Friday, July 30, 2010

[PDADC-L] Provostial Guidelines for the Appointment of Status-only, Adjunct and Visiting Professors (revised)

PDADC#8, 2010-11

To: PDAD&C

From: Edith Hillan, Vice Provost, Faculty & Academic Life

Date: July 28, 2010

Re: Provostial Guidelines for the Appointment of Status-only, Adjunct and Visiting Professors (revised)

Please find following the revised guidelines on the appointment of Status-only, Adjunct and Visiting Professors.

A number of the changes to the guidelines are outlined in the 'Highlights' section provided below. In addition, each division is requested to prepare divisional guidelines on the process for the appointment and annual review of Status-only, Adjunct and Visiting Professors. Please submit these to my office (to the attention of Sara-Jane Finlay, sarajane.finlay@utoronto.ca) by the 31st October 2010.

Highlights

* University of Toronto appointed faculty (including those appointed under the Policy and Procedures on Academic Appointments, Policy on Clinical Faculty and the Policy and Procedures on Employment Conditions of Part-time Academic Staff), librarians (both those appointed under the Policies for Librarians and the Policy on Part-time Librarians) and staff (including Research Associates) cannot hold Status-only, Adjunct or Visiting Professor appointments at the University of Toronto
* Status-only and Adjunct appointments can only be made in divisions with faculty appointment rights and must follow an appropriate appointment process and require the written approval of the Dean
* In addition to qualified employees from affiliated hospitals, research institutions, and other universities, qualified employees from agencies with which the University has collaborative agreements (e.g. Toronto Public Health) are included as eligible for these appointments
* The description of the relevant academic duties has been expanded to state that the individual should 'normally hold full-time employment arrangements with another institution with a job description that is appropriately academic (components of research and/or teaching)'
* The Guidelines provide a reminder that due consideration should be given to the resource implications of providing Status-only appointments
* Because Status-only appointments bring with them particular privileges (e.g. graduate appointments, research grant applications) care must be taken that the individual's primary appointment is chiefly academic and that appropriate safeguards and infrastructure are in place to protect academic freedom and ensure proper ethical conduct
* Creation of two 'streams' of Adjunct appointments - Adjunct Professors and Adjunct Lecturers
* Those individuals who have special qualifications and expertise, such as eminent professionals of recognized stature, should be appointed as Adjunct Professors. This category of appointment is normally reserved for distinguished individuals of exemplary achievement with whom we expect to have an on-going connection. Other individuals who are appointed within teaching programs or who contribute their skills or experience e.g. in supervising clinical placements should be appointed as Adjunct Lecturers
* Membership in SGS is co-terminal with an individual's appointment as a Status-only, Adjunct or Visiting Professor

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Sara-Jane Finlay (sarajane.finlay@utoronto.ca).

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Provost’s Guidelines for the Appointment of Status-only, Adjunct or Visiting
Professors

1.0 Introduction
Status-only or Adjunct appointments are held by individuals who are employed outside of the University of Toronto. These are non-salaried and non-continuing academic appointments which may be given to individuals whose skills and expertise can advance the academic mission of the University. However, it is essential to ensure that such appointments are made in a manner that is consistent with the mission of the University, preserves the integrity of our standards, and provides appropriate protection for the individual and the University.

Appointed faculty (i.e those appointed under the Policy and Procedures on Academic
Appointments, Policy and Procedures on Employment Conditions of Part-time Academic Staff), librarians (i.e. those appointed under the Policies for Librarians and the Policy on Part-time Librarians) Clinical faculty1 (i.e. those appointed under the Policy on Clinical Faculty) and University of Toronto staff members are NOT eligible to hold Status-only or Adjunct appointments at the University of Toronto. Librarians or staff members (including Research Associates) involved in graduate teaching or supervision can hold membership in the School of Graduate Studies to enable this to occur but must NOT be given a Status-only or Adjunct appointment.

Status-only, Adjunct and Visiting Professor appointments may only be held in academic units with full faculty appointment rights. Processes must be in place in divisions and units2 to ensure that such appointments are made in the appropriate manner and that they are reviewed on a regular basis in accordance with approved divisional guidelines. All such appointments require the written approval of the Dean. Any individual who is to hold a Status-only, Adjunct or Visiting Professor appointment at the University of Toronto must be given a letter of offer outlining the privileges and responsibilities that accompany the appointment. Template letters of offer are provided in Appendix 1.

The Provostial Guidelines for the Appointment of Status-only, Adjunct or Visiting Professors provide a framework to define the nature of such appointments and the procedures by which they should be made.

2.0 Status-only Appointments
Individuals being considered for Status-only positions should normally hold full-time
employment arrangements with another institution with a job description that is appropriately academic (components of research and/or teaching) in nature. Most often, Status-only appointments may be granted to qualified employees of affiliated hospitals, research institutions, agencies with collaborative agreements with the University of Toronto or other universities.

Status-only appointments are non-salaried and normally receive no remuneration from the
University of Toronto. Such appointments are made to allow a faculty member from another
university or a qualified individual from an appropriate institution to participate more fully in an academic unit’s teaching or research program. Status-only appointees have certain privileges through their affiliation with the University (e.g. where appropriate, they can be recommended for a graduate appointment and are eligible to apply for research funding). Care must be taken that the individual’s primary appointment is chiefly academic and that appropriate safeguards and infrastructure are in place to protect academic freedom and ensure proper ethical conduct. These appointments also have resource implications, consideration must be given to the support
of Status-only appointments.

Appointments
1. All divisions should establish a procedure for the appointment, regular review and
reporting of Status-only appointments.
2. The Dean of the division, following consultation with an appointments committee, can
offer Status-only appointments. Status-only appointments at the rank of full professor
also require Provostial approval.
3. Appointments are usually annual but may be for longer terms. Terms must be stated in
the letter of appointment (Appendix 1).
4. Appointments may be renewed at the discretion of the Dean.
5. The academic rank of the appointment will correspond with the individual’s academic
credentials and the expectations of the appointment.
6. At the time of appointment, Status-only appointees must receive written confirmation of appointment, conferring title at appropriate academic rank, adding “Status-only”, and
stating the duration of the term of the appointment and expectations for contribution to
the unit. The specific duties to be performed by the Status-only faculty member should
be clearly outlined in a letter of appointment. Any policies governing the duties to be
performed by the Status-only faculty member should be identified and brought to the
attention of the appointee in the letter of offer. A template letter of offer is appended
(Appendix 1).
7. Status-only appointees may also be recommended for a graduate appointment within the
academic unit in accordance with the policies of the School of Graduate Studies. Statusonly appointees may be actively involved in the unit’s graduate program through the
teaching of graduate courses or supervision of graduate students or by serving on
graduate committees. Appointment to the School of Graduate Studies must be coterminal
with the individual’s university appointment.
8. The appointing officer must confirm that the institution employing the Status-only faculty member permits the appointment and that the institution will allow the faculty member to fulfil academic responsibilities and cooperate with the University on all matters in the University’s jurisdiction.
9. Status-only appointees may be promoted on the recommendation of a properly
constituted promotions committee, according to divisional guidelines and the Policy on
Promotions, and subsequent review and approval by the Vice-President and Provost.
10. Normally an individual will hold only one Status-only appointment at the University of Toronto.

Duties and Obligations
1. Status-only faculty are expected to acknowledge their affiliation with the unit in which they hold their primary academic appointment in all publications and scholarly works resulting from the Status-only appointment.
2. Status-only faculty who teach, supervise graduate students or conduct research are bound by all University of Toronto policies governing academic conduct.
3. Status-only appointees are eligible to apply for research funding. Status-only appointees holding research funds administered by the University are bound by the University’s policies governing research.

3.0 Adjunct Appointments
Individuals who are employed elsewhere in a position that is not primarily academic in nature, who have special skills or learning of value to a unit and who may provide services for which recognition is desirable may be appointed as an Adjunct faculty member for a limited term. Those individuals who have special qualifications and expertise, such as eminent professionals of recognised stature, should be appointed as Adjunct Professors. This category of appointment is normally reserved for distinguished individuals of exemplary achievement with whom units expect to have an on-going connection. Other individuals who are appointed within teaching programs or who contribute their skills or experience in supervising clinical placements should be appointed as Adjunct Lecturers. Recognising that the role and contribution of Adjunct
Lecturers and Adjunct Professors will vary across units, each division is encouraged to create Guidelines for the appointment of Adjunct Lecturers and Adjunct Professors. Guidelines should be submitted to the Office of the Vice Provost, Faculty and Academic Life for approval.

Academic units are responsible for and should endeavour to make available to its Adjunct faculty appropriate office space, access to IT and library resources and a divisional email address.

Adjunct faculy may be remunerated for services. Adjunct faculty whose duties and remuneration are equivalent to those of a part-time appointed faculty member no longer qualify as Adjuncts and should be offered annual appointments of between .25 FTE and .75 FTE under the Policy and Procedures on Part-time Academic Staff (see Section VIII). For Adjunct Professors who are paid a stipend to teach, see the section below on teaching to assess whether the CUPE 3902 Unit 3 Collective Agreement may apply.

