GRADZETTE THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA’S GRADUATE STUDENT MAGAZINE MAY 2015
2015 Federal Budget grows funding for graduate research Page 8
GRADZETTE THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA’S GRADUATE STUDENT MAGAZINE
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Gradzette c/o The Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation 105 University Centre University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2 General inquiries and advertising Phone: (204) 474.6535 Fax: (204) 474.7651 Email: editor@gradzette.com Editor: Marc Lagace Copy Editor: Bryce Hoye Designer: Marc Lagace Contributors: Thomas Ingram, Brian Hauri, Beibei Lu Cover: Beibei Lu
The Gradzette is the official student magazine of the University of Manitoba’s graduate student community and is published on the first Monday of each month by the Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation.
The Gradzette is a democratic student organization, open to participation from all students. It exists to serve its readers as students and citizens. The magazine’s primary mandate is to report fairly and objec¬tively on issues and events of importance and interest to the graduate students of the University of Manitoba, to provide an open forum for the free expression If you have a passion for writing, jourand exchange of opinions and ideas, and to stimulate nalism, photography, or illustration meaningful debate on issues that affect or would oththe Gradzette is looking for individuerwise be of interest to the student body and/or society als to get involved with the producin general. tion process of the U of M’s graduate student paper. The Gradzette serves as a training ground for students interested in any aspect of journalism. Students and The Gradzette currently offers 10 other interested parties are invited to contribute. Please cents per word for freelance articles, contact the editor listed above for submission guide$7 per photo/graphic used, and $30 lines. for images used on the cover. FreeThe Gradzette reserves the right to edit all submissions lancers will be added to a contact and will not publish any material deemed by its editoripool and emailed with potential aral board to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic ticle, photo, or graphic assignments or libelous. Opinions expressed in letters and articles are when they become available. solely those of the authors. Interested applicants please send The Gradzette is a member of the Canadian University your resume and at least two (2) rePress, a national student press cooperative with memcent work samples to editor@gradbers from St. John’s to Victoria. zette.com. All contents are ©2014 and may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation.
FREELANCE
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The 21st century university
Humanities, business and health sciences represented at Visionary Conversations Tom Ingram
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n April 29, a crowd of academics, administrators, alumni, and students descended on the Robert B. Schultz Theatre at St. John’s College for the final instalment of this year’s Visionary Conversations series. The Visionary Conversations are a series of panels on important societal issues faced by the university. Past topics have included freedom of speech, legalization of prostitution, and the food supply in an era of booming population. This most recent event was titled “Universities Today: Where do centuries-old institutions fit into modern society?” “Since their formation in the middle ages [...] universities generally have had three main functions or purposes: education, research/ scholarship, and community engagement,” said University of Manitoba president David Barnard, who moderated the event. “Are universities adapting well to changes in our society in the way in which knowledge is
acquired and conveyed? Given that universities are hubs of research, are we responsive enough to both innovations in technology and critical and current issues that demand timely answers? Given our resources and our intellectual capital, are universities fulfilling our commitment to engage in the community?” The speakers were Jeffery Taylor, dean of the faculty of arts and an expert on Canadian labour history, Doug McCartney, senior executive director of science, innovation, and business development for Manitoba’s Department of Jobs and the Economy, and Sharon Macdonald, a professor in the college of medicine and director of the Alan Klass Memorial Health Equity Program. All three speakers are U of M alumni. Taylor was the first to speak, addressing the claim that universities are not producing graduates with skills that are relevant to society’s needs.
