Information Technology Archives | UAP 2026-30 /uap2026-30/tag/information-technology/ Wed, 29 Jan 2025 19:50:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.10 YRDSB recognizes ABEL program director Janet Murphy for service to education /uap2026-30/2011/05/30/yrdsb-recognizes-abel-program-director-janet-murphy-for-service-to-education-2/ Mon, 30 May 2011 08:00:00 +0000 /uap2026-30-devdev/2011/05/30/yrdsb-recognizes-abel-program-director-janet-murphy-for-service-to-education-2/ Teaching with technology is a good thing, and no one knows it better than Janet Murphy. The 91ÑÇɫ Region District School Board (YRDSB) has awarded Murphy, director of 91ÑÇɫ’s Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning (ABEL) on applied research program in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, an Outstanding Service Award. Under Murphy’s leadership, ABEL’s team […]

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Teaching with technology is a good thing, and no one knows it better than Janet Murphy.

The (YRDSB) has awarded Murphy, director of 91ÑÇɫ’s (ABEL) on applied research program in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, an Outstanding Service Award.

Under Murphy’s leadership, ABEL’s team has worked with teachers in more over 100 YRDSB schools to help them better understand and integrate technology’s research impacts into their curriculum. Any teacher in 91ÑÇɫ Region’s public district can become part of ABEL; the program is also active in the Toronto, Simcoe County and Upper Grand District School Boards.

Right: Janet Murphy

“We work with teachers from kindergarten to Grade 12 across disciplines to help them  to best use technology to support their curriculum goals in the classroom,” said Murphy, who received her award on April 25 at the YRDSB’s annual Awards Evening.

This support includes extending the reach of university research and expertise into high school classrooms. For example, , an interactive learning event led by the Faculty of Science & Engineering in May, was made accessible to schools across 91ÑÇɫ Region through the ABEL program. Through the effective use of video conferencing, collaborative technologies and streamed on-demand video, the ABEL platform distributed the event’s science content, making it available for classroom use.

ABEL also provides technical support and facilitation to support and enhance YRDSB teachers’ professional learning through a blended learning program. Leveraging interactive technologies, ABEL delivers professional learning to the classroom or school in a variety of online formats, including real-time and/or asynchronous transmission.

“The advantage to ABEL’s approach is that it allows teachers to engage in their individual learning at a time and place convenient to them, apply their learning and then re-visit the archived session as needed. This collaborative approach allows participants to gain feedback from the group about what worked and what didn’t, and continuously improve their practice,” says Murphy. “For example, 91ÑÇɫ’s Faculty of Education recently ran a session on teaching mathematics that was streamed live and archived to ensure teachers wanting the latest numeracy pedagogy had flexible ways to access the material.”

Outstanding Service Awards reflect the YRDSB’s commitment to quality, service and teamwork. The recipients – who may include individuals, teams or departments – provide extraordinary service that has had a positive impact on the school board’s efforts to achieve its mission and goals.

Typically, those recognized have introduced positive change, significant and permanent improvements to the organization, and/or positively influenced individuals or teams around them to make great contributions.

“Janet received the Outstanding Service Award for her ongoing leadership, vision and commitment to mobilizing new knowledge for 21st-century system change,” said John Steh, manager of Leadership Development, YRDSB. “Her team’s approach has led to new organizational structures and system change, and is an excellent example of social innovation initiated by the District’s participation in the ABEL program.”

”Janet’s recognition reflects her strong leadership and the success of the entire ABEL team. ABEL’s niche is staying ahead of the technology curve in making 91ÑÇɫ’s research in ICT, pedagogy and digital media accessible to the education community from kindergarten through to Grade 12,” said Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. “Through the partnership with ABEL, the YRDSB has continually demonstrated their commitment to seeking out best pedagogical practices while ensuring teachers have access to the latest professional development. For 91ÑÇɫ, ABEL provides an institutional platform to move the latest research out to schools while helping to attract the best high school students to programs.”

About the ABEL Program at 91ÑÇɫ

Launched with funding support from , Canada’s Advanced Research and Innovation Network, to a consortium led by Shapson, ABEL has nearly 10 years of experience helping teachers to make better use of technology. Through public and private sector partnerships and networks, ABEL has gained national recognition as a research-based authority and leader on the effective use of existing and emerging information communication technologies (ICT) within new models of teaching, learning, training and collaboration.

