At its 2013 Spring Convocation, the University of Manitoba will confer degrees, diplomas and certificates on 2,845 graduates, compared with 2,767 graduates last year at this time.

During Convocation, honorary degrees are awarded for distinguished achievement. Candidates for honorary degrees are nominated by members of the University and the public.

The 134th annual Spring Convocation of the University of Manitoba has six sessions this year, on May 28, May 29 and May 30, 2013:

Tuesday, May 28, 2013, 9:30 am
in the Investors Group Athletic Centre (IGAC)
Phyllis N. Yaffe to receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws

Tuesday, May 28, 2013, 3:00 pm
in the Investors Group Athletic Centre (IGAC)
Wayne R. Anderson to receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws

Wednesday, May 29, 2013, 9:30 am
in the Investors Group Athletic Centre (IGAC)
Strinivasan Reddy to receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws

Wednesday, May 29, 2013, 3:00 pm
in the Investors Group Athletic Centre (IGAC)
Archbishop V. James Weisgerber to receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws

Thursday, May 30, 2013, 9:30 am
in the Investors Group Athletic Centre (IGAC)
Julie Payette to receive an Honorary Doctor of Science

Thursday, May 30, 2013, 3:00 pm
in the Investors Group Athletic Centre (IGAC)
Henry J. Engbrecht to receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws

Note:

Each session of Convocation 2013 will be streamed online and can be viewed live at: http://umanitoba.ca/convocation/live/

Professors in sociology, geography and earth sciences, with outstanding reputations as educators who gave student encouragement and support, are recipients of teaching excellence awards this year. The title “Distinguished Professor” is given to honour members of the academic staff of the University of Manitoba who have outstanding distinction in research or scholarship, and a significant record in teaching.

The University of Manitoba encourages and supports excellence in teaching through awards that recognize academic staff members who have earned outstanding reputations as teachers. All students in their graduating year, as well as recent graduates and colleagues, are invited to nominate academic staff members for teaching awards.

Dr. and Mrs. H. H. Saunderson Award for Excellence in Teaching

Lance W. Roberts does not offer an easy sociology course; he challenges his students with difficult tests and manageable burdens of weekly reading requirements, and they (mostly) love him for it. Indeed, last year, he received the University 1 Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2011, he received the Faculty of Arts Teaching Excellence Award and he has received the Faculty of Arts Outstanding Achievement Award four times. In 2002, he was named Professor the Year in the Faculty of Arts and the following year he earned the U of M’s outreach award. He began teaching here in 1976 and today is a Professor, a Senior Fellow at St. John’s College, and a Collaborating Scholar at the National Center for the Twenty-First Century Schoolhouse at San Diego State University. In the lecture hall, he uses humour to engage students. As one student enthused, he is the “funniest prof I’ve ever met, I didn’t know I could ever pay attention so well in class… his tests were challenging but that was awesome.”

Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at 9:30 am

Olive Beatrice Stanton Award for Excellence in Teaching

Exuberant. That is how students describe Lisa Ford as a teacher. Other adjectives commonly used are funny, amazing and best. She arrived to the University of Manitoba in August of 2008 with the goal of enhancing the education experience of geography students, particularly first-year students. Judging by one student’s comments, she succeeded: “She definitely knows how young minds think and makes activities that will ensure you remember the concepts she goes over in class. Her teaching style will want you to never miss a class….” She teaches physical and human geography and in her short time as an instructor she has been nominated twice for the University 1 Excellence in Teaching Award, and in 2011 she received the Award of Excellence for Undergraduate Teaching. Her passion seems to have rubbed off: “[She’s] probably the best instructor I have ever had,” one of her students wrote.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at 3:00 pm

Distinguished Professor Award

After completing his PhD at the University of Waterloo, David Barber returned to the University of Manitoba in 1993. He started the Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS) in 1994 with himself, one half-time technician, and two graduate students. In 2002, he received a Canada Research Chair in Arctic System Science. He continues as Director of CEOS and Associate Dean (Research) in the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources. Barber has extensive experience in the examination of the Arctic marine environment as a “system,” and the effect climate change has on this system. He shares his experience with his students. To date, he has supervised to completion six honours theses, 18 MSc theses, 17 PhD dissertations and nine post-doctoral fellowships. He currently supervises 11 graduate students, two post-doctoral fellows, and 14 research associates. He is a member and leader of many national and international research councils, and he currently leads a polar marine science group of over 100 people. He has published over 170 articles in the peer-reviewed literature and during the latest International Polar Year (IPY) in 2007, he led the world’s largest IPY project - the Circumpolar Flaw Lead system study. Throughout his years as a dedicated administrator, gifted teacher, and bold exploratory researcher, Barber has distinguished himself through his unwavering commitment to excellence.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at 3:00 pm

Professor Emeritus James Teller will present a free public lecture on May 22 on how Lake Agassiz plays a role in the flood risks of the modern Red River Valley.

