Processor Helps Unlock Genetic Secrets Quickly Gerrit Voordouw, a U of C microbiologist, turned to the Faculty of Medicine’s Christoph Sensen and a powerful computer processor (the Paracel Genematcher 2), run out of the Sun Center of Excellence for Visual Genomics, to unlock the genetic secrets of an iron-eating bacteria known as Desulfovibrio vulgaris. This potent microbe, found in oil and gas reservoirs, can eat its way through a pipeline in just a few months. Overnight, Sensen and his colleagues were able to provide a gene chip for D.vulgaris and it’s 3,394 genes. “That kind of genetic probe design would normally take months to accomplish. I am thrilled to have such a powerful research tool at my fingertips,” admits Voordouw. Learn more...

New Institute for Brain Research People who have suffered from strokes or spinal cord injuries may one day send a thank you the way of Harley Hotchkiss. A recent $10 million donation to the U of C has launched the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, which will conduct leading research in areas such as stroke, brain repair, spinal cord injury and nerve regeneration and functional recovery, neural cell signaling, epilepsy, mental disorders, and brain imaging. “Our institute has enormous potential to revolutionize treatments for neurological and mental illnesses,” says Sam Weiss, director of the new institute. Learn more...

Cleaning Up Alberta’s Primary Industry
A new initiative at U of C promises to transform Alberta’s oil sands industry and make Canada a global powerhouse in clean energy. Through U of C’s Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE), Pedro Pereira-Almao, professor of chemical and petroleum engineering and Steve Larter, Canada Research Chair in Petroleum Geology in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, are leading the new centre and research and development initiative. “Essentially, we’re trying to develop technology for creating a whole new set of processes for recovering the energy from the oil sands in a clean way and avoiding the environmental impacts,” says Larter.

Learn more...

For more U of C news, pick up a copy of OnCampus or read it online at http://www.ucalgary.ca/news

Alumni Honoured with Arch Awards This year’s Arch Awards will honour Kelly-Marie Murphy and Laura Lucier. Kelly-Marie Murphy, who has earned the Distinguished Alumni Award, is one of Canada’s leading composers. Laura Lucier, a flight planner and mission controller with the Canadian Space Agency at NASA in Houston will be given the GOLD Award. Each will be honoured on November 12 at the Hyatt Regency Calgary. If you’re an alum interested in attending this event, call 220-7107.

President Visited with Alumni in Hong Kong
More than 80 alumni gathered in Hong Kong on October 16, along with U of C President Harvey Weingarten, Alumni Association President Dean Brawn, association board member Dora Lam and other U of C dignitaries. The active alumni branch put a number of new initiatives forward, including the intention to work toward offering a scholarship for students from Hong Kong attending U of C. The evening, which was held at Hong Kong’s Bankers Club, was one stop on the president’s U of C mission to China.

New Arch Magazine on Its Way The next issue of Arch magazine will be hitting your mailboxes the first week of November. Following a theme of education, the cover story includes submissions by five former students on professors who made an impact on them, a feature on how U of C is dealing with changes in funding and revenue, an article from a recent graduate who has been teaching in East Africa, along with alumni profiles, U of C news, and an essay from professor and writer Aritha Van Herk.

Calling All Debt-ridden New Grads
The Student Awards and Financial Aid office wants to remind you: spring 2004 graduates must start repaying their student loans beginning six months after completing full-time studies. For further information regarding government student loan repayment, refer to the U of C's Student Awards and Financial Aid web site. Visit www.ucalgary.ca/awards/ choose Financial Aid, then Government Student Loans for Full-time Students, and finally Government Student Loan Repayment.

For more alumni news: http://www.alumni.ucalgary.ca/

Alumna Returns to Perform on Campus
University of Calgary's recent graduate Lana Henchell returns home to perform for the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition Winner’s Tour 2004 concert on Monday, October 25 at 8:00 PM in Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall of the Rozsa Centre. Tickets are $15 (adults) and $10 (students/seniors) and available through Campus Ticket Centre at 220-7202.

Department of Drama Puts on Latest Production
Turcaret by Alain-René Lesage will be performed in the University Theatre from Tuesday, October 26 until Saturday, November 6 at 7:30 pm. There will also be a 2-for-1 Sunday matinee on October 31 at 2:00 pm. Tickets: $15 (adults) and $10 (students/seniors) and are available through Campus Ticket Centre at 220-7202 or at the door.

EVDS Hosts Lectures
The Faculty of Environmental Design is hosting two upcoming guest lectures at U of C: Mr. Sinisa (Sonny) Tomic, senior urban designer for the City of Calgary will present “Toward a Liveable Downtown” on Friday, November 5 from noon to 1:00 pm at PF 2160. And there will be a lecture and reception on Thursday, November 18. Angus Morrison-Saunders will discuss the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, and a wine and cheese reception will follow until 7:00 pm in PF 2160

Writer Alistair MacLeod Is Visiting Writer
Canadian literary icon Alistair MacLeod will read from his award-winning novel No Great Mischief on Saturday, November 6 at 7:30 pm at the U of C's Rozsa Centre. MacLeod is the 2004 Markin-Flanagan Distinguished Visiting Writer. He begins his residency at the University of Calgary on October 25 and stays until November 26.

Haskayne Vancouver Alumni Wine Tasting Social
Alumni in the Vancouver area are invited to attend a wine tasting social on Tuesday, November 16 starting at 6:00 pm at the Vancouver Rowing Club (Stanley Park). Cost: $25.00 (includes wine and hors d’ouevres). While guiding you through a tasting of six extraordinary wines with matching food selections, Rod Phillips of Nexus Wine will discuss the business climate and regulatory differences between BC and Alberta in the beverage alcohol industry. Please RSVP before November 12 to rsvp@haskayne.ucalgary.ca or call Lana Westergaard at 403-220-3175.

MBA Alumni Calgary Luncheon
The next MBA Alumni Networking Luncheon will be held on Friday, November 19 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Delta Bow Valley, Calgary. The guest speaker will be Evelyn Walker, Manager for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading at TransCanada Power. Her keynote is entitled “Kyoto: From Here to Eternity.” The cost of the luncheon is $25. Register by Tuesday, November 17 by e-mailing rsvp@haskayne.ucalgary.ca or call Lana Westergaard at 403-220-3175.

Western Conference on Innovation
The U of C is sponsoring the first Western Canadian Innovation Conference on November 17 and 18. Guest speakers include U of C Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Marvin J. Fritzler, Chair, Alberta Science Research Authority and John McDougall, President and CEO, Alberta Research Council, among others.
For more: http://www.innowest.com/

For more events, go to http://www.ucalgary.ca/events/