ABEL’s combination of networks, partnerships and research focus drive institutional transformation and create new opportunities:

  • Facilitates community outreach for researchers interested in working with public school boards.
  • Demonstrates the value of inter-institutional and jurisdictional collaboration by providing research and outreach platforms.
  • Leads the effective use of technology in teaching, training and learning environments.
  • Provides a platform for applied research, along with expertise into the effective use of interactive and collaborative technologies.

ABEL’s partners include the , the Ministry of Education’s , the (including more than 10 school boards), , the , the , the , the and many others.

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer.

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ABEL's 10th annual Summer Institute considers the next decade of learning in a wired world /uap2026-30/2011/05/13/conference-considers-the-next-decade-of-learning-in-a-wired-world-2-2/ Fri, 13 May 2011 08:00:00 +0000 /uap2026-30-devdev/2011/05/13/conference-considers-the-next-decade-of-learning-in-a-wired-world-2-2/ The future of the educational Internet will be the topic as the Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning (ABEL) program hosts its 10th annual ABEL Summer Institute (ASI) this year. Registration is now open for Connected Community Learning: The Next Decade taking place Aug. 22 to 24 on 91ÑÇɫ's Keele campus. Over the past decade the Internet […]

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The future of the educational Internet will be the topic as the (ABEL) program hosts its (ASI) this year.

Registration is now open for Connected Community Learning: The Next Decade taking place Aug. 22 to 24 on 91ÑÇɫ's Keele campus.

Over the past decade the Internet has affected society in many ways, including democratizing access to information, creating opportunities for individual voices to be heard, sharing ideas and knowledge, allowing instantaneous responses to questions, creating social networks that expand knowing and doing, developing new regulations and policies for information access, copyright and use, digital citizenship – and the list continues. ASI 2011 asks what will the next 10 years bring?

Conference delegates will investigate this question and the power of a connected community to effectively use technology for teaching and learning. This two-and-a-half-day professional learning event features speakers and information sessions.

Keynote speaker  will open ASI 2011, delivering a speech titled “The Flat World has Swung Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education”. Bonk is professor of Instructional Systems Technology at and president of .

Left: Curt Bonk

Bonk received the CyberStar Award from the Indiana Information Technology Association, the Most Outstanding Achievement Award from the US Distance Learning Association, and the Most Innovative Teaching in a Distance Education Program Award from the State of Indiana. A well-known authority on emerging technologies for learning, Bonk reflects on his speaking experiences around the world in his popular blog, . He has coauthored several technology books, including (2009), (2008), (2006) and Electronic Collaborators (1998).

On Aug. 23, Dean Shareski, a digital learning consultant for the Prairie South School Division in Saskatchewan, will be the spotlight speaker. Shareski works with teachers and students in understanding the power of "Read/Write Web" and is a strong advocate of design and storytelling and the power of sharing.

Right: Dean Shareski

Shareski has presented and led many workshops locally, nationally and internationally.  He's been modeling much of this on his own blog () for more than six years. The site is consistently ranked among the top 100 educational blogs. He also is an adjunct professor at the University of Regina, where he's developed innovative instructional practices for pre-service teachers.

To close ASI 2011 on Aug. 24, Norm Vaughan will discuss “Student Engagement and Web 2.0 in Blended Learning”. An educator and researcher with interests in blended learning, faculty development and kindergarten to Grade 12 schooling, Vaughan is an associate professor in the Department of Education, Faculty of Teaching & Learning at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta.

Left:  Norm Vaughan

Vaughan recently co-authored the book Blended Learning in Higher Education (2008) and has published a series of articles on blended learning and faculty development. Vaughn is the co-founder of the Blended Online Design Network (BOLD), a member of the Community of Inquiry Research Group, the associate dditor of the International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning. He serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Excellence in e-Learning, Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, the Journal on Centres for Teaching & Learning, the Learning Communities Journal and the Journal of Information Fluency.

The ABEL Summer Institute is intended as both a guided and self-directed exploration of technologies as educational tools with learning engagement and knowledge building potential for all.

For more information on ASI 2011, including the agenda, click . Register early to avoid disappointment. To register online, click .

