August 19, 2024

A University of Lethbridge lab supervisor and an undergraduate student have named a newly discovered parasite “Myxobolus rasmusseni” after retired ULethbridge professor Joe Rasmussen. ULethbridge student Molly Tilley reportedly discovered the parasite in a small pond on campus and took it to lab supervisor and professor Cam Goater; together they named the newly discovered organism after Rasmussen. Goater commented that Rasmussen’s stature in the world of science is “legendary.” Rasmussen said that the honour will make him “immortal.” “A great many well-known people from the past we now remember today because their names are associated with species,” said Rasmussen.

SSHRC has announced that it will award $2.3M to Canadian researchers who work on one of 12 international research projects. The funds will be provided through the Trans-Atlantic Platform call Democracy, Governance, and Trust (T-AP DGT), which brings together researchers from countries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean to investigate the opportunities, challenges, and crises relevant to democracy, governance, and trust. The projects that SSHRC is co-funding under the call focus on topics such as independent journalism, trust and accountability, and the impacts of Big Tech and artificial intelligence. SSHRC notes that the Fonds de recherche du Québec is also a T-AP DGT partner.

ShanghaiRanking has released its Academic Ranking of World Universities 2024, and three Canadian universities have appeared among the top 100. The top three institutions overall were from the United States: Harvard University (#1), Stanford University (#2), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (#3). The Canadian institutions appearing in top 100 of this year’s ranking were the University of Toronto (#26), the University of British Columbia (#47), and McGill University (#74).

Memorial University’s Board of Regents has advised that board chair Glenn Barnes has resigned effective last Thursday. The institution states that the departure follows a review that determined that Barnes’ email activity was not aligned with the board’s code of conduct. The board had decided to issue a letter of reprimand and suspend Barnes until he made a public apology and committed to privacy training; CBC reports that the university was notified by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education of the resignation. NL Education Minister Krista Lynn Howell stated that the university has been navigating a “challenging time of change,” during which it has demonstrated “a willingness to improve transparency.”

Simon Fraser University has announced a new Bachelor of Arts in Urban Worlds. The program—which aims to address urban issues and improve cities—is a collaborative degree between the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Environment. Students can choose from one of two streams, and additionally have the option to pursue an accelerated Master’s admissions path for two of SFU’s master’s programs. “Urbanization is growing faster than our understanding of how to improve cities,” said SFU Professor Anthony Perl. Perl added that the skills students learn “will enable them to manage the disruptions and minimize the inequities that arise from urbanization, advance the common good, and deliver on government commitments to make cities better for all.”

The Government of Canada is investing over $74.6M through the Union Training and Innovation Program into projects that will support the recruitment, retention, and training of skilled trades apprentices. 114 of the projects—conducted by or in partnership with unions across Canada—will focus on improving the quality of training through the acquisition of equipment and materials, while 10 will focus improving participation in the skilled trades, especially among equity-deserving groups. UTIP is also currently accepting proposals under a new Sustainable Jobs stream to support unions and their partners in the development of green training for workers in the trades.

The University of Winnipeg has released an update to information about a cyber attack that occurred earlier this year. After identifying an initial list of groups that were likely affected, the university expanded its investigation and reportedly identified other groups of individuals that may have been affected. The Winnipeg Free Press says that individuals from the newly identified groups—including UWinnipeg Collegiate students, donors, and harassment/sexual violence complainants—are eligible for two years of credit monitoring service. “Rest assured that we are carefully considering the results of our investigation and will emerge from this incident with stronger cyber defences,” read the release.

Stanley Park’s Kakaso’las Totem Pole will be returning to the University of British Columbia’s Museum of Archaeology (MOA) after nearly 40 years. The pole, which was carved by Kwakwaka’wakw artist Ellen Neel in 1955, is six metres tall and features figures such as the Thunderbird; Bak’was, the wild man of the woods; and Dzunuk’wa, the giant of the woods. The pole was donated to the UBC MOA in 1984 and loaned to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation in 1985. Following a condition assessment of the pole and an agreement with the artist’s family, the City of Vancouver states that it was decided in 2024 that the loan agreement would not be renewed.

Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Bluewater Health have partnered to provide medical students with the opportunity to complete their clerkships in Sarnia-Lambton, starting in 2025. The program is unique in that students will complete their full clerkship training at Bluewater Health instead of rotating through several specialties and communities. This will enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the community and develop in-depth experience in a variety of areas of medicine, including emergency and family medicine, surgery, and psychiatry. The goal of the program is to encourage graduates to stay in the region.

Last Thursday, the British Columbia Supreme Court ordered protesters to remove the encampment at Vancouver Island University by Sunday morning and to not establish any further camps in this area for 150 days. Supreme Court Justice Michael Stephens granted VIU an interim injunction after a three-day hearing; in the injunction, Stephens narrowed the scope of the order sought by VIU. “While we respect and support the right to peaceful protest and diverse viewpoints, today’s court order ensures that the campus quad is returned to the entire community and prevents any individual group from occupying a shared space for extended periods of time to promote a single perspective.”