uOttawa Gazette - Keeping our campus community informed

#uOttawa in social media

Dave Weatherall — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:32:55 +0000

uOttawa launches the Virtual Career Library to help students and alumni get ahead in their careers

Dave Weatherall — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:27:51 +0000

The Virtual Career Library is a new online tool that was developed to give students and alumni access to the best career resources in various subjects and professional fields. The joint initiative is the result of a ground-breaking collaboration between the University of Ottawa Library, SASS Career Services, the Co-operative Education Program and the Telfer School of Management Career Centre and was launched on January 31.

The lucky crowd who gathered for the launch event at the Desmarais Building had the chance to try out the VCL and the privilege to hear Mrs. Cecilia Tellis, Management Librarian and head of this innovative project, give an excellent presentation on how this tool came to be. Mrs. Tellis will be representing the University of Ottawa during the next Super Conference of the Ontario Library Association, where she will present the Virtual Career Library to her fellow librarians.

We invite all the University community to discover this fantastic tool and to spread the word!

Prevention and intervention: Professor Tracy Vaillancourt studies the effects of bullying on the individual and what can be done about it

Jessica Dempsey — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:17:07 +0000

Professor Tracy Vaillancourt hopes to continue studying aggression across the life span from a neuroscientific point of view.

Ever since she can remember, Faculty of Education professor Tracy Vaillancourt has had an interest in bullying. “I’ve always been turned off by the abuse of power, even when I was a young child,” says Vaillancourt.

This intrinsic curiosity at an early age is what eventually sparked her interest in actually studying the subject. When she reached graduate school, she immediately jumped at the opportunity to study bullying and its effects on developing individuals. Vaillancourt’s research attempts to show that bullying causes enormous harm to the individual, as it interferes with the instinctual need to find belonging within a peer group.

By helping to paint a more accurate picture of the impact of bullying, Vaillancourt hopes to better children’s lives by reducing bullying and aggression and to create awareness about the pervasiveness of aggression. On Thursday, February 9, Vaillancourt will be presenting some of her recent findings on bullying and the damage it inflicts. She hopes this talk will counter some of the more prevalent and commonly accepted attitudes towards bullying.

“My hope is that people are going to stop using euphemistic labels to describe bullying,” she says. “A lot of people talk about bullying being a rite of passage, or something that makes you tougher and helps build your character.” Vaillancourt also hopes this talk will get people to take bullying seriously and motivate them to promote change in society.

For her future research, Vaillancourt hopes to continue studying aggression across the life span from a neuroscientific point of view. “The next project I’m going to work on is looking at how children deal with being rejected, but looking at brain processes. That’s important, because I’m trying to mount a case that bullying causes harm and hurts the developing person.”

For more information on Professor Tracy Vaillancourt’s upcoming talk, please visit her website.

University of Ottawa researcher shedding light on whether U.S. is truly “land of opportunity”

Lara Wellman — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:10:15 +0000

Professor Miles Corak.

Miles Corak, professor of economics for the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, has been conducting research on mobility in income across generations, and his findings show that the United States might not really be living up to its international reputation as the land of opportunity.

Corak has spent time studying the extent to which your parents’ status predestines you to staying at the same income level. He’s discovered that countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and Italy are the least mobile, whereas Denmark, Finland, Norway and Canada are the most mobile.

His research has specifically compared Canada and the United States, finding mobility in the middle-class income level is similar in both countries. But things change at the very top and the very bottom; in the United States, people who are born rich stay rich, and those who are born poor stay poor.

Corak’s findings have been getting a lot of notice, not only in big dailies like the New York Times and the Globe and Mail, but also in Washington, D.C.: White House Council of Economic Advisers chairman Alan Krueger referred specifically to Corak and his research in an address to the Center for American Progress on income inequality in the United States, stressing the need for policy changes to ensure more fairness in the economy.

Professor Corak credits his use of social media for much of the exposure his research has received of late. He began using social media in the fall of 2011 to connect with students (both current and past). He quickly realized what an impact being part of the online conversation had on his role as a researcher and professor, and he now encourages other faculty members to do the same.

To find out more about Professor Corak and his research, you can visit his blogor follow him on Twitter.

CO-OP profile: Kieran Bergmann

Dave Weatherall — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:45:41 +0000

Name: Kieran Bergmann
Program: Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
Job title: Junior Political and Economic Officer
Host city: Bangkok

When did your CO-OP international work term take place?
I worked in Bangkok, Thailand from September to December, 2011.

What company did you work for?
I worked at the Embassy of Canada in Bangkok which is accredited to Thailand, Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Burma (Myanmar).