ABEL is a unit within the Office of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation. For more information about its event and programming, visit the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91ÑÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

 

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Law Professor David Doorey builds app to extend workplace blog's digital reach /uap2026-30/2011/05/04/law-professor-david-doorey-builds-app-to-extend-workplace-blogs-digital-reach-2/ Wed, 04 May 2011 08:00:00 +0000 /uap2026-30-devdev/2011/05/04/law-professor-david-doorey-builds-app-to-extend-workplace-blogs-digital-reach-2/ 91ÑÇɫ law Professor David Doorey of the School of Human Resource Management has taken the idea of blogging one step further. He’s developed his own app for his blog, now available for Apple devices as a free download through iTunes. Doorey says the main reason he started Doorey's Workplace Law Blog was to better connect with […]

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91ÑÇɫ law Professor David Doorey of the School of Human Resource Management has taken the idea of blogging one step further. He’s developed his own for his blog, now available for Apple devices as a free download through iTunes.

Doorey says the main reason he started Doorey's Workplace Law Blog was to better connect with his students. “I wanted to make my courses in workplace law and industrial relations interesting and ‘real’ for the students. By linking course theory and readings to real cases and current news events, I can build student interest in the course in ways a textbook never can.”

Right: David Doorey

But then he thought he could do that even better through an app. “The iTunes app is the next step,” he says. “Most students today have smartphones, and this app means I can now communicate with students daily, wherever they are. They are learning in fun new ways that fit with their lifestyles.”

His central audience has always been students studying in his subject areas at 91ÑÇɫ and at other institutions. His blog looks at all aspects of employment law and highlights some of the more interesting and current cases, such as Fraser vs. Ontario: Constitutional Right to Collective Bargaining Survives, a discussion on whether Target Canada will buy unionized Zellers, and how the City of Toronto Committee voted to fire 300 unionized garbage collectors. Doorey's Workplace Law Blog won a CLawBies – Canadian Law Blog Award – in 2008 and again in 2009, and was a CLawBies finalist in 2010.

“I'm trying to stimulate their critical thinking in the field and make them want to learn more,” says Doorey. “The blog has attracted a much wider audience than just students, including legal and human resources practitioners and other academics, and I anticipate that the app will allow me to connect to more of these busy professionals.”

The blog, and now the app, will help interested students and professionals keep up with what's going on in new case law and in the academic world “as they commute to
work or wait in line to order coffee.” Doorey sees the app as a way to provide a service to the professional community in his field by summarizing relevant news. “It connects me to a whole new audience that is interested in the subject matter of my blog, but whose lives are too hectic to read it,” he says. “With the app, they just tap an icon, and they can quickly see what's going in the field.”

Doorey points out, however, that writing blogs and creating apps is not for everyone. “They are a lot of work to keep up, and you need to be really committed to it over the long haul for it to work. My motivation is my students, who turn over every few months. The new students give me the energy to keep going, since they respond very favourably, and since the blog and app are always introducing new stories and issues to the classroom, it never gets boring for me or the students.”

He is grateful for the help he received from Oksana Silkina and Alex Neumann in 91ÑÇɫ's e-Services office in getting his app created and submitted to Apple for its approval to be published.

For more information, visit Doorey’s Workplace Law Blog or . It is compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91ÑÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Engineering students' projects at the cutting edge of technology /uap2026-30/2011/04/29/engineering-students-projects-at-the-cutting-edge-of-technology-2/ Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:00:00 +0000 /uap2026-30-devdev/2011/04/29/engineering-students-projects-at-the-cutting-edge-of-technology-2/ From a stabilization system for an unmanned plane to a glove that will change the channels on the television with a flick of a finger, 91ÑÇɫ’s fourth-year engineering students are putting practical twists on their research projects. Seven teams of students from the capstone senior design project course displayed their work in the lobby of […]

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From a stabilization system for an unmanned plane to a glove that will change the channels on the television with a flick of a finger, 91ÑÇɫ’s fourth-year engineering students are putting practical twists on their research projects.

Seven teams of students from the capstone senior design project course displayed their work in the lobby of the Science & Engineering Building for the sixth consecutive year.

Right: The first place team of Sriyan Wisnarama (left), Shahroukh Sotodeh and Gowry Sinnathamby, with an unmanned remote controlled plane with their stabilization system

Prizes of $500, $300 and $200 were given to the first, second and third ranked team project, donated by . The project involves the design of complex engineering solutions to a real world problem.

Left: Second place winners, from left, Niken Goswami, Stephen Low, Chris Carmichael and Yan Ying Fang. Insert: Stephen Low showing the e-Glove to the judges.