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“From the day universities were first founded what they traditionally were doing.” in Canada, they’ve constantly had to reinvent “It’s becoming clear that universities now themselves and to justify their teaching and have to start thinking of themselves more their role,” Taylor said. as a business: a business where vision and Taylor pointed out that the professions of leadership within the community is important, law, engineering, and medicine worked hard a business where engaging proactively with to ensure that their training was through their stakeholders – that being their customers university education, so that their graduates – is essential, and one in which the degree to would have a “university frame of mind.” which they communicate their value [...] has to “This university frame of mind of the previous be more clearly articulated,” McCartney said. century is what business leaders now call ‘soft skills’ – leadership, the ability to communicate, and flexibility and creativity of thought – and what they want university graduates to have.” For Taylor, more important than the discussion of the value of a degree is the question of how university teaching should be done. He emphasized the need for programs that cross disciplinary boundaries. He also called for the creation of more flexible learning opportunities by delivering courses in a variety of formats (including online courses) and more credit transfer agreements between institutions.
“It’s becoming clear that universities now have to start thinking of themselves more as a business”
– Doug McCartney, senior executive director of science, innovation, and business development at Province of Manitoba
McCartney spoke second, representing government, research, and business interests within Manitoba. McCartney stressed the need for the modern university to demonstrate value to stakeholder groups and operate in a collaborative manner with other institutions, industry, and government. Macdonald was third up, speaking from her As an example of what he considers the future experience in health care and community of academic science, McCartney mentioned engagement. Macdonald spoke in support Exigence Technologies, a company founded of community-engaged scholarship, which by U of M business students Zach Wolff and she said is “focused on answering questions, Sheri Governo, who partnered with Song Liu, resolving issues, and working with the director of the Polymer Surface Engineering community.” Laboratory in the faculty of human ecology. “Engaged scholarship as a framework and as a Exigence is focused on the development of concept can be applied to teaching, research, technology for killing bacteria on textile and service and can be used throughout the surfaces. world,” said Macdonald, “In the end we progress According to McCartney, Exigence is an example of universities becoming “deliverers of value that ultimately is going to create social, economic, and cultural benefits far beyond
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mostly on the basis of our relationships.”
Macdonald stressed the importance of the university bringing its resources to the community. “If you take students or research
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out into the community, there are costs to individuals and to organizations. The university will always be, in our community relationships, the organization with the most money, so we do need to share.”
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has in essence been mapped out and you come back to your funders and say ‘now fund this.’ It’s really a case of being much more proactive in the discussion.” Another audience member asked whether universities are graduating more students than there are jobs available. Taylor responded that the unemployment rate in Manitoba is “relatively low.”
After the initial speeches, a number of questions were asked. One audience member asked about the balance between applied and basic research, and how the university can balance principles of openness and collaboration “I think we do a very good job of preparing with involvement in patents and intellectual students for the job market, including in property. the faculty of arts, but also there’s more to “The reality is that those organizations that are a university education than simply being funding research, by and large, are wanting to prepared for the job market,” said Taylor. see some level of return from their investment “We educate students for citizenship, we educate and that return, by and large, has an economic them in the grand traditions of our culture, and lens to it,” said McCartney. it’s a wonderful experience to be able to spend McCartney also called for more consultation four years in university education, simply being with funders and stakeholders at the early able to think and read and have conversations with your colleagues and your professors.” stages of planning research.
“I think it’s critical in terms of addressing that This event concluded the 2014-15 Visionary issue that the discussions take place as early as Conversations series. The 2015-16 series will be possible, rather than after the fact that the work announced in the fall.
Get your research featured in the GRADZETTE Are you a graduate student eager to promote your research and provide exposure for your work in the master’s or doctoral program? The Gradzette is looking for individuals interested in participating in our ongoing “Researcher Profile” column, which seeks to showcase important and exciting U of M research for a larger audience. If you would like to be featured in an upcoming “Researcher Profile,” please contact editor@gradzette.com with details regarding your field of study, a short blurb about your current research, and any pertinent contact information for interview purposes.
