New Partnership Strengthens Community Safety Through Research and Innovation

Forensic Sciences Institute Will Be A First For Canada

The Ontario government's Centre of Forensic Sciences and UTM are partnering to plan a new Forensic Sciences Institute that will be the first in Canada to offer postgraduate studies and leading-edge research opportunities for forensic scientists.  Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter and UTM Vice-president and Principal Ian Orchard made the announcement April 21.

"By fuelling research and innovation, we are strengthening  Ontario," Kwinter said.  "Forensic sciences are becoming increasingly important to community safety through police investigations and criminal prosecutions.  Research partnerships such as this help us to make sure that Ontario's forensic scientists maintain their excellent reputation and continue to help make our communities safe and strong."

The new institute will combine the resources of the Centre of Forensic Sciences, the Office of the Chief Coroner and the university to produce well-qualified forensic science practitioners and further strengthen the province's forensic capabilities. 

"Research partnerships like this one are part of Ontario's commitment to put our money where our minds are," said Premier and Minister of Research and Innovation Dalton McGuinty.  "And not only will the UTM-CFS partnership enhance our province's expertise in forensic sciences, it will help promote safer communities, too."

"We are delighted with this partnership with the government of Ontario," said Professor Orchard.  "This institute is the next logical step to our undergraduate program, providing the first professional master's program of forensic sciences in Canada.  The institute will attract top-level scientists in the field who will train the next generation of leading forensic science professionals, and also provide greater research opportunities than now exist."

The institute will host:

	laboratory research programs;
	specialized research infrastructure including high-resolution imaging technologies;
	graduate programs in laboratory sciences, forensic accounting and information security;
	undergraduate programs;
	professional development and continuing education; and
	community outreach.

The graduate program, itself, will provide advanced training in the core of forensic sciences – chemistry, biology, computing and statistics.  Students will receive hands-on training on genotyping, spectrometry and microscopy equipment, an understanding of legal and ethical issues as well as training on the collection, handling, analysis and presentation of evidence.

For more than a decade, staff from the Centre of Forensic Sciences and the Office of the Chief Coroner have acted as adjunct professors and lecturers in an undergraduate program in forensic sciences at the university.  They will now bring their experience and expertise to bear on the graduate program.  Students in the program will also be able to take advantage of research-focused internships in the ministry's laboratories.

The Forensic Sciences Institute will be the first of its kind in Canada and is expected to be established by the start of the 2007/08 academic year.

Fuel Cell Facility First in University Student Residence

The opening of the solid oxide fuel cell facility at UTM April 19 marks Canada's first installation of solid oxide fuel cells in a university student residence as well as the world's first multi-unit installation.

"The University of Toronto at Mississauga is proud to be a leader in adopting emerging energy technologies," says Ray deSouza, chief administrative officer at UTM. "We are committed to environmentally friendly practices in the midst of extraordinary campus expansion, and installing fuel cell technology to power student residences is one way we are doing this. We want our campus to be a site where innovative technology can be applied and evaluated, where research into these vital energy alternatives can flourish and where teaching and public education initiatives can develop."

The facility houses four 5-kilowatt solid oxide fuel cell systems developed by Fuel Cell Technologies Ltd. These systems will serve as a primary source of combined heat and power for 12 townhouse units in the UTM student residence complex, providing a clean, environmentally friendly source of energy.

The project will generate 20 kilowatts of "clean" power for the townhouse units. If the units require more power, the energy will come from the Ontario power grid. The solid oxide fuel cell systems are connected to the power grid, but can operate even if the grid goes down.

The low-emissions fuel cell systems will operate on natural gas at the start of the project. During this time, the only greenhouse gas emissions from the process will be carbon dioxide in quantities much less than that of any other fossil fuel energy source from traditional grid power systems. Other emissions will include heat and water. During the latter phase of the project, one of the 5-kilowatt units will operate on hydrogen gas, contributed by Air Liquide Canada, producing no greenhouse gas emissions.    

This solid oxide fuel cell project is sponsored by the Government of Canada's Hydrogen Early Adopters Program, UTM, Fuel Cell Technologies Ltd. and Air Liquide Canada. The project forms another part of the GTA Hydrogen Village program, a partnership among industry, government and academia committed to accelerating the commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technology in Canada.

Bob Rae Discusses Future Challenges at UTM Lecture

Former premier of Ontario Bob Rae, who recently announced his candidacy in the federal Liberal leadership race, discussed challenges for the future at a lecture held May 11 at UTM. Rae, who served as Ontario's 21^st premier, is a law partner at Goodmans LLP. His discussion, part of the Canadian Perspectives Lecture Series, touched on topics ranging from climate change and the importance of education to technological advancement and Canada's role in the world. An officer of both the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada, Rae serves as a panel member of the Canadian Internal Trade Disputes Tribunal and chairman of the Institute for Research on Public Policy. He recently completed a review of Ontario's postsecondary school education for the provincial government and headed an enquiry into the Air India disaster.

Human Communication Focus of Lectures at UTM

U of T researchers will explore topics ranging from the biology of maternal behaviour to music in the lives of infants in a series of lectures running from Monday, June 5, to Friday, June 9, in the Communication, Culture and Technology Building auditorium, room 1080.

The free public lecture series, entitled What have we learned about hearing, communication, music and memory in infants, children and seniors, will begin at 7:30 p.m. each evening. No registration is required. The series focuses on research conducted at UTM's Human Communication Laboratory, part of the Centre for Research on Biological Communication Systems. For details on the lectures, please click here.