The whole point of it is to come up with a marriage between the idea and the practical outcome, said one of the judges, Michael Sasarman (MBA ’05), director, strategic partnering and sourcing at Ericsson Inc.

“This is very good. It’s better than previous years,” said capstone project course instructor Professor George Zhu, director of the Space Engineering Undergraduate Program and the Space Engineering Design Laboratory. “There is more wireless technology on display this time.”

The project involves specifying the requirements of a suitable solution, selecting and designing a solution, implementing the design, and then testing, evaluating and documenting the chosen solution.

Right: From left, students Thaslim Ghani, Sowmiya Rajagopalan and Tamara Tanurdzic, with their smartphone remote controlled vehicle, which placed third in the competition

The group of students who took first place for their project had a remote controlled plane on display with an installed stabilization system. The Design and Implementation of a Stabilization System for a Remote Controlled Fixed-Wing Model (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) project would help prevent the plane from crashing out of control.

“Whatever orientation the plane has when the stabilization button is hit, it will return to level fight,” said student Gowry Sinnathamby. He was joined by his teammates Sriyan Wisnarama and Shahroukh Sotodeh.

In second place was the Sync Engineering Entertainment Glove with students Stephen Low, Yan Ying Fang, Niken Goswami and Chris Carmichael. The intent behind the e-Glove was to design a remotely controlled single system that is able to universally control functions across a range of electronic devices. That means there would be one device instead of several. The e-Glove would use universal infrared technology with finger gestures, rather than buttons, to control and switch between items such as televisions, stereo systems and clock radios.

Above: From left, Professor George Zhu and Sunil Chavda, director of corporate development for Com Dev International, pose with first-place winners Shahroukh Sotodeh, Sriyan Wisnarama and Gowry Sinnathamby, along with Professor Richard Hornsey, associate dean of science & engineering.

The project that won third – Smartphone Control of an Unmanned Robotic Vehicle – was designed by students Thaslim Ghani, Sowmiya Rajagopalan and Tamara Tanurdzic. The team took remote control technology to a smartphone. Phone rotation would control direction and speed depending on the angle or tilt of the phone, said Ghani. Through a GPS system, the vehicle could also be tracked. The students had mounted a laptop to the top of a small vehicle so the user can see either on their smartphone, or from another laptop, exactly what the camera on the mounted laptop is seeing.

Right: From left, Dan Reynolds, Calvin Midwinter, Patrick Irvin and Bay Ming Jian with the mock-up of their satellite

The practical advantages of this technology, says Ghani, is it can go where a human can’t, such as inside the damaged nuclear plant in Japan or perhaps Mars.

Some of the other projects included a mock-up of a microsatellite (QuickSat) body that is designed by the (CSA) and is licensed to 91ÑÇɫ for educational purposes. 91ÑÇɫ is the first university in Canada to use it in the training of microsatellite technology where students not only design the satellite on paper, but also build a functional prototype. Students Dan Reynolds, Calvin Midwinter, Bay Ming Jian and Patrick Irvin worked on the design and fabrication of a solar panel assembly and its release mechanism under CSA's CAD model and technical specifications.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91ÑÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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ABEL program seeks eCourse developer for Regional Adaptation Collaboration project (closes May 2) /uap2026-30/2011/04/25/abel-program-seeks-ecourse-developer-for-regional-adaptation-collaboration-project-closes-may-2-2/ Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:00:00 +0000 /uap2026-30-devdev/2011/04/25/abel-program-seeks-ecourse-developer-for-regional-adaptation-collaboration-project-closes-may-2-2/ The Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning program (ABEL), is seeking an eCourse Developer and technical support for the Regional Adaptation Collaboration project. More details, including salary details and how to apply, are available in the Research Jobs section. Please note that only resumes submitted through the described process will be considered. The posting closes May 2, […]

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The program (ABEL), is seeking an eCourse Developer and technical support for the Regional Adaptation Collaboration project. More details, including salary details and how to apply, are available in the Research Jobs section.

Please note that only resumes submitted through the described process will be considered.