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Grain of truth:
Getting the full benefits of whole grain Researcher Profile: Maryam Shamloo Brian Hauri
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ith the staggering amount of food options available, making healthy food choices can be difficult. Although it may not surprise you that products with refined grains found in breakfast cereals, breads, and pastas have links to increased incidences of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, what about whole grains?
for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals (RCFFN), Shamloo’s research focuses on the bioactive compounds in wheat and oats that can potentially prevent and treat Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Meet Maryam Shamloo, a third-year PhD student at the University of Manitoba (U of M) and winner of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Scholarship for Food Advancement through Science Training (FAST). Working under the direction of Peter Jones and Peter Eck at the Richardson Center
then analyzed for levels of antioxidants such as phenolic acids, linoleic acid, flavonoids, and their efficiency in the control of blood glucose levels. The bioactive compounds that are being researched have an effect on living tissue that can influence human health. Specific to Type 2 diabetes, certain compounds can inhibit glucose transportation in the gut.
Using different genotypes of wheat and oats received from Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s Cereal Research Center, and There has been a surging anti-grain movement with collaborators from the University of in recent years lead, in part, by New York Queensland, Shamloo and her colleagues grow Times bestselling author Dr. William Davis, the strains in sophisticated growth chambers whose 2011 book Wheat Belly advised the which “allow for adjusting factors such as wholesale write-off of wheat consumption. But temperature, lighting, and CO2 levels.” what does the scientific evidence say about this Following AOAC INTERNATIONAL standard radical approach to grains? protocols, the seeds that are harvested are
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“The problem that diabetics face is that they have a lot of glucose in their blood after each meal, and this much glucose cannot be handled by the body,” Shamloo explained. “So, if we have some compounds that naturally inhibit glucose transporting, then it would reduce the amount of glucose present in their blood after eating.” From some of her preliminary measurements, she has noticed that “the amount of bioactives that are healthy for the body are actually twice or even three times more prevalent in just the bran of each grain; the outer layer of the grain.” In Canada, the standards for whole-wheat flour, for example, permit up to five per cent of the wheat kernel to be removed. The five per cent is comprised mostly of the germ and the bran, and although this helps to slow the rancidification of the flour and prolong its shelf life, it also means that a large portion of the protein, fibre, minerals and vitamins are also removed. To an even greater degree in refined foods, this is what is being thrown away. “We’re just throwing away the good stuff,”
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Shamloo said. “The bran doesn’t only make the food look darker, but it also makes it healthier.” The research that Shamloo and her colleagues are conducting at the RCFFN isn’t just important in helping the public make more knowledgeable personal food choices. One of the main focuses of the research is providing wheat breeders with suggestions of which strain will give not only the most yield, but the most health benefits as well. Because Canada is a global leader in the production and exportation of wheat, the research being conducted at the RCFFN, through collaboration with Agriculture Canada, will have an impact on global food security. Shamloo remains focused on completing her PhD research through the U of M, but she has goals of eventually working in the research and development labs of a food production company like Kraft or Nestle, which offer a lot of grain-based products. She hopes to influence what goes in the products in an effort to make them healthier.
Maryam Shamloo cultivates grain samples grown in highly-controlled growth chambers (pg. 6) and analyzes them for their impact on human health in the lab (pg. 7). Photos by Beibei Lu
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Federal Budget promises fewer restrictions on loans, support for graduate research Sabrina Nemis — CUP Contributor OTTAWA (CUP) — According to Statistics Canada there are more than two million Canadians in post-secondary education programs across the country — just below six per cent of the nation’s population. The federal budget, released on April 21, offered more funding to support students in a number of areas.
students said those who didn’t show up for class did well despite their attendance. A former teacher said students who failed tests were given makeup tests and provided with the answers. While the school boasted a 100 per cent success rate for graduates, reports found some former students were unable to pass certification tegsts to proceed in the profession “The total contributions are $419 million over for which they received training. four years. Students have not seen this kind of investment in financial aid in several years,” Jonathan Champagne, executive director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, said in a statement. The budget focused on helping students obtain funding while in school, supporting graduate student research and investing in internships, protecting interns, and ensuring education is aligned with market needs. Funding Low- and middle-income students will be able to qualify for Canada Student Grants if their program is a minimum of 34 weeks in duration. Currently students are only eligible for programs that are at least 60 weeks long. The change should impact approximately 42,000 students — 22,000 of whom attend private career colleges. Mister of Finance Joe Oliver said in his speech that the budget would focus on ensuring “the skills of our graduates match the needs of our economy.” However, the quality of education at private colleges has been brought into question in the wake of the recent abrupt closure of Everest College’s Canadian campuses. Funding students who attend these schools may not be benefiting the economy after all.
