• Russ Robb - Physics and Astronomy - August, 2013

  Farewell to the Centre of the Universe

  The Times Colonist includes comment from Russell Robb, a senior physics and astronomy lab instructor, in its story about the closure of the popular educational arm of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory. "It's sad and a real shame," Robb says.  Read more.
• Stephen Johnston - Earth & Ocean Sciences - July, 2013
  Stephen T. Johnston was elected to the McGill Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the 1982 McGill Redman Soccer team. McGill’s 1982 Redmen soccer team – which captured the Canadian championship – headline a new cast of inductees selected for the McGill Sports Hall of Fame. The 1982 soccer Redmen posted a stellar 15-1-3 overall record en route to capturing both the Quebec league title and the national championship. They will be celebrating the 31st anniversary of their CIAU banner this fall.  Stephen was previously inducted as a member of the 1981 Redman soccer, which also captured the Canadian Championship, and is one of the few two time inductees into the McGill Sports Hall of Fame, and is one of a very select group of athletes who have won two Canadian soccer championships.
  
• Colin Goldblatt - Earth & Ocean Sciences - July, 2013

  Will Earth's oceans boil away?

  International media outlets, including National Geographic, New Scientist, NBC, UPI, Mother Jones, as well as the Nature Publishing Group for the Asia bureau (Japanese, untranslated) and the Independent in the UK, are covering the new paper published in Nature Geosciences. Colin Goldblatt is lead author on the study about the runaway greenhouse effect.  Read more.

  How a planet becomes a 'runaway greenhouse'

  A popular science website has also picked up the story on the new study led by Colin Goldblatt on the runaway greenhouse effect.  Read more.

• Dean Karlen - Physics & Astronomy - July, 2013

  UVic researchers are looking for antimatter

  Dean Karlen and this month's T2K news is featured on the front page of today's "Life" section in the Times Colonist. The international team is trying to determine why matter exists at all. The international project called T2K is being pursued by 400 physicists from 11 countries, and focuses on a little-understood particle called the neutrino. Read more.

• Stephen Johnston - Earth and Ocean Sciences - July, 2013

  THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA (GSA):

  New GSA Fellows Elected by Council Society Fellowship is an honor bestowed on the best of our profession by election at the spring GSA Council meeting. GSA members are nominated by existing GSA Fellows in recognition of their distinguished contributions to the geosciences through such avenues as publications, applied research, teaching, administration of geological programs, contributing to the public awareness of geology, leadership of professional organizations, and taking on editorial, bibliographic, and library responsibilities. 

  GSA’s newly elected Fellows will be recognized at the 2013 GSA Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony on Monday, 28 Oct., at the Colorado Convention Center.
  
  Stephen T. Johnston (University of Victoria):  Johnston is nominated for his provocative and innovative research, which has recognized a new class of mountain belts, as well as his sterling geo-citizenry as demonstrated by his ongoing commitment to professional organizations, editorial duties, outreach, and the education of his students.  Read more.
  
• Colin Goldblatt - Earth & Ocean Sciences - July, 2013

  Runaway greenhouse effect could doom Earth sooner

  A new study by Colin Goldblatt is the most complete look at the runaway greenhouse effect in 25 years and indicates it may be easier than initially thought to trigger the effect on Earth. The study is published in Nature Geoscience.  Read more.

• Fraser Hof - Chemistry - July, 2013
  Fraser Hof was interviewed Friday on CBC Radio Victoria's "On the Island" morning show, as well as on CFAX 1070's afternoon program, about his research into potential new treatments for the most aggressive forms of prostate cancer. The research recently received a Movember Discovery Grant from Prostate Cancer Canada. Read More
  
• Robert Kowalewski - Physics & Astronomy - July, 2013

  Petition launched to save Centre of the Universe

  The Times Colonist reports that, as a petition to keep the lights on at the Centre of the Universe approaches 800 signatures, the federal government remains on course to shut the doors on Aug. 24. Robert Kowalewski and BC Green Party MLA Andrew Weaver both provide comment.  Read more

• Fran Nano - Biochemistry & Microbiology - July, 2013

  Siberian and UVic scientists on new vaccine against TB

  Siberian scientists, together with colleagues from UVic, will test a bold hypothesis to potentially create a new vaccine against tuberculosis based on Arctic bacteria. This was the story in a Russian newspaper this week. Francis Nano is leading the project in Canada, partnering with scientists at the Novosibirsk TB Research Institute in Russia. UVic News

• Fraser Hof - Chemistry - July, 2013

  Fraser Hof, Chemistry / Rustom Bhiladvala, Mechanical Engineering

  Reversing the Canadian brain drain

  For Jorge Peña and Anup Daté, a summer at UVic provided hands-on training in high-tech research, and a chance to explore a scenic new city. For Canada, it’s a 12-week opportunity to convince the brightest young minds from emerging economies to relocate here. Peña (supervised by Fraser Hof, Chemistry) and Daté (supervised by Rustom Bhiladvala, Mechanical Engineering) are two of 14 science and engineering interns from Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Turkey or Vietnam who attended UVic this summer, and of 280 in Canada, under the Mitacs-Globalink program.  Victoria News

• Frank van Veggel - Chemistry - July, 2013

  Victoria researcher develops high-tech method to detect prostate cancer

  Frank van Veggel has been researching the use of nanoparticles in the detection and screening for prostate cancers. Besides this project, which van Veggel is developing at his UVic lab in partnership with the Victoria branch of the BC Cancer Agency, he has received separate grants to work on nanoparticles for brain cancer and breast cancer.  Metro

• Frank van Veggel - Chemistry - July, 2013

  Prostate cancer, a tough nut to crack

  Prostate cancer is the most common cancer for men in Canada, affecting one in seven, and killing about 16 per cent of those diagnosed. But Frank van Veggel and other UVic researchers are developing distinctly separate high-tech techniques that could lead to relatively easy early detection and non-invasive treatment of prostate cancer.  Victoria News

• Andrew Weaver - Earth and Ocean Sciences - June, 2013

  Weaver beams into history (front-page photo in TC)

  Andrew Weaver walked through the revolving doors of the BC legislature and into the history books yesterday as the province’s first Green party MLA. Both the Times Colonist and the local Press Group paper (the latter story being filed by legislative bureau chief Tom Fletcher) are reporting that Dr. Weaver has taken political leave from UVic. The TC also indicates he'll be taking a pay cut; Fletcher indicates he'll remain active in his scientific role.  Read More
• Christoph Borchers - Chemistry - June, 2013

  Planet discovery, genome funding unveiled in Victoria

  Another prominent front-page article in the Times Colonist announces that UVic’s Genome BC Proteomics Centre, led by Christoph Borchers, will receive nearly $4.3 million in funding from Genome Canada for protein and molecular research.  Read more
• 2012-13 Faculty of Science award winners

  The 2012-13 Faculty of Science Award winners were recently announced: 

  Faculty of Science Award for Excellence in Teaching	Dr. Scott McIndoe, Department of Chemistry
  Faculty of Science Award for Excellence in Research	Dr. Pavel Kovtun, Department of Physics and Astronomy
  Faculty of Science Award for Excellence in Service	Dr. Jody Spence, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences

   A reception will be held in the fall to honor these recipients.

News Archive