The posting closes May 2, 2011.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer

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PhD student, artist and researcher explores augmented reality's wonderment and play /uap2026-30/2011/01/24/phd-student-artist-and-researcher-explores-augmented-realitys-wonderment-and-play-2/ Mon, 24 Jan 2011 10:00:00 +0000 /uap2026-30-devdev/2011/01/24/phd-student-artist-and-researcher-explores-augmented-realitys-wonderment-and-play-2/ A few months ago, I was introduced to Helen Papagiannis, an artist, designer and researcher working with the emerging technology Augmented Reality (AR), wrote Rob Rothfarb in Museum Virtual Worlds Jan. 10 in a published interview with the student in the 91ÑÇɫ/Ryerson Joint Graduate Program in Communication & Culture: Papagiannis: “I began experimenting with AR […]

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A few months ago, I was introduced to Helen Papagiannis, an artist, designer and researcher working with the emerging technology Augmented Reality (AR), wrote Rob Rothfarb in Jan. 10 in a published interview with the student in the 91ÑÇɫ/Ryerson Joint Graduate Program in Communication & Culture:

Papagiannis: “I began experimenting with AR in September 2005. When I saw AR for the first time, I was so entranced I think I entered a permanent state of wonder with the technology. And it was all very simple: a bare bones 3D virtual cube seemingly appearing in my physical space. It was completely astonishing! I went into mad scientist mode from there, tinkering, prototyping and dreaming of the creative possibilities for AR. Five-and-a-half years later, and I’m still riveted.

“I strongly believe AR is emerging as a new medium and it will come to play a large role in entertainment and information sharing…. I’d like to see more work move beyond the single-viewer experience in AR and engage larger audiences in a simultaneous viewing and even collaborative interactive experience. I think this is particularly relevant for museums in designing and producing AR experiences.”

is currently completing her PhD at 91ÑÇɫ and is a senior research associate at the in 91ÑÇɫ’s Department of Film in the Faculty of Fine Arts. Helen’s mixed-reality art installations were recently featured in a solo exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre, and at TEDx91ÑÇɫu, where she was also an invited speaker. Prior to her augmented life, Helen was a member of the internationally renowned Bruce Mau Design studio, where she was project lead on Massive Change: The Future of Global Design, a touring exhibition and book published by Phaidon Press.

of the interview, Jan. 18. You can watch on youtube.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile– 91ÑÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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Professor Marin Litoiu recognized for cloud computing achievements /uap2026-30/2011/01/05/professor-marin-litoiu-recognized-for-cloud-computing-achievements-2/ Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:00:00 +0000 /uap2026-30-devdev/2011/01/05/professor-marin-litoiu-recognized-for-cloud-computing-achievements-2/ This has been a banner year for Marin Litoiu. The computer scientist has won two major awards and just received a $500,000 grant to expand his research at 91ÑÇɫ. Litoiu has won awards before, but these particular ones stem from his pioneering work in cloud computing, the next big evolution in computing technology. “It’s one of […]

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This has been a banner year for Marin Litoiu. The computer scientist has won two major awards and just received a $500,000 grant to expand his research at 91ÑÇɫ.

Litoiu has won awards before, but these particular ones stem from his pioneering work in cloud computing, the next big evolution in computing technology. “It’s one of the hot topics in computing these days,” he says. Since cloud computing surfaced as a brilliant idea in 2007, he’s led much of the exploration into this new frontier.

Right: Marin Litoiu

Cloud computing will spell the end of desktop computers and institutional servers in five to 10 years, predicts Litoiu. Instead, hardware functions such as storage, memory and processing, and office and enterprise software will be provided and managed automatically from remote servers via the Internet (or “cloud”).

Through the Internet, off-site service providers will automatically update software, provide security and guarantee uninterrupted service. Software as a Service, as it’s called, will be cheaper, more convenient and more reliable, says Litoiu.

He compares it to the evolution of electricity delivery. In the early days, companies and institutions used their own generators to supply power. Now we all plug into a remote continental grid.

At 91ÑÇɫ, a few cluster groups, including his own, already operate on clouds. Facebook and Google run on cloud computing systems, though they’re not completely automated, he says. Banks don’t yet, but “it’s just a matter of time before everything is run on virtual systems.”

Litoiu started his career as a computer science professor in Romania. He immigrated to Canada in 1996 and started a second PhD, this one in systems engineering. Within a year, IBM recruited him as a senior researcher at its Centre for Advanced Studies, where he led more than 30 research projects with academics and partners across the globe.

In 2007, when the idea of cloud computing began percolating in labs around the world, IBM created the Centre of Excellence for Research in Adaptive Systems () and appointed him director. “We were among the first in the world to create a centre to look at this very new concept of cloud computing,” says Litoiu.

