VIDEO: Jet bike demo at Science Rendezvous 2013

This jet bike demonstration was only one of the fun activities at the University of Regina Science Rendezvous, May 11. The event was the Faculty of Sciences’ annual interactive science festival and included: a magic chemistry show, bats, computer gadgets, bottle rockets, ice-cream making, “walking on water”, rocks and fossils, interactive lab tours, a high school science quiz competition and an opportunity to meet the scientists.

Computer science student shares reflections

Submitted by: Robin Jastrzebski
Undergraduate computer science student

After a busy semester, everything has finally come to an end.  My UCOSP  (Undergraduate Capstone Open Source Projects) (UCOSP ) experience has been quite a positive one.  I did not expect to take so much away from a course in my life.  It had been everything I needed to get myself focused on my career path.  It had definitely been a class that has pushed me into new situations and I learned a lot about myself as a developer than I would ever have thought.  The course provided me with valuable work experience and a chance to build confidence in my skills.

It was nice to travel to Facebook Headquarters in California, in January at the beginning of the semester to meet the group I would be working with.  With that being an amazing experience, it made contributing to the open source project very meaningful.  I had a group of peers I could rely on for support if I ran into any problems and vice versa.

I made it a goal of mine during the semester to become a committer to the project.  That meant that no one would be reviewing my code and I would be adding my contributions to the projects without an extra person to ensure quality control.  In industry, an application that does not function correctly is unacceptable.  An application must be correct, robust and reliable.  Submitting less than perfect code isn’t an option.  During the term, I reached this goal and became very familiar with the process the more I contributed.   The more I worked on the project, the better I became at it.  If I left my work for even a mere three or four days, I felt I was losing familiarity with the project.  I ended up working on the project for about 20 hours a week on average.  I felt I needed to commit to those hours to keep up with the level of productivity of my peers.

The course pushed me outside my comfort zone.  It provided me with a scenario much like starting a new job where I was not familiar with the technology and had to produce something by certain deadlines.  It was stressful at times and it was very rewarding at times.  Overcoming obstacles and challenges provides a satisfying sense of accomplishment.  I would recommend this class and I encourage all Computer Science students to apply for the UCOSP program through our Department of Computer Science.  It is a unique experience, which provides you with both networking and work experience opportunities.  It’s definitely one of the best classes I’ve taken during my four years at the U of R.

To read about Jastrzebski’s trip to Facebook head quarters visit: http://www2.uregina.ca/yourblog/?p=7297

VIDEO: 2013 Minifie Lecture featuring Wab Kinew

Watch Wab Kinew’s lecture “Ideals Once More: How social media, social movements and Indigenous people urge us towards a new ethics of Journalism,” (Recorded as part of the 33rd Annual Minifie lecture on March 19, 2013).

VIDEO: Relay for Life 2013

The video above is of students, staff, alumni, friends and family gathered at the University of Regina for the second annual Relay for Life event in support of the Canadian Cancer Society this past March.

Graduates to screen films at the Artesian

A still from the short film “Inertia” directed by Travis Julé.

Submitted by: Amber VanPinxteren
Undergraduate film student

The University of Regina’s Department of Film is pleased to announce that the fourth-year students will be screening their latest short films at the Artesian on April 26th and 27th, 2013. The event is open to the public.  The films will begin at 7 pm each night and the doors open at 6:30 pm.

The screening is an annual event organized by a small committee of fourth-year students. Each night, approximately ten short films varying from documentary to experimental to narrative to animation will be screened.

Read more

Walk for wellness

The President’s office in association with the URwell Advisory Group support the 2013 Royal Road Race taking place at the RCMP Depot on Saturday May 11, 2013. The Royal Road Race is committed to giving back to the community and a portion of the proceeds raised from this event  go to the University of Regina, Jaleta Pacer Scholarship.  The race, which begins at 9 am at the RCMP Academy “Depot” Division, includes a 5 km walk/run and 10 km run (part of the Timex Race Series).  You can register by going to www.eventsonline.ca.

To prepare, The URwell Advisory Group in partnership with the President’s office started a walk/running group 60 days prior to the race (March 12, 2013).

You can still join the walking/running group. The group meets at noon in front of the Printing Services office in the AD-HUM building (first floor) – and split into an indoor group and an outdoor group. Both groups leave at 12:10 pm. The walk/run takes between 30-40 minutes and is led each day by a member of the community or a University of Regina faculty or staff member. Prizes for participation are awarded at the end of each week.