His presentation, The drowning and draining of Manitoba: from Lake Agassiz to today, is part of the Geological Association of Canada – Mineralogical Association of Canada Annual Meeting (GAC-MAC). This conference, which takes place in a different Canadian centre each year, brings together many of the top Earth Scientists from across the country.

Teller’s geological research over the years has allowed us to better understand glacial Lake Agassiz, which was at one time the largest lake in the world, covering a large part of North America for 5,000 years near the end of the last Ice Age.

Agassiz is largely responsible for the Red River Valley’s rich soil and agriculture, but it is also a cause of the valley’s ongoing flood issues, which are again obvious this spring. In his presentation, Teller explain the impacts of Lake Agassiz’s legacy.

What: Free public lecture on how Manitoba’s geological history impacts current flood risks
When: Wednesday, May 22, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Presentation Theatre in the Winnipeg Convention Centre

For more information contact Graham Young, GAC-MAC, 204-988-0648 (gyoung@cc.umanitoba.ca).

Jan Lederman, Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Manitoba, is pleased to announce the re-election of Harvey Secter as Chancellor of the University for a second term beginning June 1, 2013. Mr. Secter, a highly respected business, community and academic leader with a long history with the University, has served as the 13th Chancellor of the University of Manitoba since January, 2010.

The re-election of Chancellor Secter took place earlier today at a meeting of the Committee of Election. This committee was established in The University of Manitoba Act for the sole purpose of electing a chancellor. Its membership consists of all members of the Board of Governors and of Senate, and is chaired by the Chair of the Board of Governors.

The Chancellor, as titular head of the University, confers all degrees and diplomas, and plays a leading role in advancing the University.

“The University of Manitoba is fortunate to have Harvey Secter re-elected as our Chancellor”, said Jan Lederman, Chair of the Board of Governors. “Chancellor Secter will continue to bring his wealth of wisdom and leadership experience to the role”.

Mr. Secter received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Manitoba in 1967. Following graduation, he directed the growth of Ricki’s Canada Limited, a family retail business, from a ten-store chain to a multi-divisional national operation of 150 stores.  He pursued his business career until 1988 when he returned to the University of Manitoba as a student.

Graduating from the Faculty of Law with the Gold Medal in Law in 1992, Mr. Secter went on to pursue a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School. He then became a visiting researcher and instructor at Harvard’s Program on Negotiation, where he assisted in teaching courses and workshops in negotiation and mediation. Mr. Secter also acted as an instructor at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law from 1995 to 1999.

In 1999, Mr. Secter was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba – just seven years after he graduated from that same faculty. He served in this position with distinction until 2008. Following his time as Dean, he was named Dean Emeritus of the Faculty of Law.

Following his decade of service to the Faculty of Law, Mr. Secter retired in 2008. He continues his practice in mediation and arbitration. He serves on corporate boards as Director of FPCN General Partnership Inc., a Trustee of the FP Newspapers Income Fund and as a Director of James Richardson & Sons, Limited.

Mr. Secter is also an active community philanthropist and volunteer. He is Past President of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba and is a current member of the Premier’s Economic Advisory Council, the United Way Advisory Committee, and the Assiniboine Park Conservancy.

“I am pleased that Mr. Secter has been re-elected as chancellor,” says Dr. David Barnard, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manitoba. “His dedication to service to the community at large generally, and to the University specifically, serve as a wonderful example to our students.  I look forward to continuing to work with him in the years to come.”

Among Mr. Secter’s many honours, awards and appointments are an honorary doctorate from the University of Winnipeg, the Sol Kanee Distinguished Community Service Award from the University of Manitoba, and, with his wife, Sandra, the Negev Award for Community Service.

For more information, contact John Danakas, director, marketing and communications office, at: 204-474-8551.

Researchers at the University of Manitoba will receive new funding for grants and scholarships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) over the next five years.

The money will support research in a variety of areas, including magnetism at the nanoscale, learning and memory, and geothermal energy.

The awards total $9,500,100 and were included in a national announcement made in Ottawa today by the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology) and NSERC acting president Janet Walden.

“Discovery Grants is the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s flagship program and one of Canada’s largest sources of funding for basic research,” said Minister Goodyear.  “It provides researchers with the means and freedom to pursue their most promising ideas. Our government is proud to support 10,000 researchers who are creating the advances that will drive tomorrow’s innovations.”