Appointments
1. All divisions should establish a procedure for the appointment, regular review and
reporting of Adjunct appointments.
2. The Dean, following consultation with an appointments committee, can offer Adjunct
appointments.
3. Appointments are usually annual but may be for longer terms. Terms must be stated in
the letter of appointment (see Appendix 1).
4. Appointments may be renewed at the discretion of the Dean.
5. Adjunct appointments carry no rank; appointments can be made as either Adjunct
Professor or Adjunct Lecturer to appropriately acknowledge the contribution the
individual will make to the academic mission of the unit.
6. Appointees must receive written confirmation of their Adjunct appointment, conferring
title of “Adjunct Professor” or “Adjunct Lecturer,” stating the duration of the term of the appointment and expectations for contribution to the unit. The specific duties to be
performed by the Adjunct Professor should be clearly outlined in a letter of appointment.
Any policies governing the duties to be performed by the Adjunct faculty member should
be identified and brought to the attention of the appointee in the letter of offer.
7. Adjunct appointments do NOT usually involve full membership in the School of
Graduate Studies but may give the recipient the opportunity to teach graduate courses or
to co-supervise graduate students. Where appropriate, Adjunct faculty may be appointed
to graduate departments in accordance with the policies of the School of Graduate
Studies, generally as Associate Members with duties limited to the tasks their letter of
appointment specifies. Appointment to the School of Graduate Studies must be coterminal
with the individual’s University appointment. Further, Adjunct faculty may
provide graduate supervision at a remote location (but not as primary supervisor).
8. Normally an individual will hold only one Adjunct appointment at the University of
Toronto.

Duties and Obligations
1. Adjunct faculty are expected to acknowledge their affiliation with their sponsoring unit in all publications and scholarly works resulting from the Adjunct appointment.
2. Adjunct faculty who teach or engage in research are bound by all University of Toronto
policies governing academic conduct.
3. Adjunct appointees may NOT BE the principal investigator on research funds
administered by the University, but may be a co-investigator on a grant held by a fulltime or Status-only faculty member at the University of Toronto.

4.0 Visiting Professors
Faculty from other universities and research institutes who hold continuing appointments in their home institutions may be appointed to a unit as a Visiting Professor. Academic units are responsible for and should endeavour to make available to Visiting Professors appropriate office space, access to IT and library resources and a divisional e-mail address. In exchange, the Visiting Professor will be expected to contribute to the research and teaching activities of the academic unit.

Visiting Professors may or may not receive honoraria and expenses. Visiting Professors who are to be offered annual appointments of between .25 FTE and .75 FTE must be appointed as parttime faculty members, under the Policy and Procedures on Part-time Academic Staff (see Section VIII). Visiting Professors who are to be offered full-time salaried appointments will be appointed under the Policy and Procedures governing Contractually Limited Term Appointments (see Section VIII).

1. Visiting Professor appointments will be approved by the Dean following consultation
with an appointments committee, and normally will be for no more than one year.
Appointments for longer than one year require the approval of the Vice-President and
Provost.
2. Visiting appointments do not automatically carry membership in the School of Graduate
Studies and do not give the recipient the rights or privileges of teaching graduate courses or of supervising graduate students. Visiting faculty may be appointed to graduate departments in accordance with the policies of the School of Graduate Studies. These appointments are co-terminal with their University appointment.
3. Visiting Professors are not normally eligible to apply for research funding.
4. The term of appointment and the specific duties to be performed by the Visiting Professor should be clearly outlined in a letter of appointment. Any policies governing the duties to be performed by the Visiting Professor should be identified and brought to the attention of the appointee in the letter of offer. A template letter of offer is appended (see Appendix 1).

5.0 Teaching
CUPE 3902 Unit 3 represents instructors who teach credit courses for the University of Toronto on contracts of less than one year. Status-only Professors, Visiting Professors, clinical lecturers in Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry and Pharmacy and persons employed in the Faculties of Architecture, Engineering and Law who are licensed to practice their profession in the Province of Ontario where the assignment requires that they be so licensed are excluded from the bargaining unit. All other faculty who teach credit courses on contracts of less than twelve months will be covered by the CUPE 3902 Unit 3 Collective Agreement.

1 Clinical Faculty are licensed physicians who hold joint appointments between a clinical entity (fully affiliated hospital, or partially-affiliated hospital, or an affiliated community practice or other entity with a relationship to the University of Toronto) and a clinical department in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

2 Division is used to refer to multi-departmental faculties or campuses as appropriate. Unit is used to refer to singledepartment faculties, departments, centres and institutes that are within faculties.

[PDADC-L] Advisory Search Committee for Chief Librarian - Revised

PDAD&C #7, 2010-11

MEMORANDUM

To: Staff of the University of Toronto Library
PDAD&C

From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost

CC: President David Naylor
The Bulletin and e-bulletin

Date: July 28, 2010

Re: Advisory Search Committee for Chief Librarian - Revised
___________________________________________________________________________

The composition of the Advisory Search Committee was announced in PDAD&C #3 earlier this month. In accordance with Section 66 of the Policy on Librarians, President David Naylor has appointed a revised committee to recommend the appointment of a Chief Librarian. The composition of the committee is as follows:

Prof. Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost (Chair)
Mr. Alfred Cheng, Chief Administrative Officer, UTL
Prof. Meric Gertler, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science
Prof. Robert Gibbs, Director, Jackman Humanities Institute
Prof. Rick Halpern, Dean and Vice-Principal, Academic, University of Toronto Scarborough
Ms. Julie Hannaford, Director, Information Resources & Services OISE Library, Education Commons
Ms. Margaret Kim, Undergraduate Student, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts and Science
Ms. Sandra Langlands, Director, Gerstein Science Information Centre
Ms. Joan Leishman, Deputy Chief Librarian
Mr. Michael Meth, Director, Li Koon Chun Finance Learning Center, University of Toronto Mississauga
Mrs. Maureen Morin, Graphic Designer, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries
Mr. John Papadopoulos, Chief Law Librarian, Bora Laskin Law Library, Faculty of Law
Prof. Seamus Ross, Dean, Faculty of Information
Ms. Tina Smith, Senior Lecturer and Director, MHSc Health Administration Program, Department of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, Faculty of Medicine
Ms. Caitlin Tillman, Head, Collection Development Department, UTL

The Advisory Committee for the search welcomes comments and nominations from interested persons. These should be sent to the attention of Sheree Drummond, Assistant Provost, by September 17, 2010 by mail (Room 225, Simcoe Hall) or by email to sheree.drummond@utoronto.ca.

[PDADC-L] Announcement - Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office

July 27, 2010

To: PDAD&C Professional/Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President Human Resources and Equity

It is with mixed feelings that I announce that Isfahan Merali, Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Officer, will be leaving the University effective September 17th to resume her position as counsel to the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Those of you who know and have worked with Isfahan during her time here will miss her commitment and dedication to the tenets of the office, and the staff, faculty, and students here at the University. Her advice, guidance, and good humour have stood us all in good stead these past few months.

Please join me in wishing Isfahan every success. I will begin in the next few weeks the search for a new Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Officer.

[PDADC-L] Departure of Helen Lasthiotakis

To: PDAD&C, Simcoe Hall & McMurrich

From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost
Cheryl Regehr, Vice-Provost, Academic Programs
Sheree Drummond, Assistant Provost

Date: July 27, 2010

Re: Departure of Helen Lasthiotakis

It is with good wishes for the Faculty of Arts and Science and to Helen herself that we announce that Helen Lasthiotakis, Director, Academic Programs and Policy, will be leaving the Provost's Office to join the Office of the Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Science as Assistant Dean and Director, effective September 1, 2010.

Helen joined the Provost's Office in March 2004 as the Director, Policy and Planning. She has expertly managed a wide range of very complex and diverse files, from decanal and principal searches, governance matters, issue-specific task forces and working groups, reviews, academic planning, and our new framework for 'quality assurance'. She has been a generous source of wisdom and guidance to all of us in the Provost's Office and to countless deans, principals, chairs, and directors.

While Helen's departure will be sharply felt, we have no doubt that her skills and talents will be of tremendous value to the Office of the Dean in Arts & Science.

We hope that you will join us at a reception to celebrate Helen on Tuesday, August 31 from 3:00 - 5:00 pm. Further details to follow.

[PDADC-L] University of Toronto Faculty and Staff Experience Survey 2010

PDAD&C # 6, 2010-11
HR #2, 2010-11

July 27, 2010

To: Principals, Deans, Academic Directors & Chairs Professionals/Managers

From: Edith Hillan, Vice-Provost, Faculty and Academic Life; Angela Hildyard, Vice President Human Resources & Equity

Re: University of Toronto Faculty and Staff Experience Survey 2010

The University of Toronto is launching its second engagement survey of faculty and staff on Monday, October 18. Ipsos Reid, a leading Canadian market research firm, has been retained to administer the survey, which is a joint initiative of the Offices of the Vice-President and Provost and the Vice-President Human Resources and Equity.

The aim of the survey is to measure the impact of initiatives developed and/or implemented in response to the inaugural survey conducted in 2006, and to gather current information from faculty and staff participants to improve their work experience. While a 52% response rate on the University's 2006 survey was encouraging relative to other universities, our goal is to increase participation in 2010.

Two important changes are planned for the 2010 survey:
1. Where possible, survey results will be available at the unit level, to allow for more local analysis and planning.
2. Two new groups will be included – Sessional instructors (both non-union and those who are members of CUPE 3902 Unit 3) and full- and part-time clinical faculty in the Faculty of Medicine.

We will be providing you with a variety of resources over the next few months to encourage faculty and staff in your units to participate. Higher response rates will yield more meaningful results and make it more likely that results for your specific unit can be reported.

A report on actions taken as a result of the 2006 findings can be found at www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/news/survey.htm. More information regarding the 2010 Speaking Up survey will be made available over the coming months.

For questions regarding the survey, please contact Sara-Jane Finlay, Faculty and Academic Life (sarajane.finlay@utoronto.ca) or Janice Draper, Human Resources (janice.draper@utoronto.ca).

[SGS] #001, 2010-2011, Application Procedures for 2011-12

SGS # 001, 2010-2011

TO: Graduate Chairs and Directors, Graduate Coordinators and Administrators
FROM: Berry Smith, Vice-Dean, Students
DATE: July 23, 2010
CC: Council of Graduate Deans, SGS Committee of Deans and Directors, SGS Staff

RE: Application Procedures for 2011-12
_________________________________________________________________________________
SGS continues to enhance the web-based admissions application in order to improve the experience for applicants and referees and to offer administrative efficiencies to graduate units. This memo outlines significant additions and changes to the application for the 2011-2012 admissions cycle in September. The Information Systems and Student Services units at SGS will be meeting with graduate administrators later this summer to outline the changes in more detail. If you have questions, please contact Rodney Branch, Director of Information Systems.

