Front Page

News

In Brief

Research

Out and About

News and Notes

Classified

Obituary

Flashback

Meet Memorial

Employment

Papers & Presentations

Notable

Search this issue

The Gazette Homepage

Division of University Relations Homepage

E-Mail Us

(April 12, 2001, Gazette)

Oceanographer published in Science
According to Dr. Richard Rivkin of Memorial’s Ocean Sciences Centre, tiny organisms floating in the upper ocean can help us understand how oceans respond to global climate changes. He has been studying the importance of food-web processes as they control oceanic biogenic carbon cycles and ocean-atmosphere carbon dioxide exchanges, and Science, a highly prestigious U.S.-based science journal, is featuring his research in its edition published March 23, 2001.

The article, entitled Biogenic Carbon Cycling in the Upper Ocean: Effects of Microbial Respiration, is co-authored with Louis Legendre, Laboratoire d’Oceanigraphie de Villefranche. They found that the biological controls on the cycling of carbon, and the production of carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, is much more strongly controlled by temperature than had been previously thought.

Committees appointed
Two committees have been struck by the Dr. Evan Simpson, vice-president (academic). First, a committee of six has been asked to conduct a review of the dean of graduate studies, Dr. Greg Kealey, who completes his first term of office at the end of this year. This committee will be chaired by Dr. Glenn Rowe, Faculty of Business Administration. The other members are: Dr. Christopher English, History, Dr. Sandra LeFort, Nursing, Dr. Ron Rompkey, English, Dr. Bill Montevecchi, Psychology, and Dr. Penny Moody-Corbett, Medicine.

Second, the search committee for an associate vice-president (academic) has been named. This committee will be chaired by Dr. Evan Simpson, vice-president (academic). Other members are: Glenn Collins, Registrar, Dr. David Dibbon, Education, Dr. Sonja Jerkic, Anthropology, Dr. Robert Lucas, dean of Science, Dr. Carole Orchard, Nursing, and Dr. Holly Pike, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College.

Satellite delivery to remote regions
The Telehealth and Educational Technology Resources Agency (TETRA) of Memorial University has received a $100,000 contribution from the Canadian Centre for Marine Communications (CCMC) toward dramatically improving emergency medical response to marine vessels traveling in Canadian waters.

Known as the Marine Interactive Satellite Technologies (MIST) program, the support is being made through CCMC’s Marine Information Skyway initiative – an initiative supported by the Communications Research Centre (CRC) and Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

MIST is the third in a series of successful multimedia satellite-based initiatives, led by CSA and Telesat, that are providing vital services to Canadians in remote regions. It is a collaborative effort between Telesat, TETRA, Marine and Mountain Zone, Marine Atlantic, CRC, the European Space Agency, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and CCMC.

“Delivery of health services to remote communities has always been an important part of the educational and service mission of the medical school and TETRA at Memorial University,” said Dr. Carl Robbins, chair of TETRA. “In this project, we intend to study the use of telehealth technologies to improve health services to ships at sea. The potential benefits are significant.”

Dwight Howse, manager of Marine Information Skyway, said this project enables the telemedicine expertise resident within TETRA to be applied to a range of commercial opportunities in both marine and remote terrestrial environments.

Phys Ed honours its own
The School of Physical Education held its annual presentation of awards April 5, and honoured some of its finest student-athletes. Seven of Memorial’s graduating players were inducted into the Athletic Honour Society, which recognizes graduating student-athletes that have made an outstanding contribution to the athletic program at Memorial University and its students. Election to membership in the Athletic Honour Society is the highest athletic award that can be conferred on a student at Memorial University. This year’s inductees were, Colin Fewer, cross country; Cheryl Oldford and Susan Mosher, volleyball; Erica Coultas, Ann Murrin and Amy O’Reilly, basketball; and Fiona Curtis, soccer.

The Edward P. Browne Trophy is presented annually to the outstanding male and female interuniversity basketball players. The recipients of this year’s trophy were Jeff Saxby and Ann Murrin.

Cheryl Oldford, volleyball, was awarded the Graham Snow Memorial Award, presented annually to the student who combines prowess in varsity athletics with high academic achievement. Melissa Skanes received the Harold Squires Scholarship, presented annually to a student combining outstanding achievement in athletics and academics. Trevor O’Brien was awarded the Jubilee Cup for the most outstanding performance in distance running. George Colbert received the John Drinkwater Memorial Award as the outstanding varsity swimmer.