Physics Proves to Be Fun for High School Students One thousand high school students from across southern Alberta and British Columbia recently participated in two days "studying" physics at Calaway Park as part of a revision course for their exams. The two-day course used a new workbook developed by two U of C instructors from the Department of Physics and Astronomy to help students understand the practical implications of basic science. Park rides including the Vortex, the park's newly re-designed roller coaster, and Ocean Motion, which is a huge boat that swings like a pendulum, are examples of physics in action. Throughout the day, students wore a monitoring device called an accelerometre, then they analyzed the data from the device to better understand the physics behind the device. Students who successfully completed a series of tasks were eligible for a mini degree in rollercoaster-ology.

New Student Spaces and Faculty Will Come with Energy Partnerships
The U of C is looking for partners as it continues to become a global leader in research and education in the fields of energy, environment, and the economy. And these partners will help U of C to obtain its vision of increased student spaces and more faculty. President Harvey Weingarten told industry leaders at a breakfast in May, "It is our commitment to you to lead in innovation, in energy and the environment, to ensure an abundant supply of clean energy, a healthy environment, and continued economic prosperity."

U of C is looking to partner with industry and government in investing an initial $230 million in the vision over the next four to five years. This will allow for creating spaces for 1,000 more students per year in engineering, science, law, social sciences, and business, as well as add up to 100 new faculty.

Learn more...

Research for MS Gets a Boost The multiple sclerosis research team at the U of C is one of the best in the world, and that team has been awarded $3 million in new funding for groundbreaking research and improved care for people suffering from MS. The team is collaborating with the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. and the Montreal Neurological Institute on a study aimed at using a person's own stem cells to repair damage caused by MS. "Our work is focused on manipulating the body's own stem cells to generate myelin in order to repair the parts of the brain and spinal cord under attack by MS," says Samuel Weiss, director, Hotchkiss Brain Institute and U of C professor. Learn more...

Solar Cars Racing into Calgary in July
On July 27, solar cars will be racing into our city as they zoom towards the checkered flag on the North American Solar Car Challenge. Having started in Austin, Texas, on July 17, each car will have travelled thousands of kilometres over 10 days without any gasoline. The finish line will be on Collegiate Blvd, north of the Olympic Oval, and timing for the cars expected to cross the line is between noon and 4:00 pm. Alumni and the public are encouraged to come out and cheer on teams as they finish the 4,000-km race. There will be draw prizes, kids activities, and entertainment during the afternoon; find out more details closer to the date by checking www.ucalgary.ca.

For more on the race, click here.
For more on U of C's entry, click here.

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Alumni Families Ready for Campus Fair Plans for Campus Fair are off and running again to make this third year the best yet. Children and adults alike will be educated and entertained. From exhibits that showcase and explain leading-edge research like stem cell expansion and computer modeling to hands-on archaeological digs or learning to write in a First Nations language, there is something for everyone. Last year, the day brought out more than 7,000 Calgarians, half of which were alumni. The free festivities run from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm rain or shine.

Alumni Association Hosts Breakfast and AGM
The Alumni Association will be hosting their Annual General Meeting in conjunction with Campus Fair again this year. The alumni breakfast will kick off at 9:00 am. With hot food and cool entertainment in the Rosza centre, all alumni are encouraged to attend and bring their families. If you're interested please RSVP to alumni@ucalgary.ca or call 220-7107 by Wednesday, June 15.

The AGM will follow immediately in the Rosza Centre's CIBC Hub room. All alumni attending will have the chance to win one of two $100 gift certificates to the campus bookstore. The incoming executive will be officially appointed at the AGM, which is Tamara MacCarron as the new president, and Judith Hanebury as the new vice president. An annual report of the association's activities will be available, or it can also be downloaded from the alumni Web site at www.alumni.ucalgary.ca.

Outstanding Alumni Will Be Honoured A pioneer in the area of cardiac science and treatment, D. George Wyse will receive the U of C Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award at the annual Arch Awards celebration on Friday, June 10. Kent Hehr, a local lawyer and president of the Canadian Paraplegic Association will be honoured with the Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award. If you'd like to attend the event, e-mail alumni@ucalgary.ca. Learn more...

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

Convocation Week Begins at U of C
June means convocation, and nine convocation ceremonies are slated to be held the week of June 6 to June 10. Tantoo Cardinal and Catherine Ford are among the honorary degree recipients. Each ceremony is open to the public; for a complete list of honorary degree and Order of the University of Calgary recipients and what faculty is graduating each day, click here.

Convocation Reception for EVDS Graduates and Alumni
The EVDS Alumni Advisory Council (AAC) will be hosting a champagne reception during convocation week to welcome their newest graduates, and all of the faculty's alumni are welcome to attend. It will be held in the EVDS Gallery on Thursday, June 9 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm. Please RSVP to jaydantait@yahoo.ca.

From Mozart to Jazz, U of C Hosts Innovative Chamber Music Festival
The Department of Music will present Contrasts, a U of C Chamber Music Festival from Tuesday, June 7 to Sunday, June 19. From Mozart to Romanian and Greek folk music, from Baroque music with modern dance to Jazz, this is a chamber music festival with a twist. Pre-concert lectures take place at 7:10 pm in the Great Hall and the performances take place at 8:00 pm in the Eckhardt-Gramatte Hall, both in the Rozsa Centre. Tickets are $10 (single tickets) and $25 (festival pass) and are available through the Campus Ticket Centre by calling 220-7202 or at the door. For more information call 220-5089 or visit www.ffa.ucalgary.ca

Haskayne Hosts MBA Alumni Networking Luncheon
The next MBA Alumni Networking Luncheon will be held on Friday, June 10 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at Delta Bow Valley, Calgary. The guest speaker will be Andree Iffrig, MEDes, and her keynote is entitled "Explorer's Guide to Finding Uncontested Market Space." The cost of the luncheon is $25. Register by Tuesday, June 7 by e-mailing rsvp@haskayne.ucalgary.ca or call Lana Westergaard at 220-3175.

Graduation and Pow-wow for Aboriginal Students
The annual Aboriginal graduation and pow-wow will be held on Saturday, June 11, starting at 3:00 pm at the Red and White Club. A banquet at 5:00 pm (tickets: $25) will follow, then the pow-wow at 7:00 pm (no charge). Call 220-6034 for more info, or click here.

Rothney Astrophysical Observatory Hosts Open Houses
From 8:30 to 11:30 pm on Saturday, June 18, Saturday, July 16, and Saturday, August 13 the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory will host and open house. For more info: click here.

New Centre for Health and Wellness Research Holds Open House
The Sport Medicine Centre and Human Performance Lab have merged into one functional research and clinical care unit--the Centre for Health and Wellness Research. In addition to the new name, the merger included physically connecting the labs through a 30,000-square-foot, $14-million expansion that included $4 million of new state-of-the-art equipment. The public is invited to see it for themselves at an open house on Thursday, June 23. A special dedication ceremony will begin at 1:30 pm in the Kinesiology Building; the open house will follow from 2:00 to 6:00 pm.

Summer Institute on Language
The Language Research Centre (LRC) will host a week-long summer institute, focussed on language pedagogy, culture, and technology at U of C from August 8 to 12. For further information, please contact the LRC at (403) 210-8550 or click here.

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

Early to the shop makes Barb Davies Healthy, Happy, and Wise Privileged. Passionate. Rewarding. These are three words that came up time again in an hour-long conversation with Barb Davies, BSc'01, the owner of a vitamin store in Marda Loop. To Davies, Vitamins First is so much more than a retail store. "Grounded in knowledge is our motto here, and education is a key part of our success," Davies admits passionately. Read more...