VIATeC) handed out its annual awards on June 28, many of the winners had strong ties to UVic. The award for Community Involvement went to Dr. Nigel Livingston of UVic’s Assistive Technology Team (UVATT), which is dedicated to developing technology and devices for people with disabilities. VIATeC Member of the Year Award-winner Power Measurement has been a consistent employer of UVic co-op students for many years. PureEdge Solutions, winner of the Colin Lennox Award for Technology Champion, was co-founded in the early ‘90s by then UVic students David Manning and Eric Jordan, now the company’s chief strategy offi cer. Genologics Life Sciences Software, a UVic spin-off company, won the Award for Emerging Technology Company of the Year. It produces software to assist research and pharmaceutical laboratories to manage, integrate and analyse volumes of data. Dr. Antoinette Oberg, an associate professor in the department of curriculum and instruction, has been honoured with the Ted T. Aoki Award for Distinguished Service from the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies (CACS). Oberg developed UVic’s curriculum studies graduate program in the faculty of education, and has been its coordinator and graduate advisor since it began in 1978. She has supervised to completion seven doctoral students and 118 master’s students.