APRIL 2001

Researchers receive Petro-Canada awards

Dr. Serpil Kocabiyik, associate professor, Mathematics and Statistics, and Dr. Len Zedel, assistant professor, Physics and Physical Oceanography, received Petro-Canada Young Innovator Awards. Dr. Kocabiyik's research project is in fluid dynamics and focuses on the impact of the unsteady flow of fluids around a cylindrical body. This project is of significant importance in the field of ocean engineering and is used to accurately predict the design life of cylindrical offshore structures and to help refine offshore designs. Dr. Zedel is undertaking a research project to field test Doppler sonar systems optimized to measure the speed of swimming fish. Doppler sonar systems are routinely used to measure ocean currents but these existing systems actually eliminate the acoustic signature of fish. This application of Doppler sonar technology might eventually provide fisheries managers with a better view of changing fish populations and distributions.

Senate okays protest attendance

Memorial students who participated in a massive protest in Quebec City were not academically penalized for their attendance. A motion from MUNSU presented at Senate requested leniency for students who would miss final exams in order to demonstrate at the Free Trade Area of the Americas meeting, and to attend the concurrent People's Summit, April 20-24. Senate agreed to allow deferred exams for students who provided documentation of their attendance. Concordia, the University of New Brunswick, the University College of Cape Breton, and Queens also gave students the consent they were requesting. Others, including McGill and the Universities of Toronto and Ottawa, denied similar requests.

Brosnan heads committee

Dr. John Brosnan, Biochemistry, is the chair of the advisory committee to the new Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, one of 13 institutes comprising the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), which was formed to replace the Medical Research Council of Canada and broaden the base for health research funding in the country. "This institute has a broad research mandate," said Dr. Brosnan, an expert in the area of amino acid metabolism and the kidney. "We want to support research to enhance health in relation to diet, digestion, excretion and metabolism and look at a wide range of conditions and problems associated with the hormone system, the digestive system, and the functions of the kidney and the liver."

Board endorsement

The Board of Regents has endorsed Memorial University's Strategic Framework and directed the president to report to the Board at least once a year on progress toward achieving the goals outlined in the document. The Strategic Framework was created through a collaborative planning process and included input from faculty, staff, alumni, students and the public, including the government and community organizations.