Scanned Transcripts
For the next admissions cycle, we will require the submission of scanned transcripts for all programs in the SGS online admission application. This will give graduate units and collaborative programs using secure web or network based file assessment systems a fully electronic file to use as they see fit. Though no students will be permitted to register before the transcript is verified against an official copy, the graduate unit can choose whether the verification is done before release of the offer of admission, or after the offer but before registration as a condition of admission. This change follows the success of a pilot project in which a significant number of graduate units participated.

Reference Forms
Beginning in September, the online application will allow graduate units to create customized reference forms that referees can complete on a web page. This will eliminate the need for referees to download, complete, save and then upload the program-specific forms required by more than thirty graduate units. This feature builds on last year’s improvements to the referee submission procedure: the introduction of referee accounts provided each referee with a status page listing all of the requests from applicants;
and the file upload process was replaced by a simple “cut and paste” submission page where the program required a letter rather than a reference form.

File Assessment
After the launch of the transcript requirement and new reference forms, SGS Information Systems will be developing a file assessment module for use by graduate administrators and coordinators, collaborative programs, admissions committees and supervisors. While a number of units have developed local databases or secure web services through which admissions committees or potential supervisors view and assess applications, others do not have access to the necessary resources or infrastructure. Use of the system will not be obligatory but for many programs it could reduce the amount of printing required and allow faculty to review files without needing to travel to the graduate unit office. Units will be able to manage their committee membership and access rights and manage the
sequence under which the files are reviewed.

GPR maps animal burrows - in Sensors & Software's latest Newsletter

See how GPR helps define animal habitat

– check out what happened at the GPR 2010 Meeting in Italy
- learn why the peak frequency of GPR data is lower when the antennas are on the ground.

All in Subsurface Views, July 2010 http://www.sensoft.ca/news/mainnews.html, click on
Current Newsletter.

Reminder: Our next 1-day Noggin and Conquest Short Courses are September 13th and 14th
respectively at our Mississauga office. Contact us at sales@sensoft.ca to register today.

Watch for the next issue of Subsurface Views in October 2010. www.sensoft.ca

Scholarships for Advanced Masters in Structural Analysis of Monuments and Historical Constructions

Dear Colleague,

Please find below information about the Advanced Master Course in Structural Analysis of Existing Buildings, Monuments and Historical Constructions.

I kindly invite you to disseminate this information to anybody who could be interested in applying.

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ADVANCED MASTER IN STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF MONUMENTS AND HISTORICAL CONSTRUCTIONS
Applications for the Advanced Masters in Structural Analysis of Monuments and Historical Constructions are now open (call 3).

This Master Course is organized by a consortium of leading European Universities/Research Institutions in the field, composed by University of Minho (coordinating institution, Portugal), the Technical University of Catalonia (Spain), the Czech Technical University in Prague (Czech Republic), the University of Padua (Italy) and the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Czech Republic). The course combines the most recent advances in research and development with practical applications.

Please find full details on the MSc programme, as well as electronic application procedure, on the website: www.msc-sahc.org

Yours sincerely,
Paulo B. Lourenço
Course Coordinator
Editor of the International Journal of Architectural Heritage: Conservation, Analysis, and Restoration

MIE Newsletter Vol. 02 // No. 4

July 26, 2010 Vol. 02 // No. 4

Table of Contents: Chair's Office // Awards and Recognition // Research Activities // Graduate Studies // Job Opportunities // Student Affairs // Announcements // Vacation // Previous Newsletter & Links Chair's Office


New Undergraduate Assistant joins MIE

The MIE Undergraduate Office is pleased to announce that Carla Baptista will be joining the office full-time effective August 9, 2010.

Carla will serve as one of our new MIE Undergraduate Assistants.

Having served in the Department of Physics for a number of years, Carla has a strong background in student services.

She is replacing Rachel MacKenzie who left the department in March 2010 to join the department of Psychiatry.

Carla can be reached at 416-978-6420 or carla@mie.utoronto.ca

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New MIE Banner Design Finalized

The MIE Banner committee is pleased to announce that the new Mechanical and Industrial Engineering banner has been finalized. The design (below) is a modifcation of contest winner's Heyse Li's (1T0 +PEY) original design which was made to represent both mechanical and industrial engineering. The banner, which is projected to be up by September, will hang on the west-facing outside wall of the MC building and will also feature the slogan "Where minds meet machines."

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MIE launches modified website

Changes have been made to the MIE website by Prof. Aleman.

You can check out the new site by clicking here.

*Note that most browsers will cache site information and only update it periodically. Manually refresh the web page to avoid looking at a combination of new/old styles.

If you have any comments please forward them to Joe Baptista.

Awards & Recognition
MIE student takes home Arts Coucil Award

Congratulations to the department's own Janet Sung for being awarded the prestigious University of Toronto Arts Council Award for Student Engagement in the Arts! The award recognizes extraordinary contribution to the arts community of UofT.

During the 2009-2010 season, Janet was the executive secretary for the Hart House Jazz Choir, Onoscatopoeia. Through her hard work spearheading fudraising efforts, organizing workshops and motivating the group, the choir was able to participate in two tours of the US and even participate in the regional semi-finals. Congratulations, Janet!

Research Activities
Celebration of Applied Human Factors Research

On Friday July 23, the Human Factors Interest Group (HFIG), headed by Prof. Milgram, hosted a symposium of Applied Human Factors Research in celebration of Prof. John W. Senders' 90th Birthday.

The event brought together some of the most influential members of the Human Factors community including Shumin Zhai, Research Staff Member at IBM Almaden Research Centre, and Abigail Sellen, Principle Researcher at Microsoft Research Cambridge. The speakers touched on the pioneering work of Prof. Senders and his colleagues in the 1960s and discussed a host of other issues related to current Human Factors Research.

More photos of the event (by Anthony Soung Yee) can be found here.

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Prof. Meguid's research highlighted in Flight International

UK-based magazine Flight International recently highlighted the work of Prof. Meguid and his research group. The article discusses Prof. Meguid's Morphing Wing prototype that uses shape memory alloy actuators that deform the shape of the wing when heated for unmanned air vehicles.

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International Maintenance Excellence Conference (IMEC)

The sixth annual IMEC conference will be held September 22 - 24, 2010 here in Toronto.

IMEC is directed at engineers, managers of plant operations and facility managers or maintenance professionals who are responsible for maintaining and managing the physical equipment assets of an organization. All attendees will receive a certificate of attendance from MIE's Centre for Maintenance Optimization & Reliability Engineering (C-MORE).

The conference is created and organized by C-MORE, and is this year being co-organized with Applied Technology Publications, publisher of Maintenance Technology and Lubrication Management & Technology magazines.

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Prof. James will be attending the Pacific Rim Conference on Rheology in Sapporo, Japan, from August 2 to 6. He will be presenting a paper, co-authoring another and representing Canada at a meeting of international delegates.

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Prof. Mandelis and a number of researchers from the Center for Advanced Diffusion-Wave Technologies will be attending the 10th International Conference of Quantitative Infrared Thermography (QIRT 10) at Laval University in Quebec City from July 27 - 30. The group will deliver several research papers, both oral and poster. Prof. Mandelis will deliver a plenary talk entitled "Infrared Lock-in Carrierography (Photocarrier Radiometric Imaging) of Semiconductors and Si Solar Cells."
Graduate Studies
MIE Graduate Student Travel Grant

MIE is accepting applications to the MIE Grad Student Travel Grant Application Program that will award up to eight grants of $750 to enable conference travel between September to December of 2010.

Applications are due by Tuesday, August 3, 2010.

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Doctoral Completion Award (DCA) for 2010/2011

The MIE departmental deadline for submissions is September 10, 2010

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TA Applications for Fall 2010

The MIE Undergraduate Office is now accepting TA applications for the Fall 2010 semester. The applications must be completed online through the new MIE TA Application System. The system can be found here.

You have until Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. to apply for these positions.

Access to the system is done using your UTORid. All returning students should already have a UTORid and be able to log into the system.

New Students must follow the following procedure in order to obtain access to the system:

1) Go to the TA Application System website

2) Select Student Applicant

3) Select Option Two: I am going to be a University of Toronto Student and I have my student number.

4) Fill in all requested information.

5) Your request will then be sent to the system administrator for approval. You will receive an email notice once your request has been granted and will be able to log

Student Affairs
Women in MIE Luncheon

On Thursday July 22, the department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering hosted the Women in MIE outreach luncheon. 50 female high school students from the DEEP (Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program) summer camp students attended the event in GB 202 where they had lunch with female MIE professors and graduate students. The luncheon was a great chance for high school females to learn more about the opportunities associated with a degree in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering from other females who are in the field. Many thanks to Prof. Zu, Prof. Nejat and Prof. Donmez as well as graduate students Catharine Hancharek, Kimia Ghobadi and Jeanie Chan for coming out to the event and presenting their research.

Announcements
Voicings Project launch

Voicings is an experiment in non-narrative storytelling that compiled 19 interviews that searched for people's words for elemental phrases about how they act in the world and what they say they believe. The project reveals the playful aspects of these personalities through associative word play and in the process finds unanticipated resonances.

MIE's Dolores Steinman, a Researcher in the Biomedical Simulation Lab, was interviewed as part of the project. Her segment will be featured alongside 18 others that will be played in the compiled aural composition installed in the North lobby of the MaRS Heritage Building.

This exhibit opens this Wednesday, July 28 and runs until August 4, 2010.

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Job Opportunities
Academic Keys Engineering job opportunities

This month's issue of AcademicKeys' e-Flier for Engineering features 68 faculty openings, 6 senior administrative positions, and 9 post-doc opportunities.