What position did you hold?
I was a Junior Political and Economic Officer in the Political/Economic section of the Embassy. I was responsible for monitoring the political situations of all four countries; reporting on political developments and human-rights issues; and assisting with media relations and public diplomacy activities. In addition, the region experienced the worst floods in over 50 years while I was there, and I took on additional responsibilities such as disaster reporting; interviewing people affected by the floods; and organizing fundraising events for flood relief.

What made you decide to complete an international work term?
I had travelled extensively for work and pleasure in the past and definitely have the travel bug. I had never worked internationally for more than a few weeks at a time, however, and so I really wanted to experience living and working abroad. It is a much different experience as you truly get to immerse yourself in the local culture.

In a few words, how would you describe your experience?
It was an incredible experience. I had the opportunity to travel to some of the most interesting places I have ever been to in my life; live in one of the most amazing cities in the world; and work on issues that I am passionate about.

What are the most important lessons you learned, personally and professionally?
I was in Thailand at a very challenging and unpredictable time, and so I think the most important lesson I learned is to be adaptable, personally and professionally. The work that I was doing could change at any moment if something urgent came up. I also had to be prepared for the floods to hit my neighbourhood at any time and was even evacuated from the city for five days. Being able to be flexible enough to work and live in that kind of uncertainty was essential and is a lesson I will carry with me throughout my career.

Did you experience “culture shock” at any point during your trip?
Not really. Bangkok is such a modern and multicultural city that I could easily find any sort of creature comfort I would ever want. You can live on about $3 a day or splurge at some of the nicest restaurants and shops in the world. I had also been to the region before and so I knew what to expect for the most part. Living through the floods did provide a bit of a shock though. There were sandbags piled up in front of virtually every building and home, and for a couple of weeks there were food and water shortages in the city. I was lucky that it did not impact me too severely, but it was devastating to see how badly it did impact so many people.

Would you recommend this experience to another student? Why?
Yes, definitely! I truly believe that you learn so much about yourself by living in another culture, and it was such an interesting and valuable work experience that will be indispensable as I continue to pursue an international career. Not to mention the beautiful weather, beaches, cultural sites, delicious food, and amazing shopping.

Interested in CO-OP and possibly doing an international work term? Click here!

Food drive doubles its collection for students and children in need thanks to outpouring of generosity on campus

Dave Weatherall — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:39:52 +0000

Students, staff and professors opened their wallets and their hearts to help students in need and their children during the 2012 Snow Festival food drive, donating more than 3,000 items (including baby wipes, diapers and non-perishable food)—twice as many as in 2011.

“It was a really successful week,” says Anne-Marie Brissette of Protection Services, who started the drive four years ago. “We collected a lot more than usual. The Student Federation food bank volunteers were amazed to see just how much food and cash came in.”

The drive itself took in $87.13, but it also received a big surprise from the School of Music, which handed over more than $530 in donations from its annual Holiday concert, A Musical Offering for Christmas.

“I’m so very thankful to everyone who took part and shared in this wonderful event. They’ve really made a difference I the hearts and minds of students in need and their children,” says Brissette.

University of Ottawa alumnus up for an Oscar

Nadia Gervais — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:34:18 +0000

uOttawa alumnus Philippe Falardeau poses for a photo on the red carpet with two actors-Émilien Néron et Sophie Nélisse-from his Oscar-nominated film Monsieur Lazhar before the screening at the NAC on Monday night. Photo by Robert Lacombe.

The 84th edition of the prestigious Academy Awards will take place February 26 in Los Angeles. The filmmakers and industry professionals who made their mark in 2011 will all be there. One of the artists who will be eagerly waiting to see if they receive an Oscar will be University of Ottawa alumnus Philippe Falardeau.

Falardeau’s most recent film, Monsieur Lazhar, is a finalist for best foreign language film. It portrays an Algerian immigrant who offers his services as a substitute teacher in a Montreal elementary school after a teacher takes her own life. Nuanced, touching and brutally honest, Monsieur Lazhar takes on big topics, such as grief and immigration.

“I feel like a hockey player who’s just won the Stanley Cup!” admits Falardeau. “I don’t know what to say. I’m on a real emotional high, totally excited. It just feels like a leap into the unknown.”

A graduate in political science and international relations, Falardeau recognizes that his time at the University had a real influence on his work, even though he switched to a career in film.

“Spending three years of my life under the Morisset Library’s fluorescent lights reading and writing term papers coloured how I see things,” Falardeau acknowledges.

“I also met professors who, at some point, made me want to go further thanks to their way of teaching, which piqued my curiosity. I’m thinking, among others, of my introduction to political science professor, Jean-Pierre Gaboury, whom I really liked and who helped me get my first job when I left the University.”