Even after his return to academia in 2008, when he joined 91ÑÇɫ’s School of Information Technology, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Litoiu continues to collaborate with IBM on developing computing tools and infrastructure. “I’m a strong believer in collaborating with industry because it gives students industrial experience and a chance to apply their skills to real problems. I want their theses to be relevant.”

This year, IBM named him CAS (Centre for Advanced Studies) . The award recognizes Litoiu's leadership in cloud computing research, research that benefits IBM and industry at large, and Litoiu’s continuing efforts to share his research and knowledge with IBM developers.

Left: Marin Litoiu (left) accepts Faculty Fellow of the Year award from IBM's Bart Vashaw

Litoiu specializes in adaptive computing systems – in computers that take care of themselves. In naming him Faculty Fellow of the Year, IBM cited two of his collaborative research projects. One was “Real-time monitoring and simulations of business processes”, which aimed to pinpoint then shorten delays in automated functions, such as those used in finance and human resources applications. The other was developing a business-driven cloud optimization architecture, which resulted in several prototypes and papers. One paper won the at the 2010 Association for Computing Machinery Symposium on Applied Computing in Switzerland in March.

In 2009, Litoiu also won the IBM Project of the Year Award for building a two-layered cloud computing model for desktop virtualization: the first layer would provide storage and raw computation; the second, services such as software management (see YFile Dec. 18, 2008).

“These awards validate my assumption that the work we do is meaningful and has an impact not only on the academic community but also on industry, on one of the biggest players in the world in computing,” says Litoiu, of IBM. “The other important thing is that students involved in the research are directly or indirectly exposed to the industry and industrial technology and that their research is rewarded as well.”

At 91ÑÇɫ, Litoiu leads a research team of 12 post-doc and graduate students. Soon they will be working in a new lab dedicated to cloud computing research. The Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada has just granted him $234,000, and IBM has made up the difference for a total of $500,000 to start a new project in cloud computing.

“We live in a pretty exciting world,” says Litoiu. “There are a lot of things to be done in computing. We’re not even halfway through this computer revolution.”

By Martha Tancock, YFile contributing writer

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91ÑÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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Ontario Centre of Excellence's Discovery 2010 was now, not next /uap2026-30/2010/06/15/ontario-centre-of-excellences-discovery-2010-was-now-not-next-2/ Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:00:00 +0000 /uap2026-30-devdev/2010/06/15/ontario-centre-of-excellences-discovery-2010-was-now-not-next-2/ Discovery 2010, the Ontario Centre of Excellence’s annual conference to showcase and celebrate Ontario innovation, is one of Ontario’s flagship programs that supports and promotes research at Ontario’s universities, colleges, research institutions and companies. Held May 17 and 18, Discovery 2010 was billed as “Where next Happens” for Clean Tech, Health Tech, High Tech and […]

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Discovery 2010, the Ontario Centre of Excellence’s annual conference to showcase and celebrate Ontario innovation, is one of Ontario’s flagship programs that supports and promotes research at Ontario’s universities, colleges, research institutions and companies. Held May 17 and 18, Discovery 2010 was billed as “Where next Happens” for Clean Tech, Health Tech, High Tech and Digital Media.

91ÑÇɫ's 2010 Rover rolls through the desert

91ÑÇɫ had several different presentations at Discovery 2010. Professors , George Zhu, , Costas Armenakis, , Hugh Chesser and Baoxin Hu from the Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering had several displays, including an underwater robot, a nanosatellite, computer vision and a Mars rover.

Professor Regina Lee and her students, also from the Department of Earth & Space Science, showed off their Mars rover and the massive trophy they won for placing first in the 2009 University Rover Challenge in Utah (where the land apparently resembles the surface of Mars — who knew?). The group also placed second in the 2010 competition this month.

Professor kept crowds happy playing his iPhone app, “” which debuted at . 91ÑÇɫ’s digital media display also featured the projects funded by the Ontario Media Development Corporation (, led by Professor Nell Tenhaff in the Faculty of Fine Arts) and the Ontario Research Fund (the , led by Professor John Tsotsos in the Faculty of Science & Engineering).

Meanwhile, , a partner in the 91ÑÇɫ-led 3D FLIC project, drew crowds who didn’t mind sharing 3D glasses to experience their stunning 3D television footage.

3D Camera Company's 3D TV display at Discovery10

, a Regional Innovation Network for biotechnology in 91ÑÇɫ Region for which 91ÑÇɫ is a founding partner, was also represented by Janet Leclair and Sana Mulji Dutt.

