University of Manitoba archaeologist Haskel Greenfield will co-lead a $2.7 million research project in central Israel, digging up one of the world’s earliest neighborhoods to find out what urban life was like thousands of years ago.

Greenfield was among researchers across Canada to receive a Partnerships Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the federal agency announced today. He was awarded $2,694,791 and will partner with fellow archaeologist Aren Maeier of Bar-Ilan University in Israel.

Their team will unearth buried streets and houses from 2500 BC (about 4,500 years ago) at the ancient site of Tell es-Safi, a city likely destroyed by fire during battle. To date, most of what we know about early urban life is based on macroscopic approaches to archaeology. This will be the first time that archeologists will investigate a lower-class neighbourhood on a microscopic level in order to see what daily life was like for common folk.

For example, they will analyze the soil on site to detect what decomposed in that very spot. Greenfield wants to uncover every detail he can about everyday life in this early community, from what chores the people did and the vermin they had to contend with to the tools they used and foods they ate.

“Imagine somebody coming back to your kitchen a thousand years from now. Most items are perishable; you’d see pots, pans and plates maybe but foods would have been lost. This scientific approach allows us to also get at the foods,” says Greenfield. “We want to really see how the spaces were used.”

During this seven-year project, they expect to locate and analyze human and animal remains, along with more than 100,000 artifacts. They’ll use leading-edge digital scanning technology, which will enable 3D modeling of the excavation area and preserve the removed layers virtually.

“To understand how we organize our lives today, you have to understand where we came from,” says Greenfield. “Modern life in cities and neighbourhoods, whether it’s River Heights or St. James or East Kildonan, really has its origins going back 5,000 years ago to the early cities elsewhere.”

Two other University of Manitoba researchers, Jeffrey Masuda and Arlene Young, were each awarded a SSHRC Partnership Development Grant.

Jeffrey Masuda (environment and geography) and co-investigator Sonia Bookman (sociology) will receive $199,565 to explore long-standing human rights issues facing people who live in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. They will partner with community-based arts and cultural organizations to highlight these struggles and triumphs. The neighbourhood has been the setting for human rights violations against a succession of its communities: the Coastal Salish First Nations, Japanese Canadians, the African-Canadian settlement known as Hogan’s Alley, and most recently low-income residents who are trying to exercise their right to stay despite ongoing gentrification. The researchers will use stories of resilience, race, marginalization and displacement as a strategy to disrupt the current development-driven branding of this neighbourhood as “JapanTown.”

Arlene Young (English, film and theatre), along with co-investigators Brenda Austin-Smith (film studies) and Jason Leboe-McGowan (psychology), will receive $198,764 to provide a better understanding of how the physical expression of emotion—called affect—shapes how we interpret things. They are partnering with researchers at universities in Toronto, Florida and the United Kingdom. Together, they will explore how the experience of emotion—what we think of as gut reactions—determines how we respond to the world around around us, be it movies, books, or political issues. Their research will involve scholarly workshops as well as public debates, film screenings and museum exhibits.

“These research projects are diverse and show great promise,” says Digvir Jayas, vice-president (research and international) and Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba. “This funding affirms our ongoing commitment to establishing strong partnerships with other leading institutions and community-based groups locally and worldwide.”

SSHRC is the federal agency that promotes and supports postsecondary research and training in the humanities and social sciences.

For more information, please contact Janine Harasymchuk, client relations coordinator, Marketing Communications Office, University of Manitoba, 204-474-7300.

Jennifer, the cute little hockey-playing robot built at the University of Manitoba and featured on science TV shows, may now have to be taken more seriously: she’s blowing away her robot competition.

Built by University of Manitoba students in the Autonomous Agents Laboratory, The doll-sized robot was taken to St. Paul, Minnesota, and entered in the ICRA 2012 DARwIn-OP Humanoid Application Challenge on May 12, 2012, hosted by the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. The competition involved developing new applications for humanoid robots.

There were more than 1,300 participants at the conference, and from all submissions, only nine robot design teams were selected for the final competition. Jennifer was demonstrated in front of a panel of robotics experts and the large crowd.

The Autonomous Agents Laboratory is one of the research laboratories within computer science at the University of Manitoba, directed by Drs. John Anderson and Jacky Baltes. The goal of research is the improvement of technology related to robots’ hardware and software as well as the development of applications employing the technology.

“We are very happy to say that we won first place in face of stiff competition,” says Baltes. “Our prize included a new DARwIn-OP robot, worth about $12,000, plus software totalling about $15,000.”

He adds: “Our work on Jennifer since this debut has included better control and balancing, and work on using both ice skates and inline skates.

Jennifer the robot is named after Jennifer Botterill, the Canadian three-time Olympic gold medal hockey player.