A total of 95 professors will share $8,212,500 in funding from the NSERC Discovery Grants program in the categories of individual, group, subatomic physics, and research tools and instruments. Twenty-nine additional researchers at the graduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral level will receive a combined $1,287,600 in scholarships.

“This funding will fuel our scientific innovators in their quest for answers to the problems facing society today,” said Digvir Jayas, vice-president (research and international) and Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba. “I am proud of each of this year’s recipients and look forward to hearing about their discoveries as they unfold.”

“Today’s recipients are on their paths to successful careers in science and innovation,” said John (Jay) Doering, vice-provost (graduate education) dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba. “Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows are the engines that drive the field of research.”

In total, more than 3,808 scientists, engineers and students at universities across the country will share upwards of $413 million in grants and scholarships over terms ranging from one to five years.

NSERC is a federal agency that helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for all Canadians. The agency supports almost 30,000 post-secondary students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding approximately 12,000 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging over 2,400 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, marketing communications office, University of Manitoba, 204-474-7300.

 The visual similarity between auks and Antarctic penguins can be seen in this photo. Auks, such as the thick-billed murre shown here, has the highest wing-loading of any bird and consequently flight costs are exceptionally high, explaining why Antarctic penguins have evolved flightlessness. Photo credit: Kyle Elliott

Recently, University of Manitoba biologists studying auks – a close relative of penguins except auks can fly– learned that these birds pay an extraordinarily high cost (almost Faustian, really) for their lifestyle.

In an upcoming edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, graduate student Kyle Elliott and his supervisor Gail Davoren, an associate professor of biological sciences, report on their work at Coats Island, Nunavut. They were studying auks alongside cormorants, a largish seabird. During the breeding season, auks and cormorants spend most of their day on land, but they must also dive to substantial depths and spend hours flying.

Most objects need to change their form in order to function efficiently in separate media.

In their paper “High flight costs, but low dive costs, in auks support the biomechanical hypothesis for flightlessness in penguins,” they describe how they measured oxygen consumed by auks and cormorants in the different activities in the wild.  They found that the flight costs were the highest sustained metabolic rates ever measured for any animal. Indeed, the costs were 33% higher than the biologists expected after doing biomechanical modeling of the bird.

Likewise, the auk’s swim costs were higher than penguins that specialize in swimming but – crucially – lower than those of foot-propelled cormorants.

Such high flight costs accompanied by progressive reductions in dive costs may have led aquatic birds to develop wing-propelled diving and finally flightlessness in response to foraging opportunities at increasing depths, Elliott and Davoren suggest. Loss of flight among seabirds such as penguins may thus have been due to the tradeoffs between maximizing wing function in water versus air. In short, good flippers don’t fly well.

“Clearly, form constrains function in wild animals and movement in one medium creates tradeoffs with movement in a second medium,” Elliott says. “It is unlikely that we will ever see a real Gadgetmobile”–referring to the cartoon vehicle of Inspector Gadget–“that functions smoothly in air, land and water.”

Robert E. Rickfels, a biologist from the University of Missouri, Scott A. Hatch, a biologist from the US Geological Survey, and Tony Gaston, a biologist at Environment Canada, were co-authors on the paper. Funding was provided by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Garfield-Weston Foundation.

For more information contact Sean Moore, Marketing Communications Office, University of Manitoba, 204-474-7963 (sean_moore@umanitoba.ca).

Colin Dawes, a salivary researcher in the Faculty of Dentistry, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Canadian Dental Association.

The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the dental profession, the dental community, and to the oral health of Canadians. Dawes was presented with the award at the CDA Annual General Meeting in Ottawa in April.

“It’s extremely rare that this type of award is given for research,” said Dawes, who has spent almost his entire career at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Dentistry. “So this is quite an honour, indeed.”

For nearly 50 years, Dawes has been a leading research scientist within the Department of Oral Biology. He has conducted much-heralded research that has earned the attention and admiration of the profession throughout the world, and he has given invited lectures in 27 different countries. In particular, his work in the realm of salivary research has brought the University of Manitoba international renown and earned him several awards.

“Dr. Dawes is a shining example of consistent excellence at the Faculty, a role model for all students, scientists and academics to follow,” said Anthony Iacopino, Dean of Dentistry.

In addition to authoring over 220 research publications, Dawes is also an editor of and contributor to Saliva and Oral Health, a text book that is now into its fourth edition.

His influential body of work culminated in 2005 when the Salivary Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) presented Dawes with the Salivary Researcher of the Year Award.  That same year he was named Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba.

Dawes earned degrees in physiology and dentistry from Manchester University before earning his PhD at the University of Durham. He joined the U of M Faculty in 1964 following a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

For more information please contact Grant Warren at 204-789-3267 (gwarren@ad.umanitoba.ca).