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Vacation

Faculty:

Prof. Mike Carter, July 26 – 30

Prof. David James, August 2 – 6 (conference)

Prof. Andreas Mandelis, July 27– 30 (conference)

Prof. Jane Postma, July 26 – August 3

Staff:

Joe Baptista, Facilities Coordinator and Building Officer: July 28 – August 4

Gordon Boudreau, Machinist: July 12 – August 6

Geoffrey Chow, Manager, Research Accounting: July 26

Nina Haikara, Liaison – External Relations: July 8 – July 27

Eleanor Morris, Executive Assistant, Chair's Office: July 26 – 29

Oscar del Rio, Senior Computer and Web Admininistrator: July 19 – July 30

Jeff Sansome, Machinist: July 26, August 3



Previous Newsletter & LinksPrevious MIE newsletter

All MIE newsletters

MIE Website: www.mie.utoronto.ca

Back to top
Copyright © 2009-10 University of Toronto | Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering | Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, All Rights Reserved

Friday, July 23, 2010

New Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Announcement: New Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Any questions about the program should be directed to Banting@researchnet-recherchenet.ca.

Application are submitted directly to the agency via ResearchNet.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Colleague:

On behalf of my fellow presidents of the three federal research funding agencies, I am delighted to send this information package about the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program. Over the past several months, our agencies – the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council – have been working closely together to develop this prestigious new program, first announced in the Government of Canada’s 2010 budget.

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program will award 70 postdoctoral fellowships each year distributed equally among the three agencies. Fellowships will be of two-year duration, valued at $70,000/year (taxable). Uniquely, the program requires that research institutions be closely involved in endorsing applicants and be committed to providing the research environment and professional development successful applicants require in order to become the research leaders of the future.

We want to recruit the highest-quality applicants from both Canada and abroad. In light of the small number of awards in the program, and the demands of both the application process and the peer-review process, however, potential applicants must be carefully selected. Banting Fellowships will ultimately be awarded to an elite group of researchers who have demonstrated both research excellence and leadership.

Two attachments are included with this letter: a description of the program, including eligibility requirements and institutional responsibilities; and an annex with a preview of the key application elements. This information will be useful in helping guide the applicant selection and endorsement process. This material can also be disseminated within and outside your institution and/or organization to promote the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. To obtain a copy of these attachments please email civil.chair@utoronto.ca.

My fellow presidents and I are very excited about this prestigious new program and its potential to develop tomorrow’s research leaders. Any questions about the program should be directed to Banting@researchnet-recherchenet.ca.

Sincerely,


Alain Beaudet
President,
Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Abstract Submission for IHHA 2011 - July 29, 2010 submission deadline

Only one week left for the Abstract submission.
The deadline is July 29, 2010 at 11:59 EST.
It will be impossible to submit an abstract after that date as the review process is scheduled to begin on July 30, 2010.

If you have already submitted your abstract, please ignore this message.

Authors are invited to submit an abstract in English to be considered for an oral or poster presentation at the Conference. Authors are asked to submit abstracts at the following link: ihha2011/02-call-abstracts_e.shtml

Technical sessions will cover a broad range of topics in railway operations and technology.

The 2011 International Heavy Haul Association Conference will take place from June 19-22, 2011 at the Westin Hotel, in Calgary, Canada.

We look forward to welcoming you to Calgary in June 2011!

www.ihha2011.org
Conference Secretariat
IHHA 2011
National Research Council Canada
1200 Montreal Road, Building M-19
Ottawa, ON
Canada K1A 0R6
Telephone: (613) 993-0414
Facsimile: (613) 993-7250
Email: ihha2011@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

[PDADC-L] Deadline for Honorary Degree Nominations, 2010-11

Memorandum to:

Governing Council
Academic Board
Business Board
University Affairs Board
Principals, Deans, Academic Directors and Chairs
Professionals, Managers and Confidential Staff
President of UTFA
Presidents of Employee Unions
Presidents of APUS, GSU, SAC and SCSU

From: Henry Mulhall, Secretary, Committee for Honorary Degrees

Date: July 22, 2010

Re: Deadline for Honorary Degree Nominations, 2010-11

On May 19th the President issued a Call for Nominations for candidates to be considered by the Committee for Honorary Degrees for the awarding of degrees at the 2011 and some of the 2012 convocations. I am writing once again to remind members of the University community that the deadline for the receipt of nominations is August 16, 2010 in order to allow their consideration by the Committee in September.

The Terms of Reference and Guidelines for the Committee are available on the Governing Council website (http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/bac/hd.htm) and provide information about the nomination and selection process. A nomination form is also available on the web site. Please take the time, either on your own or in consultation with your colleagues, to submit one or more nominations. In preparing submissions, nominators should pay particular attention to the statement of reasons for the nomination, and ensure that they provide sufficiently thorough information for the consideration of the Committee. Nominations are kept active for a period of one year. If you have submitted a nomination since December 2009, it will be brought forward to the Committee for its consideration this September. If you wish to re-nominate a former candidate, please resubmit and add to the earlier nomination.

If you have any questions about the nomination or selection process, please contact the Office of the Governing Council by return email or by telephone at 416-978-6576.

Please submit completed nomination forms by August 16th to:

The Secretary,
Committee for Honorary Degrees
Office of the Governing Council
Simcoe Hall, Room 106
27 King’s College Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1
Fax: 416-978-8182

[PDADC-L] New Faculty Orientation & Back to School Series for New and Returning Faculty

MEMORANDUM

TO: Principals, Deans, Academic Directors & Chairs
FROM: Edith Hillan, Vice Provost, Faculty and Academic Life
DATE: 19th July 2010
RE: New Faculty Orientation & Back to School Series for New and Returning Faculty


I am pleased to announce a series of upcoming events for new and returning faculty hosted by the Office of the Vice-President and Provost and the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI), in partnership with the Office of the Vice President Research, Family Care Office, Hart House and the Faculty Club. We encourage you to share this information with your new and returning faculty.

New Faculty Orientation Sessions

Getting Started at the University of Toronto - August 23, 9:30am - 3pm In this full-day session, new faculty will be introduced to the University of Toronto's structure, organization, culture and students. Break-out sessions in the afternoon will focus on teaching-related topics and resources that support teaching at UofT. (NB: This session is open to ALL new tenure and teaching stream faculty.)

Research Orientation - August 25, 1-4pm
In this session tenure-stream faculty will be provided with an overview of the resources available to support their research. They will be introduced to the range of funding opportunities and have a chance to ask questions about related protocols and procedures. (NB: This session is open to tenure-stream faculty only.)

Creating a Successful Career Path as a Lecturer - August 25, 1- 4pm Teaching-stream faculty are invited to attend this session for information on the career path of the lecturer and to hear from colleagues who will share their experiences and strategies for success. (NB: This session is open to teaching-stream faculty only.)

Orientation for Partners and Spouses of New Faculty - August 25, 1-4pm Faculty Relocation Services and Dual Career Connection will provide partners and spouses of new faculty with an orientation to the city and an introduction to the job search process. Resource people will be on hand to answer questions about housing, schools, immigration and benefits. If required, childcare will be available. Please request it when you register, giving the age(s) of your child(ren).

Welcome BBQ for New Faculty and their Families - August 25, 4-6pm This year's orientation series will end with a BBQ for new tenure and teaching stream faculty, their partners and families at the Faculty Club. The Family Care Office will provide activities for children during this event.
Please note: Registration is required for all of these events. New tenure and teaching stream faculty may register for the above events at:

http://www.ota-tatp.utoronto.ca/newfacultyorientation.htm

Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation's Back-to-School Series

From August 24 - 27, the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation will host a series of "Back-to-School" sessions on a range of teaching topics. These sessions are open to all new and returning faculty.

Tuesday, August 24th
9am - 12noon Setting the Tone for Success: The First Day and Beyond
1pm - 4pm Instructional Approaches to Engage and Enthuse Students

Wednesday, August 25th
9am - 12noon Course Design that Integrates Cross-cultural Perspectives
9am - 12noon Building a Blackboard Course

Thursday, August 26th
9am - 12noon Assignments: Woes and Wows
1pm - 4pm Supporting Student Learning

Friday, August 27th
9am - 12noon The Course Life Cycle: Managing Your Course
To register for the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation's Back-to-School series, please visit: www.teaching.utoronto.ca

For more information on any of these events and to register please contact Melissa Kennedy, Programs Coordinator, CTSI at 416-946-3799; melissa.kennedy@utoronto.ca, or Thuy Huynh, Program Assistant, CTSI at 416-946-3325; thuy.huynh@utoronto.ca

ACEC 2010 Fall Conference - Puerto Rico: Oct. 17-20, 2010

ACEC 2010 Fall Conference
October 17-20
El Conquistador Resort – Puerto Rico

Time is running out…to SAVE MONEY on your 2010 Fall Conference Registration!

Register before July 31st to receive your discount registration.

Full Conference Fees July Promotion! After 7/31 After 9/20
Member $895 $995 $1085
2nd Member, same firm office $775 $875 $895
Non-Member $1,000 $1,225 $1,350
Spouse Fee $365 $395 $425

Industry Trends and Markets Forecast

Join your engineering colleagues in this beautiful resort destination for hard-hitting business sessions, cutting-edge keynote speakers, valuable networking, and the latest in products and services from our exhibitor partners.


Joe Scarborough
Former Congressman and host of MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" — Hear savvy political insights on today’s political scene at the Keynote Luncheon on Monday, October 18th.

Dr. Daniel Altschuler
Former Director, National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, Arecibo Observatory — Life in the Universe: What we Know, What We Believe and What is Not So. Tuesday, October 19th keynote presentation will be followed by the ACEC Awards Ceremony.