Any advice for students who would like to follow in his footsteps? Falardeau stresses the importance of instinct. “I made my way by chance, by pure coincidence. It’s like standing at a station. Trains in different directions stop and you have to get on one. You never know if you’re making the right choice, but you have to trust your instinct,” he concludes, modestly.

***

If you know a student who has done something interesting and who would be willing to share his or her story with the University community, please contact Nadia Gervais, E-Communications Officer.

The International Development Week lecture series offers students a chance to learn about Canada’s role in finding solutions to emerging development issues.

Dave Weatherall — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:50:20 +0000

A three day line-up of workshops and speakers sponsored by the Political, International, and Development Studies Student Association (PIDSSA) will offer an in-depth look at emerging issues, solutions and Canada’s role in international development issues.

“The goal of IDW is to foster and facilitate discussion within the University of Ottawa community surrounding international development issues,” says Leah Stuart-Sheppard, one of the organizers of the event. “As students in Canada, it is important for us to carefully study Canada’s role in development and in the international system, and what this role is or should be. It is also important to recognize how development is played out at home, here in Canada.”

For the full week’s schedule, please visit the PIDSSA website.

Desmarais Building makes New Year’s resolution: Lose waste!

Dave Weatherall — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:20:24 +0000

Telfer Assistant Dean, External Relations, Alain Doucet; Brigitte Morin,Waste Diversion Coordinator at the Office of Sustainability and the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Marcel Mérette.

At the start of a new year, many of us set resolutions for the months ahead. With Recyclomania 2012 on its way, the Telfer School of Management and the Faculty of Social Sciences have come together to adopt a “Waste Watchers” pledge: trimming the Desmarais Building’s waste line! And with the help of the Office of Campus Sustainability, both faculties have the perfect plan to make it happen.

As of February 6, a permanent composting program will be available to students, faculty and staff throughout Desmarais. Every second recycling station, on every floor, will be outfitted with a compost bin so that organic waste like apple cores and banana peels (and more ) will now be reclaimed sustainably every day. Since the Desmarais Building currently produces about 4% of the University of Ottawa’s waste, there’s certainly room to cut back on that figure.

The composting program is being launched as part of RecycleMania 2012, a friendly eight-week waste- diversion competition between February 6 and April 2 where universities and colleges across North America compete to produce the least amount of waste possible. Over the past few years, the University of Ottawa has fared extremely well among competing Canadian postsecondary institutions, taking first place three years in a row.

“The Faculty of Social Sciences, as uOttawa’s largest faculty, is well placed to promote sustainable behaviours,” says dean Marcel Mérette. “Because we specialize in relationships between people, groups, systems and spaces, we have an important role to play in ensuring that our programs, as well as our facilities, promote sustainable behaviours while encouraging awareness, in our students, faculty and staff, of our interdependent nature and mutual responsibility as stewards of the environment.”

The Telfer School of Management is equally pleased about this joint effort’s potential for cutting the building’s waste line. Indeed, both faculties are now able to provide, in addition to their blue and black box recycling programs, yet another means for students and staff to help the environment daily—and it’s as easy as thinking before throwing anything out.

“At the Telfer School, we raise awareness of social responsibility and sustainability at the organizational level in our courses and programs. RecycleMania 2012 provides a great opportunity for our students, professors and members of our administrative staff to act responsibly towards the environment,” says dean François Julien. “Most of us individually already take concrete yet simple actions such as throwing organic waste in compost bins at home, and I’m delighted that we will now provide an environment that will allow all tenants of the Desmarais Building to extend this socially responsible behaviour to their work place. The Telfer School is highly supportive of this initiative.”

Brigitte Morin, the recycling coordinator at the uOttawa Office for Campus Sustainability, is also enthused by the collaborative effort of the two faculties. The timing of the initiative couldn’t be better given that RecycleMania 2012 is upon us! “I’m very excited that Telfer and the Faculty of Social Sciences have come together to participate in RecycleMania. It’s so inspiring to have groups that not only care about their own footprint, but who are also working with their students to create environmental awareness and sustainable habits.”

Discipline and dedication, however, are the keys to attaining any goal, and they must come in the form of student and staff participation if the Desmarais Building is to lose waste.

Over the past few years, the University of Ottawa has come out as the Canadian winner in the RecycleMania competition. With many new waste-diversion initiatives in place for 2012, including composting at Desmarais, our university can fare even better in its overall waste-reduction efforts and make 2012 a year of campus-wide ecological responsibility.

#uOttawa in social media

Dave Weatherall — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:27:51 +0000