“Winning this competition has brought us another much-appreciated piece of research equipment,” says Anderson. “We won another robot for our hockey team!” Anderson becomes head of computer science in July.

For more information, contact John Anderson at: 204-474-8839 or email: andersj@cs.umanitoba.ca

Researchers at the University of Manitoba will receive more than $9.9 million in new grants and scholarships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

The money will support research in a variety of areas, including Green buildings in Manitoba, mosquito-borne diseases, and flood protection.

The awards total $9,936,997 and were included in a national announcement made in Toronto today by the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology, and NSERC president Suzanne Fortier.

“Our Government’s top priority is jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. To remain at the forefront of the global economy, our government is investing in the people and ideas that will produce tomorrow’s breakthroughs,” said Minister Goodyear. “Through these investments, we are creating the best-educated and most skilled workforce in the world.”

A total of 70 professors will share $9,054,497 in funding from the NSERC Discovery Grants program in the categories of individual, group, subatomic physics, and research tools and instruments. Three of those researchers will receive an extra $120,000 each through the Discovery Accelerator Supplements program. Thirty-five additional researchers at the graduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral level will receive a combined $521,500 in scholarships.

“This new funding reflects the high quality of research that is carried out every day at the University of Manitoba. We are home to a strong team of innovators,” said Digvir Jayas, vice-president (research and international) and Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba. “I am proud of our recipients and excited about the new technology and developments that will result from this research.”

“These scholarships and fellowship funds will make possible a wide range of research projects,” said John (Jay) Doering, dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba. “This funding helps us to attract and retain some of the best up-and-coming researchers.”
In total, more than 3,750 scientists, engineers and students at universities across the country will share upwards of $410 million in grants and scholarships over terms ranging from one to five years.

NSERC is a federal agency that supports some 30,000 post-secondary students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. It promotes discovery by funding more than 12,000 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging more than 1,500 Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects.

For the lists of recipients and descriptions of projects,
see www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca

For more information, please contact Janine Harasymchuk, client relations coordinator, marketing communications office, University of Manitoba, at: 204-474-7300

The 2012 University of Manitoba Campus Beautification Day will be held on Thursday, May 24. This is the 15th year of this highly successful campus-wide event where staff, students, faculty and retirees are invited to participate on a voluntary basis to help beautify the campus.

Throughout the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses, tasks such as picking up paper, raking, sweeping, pulling weeds and planting flowers will be identified. Garden centres in Winnipeg are donating flowers and plants and special projects are being coordinated and planned in various faculties and areas.

The project will start at 9:00 am and continue throughout the day. Everyone is invited to participate for as much time as their schedules permit. Although some will be provided by Physical Plant, volunteers are asked to bring gloves, rakes and spades from home.

A barbecue lunch sponsored by ARAMARK will be held for all volunteers at noon in the quadrangle on the Fort Garry Campus and in front of the Brodie Centre on the Bannatyne Campus. The Bookstore as well as various other businesses on campus will be donating prizes for the event. This year the Grand Prize is two airline tickets donated by WestJet.

In the event of rain, the rain date is Friday, May 25, 2012.

For more information, please visit http://umanitoba.ca/campus/physical_plant/gensvcs/569.htm

Or contact Mike Goertzen, Fort Garry Campus, at 474-9382, or Jerry Wind, Bannatyne Campus, at 789-3792.

University of Manitoba engineering students have soared to new heights with a big win at an international aerospace competition. Members of the University of Manitoba Society of Automotive Engineers (UMSAE) Aero Design Team build and test radio-controlled aircraft, entering their creations into international competitions, pitting their work against that of student groups from other universities.

The UMSAE team has a record of success at this competition, but this Spring`s competition exceeded even their previous accomplishments. At this year’s International SAE Aero Design Competition in Cummings, Georgia, the University of Manitoba team took first place in all static events and second overall, beating out all other North American teams including Canadian teams from Ryerson, Windsor, McGill and Alberta, but also American teams such as those from Florida, Kansas, Ohio and Michigan. Manitoba was edged out only by a team from Minas Gerais, Brazil.

“To achieve this level of success in competition against leading engineering schools from around the world is indicative of the outstanding calibre of the engineering students at the University of Manitoba and a testament to this team’s exceptional design skills and hard work,” says Jonathan Beddoes, dean of the Faculty of Engineering. “The Faculty and University communities congratulate the SAE Aero Team for their accomplishment and for once again proving that University of Manitoba engineers are among the best anywhere.”

The goal of the competition is to lift as much payload as possible given a set of constraints determined by the international body. Teams are judged not only on how well the plane actually flies but also on payload lift prediction and oral and written design presentations. UMSAE team had been boasting that their nine-pound plane could lift 31 pounds of payload.