The El Conquistador Resort
Fajardo, Puerto Rico


Part of the Waldorf Astoria Collection — El Conquistador Resort — offers dramatic views at every turn, awe-inspiring amenities and a warm tropical splendor. The resort is located on the northeastern tip of Puerto Rico, near El Yunque Rain Forest. Voted the fifth best resort in all of the Caribbean by Celebrated Living Magazine, the resort offers on-site water park, world-class golf, and a private island and beach.

This site will be updated as more information becomes available.

If you have any questions, please contact the ACEC Meetings Department via email at meetings@acec.org or call 202-347-7474.

Canadian Dam Association's Conference - Niagara Falls, Ont.: Oct 2 - 7, 2010

The Canadian Dam Association's annual Conference will be taking place Oct 2nd to 7th in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

A special Student registration fee of $250 has been developed covering meals (breakfast, lunch and breaks) and the technical sessions from Monday October 4th to Wednesday October 6th. We would encourage you to distribute this notice to graduate students, and academics at your university who may be interested in attending.

This year's Conference includes:
* Keynote addresses from internationally recognized authorities in the field of dam engineering and flood management.
* Concurrent technical sessions covering the full range of issues facing the dam industry
* In-Conference workshops on Life Safety Modeling and Extreme Floods.
* Pre-Conference technical workshops on a range of topics (October 2nd and 3rd)
* Exhibitor's Hall featuring the latest in technology and services.

The Conference would be of interest to graduate students and academics whose research is in the area of Civil Engineering (Geotechnics, Hydraulics, Hydrology, Structures, etc.) as well as Mechanical Engineering (Equipment, Reliability, etc.).
Attached please find a copy of our Technical Program and Program-at-a-Glance. For further information, and registration, please visit our Conference website at http://cda.ca/2010conference.

MIE Newsletter Vol. 02 // No. 3

July 19, 2010 Vol. 02 // No. 3

Table of Contents: Chair's Office // Research Activities // Seminars // Graduate Studies // Student Affairs // Announcements // Vacation // Previous Newsletter & Links

Chair's Office
Three Professors awarded Tenure

Congratulations to MIE's Prof. Gruninger (left) Prof. Kesler (centre) and Prof. Simmons (right) who were recently granted tenure.

As of July 1, 2010 they were promoted to Associate Professors.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Professors on Research Leave

The following professors are on Research Leave in the Academic Year 2010-2011:

Baris Balcioglu: July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011
Chris Beck: July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011
Beno Benhabib: January 1 - June 30, 2011
Mariano Consens: July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011
Greg Jamieson: July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011
Roy Kwon: July 1 - December 31, 2010
Li Shu: July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011
Tony Sinclair: July 1 - December 31, 2010
Pierre Sullivan: July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011
Yu Sun: January 1 - June 30, 2011

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIE's Geoffrey Chow passes CMA Exam


Congratulations to the department's own Geoffrey Chow who recently passed the CMA (Certified Management Accountants) Entrance Examination.

MIE Staff gathered in the main office last Friday to surprise Geoff with a cake to congratulate him for the great accomplishment.

Geoffrey, who is the Manager of Research Accounting of MIE, just completed the CMA Accelerated Program. He is now in the CMA Strategic Leadership Program where he will follow a series of programs and exams before he is awarded his CMA.

Research Activities
Artery-on-a-Chip goes commericial

Quorum Technologies has negotiated with the University of Toronto an exclusive license to commercialize the Artery-on-a-Chip (AoC) technology that was developed by Prof. Guenther's team and collaborators at the Department of Physiology (Prof. Bolz).

The AoC technology consists of a microfluidic platform on which fragile blood vessels can be fixed, allowing the factors that promote and sustain cardiovascular diseases to be studied. The scalable AoC technology is expected to promote routine screens of drug candidates on viable arteries and thereby speed up the drug development process

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIE Exchange with the University of Tokyo

On May 30, 2010, 14 students and professors from three engineering departments at the University of Toronto participated in an exchange with the University of Tokyo. These included Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE), Material Science and Engineering (MSE), and Chemical Engineering (CHEM) departments. Professors Shaker Meguid, Hani Naguib and Yu Sun and students Jacob Wernik, Reza Rizvi, Brandon Chen, Sanaz Esfarjani and David Schacter were the MIE representatives.

Over the span of five days, students gave presentations on their selected nanospace topics with a number of guest lectures by professors from both universities. The UofT delegates also met with Professors at the University of Tokyo with whom they share common research interest in addition to a series of lab tours.

Overall, the exchange was a great success where new partnerships between UofT and the University of Tokyo were established.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

US Department of Energy (DOE) Research Opportunity

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced last week that $30 million in funding from the Recovery Act and FY 2010 budget appropriations will be made available to qualified small businesses to support the commercialization of promising new technologies.

Small companies previously awarded Phase II grants through DOE's Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR) or the Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR) are eligible. Projects that include developed technologies with a strong potential for commercialization and impact on U.S. manufacturing and job creation are encouraged to apply. Successful applicants may receive up to $3 million over three years to research, develop, and deploy new technologies.

Applications are currently being accepted for the following technology areas of interest:
Biomass Technologies, Buildings Technologies, Fuel Cell Technologies, Geothermal Technologies, High Temperature Tools and Sensors, Industrial Technologies, Solar Technologies - Lowering the Cost of Photovoltaics through Innovative Augmentation, Vehicle Technologies, Wind Technologies.


Seminars
Engineering Education Briefing Session

Interested in learning about the newest effective methods in engineering teaching?

The Teaching Methods and Resources Committee is hosting a briefing session on Engineering Education, led by Professors Lisa Romkey and Susan McCahan. The session will explore the newest methods and information coming out of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) and the newly formed Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA). Some of the interesting research results coming out of these organizations will be presented in addition to a discussion on engineering education collaboration and research within our own Faculty.

Date: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: GB 202

Please RSVP to Lisa Romkey

Graduate Studies
MASc Oral Exam

Mohammad Mahdi Fazel Zarandi presents: Using Decomposition to Solve Facility Location/Fleet Management Problem

Date: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: MC331
Exam Committee: Prof. C. Beck (Exam Chair and Supervisor); Prof. O. Berman; and Prof. T. Chan.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PhD Qualifying Exam

Michael Marr presents: Fabrication of a Graded Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrolyte by Suspension Plasma Spraying

Date: Thursday, July 22, 2010
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: MC331
Exam Committee: Professor O. Kesler (supervisor); Professor T. Coyle; and Professor Aimy Bazylak (Exam Chair).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIE Graduate Student Travel Grant

The MIE department is accepting applications to the MIE Grad Student Travel Grant Application Program that will award up to eight grants of $750 to enable conference travel between September to December of 2010.

Applications are due by Tuesday, August 3, 2010.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Doctoral Completion Award (DCA) for 2010/2011

The MIE departmental deadline for applications is September 10, 2010.


Student Affairs
Undergraduate Research Day Deadline

A reminder to encourage summer students to submit an abstract to the Undergraduate Engineering Research Day by Monday, July 19 at midnight.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LOT Meat and Greet Summer BBQ

On Wednesday July 14, the Leaders of Tomorrow (LoT) MIE undergraduate working group hosted their largest event yet - the "Meat and Greet" summer BBQ.

Over 120 faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students enjoyed tasty burgers and snacks while mingling in front of the Mechanical Building. It was a great opportunity for students to meet their professors, TAs, and classmates in a casual setting and discuss future LoT events.

For more photos, click here.

Announcements
NSERC announcement regarding expenses


NSERC has recently changed some of their rules with regard to expenses.

Click here to view the announcement.

Vacation


Faculty:

Prof. Mike Carter, July 19 – 23 (conference); July 26 – 30

Prof. Craig Simmons, July 12 – 20

Staff:

Joe Baptista, Facilities Coordinator and Building Officer: July 19

Tomas Bernreiter, Laboratory Engineer and Manager: July 23

Gordon Boudreau, Machinist: July 12 – Aug 6

Oscar del Rio, Senior Computer and Web Admininistrator: July 19 – July 30

Brenda Fung, Graduate Program Administrator: July 12 - July 20

Nina Haikara, Liaison – External Relations: July 8 – July 27



Previous Newsletter & Links
Previous MIE newsletter

All MIE newsletters

MIE Website: www.mie.utoronto.ca

Back to top
Copyright © 2009-10 University of Toronto | Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering | Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, All Rights Reserved

Friday, July 16, 2010

Office of Space Management - reminder to request test space

The Office of Space Management will begin scheduling tests for the 2010 – 2011 session in August. If you have not submitted your requests for test space, please do so by August 3, 2010.

Thanks,

Diane Lekas
Scheduling Officer
Office of Space Management
12 Queen's Park, Cres. W
4th Floor
University of Toronto
416-978-7813

diane.lekas@utoronto.ca

www.osm.utoronto.ca

Engineering Education Briefing Session

Susan McCahan and Lisa Romkey will be leading a discussion based on the latest information based on recent engineering education conferences.


Interested in learning about the newest effective methods in engineering teaching?

The Teaching Methods and Resources Committee is hosting a briefing session on Engineering Education, led by Professors Lisa Romkey and Susan McCahan. We'll explore the newest methods and information coming out of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) and the newly formed Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA). Some of the interesting research results coming out of these organizations will be presented (in brief), and we'll discuss engineering education collaboration and research within our own Faculty.

Tuesday, July 20
10:30-12:00
GB202
Please RSVP to romkey@ecf.utoronto.ca

Engineering Student Engagement Group Workshop for Administrative Staff

Attention Administrative Staff in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering:

The Engineering Student Engagement Group will be hosting a workshop for administrative staff on Wednesday August 4 to raise awareness and increase understanding of issues facing different student populations within the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. Topics will include:
• The First Year Experience
• International Students
• Commuter & First Generation Student Issues
• Women in Engineering

In the afternoon, participants will have the opportunity to review the results of the National Survey on Student Engagement and discuss ways to improve the student experience in our Faculty.