Among the event’s highlights were the awards ceremonies, including the , innovation awards and many awards for Ontario’s best researchers, students and companies.  Amongst these was the award for . The winning team, lead by Armen Bakirtzian, included a 91ÑÇɫ MBA candidate, Ara Hasserjian.

Discovery 2010 provided an excellent introduction and overview for Sarah Fuller who joined 91ÑÇɫ May 17 as associate director, research agreements and intellectual property where she

will lead 91ÑÇɫ’s technology commercialization group. If your research involves non-academic partners (such as community, government, industry) or if you are required to transfer research funding, information or materials to another institution, Sarah can be reached at extension 20579 or by e-mail at sfuller@yorku.ca.

91ÑÇɫ's computer science displays at Discovery10.

So what’s next for now? 91ÑÇɫ is actively supporting industrial collaborations for faculty and students. Through expert services, industry liaison and technology commercialization under the Office of the Voce-President Research & Innovation, 91ÑÇɫ will help connect your research to industrial partners. Companies can also explore working with 91ÑÇɫ researchers and grad students.

For more information, contact David Phipps, director, Research Services and Knowledge Exchange at 416-736-5813 or dphipps@yorku.ca.

By David Phipps, director, Research Services and Knowledge Exchange.

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Particle physics team looks forward to working with TRIUMF /uap2026-30/2009/11/25/particle-physics-team-looks-forward-to-working-with-triumf-2/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000 /uap2026-30-devdev/2009/11/25/particle-physics-team-looks-forward-to-working-with-triumf-2/ 91ÑÇɫ particle physicist Sampa Bhadra (below right) has already figured out how she intends to spend her next sabbatical leave when it comes in 2013 – she's hoping to visit British Columbia so she can spend some quality time at a subatomic research facility that’s larger than two city blocks and houses the biggest cyclotron […]

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91ÑÇɫ particle physicist Sampa Bhadra (below right) has already figured out how she intends to spend her next sabbatical leave when it comes in 2013 – she's hoping to visit British Columbia so she can spend some quality time at a subatomic research facility that’s larger than two city blocks and houses the biggest cyclotron in the world. It will be the ultimate busman’s holiday as she takes part in research into the tiniest secrets of the universe along with scientific colleagues at TRIUMF, Canada's National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics.

Sampa Bhadra

While there, Bhadra, a professor in 91ÑÇɫ’s Faculty of Science & Engineering, will also visit with 91ÑÇɫ alumnus Nigel Lockyer (BSc Spec. Hons. ’75), director of TRIUMF, in which 91ÑÇɫ became a partner July 1 (see YFile, July 2). The two met 22 years ago at another subatomic research facility, Fermilab, near Chicago, and established a networking connection that made 91ÑÇɫ’s eventual partnership in TRIUMF possible.

When Lockyer became director in 2007 (see YFile, March 20, 2007), he accepted an invitation from then president Lorna Marsden to visit 91ÑÇɫ's Keele campus and meet the University’s growing team of particle physicists. When he arrived, Lockyer was in the early stages of a campaign to promote membership in TRIUMF to Canadian universities. He quickly recruited Bhadra to champion the idea at 91ÑÇɫ, along with Stan Shapson, 91ÑÇɫ’s vice-president research & innovation, and Michael Siu, associate vice-president research, science & technology, and she is now 91ÑÇɫ’s representative on TRIUMF’s Policy & Planning Advisory Committee. 91ÑÇɫ became an associate member of the consortium in September 2008 (see YFile, Sept. 16, 2008).

Wendy Taylor Scott Menary
Taylor Menary

The Faculty of Science & Engineering has seven researchers, members of 91ÑÇɫ’s group, who will benefit from the association with TRIUMF, says Bhadra. She and fellow experimentalists Scott Menary and Wendy Taylor are the 91ÑÇɫ principal investigators for several projects around the world and the Canadian leaders of these experiments reside at TRIUMF.

91ÑÇɫ theorists Roman Koniuk, Randy Lewis and Kim Maltman have also collaborated closely with TRIUMF physicists, either as staff and/or on sabbatical. The newest member of 91ÑÇɫ’s particle physics group is theorist Veronica Sanz-Gonzalez, who joined 91ÑÇɫ this year from Boston University.

