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July 8, 2008
Thompson Rivers University: Grads More Satisfied with Education
According to a recent survey released by the University Presidents Council, graduates from Thompson Rivers University are very satisfied with their careers and the skills and knowledge they obtained with their degrees. “With employment rates of 98.5 per cent and high satisfaction ratings for their oral and written communications skills, TRU grads are likely to be excelling in group collaboration and problem resolution in their careers,” said Heather Friesen, TRU’s Director of Institutional Planning and Analysis. The survey revealed TRU grads are more satisfied with their education two years after graduation than graduates from BC’s other large universities. The University Baccalaureate Graduates Survey (UBGS), designed and administered by the University Presidents Council of BC, provided information on degree graduates from BC’s six largest universities; UBC, SFU, UVic, UNBC, Royal Roads and TRU. The responses provide information on the graduates’ further education, employment and occupations, current job earnings, financing of university education and satisfaction with their education. Graduates felt the most important knowledge they acquired at TRU was that of global and local issue interaction and that their knowledge of global issues was the best developed. Overall, 92 per cent of the respondents agreed that their core program at TRU provided a full understanding of their field of study. Fourty-four per cent of the degree graduates from 2005 responded to the survey.
Source: Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia

July 4, 2008
Cape Breton University Receives Double the Number of NSERC Awards for 14 Chemistry and Biology Students
While most students have completed school for the summer, Cape Breton University has 14 dedicated undergraduate students who are giving up their days at the beach to learn from their professors and actively participate in a range of diverse research projects. To acknowledge these outstanding students, Cape Breton University hosted a recognition dinner on Thursday, July 3 to mark the contribution they are making to research life at CBU. This year, these 14 students have received prestigious NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Council) Undergraduate Student Research Awards (URSA). This is double the number of recipients over 2007 and provides an indication of the growing interest in research projects being conducted by Cape Breton University faculty. Most of the top academic students enrolled in Biology and Chemistry are working alongside federally funded faculty researchers on everything from metal-metal synergistic interactions to 300 million year old fossil reptiles from South Africa to computations of the time it takes chemicals to breakdown to how nestling birds keep cool. These awards are presented to outstanding students studying Biology and Chemistry and are meant to stimulate interest in the natural sciences and engineering fields. They are also meant to encourage students to continue their education and obtain graduate degrees, and pursue research careers. The NSERC awards help students gain valuable research work experience that compliments their studies in an academic area and aids with the financial costs of post-secondary education. 2008 CBU student award recipients Kyle Johnston and Janet Pickup are working with Dr. Dale Keefe, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Canada Research Chair in Molecular Spectroscopy; Colin Andrews and Curtis White with Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Jaime Martell; Christopher Lavery and Beth McLellan are supporting the research work of Dr. Matthias Bierenstiel, Assistant Professor, Chemistry; Usman Shehzad and Grant Petruskavich are conducting research with Associate Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Adango Miadonye. Biology students and faculty include Michael Bungay, Lauren Farrow and Lisa MacInnis working with Dr. David McCorquodale; Carola Knockwood with Dr. Thomas Bouman; Mark MacDougall with Dr. Sean Modesto, and Katie Muise with Dr. Barb Glassey. (See attached list of specific research projects) According to Dave McCorquodale, NSERC representative at CBU, “This financial support for young researchers puts keen curious undergraduates into the labs and out in the field with productive scientists. They allow CBU faculty with NSERC research grants to mentor our top students. In turn, these students provide the impetus for faculty to improve and consider new ideas.” Their enthusiasm is genuine. Student Beth McLellan, says, “This opportunity is cooler than anyone could ever imagine. We get to work with state-of-the-art equipment that is the first of its kind, the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometer. You can’t get an experience like this in a classroom. By challenging ourselves with hands-on projects we are learning more by doing more.” Student Curtis White, one of two students with Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Jaime Martell notes that “Without opportunities like this we will never get to experience if this is really what we want to do with our lives. NSERC and our dedicated professors are helping us achieve goals and dreams that might have just been pushed to the sidelines.” Biology Professor Dr. Sean Modesto, has Mark MacDougall working hard on 250 -million-year-old reptile from South Africa assigned to the family Procolophonidae. He has been busy preparing a fossil specimen mechanically using paleontological tools called air scribes, which are essentially miniature jackhammers, and dental-like tools called pin vises. Once Mark has removed the encasing rock, he will be able to examine and describe the anatomy of his procolophonid specimen. McDougall says, “I always loved reptiles- never once in a million years did I think I would be examining the fossil of one. This research grant is going to open so many doors that until now I would have thought were closed. You can’t trade this experience; there is nothing else like it.”
Source: Cape Breton University, Nova Scotia