This workshop is open to all administrative staff and is especially valuable for those who work directly with undergraduate students.

The workshop will be hosted in the Michael E. Charles Council Chambers (GB 202) from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. To view the schedule for the day, please visit this website.

To participate, please register online. The deadline to register is Friday July 23. For more information, please contact Liam Mitchell (416-978-8770) or Lesley Mak (416-978-4682).

5° LARAM Workshop "Advances in Landslide Risk Analysis"

Dear Colleagues,

I'm glad to send to you the Second Announcement of the 5th LARAM Workshop "Advances in Landslide Risk Analysis .

Cari Colleghi,
sono lieto di inviarVi il Secondo Annuncio del 5° LARAM Workshop "Recenti sviluppi nell'Analisi del Rischio da Frana".

See you in Salerno / Arrivederci a Salerno

Sabatino Cuomo
(LARAM Technical Committee)
url: http://www.laram.unisa.it/laram/contacts


********************************************************************************************************************
5th LARAM WORKSHOP
"Advances in Landslide Risk Analysis" / "Recenti sviluppi nell'Analisi del Rischio da Frana"

9-10 September 2010,
Salerno (Italy), Via Roma, 104 - Palazzo S. Agostino
********************************************************************************************************************

Important date / Data importante: 7 September 2010 deadline for registration
Registration Fee / Quota di iscrizione: 100 € (1 day), 150 € (2 days)
Info & Registration: http://www.laram.unisa.it/workshop/2010/2010


FIRST DAY - 9 September 2010
***************************************
(Simultaneous translation Italian-English / Traduzione simultanea Inglese-Italiano)

Session 1: Landslide Risk Analysis / Analisi del Rischio da Frana (9:00-10:00)
Cascini - Introduction / Introduzione
Fell - From Qualitative to Quantitative Risk Analysis / Dall'Analisi Qualitativa del Rischio all'analisi Quantitativa del Rischio

Coffee Break (10:00-10:30)

Session 2: Elements at Risk / Elementi a Rischio (10:30-13:30)
Leroi - (Landslide risk assessment and sustainable development: methods and tools for land-planning / Valutazione del rischio da frana e sviluppo sostenibile: metodi e strumenti per la pianificazione territoriale)
van Westen - New technologies for the analysis of the Elements at Risk / Nuove tecnologie per l'analisi degli Elementi a Rischio
Hervàs - (title to be defined / titolo da definirsi)
Ranesi - (title to be defined / titolo da definirsi)

Lunch break (13:30-14:30)

Session 3: Vulnerability of Elements at Risk / Vulnerabilità degli Elementi a Rischio (14:30-17:30)
Nadim - Perspectives for the estimation of physical vulnerability to landslides / Prospettive per la stima della vulnerabilità fisica da frana
Ferlisi - New approaches for the analysis of physical vulnerability to landslides / Nuovi approcci per l'analisi della vulnerabilità fisica da frana
Zuccaro - Advanced methods for physical vulnerability assessment for other natural hazards / Metodi avanzati per la valutazione della vulnerabilità fisica rispetto ad altri pericoli naturali

Session 4: Discussion / Discussion (17:30-18:30)
Round Table / Tavola Rotonda (Chairman: Fell, Cascini)
Closure / Chiusura (Sorbino)


SECOND DAY - 10 September 2010
********************************************
(Official language: English)



Special Session: “EU FP7 Safeland Project (Living with Landslides in Europe)”

Nadim (8:30-9:00): Introduction to SafeLand Project.
Leroi (9:00-10:00): Demography and its influence on landslide hazard. Who are the stakeholders in a landslide risk management process?
Nadim (10:00-10:30): Human-induced landslides.

Coffee Break (10:30-11:00)

Picarelli (11:00-12:00): SafeLand Area 1: Triggering factors for different types of landslides. Summary of other results from Area 1.
Pastor (12:00-13:00): SafeLand Area 1: Models and methods for estimating runout distance.

Lunch break (13:00-15:00)

Vav Westen (15:00-18:30): Use of GIS for landslide risk assessment.



LIST OF LECTURERS / ELENCO DEI RELATORI
**********************************************************

Cascini Leonardo - University of Salerno (ITALY)
Fell Robin - University of New South Wales, Sydney (AUSTRALIA)
Ferlisi Settimio - University of Salerno (ITALY)
Hervàs Javier - Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission (ITALY)

Leroi Eric - URBATER, Roquevaire (FRANCE)
Nadim Farrokh - International Centre for Geohazards, Oslo (NORWAY)
Pastor Manuel - Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (SPAIN)
Picarelli Luciano - Seconda Università di Napoli (ITALY)
Ranesi Domenico - Provincia di Salerno, Settore Protezione Civile (ITALY)
Sorbino Giuseppe - University of Salerno (ITALY)
van Westen Cees - ITC, Enschede (THE NETHERLANDS)
Zuccaro Giulio - Università di Napoli "Federico II" (ITALY)

Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference - Halifax Nova Scotia

Please circulate far and wide . . . .
Faire circuler s.v.p. ….


Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference
Conférence canadienne multidisciplinaire sur la sécurité routière

Call for Papers / Demande de communications

May 8-11, 2011, Halifax, Nova Scotia
8 au 11 mai 2011, Halifax, Nouvelle-Écosse


Abstract submission
Soumettre votre résumé

Send your abstract (maximum 500 words) in the body of an E-mail message or as an attached file (Microsoft Word .doc), using the following headings (Purpose; Method; Results; Conclusions), to: dale.e.faulkner@dal.ca

Veuillez s.v.p. faire parvenir à: dale.e.faulkner@dal.ca votre résumé (maximum 500 mots) dans la corps d’un courrier électronique ou en fichier de format DOC (Microsoft Word) attaché à un courriel. Votre résumé devrait contenir les sections suivantes : But; Méthode; Résultats et Conclusion.



Research Topics
Thèmes de recherche

Scientific and technical papers are invited to be considered for presentation at the conference, on any aspect of traffic safety, including the following:

• Biomechanics of injury
• Highway design
• Transportation engineering
• Automotive medicine
• Collision avoidance
• Occupant protection
• Crash investigation & reconstruction
• Legal aspects of collisions
• Commercial vehicle safety
• Road safety programmes
• Intelligent transportation systems
• Human factors and driver behaviour
• Pedestrians and cyclists
• Off-road vehicle safety
• Costs of traffic injury

Les personnes qui désirent présenter des communications scientifiques lors de la conférence sont invitées à les soumettre pour considération. Ces communications peuvent porter sur tout aspect de la sécurité routière, notamment :

• Biomécanique des blessures
• Conception des routes
• Ingénierie des transports
• Médecine automomobile
• Prévention des collisions
• Protection des occupants
• Enquête et reconstitution de collisions
• Aspects légaux reliés aux collisions
• Sécurité de véhicules lourds
• Programmes de sécurité routière
• Systèmes de transport intelligent
• Facteurs humains et comportement des conducteurs
• Piétons et cyclistes
• Sécurité des véhicules tout terrain
• Coûts reliés aux traumatismes routiers


Conference Proceedings
Le compte rendu de la conférence

Those papers accepted* for presentation at the conference will be published in the Conference Proceedings. In order that the proceedings may be available at the conference, abstracts and the manuscripts of accepted papers must be received by the deadlines indicated below:

Abstracts by November 1, 2010

Notification of acceptance by December 31, 2010

Manuscripts must be submitted by February 11, 2011

Reviewers' comments to authors by March 11, 2011

Final papers must be submitted by March 18, 2011


* Please note that for the full paper to be accepted and published in the conference proceedings, the presenting author must be pre-registered for the conference.

Les communications qui seront acceptées* pour être présentées à la conférence seront publiées dans le compte rendu de la conférence. Afin que ce compte rendu puisse être disponible pour la conférence, les résumés et les manuscrits des communications acceptées devront être reçus dans les délais prescrits ci-dessous :

Résumés avant le 1 novembre 2010

Avis d'acceptation d'ici le 31 décembre 2010

Manuscrits d'ici le 11 février 2011

Commentaires aux auteurs d'ici le 11 mars 2011

Manuscrits finals d'ici le 18 mars 2011

* Veuillez s.v.p. prendre note que, pour qu'un article soit admis et publié dans le compte rendu de la conférence, l'auteur qui livrera la communication orale doit être inscrit par anticipation à la conférence.



General Information
Renseignements généraux

Instructions for the preparation of manuscripts will be provided to authors whose abstracts are accepted. Prospective authors should note that the Scientific Programme Committee reserves the right to reject any final manuscript that does not conform to the abstract, has not been prepared in the specified format, or does not meet the deadlines required for the printing of the proceedings.

Les directives pour la rédaction des manuscrits seront fournies aux auteurs dont les résumés seront acceptés. Les auteurs éventuels doivent prendre note du fait que le comité d'examen scientifique se réserve le droit de rejeter tout manuscrit final qui n'est pas conforme au résumé, qui n'a pas été préparé selon le format précisé ou qui ne respecte pas les échéances requises pour l'impression du compte rendu.

www.cmrscxxi.ca

For further information, please contact:
Pour plus d'information, s.v.p. contacter :

Dale E. Faulkner P.Eng.
Scientific Programme Committee
Vehicle Safety Research Team
Dalhousie University
Halifax, N.S. B3J 2X4
Tel: (902) 494-3231
Fax: (902) 425-1096
E-mail: dale.e.faulkner@dal.ca

MIE Newsletter Vol. 02 // No. 2

July 12, 2010 Vol. 02 // No. 2

Table of Contents: Chair's Office // Awards and Recognition // Seminars // Graduate Studies // Job Opportunities // Research Activities // Student Affairs // Announcements // Vacation // Previous Newsletter & Links
Awards & Recognition
MIE student shortlisted for TA Teaching Excellence Award


MIE PhD candidate, Dan Sellan, was recently shorted-listed for the UofT 2010 Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP) Teaching Excellence Award.