Roman Koniuk Randy Lewis Kim Maltman Veronica Sanz-Gonzalez
Koniuk Lewis Maltman Sanz-Gonzalez

“Our connection to TRIUMF is long overdue,” says Bhadra. “It’s a great meeting place for scientific discussions; it’s a concentration of experts. The synergy is fantastic right now.”

The benefits of 91ÑÇɫ’s membership will soon be felt at the Keele campus when Lia Merminga, director of TRIUMF’s accelerator division, makes a visit to 91ÑÇɫ in November. “91ÑÇɫ and TRIUMF will be exploring joint intitiatives that will have long-reaching benefits for both institutions,” says Bhadra.

TRIUMF “is a value statement by Canada about the long-term importance of strategic investments in science, technology and innovation,” said Lockyer in a director’s message. “TRIUMF’s accomplishments in basic research (particle and nuclear physics, molecular and materials science, nuclear medicine and information technology), international partnerships and commercial successes with Canadian companies are the proof behind this statement.”

Nigel LockyerRight: Nigel Lockyer

TRIUMF’s Isotope Separator and Accelerator Complex is recognized as the world’s most advanced laboratory for the production of exotic or “medical” isotopes. While not using the accelerator complex itself, Bhadra and her colleagues have access to the excellent resources provided by TRIUMF in terms of expertise in electronics, computing and engineering support.

TRIUMF's accelerator division has long been recognized as one of the world's best and has contributed hardware and expertise to CERN, the international consortium based in Switzerland that is home to the world's largest particle accelerator.

For more information about TRIUMF, visit its Web site.

Republished with files courtesy of YFile – 91ÑÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Glendon psychology Professor Evelyne Corcos was a pioneering researcher /uap2026-30/2009/07/29/glendon-psychology-professor-evelyne-corcos-was-a-pioneering-researcher-2/ Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:00:00 +0000 /uap2026-30-devdev/2009/07/29/glendon-psychology-professor-evelyne-corcos-was-a-pioneering-researcher-2/ Glendon psychology Professor Evelyne Corcos, a respected member of the 91ÑÇɫ community, has died. Professor Corcos, died on Wednesday, July 8 at the Toronto Western Hospital. Right: Evelyne Corcos A lifelong educator, Professor Corcos was an inspiration to faculty and students alike and was a dynamic and imaginative researcher. In 2005, she pioneered the use […]

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Glendon psychology Professor Evelyne Corcos, a respected member of the 91ÑÇɫ community, has died. Professor Corcos, died on Wednesday, July 8 at the Toronto Western Hospital.

Evelyne CorcosRight: Evelyne Corcos

A lifelong educator, Professor Corcos was an inspiration to faculty and students alike and was a dynamic and imaginative researcher. In 2005, she pioneered the use of clicker technology to facilitate learning at the Glendon campus. The clicker, or personal response system, was a pilot project that operated at 91ÑÇɫ’s Glendon College and Osgoode Hall Law School. Each student received a personal gadget – a clicker – much like a television remote control, with numbered buttons. The clicker was an infrared wireless transmitter which communicated with a central computer. Students answered questions and recorded their responses with the simple click of a button and the results were instantly charted and displayed for real-time student feedback.

In 2007, Corcos received a Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Special Grant in the Image, Text, Sound and Technology category to investigate the use of technology for behaviour modification. She used the grant money to build an Internet platform to support a searchable database containing templates for the presentation of multimedia scenarios illustrating social problems experienced by adolescents.

In 2008, Corcos received another grant from the SSHRC to further her research on behaviour modification. The second phase of her research, called screenPLAY, involved videotaping students who interact onscreen in situations commonly experienced by adolescents, such as discussing acceptable sexual behaviour, disagreements among friends and classmates or difficulties with studies. The project had a goal of engaging young people in learning and skill building about how to address difficult social issues in a positive and constructive manner. The intention was to promote beneficial change to themselves, their families, their educators and society in general.

Professor Corcos was the daughter of Denise and the late Salomon Corcos. She is survived by her sister Diane, brother Albert and beloved friend Judy. A funeral service for Professor Corcos has taken place. Shiva will be observed at 3636 Bathurst St., Apt. 1510, with visitation beginning at 3pm. The family requests that memorial donations be made to the .

An online is available to which 91ÑÇɫ community members may contribute. The flag will be lowered today at 91ÑÇɫ's Keele and Glendon campuses until tomorrow at 1pm in memory of Professor Corcos.

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91ÑÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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