“We are really excited to see the result of all the hard work that went into the project throughout the year,” says Kris Goodmanson, UMSAE Aero Team Leader. “We’ve learned so much. The team is already looking forward to continuing this success into next year!”

In the Standard Class competition, they won second place losing out to a Brazilian team who had won their national competition back in Brazil. UMSAE missed first place by a single point, carrying a record weight for a U of M team of over 35 pound, slightly under the 37 pounds carried by the Brazilian aircraft.

Goodmanson notes: “We beat all of the American, Canadian and European teams in our classification-a great accomplishment. All of our faculty and our sponsors should be proud of our dedicated team.”

And, for the second year in a row, the UMSAE team won the NASA Systems Engineering Award, worth $750.

For more information, please contact Amber Skrabek, external communications coordinator, Faculty of Engineering, at: 204-781-1352, or email: amber_skrabek@umanitoba.ca

A team from the Asper School of Business took home the prize for Best Business Plan – and possibly a big business deal – at this year’s Global Venture Labs Investment Competition.

Students Raif Richardson, Gary Gervais, Brady Fisher, Jeremy Muzyka and Elena Roussak presented a plan for Solvert Inc., a company that produces GeoTop, the most eco-friendly countertop on the market. It’s made from 95 per cent recycled materials and has the aesthetic diversity of laminate and the durability and appearance of granite or quartz.

The students were only 10 minutes into their presentation during the first round when one of the judges, who had experience in the construction industry, interrupted with an urgent question: “I’m involved in a 400 unit project right now and need countertops by August. Can you do it for me?”

Even though the team didn’t go on to win the overall competition, they did walk away with a possible $1.7 million order.

“Seeing our students perform well at what many refer to as the premier world-wide investment competition was truly a great experience for me,” says Jerrod Falk, the team’s faculty advisor and an instructor in the University of Manitoba’s Department of Accounting and Finance at the Asper School. “The group worked very hard in preparing for this event. They submitted a solid business plan and presented a fantastic pitch. They should be incredibly proud of their accomplishments.”

The Global Venture Labs Investment Competition recently took place at the University of Texas at Austin. Solvert was the only Canadian team to compete against 37 teams from around the world.

Earlier in the business plan competition season, Raif Richardson and Brady Fisher represented Solvert at the Georgia Bowl, which they won.

For more information please contact Judy Wilson at the I.H. Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba, at 204-474-8960 (judy_wilson@umanitoba.ca)

In recognition for outstanding contributions to oral health medicine, science and education, Dr. Gerald Niznick is the 2012 recipient of the Alumni of Distinction award from the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Manitoba.

“The selection committee is pleased to confirm that our 2012 Alumni of Distinction award will go to Dr. Niznick,” said Dr. Scott Leckie, past president of the University of Manitoba Dental Alumni Association. “Dr. Niznick’s track record and huge body of work really speaks for itself.”

He has personally trained tens of thousands of practitioners in dental implant procedures and has received numerous awards including Distinguished Educator and Research Awards from ICOI and AAID, two of the largest dental implant organizations, and an honourary doctorate from the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Niznick has contributed generously to oral health education and research. Most recently, he returned to Manitoba with a commitment of over $500,000 in support of the Niznick Overdenture Program, targeting under-served and disadvantaged populations in the province. This clinical treatment and research project, using one of Dr. Niznick’s latest 1-piece implant inventions, is providing training and support for post-graduate fellows at several Canadian Universities in a study being administered through our dental school.

“Dr. Niznick’s impact on implant dentistry is immeasurable,” said Dr. Anthony Iacopino, Dean of Dentistry at the University of Manitoba. “His contributions have had an immediate and positive impact as our Faculty seeks to provide the most comprehensive educational experience of any dental school in Canada or the United States.”

Soon after securing his DMD at the University of Manitoba in 1966, Dr. Niznick earned a MSD degree in Prosthodontics at Indiana University. He went on to become recognized as an international leader in the field of implant dentistry.

With 35 US patents to his name, he is also the founder and CEO of three highly successful implant companies: Core-Vent Corporation (1982), Paragon Implant Company (1997) and Implant Direct Int’l (2004). In December 2010, a majority interest in Implant Direct was acquired by Sybron Dental Specialties with Dr. Niznick retaining a minority interest and continuing to serve as its President and CEO.

He will be presented with the award at the annual Alumni of Distinction banquet slated for September 28 at the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg.

“Support for Dr. Niznick was widespread among his classmates and colleagues,” Dr. Leckie said. “He is certainly a most deserving recipient of our 2012 distinction.”

For more information contact Grant Warren, Public Affairs, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Manitoba, 204-789-3267 (gwarren@cc.umanitoba.ca).