There were over 500 nominations from both faculty members and students that nominated 189 teaching assistants.

Dan was one of 12 TAs who made the shortlist.

Congratulations, Dan!

Research Activities
Prof. Guenther's paper highlighted in The Royal Society of Chemistry

The Royal Society of Chemistry published a Highlight article on the "Artery-on-a-chip" technology recently developed by Prof. Guenther and his team. The highlighted publication will also be featured on the cover of issue 18 of the journal Lab on a Chip.

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Prof. Simmons earns NSERC-CHRP grant

Prof. Simmons was recently awarded an NSERC-CHRP Collaborative Health Research Project grant for his project titled "Microfluidic drug screening in complex vascular microenvironments." He and his collaborators in IBBME and the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology will receive $465,255 over three years.

Prof. Simmons and Prof. Sun were also recently awarded an NSERC Idea to Innovation (I2I) grant for their project titled "A platform for high-throughput screening of biomaterials and engineered tissues." They will receive $118,000 over the next year.


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Prof. Zu awarded NSERC Engage Grant

Prof. Zu was recently awarded an NSERC Engage grant for her project titled "Development of a Vibration Model and Testing Methodologies to Characterize Nanometal-enabled Golf Shafts." Her project is in collaboration with Integran Technologies Inc.


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Cross Appointment

Prof. Hani Naguib has been cross appointed to the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering IBBME at the University of Toronto.


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Prof. Mandelis will attend the First Mediterranean International Workshop on Photoacoustic & Photothermal Phenomena in Erice, Sicily from July 11 - 18. He is a director and co-organizer of the Workshop and will also present a couple of research papers on biothermophotonics. Dr. Sergey Telenkov, Research Associate, CADIFT will also attend the Workshop and will present an invited lecture on biomedical photoacoustic imaging.


Seminars
Thermodynamics Applied to Modern Problems from Cryobiology to Interfacial Science



Speaker: Janet A. W. Elliott
Date: Tuesday, July 13
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: MC 331



Abstract


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Computational Intelligence in Machine Vision for Robotics, Automation and Mechatronics (MV-RAM)



Speaker: Kok-Meng Lee
Date: Monday, July 12 (Today)
Time: 2:10 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: MB 101



Abstract


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Symposium to Celebrate Applied Human Factors Research

In honour of Prof. John W. Senders' 90th Birthday, the Human Factors Interest Group at UofT invites you to attend a Celebration of Applied Human Factors Research. The symposium will bring together some of the most influential members of the Human Factors community, both to remind us of the pioneering work of Prof. Senders and his colleagues in the 1960s and to educate us about present and future concerns of the Human Factors community.

The day will be organized into two themes: Applied Psychology (AM), and Human Error and Health (PM).

Date: Friday, July 23
Time: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Location: MacLeod Auditorium, MS2158

The registration deadline is July 12, 2010 and space is limited! To register click here

For more information, please contact: hfig-prez@mie.utoronto.ca.

Graduate Studies
AMIGAS Summer Retreat

The annual AMIGAS summer retreat is coming up this Saturday, July 17. This year AMIGAS is going to Bronte Creek Provincial Park in Oakville.

We would like to invite all of you and friends and family to join AMIGAS for a day of fun activities and a yummy BBQ. The day of events will be featuring AMIGAS OLYMPICS and great prizes will be awarded!

Bus service is provided to and from the park, leaving from in front of the MC building.

Departure: 9:00 - 9:20 AM (in front of MC)
Return: 6:00 PM (from the park)
Fee: Registration is only $5 for everyone

(Please Register before July 14th.)

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Jingwen Wang

Hope to see you all there!

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AMIGAS World Cup Pool Standings


Last Tuesday and Wednesday, MIE staff, faculty and students piled into MC 330 to watch the World Cup semi-final matches. Pizza, pop and other snacks were served at the AMIGAS-hosted events. Spain took the cup yesterday with an intense 1-0 victory in extra time over the Netherlands.

Patricia Sheridan correctly predicted Spain's victory and Germany's third place finish, and that was enough for her to win the AMIGAS World Cup Pool with 44 points. Pathik Vadwala was a close 2nd place with 42 points and Coleman Yeung was 3rd with 41 points. Click here to view complete pool standings. Prize winners will be contacted shortly with details on how to claim their prize.

Congratulations Patricia, Pathik and Coleman!


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MASc Oral Exam

Nicholas Tsolas presents: Thermal Spray Forming of High-Efficiency Metal-Foam Heat Exchangers

Date: Monday, July 12, 2010
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: BA8256
Exam Committee: Prof. S. Chandra (Exam Chair and Supervisor); Prof. J. Mostaghimi; and Prof. T. Coyle.


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MIE Graduate Student Travel Grant

The MIE department is accepting applications to the MIE Grad Student Travel Grant Application Program that will award up to eight grants of $750 to enable conference travel between September to December of 2010.

Applications are due by Tuesday, August 3, 2010.


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Doctoral Completion Award (DCA) 2010/2011

The MIE departmental deadline for applications is September 10, 2010.



Job Opportunities
Azrieli Fellowship Program

Location: Israel

The Azrieli Fellows Program is currently looking for some of the best and brightest scholars to undertake postdoctoral research in Israel for the 2010/2011 academic year. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or who have completed their doctorates at Canadian universities. Scholars may undertake postdoctoral research in any field of study and may apply at an early stage of their professional career but no later than four years after completion of their doctoral dissertation. Candidates must not hold a tenure or tenure-track faculty position.



Student Affairs

MIE Leaders of Tomorrow Meat and Greet

MIE Leaders of Tomorrow invites department Faculty, graduate and undergraduate students to a summer BBQ!

Date: July 14, 2010
Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30PM
Location: Mechanical Building outdoors (sunshine) or MC331 (rain)



RSVP to lot@mie.utoronto.ca by Tuesday, July 13.



Please include any dietary considerations.

Vacation
Faculty:

Prof. Andreas Mandelis, July 11 – 18 (conference)

Prof. Craig Simmons, July 12 – 20

Staff:

Tomas Bernreiter, Laboratory Engineer and Manager: July 23

Gordon Boudreau, Machinist: July 12 – Aug 6

Oscar del Rio, Senior Computer and Web Admininistrator: July 19 – July 30

Brenda Fung, Graduate Program Administrator: July 12 - July 20

Nina Haikara, Liaison – External Relations: July 8 – July 27

Previous Newsletter & Links
Previous MIE newsletter

All MIE newsletters

MIE Website: www.mie.utoronto.ca

Back to top
Copyright © 2009-10 University of Toronto | Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering | Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, All Rights Reserved

Friday, July 9, 2010

University of Windsor - Limited-term Assistant Professor Position in Water Resources

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Limited-term Assistant Professor Position in Water Resources

The University of Windsor invites applications for a limited-term position in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the area of Water Resources at the rank of Assistant Professor commencing September 1, 2010 for a period of two years. This position is subject to final budgetary approval.

The Department offers degree programs in both Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. The Department has at present 16 faculty members, all with active research programs, and over 80 graduate students. For further details about the Department and our programs, visit
our website at http://www.uwindsor.ca/civil. The University is currently building the Center of Engineering Innovation (CEI) with state-of-the-art facilities and completion is expected September 2012.

The City of Windsor and Essex County have a growing population numbering at present over 400,000 and are situated on the southern bank of the Detroit River across from our northern neighbor, the large metropolis of Detroit. The region provides an environment rich in culture and recreational activities (http://www.uwindsor.ca/civil).

Applicants should hold a baccalaureate degree in Engineering and an earned doctorate in Civil Engineering, preferably specialized in the area of Water Resources or a closely related field, and be registered, or be committed to seek registration, as a Professional Engineer in Canada. Candidates who are about to defend (ABD) and who will have successfully defended their dissertation by the date of appointment are also encouraged to apply. The new faculty member will be expected to teach undergraduate engineering courses, including first and second year general engineering courses and courses in the areas of Hydraulic Engineering, River Mechanics, Water Resources and also advise undergraduate students in Capstone Design projects and interact with a multidisciplinary group of faculty. The new faculty member is also expected to carry his/her research. The research areas of particular interest include flow and transport in surface water and/or groundwater. Expertise in numerical modeling of flow fields as applied to environmental problems will be an asset. The Department has excellent research facilities and state-of-the-art instrumentation in Hydraulic Engineering.

Applications will include:
● a letter of application, including a statement of citizenship/immigration status;
● a detailed and current curriculum vitae;
● a research statement detailing research interests and potential for scholarly achievement;
● a teaching dossier or evidence of teaching effectiveness that might include sample course syllabi/outlines,
teaching evaluations and a statement of teaching philosophy and interests;
● samples of scholarly work; and
● three current letters of reference forwarded by the referees.

To ensure full consideration, complete applications using the position identifier “WTR10 “ should be submitted by July 23, 2010.

Dr. Faouzi Ghrib, Ph.D., PEng., Acting Head
Civil and Environmental Engineering Appointments Committee
401 Sunset Avenue, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4
Phone (519) 253-3000, Ext. 2550, Fax: (519) 971-3686
E-mail: fghrib@uwindsor.ca

University of Windsor - Limited-term Assistant Professor Position in Structural Engineering

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Limited-term Assistant Professor Position in Structural Engineering

The University of Windsor invites applications for a limited-term position in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the area of Structural Engineering at the rank of Assistant Professor commencing September 1, 2010 for
a period of two years. This position is subject to final budgetary approval.

The Department offers degree programs in both Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. The Department has at present 16 faculty members, all with active research programs, and over 80 graduate students. For further details about the Department and our programs, visit
our website at http://www.uwindsor.ca/civil. The University is currently building the Center of Engineering Innovation (CEI) with state-of-the-art facilities and completion is expected September 2012.

