Spring convocation
Spring Convocation for the faculties of Law, Medicine and Graduate Studies will be held at the Jack Simpson Gymnasium Thu. May 12 at 2 p.m.
An honorary degree will be given to Jack Major, who is also delivering the convocation address. The Order of the University of Calgary will also be welcoming Johan van de Sande as a new member.
New center, new degree
With the opening of U of C’s new O’Brien Centre comes the introduction of the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program. The four year program will focus on biomedical sciences, bioinformatics, and health and society.
The O’Brien Centre was founded after David and Gail O’Brien contributed $5 million to its development. The centre also attracted $9 million from Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation.
Reduced energy means more money
The U of C and Direct Energy Business Services will give $38 million for student and research support and energy savings. The agreement will save the university $30.1 million in energy costs over the seven year project, named evolve. There will also be $3.5 million allocated to student scholarships.
The goal of evolve is to lower the carbon dioxide emissions of the university by 14,500 tonnes.
U of C buildings will also house monitors displaying real-time energy consumption.
U of C student wins national award
A student from the U of C Environmental Sciences Department was awarded a national prize from ECO Canada for his environmental research. Drummond Lawson was selected among 42 other contestants to receive one of five $1,000 prizes.
Lawson’s award includes the opportunity to showcase his research to industry leaders at the North American Game-On Conference held Aug. 22-24 in Montreal.
Lawson’s research examined treated wastewater from the City of Calgary, and suggested proper treatment is crucial to minimize environmental impact.
International students work off-campus
Immigration reforms mean international students are now able to work off-campus and can work in Canada for a longer period after graduation.
The reforms, announced by Federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Joe Volpe on Apr. 18, will ease the financial burden on international students studying at Canadian colleges and universities who pay fees several times higher than Canadian students.