Learn how to be safe at the U of R

Sarah Posehn in one of the safety suits that would be used in the event of a chemical spill. She is a Chemical & Laboratory Safety Consultant at the U of R (Health, Safety, & Environment, Human Resources)

Submitted by:  Sarah Posehn
Chemical & Laboratory Safety Consultant
Health, Safety, & Environment, Human Resources

As a Chemical & Laboratory Safety Consultant I strive to keep all University of Regina (U of R) students, staff, faculty, and community members safe.  It is not chemical compounds, heavy equipment, or radiation that poses the greatest risk to our safety on campus, it’s the lack of available information and awareness.   That is where I come in.  As a former U of R student, I am passionate about ensuring that everyone knows how to be safe at the University and where to find relevant safety resources, support, and training.

Our office (Health, Safety & Environment, Human Resources) is hosting North American Occupational Safety (NAOSH) Week activities May 5th to 11th. The largest event, a “House of Hazards” contest, will be on May 8th, from 9:30 am – 2:00 pm in College West Room 113.  Walk through three different areas (Lab Safety, Home/Office Safety, & Industrial/Workshop Safety) and see how many hazardous items or procedures you can find!  There will also be a mini-scavenger hunt to help you earn some extra points. Come on out and test your safety awareness; all participants will be eligible for the door prizes, and the individuals who earn the most points will be entered to win one of our grand prizes!

**NAOSH Week is led by the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE).  More information about NAOSH Week can be found at www.naosh.ca or www.csse.org **

Follow us on Twitter! @UofR_HSE www.twitter.com/UofR_HSE

VIDEO: Juno TV host visits U of R

Watch Juno TV host StokeS try to keep up with University of Regina Kinesiology alumna Amanda Ruller. Ruller tweeted the winning suggestion to StokeS’ question about what he could do while he’s in Regina for the Juno Awards. She suggested he train with her and some members of the U of R Women’s Track team.

Ruller completed her five-year eligibility with CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) and was the 2010 record holder for the 60-metre dash. She currently divides her time between Calgary (where she takes skeleton sled training), Moose Jaw (where she is a personal trainer), and Regina (where she works at lululemon).

VIDEO: I.S.S (Is Somebody Singing?) Lip Dub

Sessional lecturer Dean Shareski  and University of Regina Education students created the above collaborative lip dub with the help of the many classrooms they work with from across North America.

You can read Shareski’s blog post about the project here:
http://ideasandthoughts.org/2013/04/09/i-s-s-the-collaborative-lip-dub/

30 Inspiring Women for 30 Days of National Engineering Month

Submitted by: Dena McMartin
Professor, Environmental Systems Engineering

Throughout March the Ontario Chair for Women in Science and Engineering, Dr. Catherine Mavriplis, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ottawa, focused her attentions on 30 Inspiring Women for 30 Days of National Engineering Month.

These thirty women are remarkable trail blazers, game changers, and highly motivated leaders, mentors, and exemplars of science and engineering in our country. I chose 4 women at random to whet your appetite – and invite you to check out the remaining 26 profiles of inspirational women of science and engineering at your leisure.

March 7: Dr. Mary Wells is a professor of Materials Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Wells chose a career in engineering for two key reasons: (1) she’d heard of engineering from her father and uncles and (2) the job prospects were good. Add that to her enjoyment of math and science and she was a shoo-in.

March 16: Cristina Amon is Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto. Dr. Amon’s response to choosing an engineering career fit the oft-given women’s perspective that engineering offers the opportunity to create and innovate in a way that has “…direct, immediate impact on society and on people’s lives.”

March 19: Dobrila Rancic Moogk is a consultant supporting high-tech companies with product and corporate development. Essentially, she’s a problem solver for business. Her exceptional love of math and programming lead her to the highly competitive electronics and telecommunications engineering program where she excelled. Ms. Moogk notes, as did Dr. Amon, that impact on people’s lives and society figures highly in her career satisfaction.

March 25: Lyla Garzouzi is the Distribution Development Manager at Hydro One Networks Inc. leading a team of engineers who are designing the Ontario power grid of the future. Ms. Garzouzi chose engineering because of her love of math and science and a desire to make use of practical math and science applications…for the betterment of society.

The common factor for all of these exceptional women: pragmatism with a softer side. These women exude confidence, intelligence, and social conscience. They have chosen engineering careers to have direct impacts on improving people’s lives, advancing society, and finding joy in the everyday. How inspiring!