The City of Windsor and Essex County have a growing population numbering at present over 400,000 and are situated on the southern bank of the Detroit River across from our northern neighbor, the large metropolis of Detroit. The region provides an environment rich in culture and recreational activities http://www.uwindsor.ca/civil).

Applicants should hold a baccalaureate degree in Engineering and an earned doctorate in Civil Engineering, specialized in the area of Structural Engineering and be registered, or be committed to seek registration, as a Professional Engineer in Canada. Candidates who are about to defend (ABD) and who will have successfully
defended their dissertation by the date of appointment are also encouraged to apply.

The candidate will be expected to teach undergraduate courses in the areas of Engineering Mechanics and Structural Engineering and also advise undergraduate students in Capstone Design Projects. The Department is interested in candidates with experience in teaching graduate courses in one or more of the following areas: rehabilitation of concrete structures, and concrete design using advanced composite materials. The new faculty member is expected to conduct research and attempt problems related to Structural Engineering. The research areas of particular interest
include structural mechanics, concrete structures, structural rehabilitation and monitoring, sustainable structures and advanced materials. Preference will be given to candidates with experimental structural engineering experience. Synergy to establish collaborative research links with the existing members of the Department is desirable.

Applications will include:
● a letter of application, including a statement of citizenship/immigration status;
● a current curriculum vitae;
● a research statement detailing research interests and potential for scholarly achievement;
● a teaching dossier or evidence of teaching effectiveness that might include sample course outlines or teaching
evaluations;
● a statement of teaching philosophy and interests;
● samples of scholarly work; and
● three current letters of reference forwarded by the referees.

To ensure full consideration, complete applications using the position identifier “STR_10“ should be submitted by July 23, 2010.

Dr. Faouzi Ghrib, Ph.D., PEng., Acting Head
Civil and Environmental Engineering Appointments Committee
401 Sunset Avenue, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4
Phone (519) 253-3000, Ext. 2550, Fax: (519) 971-3686
E-mail: fghrib@uwindsor.ca

[PDADC-L] Research Funding Opportunity - MRI Early Research Award 2010 Competition

MEMORANDUM

TO: PDAD&C

FROM: Professor Paul Young, Vice President, Research

DATE: July 8, 2010

RE: Early Research Award 2010 (Round 7)
________________________________________________________________________

Please bring this information to the attention of eligible faculty in your department.

The Ministry of Research and Innovation has announced the 2010 competition for Early Researcher Awards (ERA). The ERA program helps promising and recently appointed Ontario researchers build their research teams of undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, associates, and technicians. Eligible applicants are no more than 5 years from having started their independent academic research career, as of July 1, 2010 and no more than 10 years from having completed their first PhD, DVM, or Medical Doctor/Fellowship/Training as of July 1, 2010. To be competitive, researchers should be actively involved in conducting independent research that is supported by peer-reviewed funding.

The key dates for campus-based faculty applicants are as follows:

July 30: internal deadline for Notices of Intent
Sept 10: internal deadline for full applications

The award provides $100,000 for direct costs plus $40,000 for indirect costs based on a matching contribution of $50,000. The ultimate goal of the program is to improve Ontario’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent, move increasingly towards a knowledge-based economy and seize opportunities for global leadership. The ERA program success rate over all competitions is 32%, while the UT (campus) success rate is 41%.

For further information about this program and to obtain forms please visit http://www.mri.gov.on.ca/english/programs/era/program.asp or contact Sheila Van Landeghem (sheila.vanlandeghem@utoronto.ca, 416-946-3603).

[PDADC-L] Merit Increases for 2010

July 7, 2010

To: Professional & Managerial Staff
Confidential Staff
Research Associates

From: David Naylor, President
Angela Hildyard, VP HR & Equity

Re: Merit Increases for 2010

We are writing to update you on your salary review for this year. As previous communications have indicated, the University is subject to Bill 16 – the Public Sector Compensation Restraint Act. This legislation does permit some increases to compensation based on an existing, formally approved merit program. Thus, we made sure that, before the summer break, the Business Board of Governing Council approved in principle the awarding of merit increases for PMs, Confidential Staff and Research Associates in accordance with our existing program. That approval was sought because we are strongly committed to mitigating any inadvertent inequities arising from Bill 16.

At this point, it is uncertain how pay increases will unfold for different groups at the University. The majority of our employees are represented by a Union or an Association which formally bargains salaries and benefits on their behalf. While Bill 16 does not apply to them, the Compensation Restraint Program does apply and we are expected to table/negotiate 0% across-the-board increases for all these groups in collective bargaining. As well, some members of these bargaining units are not eligible for merit pay. On the other hand, we are well aware that none of you received an ATB increase for July 2009 to June 2010 – a situation that was never anticipated by the legislation.

To help us understand the context and comparators, we are now awaiting the outcome of the arbitrator’s decision on salary and benefits for UTFA. It is salient that the decision will address across-the-board salary increases for July 2009 to June 2010. We had hoped that the decision would be rendered before the end of June, but we now anticipate that the decision will be available sometime in August. We propose therefore to delay the implementation of your merit –based increases until we receive the UTFA award because we wish to take the full provisions of the UTFA award into account as we determine the merit amounts for you for this year. Please rest assured that where there is a merit adjustment it will be retroactive to July 1.

We understand that this is a frustrating and fluid situation for everyone. Suffice it to say that we are trying to respect the legislation and the restraint program, while also ensuring that ongoing salary reviews are fair to the University’s dedicated staff members. Please do not hesitate to contact the Office of the VP-Human Resources and Equity if you have any concerns or questions.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

[PDADC-L] Guidelines for the Use of Blackboard Organizations for Academic Human Resources

PDADC#2, 2010-11

MEMORANDUM

TO: PDAD&C
FROM: Edith Hillan, Vice Provost Faculty & Academic Life
DATE: July 8, 2010
RE: Guidelines for the Use of Blackboard Organizations for Academic Human Resources


Recently our office has received requests to use Blackboard Organizations for various academic human resources processes. As such we have prepared the attached Guidelines in consultation with the appropriate offices.

Blackboard offers a secure, University supported environment that many faculty and some administrative staff are familiar with using. Restricted membership of each Organization will ensure that only those faculty who should have access to the documents will be able to view materials. Date restricted access will ensure that materials are made available to appropriate groups within specified time ranges. A future development may allow candidates and referees to submit materials directly to the relevant Organization providing significant savings in terms of administrative support time. Appropriate oversight will be needed so that materials are removed in a timely manner.

As an initial pilot, we would like to make Blackboard Organizations available to those academic divisions undertaking Third Year Review and/or Promotion to Senior Lecturer, with the intention of opening this to all divisions for use by Promotions Committees and Tenure Committees in 2010-2011. If you are interested in participating in this initial pilot, please contact Sara-Jane Finlay, Director Faculty & Academic Life (sarajane.finlay@utoronto.ca; 416 978 1855). She will be happy to assist you with the process of applying for and setting up an Organization as well as providing appropriate training through the Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation.

Please note that through UTORecruit, the University provides a secure, supported system, tailored specifically for academic recruitment. Applications for Blackboard Organizations intended for use by search committees will not be approved.

All these processes require the collection, disclosure and retention of personal information and should follow the practices set out in the Access and Privacy Practices: General and Administrative document prepared by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Office at the University of Toronto.
http://www.provost.utoronto.cca/Assets/Provost+Digital+Assets/Provost/fippa.pdf

Provost’s Guidelines on the Use of Blackboard Organizations for Academic Human Resources

Academic human resources processes such as third year review, tenure, and promotion require the collection, disclosure, retention and sharing of confidential and personal information. One means to support the distribution and organization of these materials is through the use of Blackboard Organizations. As a University-wide, secure and supported system, Blackboard offers a safe environment for the storage and sharing of materials. In using Blackboard for these processes the following Guidelines must be adhered to. Periodic checks will be run to ensure that all Organizations being used for academic human resources conform to the Guidelines below.

Please note that through UTORecruit, the University provides a secure, supported system tailored specifically for academic recruitment. Applications for Blackboard Organizations intended for use by search committees will not be approved.

1. Blackboard Organizations for the purposes of academic human resources must be applied for through the Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation and will be approved by the Office of the Vice President and Provost. The procedures as outlined on the portal information site must be followed.

2. The individual who will act as the administrator for the Organization must receive
appropriate training through CTSI.

3. All documents uploaded to the Organization must be treated with strictest confidence. Materials must not be downloaded to desktops/laptops/USB keys or any other digital mediumii.

4. Committee members will be permitted to print ONE copy of all materials for their
personal use. Upon conclusion of the relevant process, ALL printed copies must be shredded or returned to the appropriate administrative officer in the division for shredding.

5. Access to all materials should be limited to the time required to perform the task. After the work is completed, the materials should be promptly removed from the Organization and stored in a secure location. Blackboard allows the administrator for the Organization to close or block access to users on a pre-set date.

6. Membership of the Organization should be limited to committee members and one
administrative staff member.

7. Committee deliberations must not be conducted through Blackboard Organizations. All Policy requirements for the conduct of academic human resources remain in effect.

All processes that require the collection, disclosure and retention of personal information should follow the practices set out in Access and Privacy Practices: General and Administrative document prepared by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Office at the University of Toronto.

i We would prefer divisions to use Blackboard Organizations for academic human resources processes. Internal secure file transfer servers may also be appropriate. In this case, the Guidelines provided above should be followed.

ii Confidential electronic records must not be removed from the secure server environment without official authorization, demonstrable operational need and demonstration that there are no other reasonable means to accomplish the task for which the records may be needed. When this occurs the media used must be encrypted and any hard copies must be handled appropriately and securely (please see Access and Privacy Practices: General and Administrative).

Welcome to the CIV-MIN Blog

This is where we compile all the announcements, postings and non-urgent alerts that used to clog up your email inbox. Feel free to scroll through the latest postings organized by date below, or check our categorized listings on the right for the information you want.