Image courtesy Sabrina Nemis/Canadian University Press
The way parental income is used in assessment for student government loans has been a problem for students for some time. Catherine DiCesare, a 2005 graduate of the University of Guelph, said her parents’ income disqualified her from a government student loan in 2001, forcing her to take a bank loan she’s “still In a CBC report, former Everest College paying off 10 years later.” Current University
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of Ottawa student Moussa Sangaré-Ponce has work on international research projects, had the same problem obtaining loans since he including contribution to the production of began school in 2011. medical isotopes used to treat thyroid and Students applying for financial aid under the breast cancer, among others. Canada Student Loans program will now have the expected parental contribution reduced. Further, students who work while studying will no longer have their in-study income count against their needs assessment. Currently support is reduced by each dollar made over $100 per week. This change is estimated to affect 87,000 students.
CANARIE, Canada’s high-speed research network, will receive $105 million over five years starting in 2015-16. This network is used by researchers, including graduate students, at academic institutions, science facilities and federal laboratories to share their research and facilitate collaboration.
Beginning in 2016-17, the government will Canadian Federation of Students chair Jessica provide $15 million per year ongoing to the McCormick said in a statement that the Natural Sciences and Research Council and relaxation of restrictions on needs assessment $56.4 million over four years to fund 6,000 will only put more students into debt. graduate-level business-related internships “The government is telling students who have through Mitacs’ Accelerate program. to work, or whose parents can’t help them In 2017-18, the government will also provide cover school costs, to take on more loans with funding to the Canada Foundation for more interest in order to make ends meet,” she Innovation. This will be invested in advanced said. “By reallocating ineffective tax credits research facilities and equipment at universities, and savings schemes into the Canada Student colleges, research hospitals, and other not-forGrants Program, we could eliminate the need profit research institutions. for federal student loans altogether without “The federal government’s $1.33-billion spending an extra dime.” investment to the Canada Foundation for The government will also provide $12 million over three years to Indspire, an indigenous education charity, to finance post-secondary scholarships and bursaries for First Nations and Inuit students. A minimum of $1 million will support students pursuing education in the trades.
Innovation—the largest single investment ever made in research infrastructure support— will allow universities to attract the very best talent and conduct the kind of groundbreaking research that transforms lives and meets Canada’s strategic goals for success,” Max Blouw, chair of the Council of Ontario According to Statistics Canada, half of Universities and president of Wilfrid Laurier aboriginal Canadians aged 25-64 have a post- University, said in a statement. secondary education, but 28 per cent have no Interns post-secondary education compared with 12 In 2011, Andy Ferguson died in a head-on per cent of non-aboriginal Canadians. collision after working excessive hours at a Graduate students mandatory unpaid internship at an Alberta Over five years, starting in 2015-16, $45 radio station. Since then there has been a push million will be given to TRIUMF, a physics for federal regulation of unpaid internships. laboratory in Vancouver with the world’s According to the budget, the Canada Labour largest cyclotron particle accelerator. Scientists, Code will be amended to ensure that interns, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students whether or not they are paid, will receive from 18 member universities across Canada occupational health and safety protections.
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The Canada Labour Code will also clarify under which circumstances unpaid internships can be offered, although legislation providing further details is still to come.
and ensure graduates can transition to the workforce. Starting in 2017-18, an investment of $65 million over four years will be made to businesses and industry associations to allow them to work with willing post-secondary Post-graduate institutions to ensure educational programs The government will work with different are equipped to teach their students the skills jurisdictions to ensure apprenticeship training required to be well-trained and employable and certification requirements in Red Seal upon graduation. trades use the same sequencing in their curricula and have similar hours for training Much of the funding promised to students in class and on the job. This will make it easier in the new budget is slated to go into effect for tradespeople to relocate between provinces after this year. It remains to be seen what other without being held back by not meeting job parties will bring to the table to entice students. requirements “We are extremely pleased to see that There may be concerns about funding loans government is taking students’ priorities for students attending private colleges, but seriously,” said Champagne. “We only wish the government does have plans to direct students didn’t have to wait until after an educational funding to meet market demands election to see them come to fruition.”
Trainees in Nutrition Symposium Are you thinking of how to find a job after graduation? The Trainees in Nutrition Stmposium held May 28, 2015 in Winnipeg could likely be the place to learn how to jump-start your career! Organized by trainees for trainees, this symposium will focus on developing and strengthening professional skills for students in nutrition and related fields (nursing, medicine, pharmacy, health science, food science, agriculture, dentistry, recreation and sports, etc) as well as for those engaged in teaching and knowledge translation. Activities will consist of presentations by experts and thought leaders, as well as workshops focused on expanding and improving your networking skills. The day will be capped off with a networking mixer for trainees and professionals from across the spectrum of academia, industry, government, and nongovernment organizations. Who knows, this might be the event that lands you your next job! This one-day symposium is a pre-conference event for the Canadian Nutrition Society Annual Conference. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity! CLICK HERE to find more information and to register.
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Pre-Conference WORKSHOPS
MAY 28-30, 2015 RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg, MB
TRAINEES IN NUTRITION SYMPOSIUM THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015
Organized by trainees for trainees, this
8:00
Registration Opens
symposium will focus on developing and
8:55 - 9:00
Opening Remarks Jaime Clark, University of Manitoba
strengthening professional skills for those
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Crossing the Barrier Between Expertise and Starting a Business Kevin Ready, Start-up mentor and contributing author, Forbes Magazine
10:00 - 10:15
CNS Promotion Brandon Gheller, CNS National Univesity Liaison; Hubert Cormier, CNS National Student Representative
leaders, as well as workshops teaching
10:15 - 10:30
BREAK
networking skills. It will be capped off with
10:30 - 11:30
Standing Out: A session on entrepreneurial and leadership skills and self-development Phyllis Reid-Jarvis, Ultimate Potentials Centre for Coaching and Health Services
a networking session with professionals
11:30 - 12:00
PhD Dissertation Award – Awarded on behalf of CNS to a recent PhD graduate on the basis of excellence with respect to the PhD dissertation Award Recipient – To be announced
industry and government/non-government
12:00 - 13:00
LUNCH and Networking Session
organizations. A highlight of this symposium
13:00 - 14:00
Effective use of Social Media in Translating Scientific Messages This session will provide important information on the effective use of social media to translate scientific messages Roxi Beck, Centre for Food Integrity
14:00 - 15:00
Journey to Career: A panel discussion about how professionals in nutrition got to where they are. This will feature professionals from industry, academics, independent consultancy, and public health Panel Members: Academia, Industry, NGO, Government
15:00 - 15:15
BREAK
15:15 - 16:20
Navigating Networking: An interactive workshop on how to put your best foot forward in a networking session. Participants will have a chance to practice their elevator pitch skills before attending a joint networking session. Cec Hanec, Cec Hanec & Associates
16:20 - 16:30
Closing Remarks Ifeanyi Nwachukwu, University of Manitoba
16:30 - 18:00
Joint Networking Session for the Three (3) Pre-Conference Workshops This session will provide the opportunity to network with the attendees of the FOOD FOR HEALTH Workshop, the OBESITY MANAGEMENT Workshop and representatives from industry and academia.
engaged in nutrition research, teaching and knowledge translation. Activities will consist of presentations by experts and thought
from across the spectrum of academia,
will include a lecture from the 2015 recipient of the Canadian Nutrition Society’s PhD Dissertation Award.
Click here for more information and to register:
CNS 2015 Annual Conference
Skyline photo courtesy of Grajewski Fotograph Inc.
CNS-SCN Annual Conference
REGISTER
TODAY! Don’t miss out!