Ask the UTM Expert

If you ask friends why it gets warm in spring and even warmer in summer, they will probably say it's because the earth moves closer to the sun. Not so. In fact, the earth's orbit around the sun is nearly circular. On a second guess, people may say the tilt of the earth's axis puts the northern hemisphere closer to the sun. Wrong again. This effect is negligible because of the vast distance between the earth and sun compared to the relatively small diameter of the earth.

In this month's "Ask the UTM Expert" feature, UTM astronomy professor John Percy dispels a deeply rooted misconception in science.

If you have a question you've always pondered or would like to suggest a faculty member whose expertise we can highlight, please e-mail suggestions to utmnews@utm.utoronto.ca.

Ulli Krull

Prof. Ulli Krull has been appointed vice-dean, graduate, UTM, effective July 1, and will hold the joint title "vice-principal, research, and vice-dean, graduate, UTM." A professor of analytical chemistry, Krull holds the AstraZeneca Chair in Biotechnology. His research interests include biosensor technology and its applications to biotechnology and forensic, clinical and environmental chemistry. Krull is a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada, and has received both the McBryde Medal and the Maxxam Award – top prizes in Analytical Chemistry – from the Canadian Society for Chemistry. He serves on a number of scientific advisory boards, and heads the consortium of industry, government and institutions that form the Western Greater Toronto Area life sciences cluster. His new appointment runs to June 30, 2008.

Mary Lou Smith

Effective July 1, Prof. Mary Lou Smith will the be new chair of the psychology department. Over the 2005-06 academic year, Smith taught a third-year course in developmental neuropsychology, a fourth-year practicum in exceptionality in human learning and the second-year introduction to neuropsychology course. Her research examines the behavioural and neuropsychological consequences of various disorders of the central nervous system in children. Smith is working on a study of the cognitive, academic, social, emotional and behavioural effects of epilepsy and its impact on the family. Her appointment runs to June 30, 2009.

Ronald Beiner

Prof. Ronald Beiner has been appointed as chair of the Department of Political Science, effective July 1, 2006. Beiner's research interests include the history of political thought and contemporary political philosophy. His current research explores liberal, illiberal and "post-liberal" approaches to  citizenship. Beiner has published various articles, including publications in History of Political Thought, Political Theory, Government and Opposition, Queen's Quarterly, Praxis International, Philosophical Forum and Review of Politics.  His appointment runs to June 30, 2011.

Kent Moore

Prof. Kent Moore has been appointed as chair of the Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, effective July 1. Moore's research focuses on atmospheric physics and attempts to understand how the ocean and atmosphere transfer energy back and forth.  As part of his field research, Moore flies into Arctic and North Atlantic storms and has even flown with the Hurricane Hunters of the U.S. Air Force Reserve – a group that monitors storms in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico for the National Hurricane Centre in Florida by flying aircrafts  into the eyes of hurricanes. Moore is also a member of the graduate department of physics at U of T. His appointment as chair ends June 30, 2011.

Erindale Hall, UTM's 200-bed student residence along the Five Minute Walk, has received a Governor General's Medal in Architecture. Designed by Baird Sampson Neuert Architects in Toronto, Erindale Hall is configured to preserve the environmentally sensitive plant communities, such as mature trees and a wetland, that surround it. Its energy efficient design also allows for natural light and ventilation. The award will be presented at a ceremony Sept. 20.

John Percy, a professor of astronomy and director of the science education programs at UTM, is one of the recipients of the inaugural President's Teaching Award for 2006-07. This award recognizes faculty with a career commitment to teaching excellence. Read the full story.

UTM psychology professor Bruce Schneider  is this year's recipient of the Faculty Award. Sponsored by the U of T Alumni Association, the Faculty Award is among the Awards of Excellence presented at a ceremony at Hart House on May 9. The awards celebrate members of the U of T community who, through individual efforts and accomplishments, have contributed to the university's vision of becoming a leader among the world's best public teaching and research universities. Read the full story.

UTM graduating student Kenny Chan has won the 2006 Hazel McCallion Youth Leadership Award. This award recognizes extraordinary contributions by Mississauga youth to the community. Among his many achievements, Chan was a part of the steering committee for the Minga Project, a community outreach project between UTM Residence and developing communities in Guatemala.

UTM biology professor Bryan Stewart, Canada Research Chair in Molecular Genetics of Neural Communication, has won the Robert H. Haynes Young Scientist Award from the Genetics Society of Canada. This award recognizes original, published research in genetics or related fields. Stewart's research focuses on molecular and cellular neurophysiology and aims to answer the question: What are the molecular mechanisms that neuros use to communicate?

Kudos to UTM's Weightlifting Champions . . .

UTM student Buck Ramsay, a personal trainer at the Centre for Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation, placed first in his weight class (85 kg) at the Ontario senior weightlifting championships. At the competition, Ramsay also won best male weightlifter, and his lifts were classified the heaviest made out of all athletes in all weight classes. He will compete in the Canadian championships on May 20 and 21 in Montreal. Ramsay won a silver medal at the Canadian championships last year and will compete for the gold this weekend.

UTM alumna Miel Gerrigle won a bronze medal in her weight class (63 kg) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, with a combined total of 190 kg. Her team of six Canadian women also won the team award for women's weightlifting.

April 27 to May 25

The spring series of the Canadian Perspectives Lectures runs weekly on Thursdays at 10 a.m. in the Matthews Auditorium, Room 137, Kaneff Centre. Individual lectures cost $10 each. For more information, please contact Sue Prior, manager of alumni development, or view the series brochure online.

The following lectures remain in the series: 

May 18 - Canada in Outer Space (Douglas A. Staley, professor emeritus, Carleton University) 

May 25 - The Da Vinci Code and Lost Christianities (Neil Young, reverend, Erindale United Church)

May 17 to June 18

The Blackwood Gallery presents Everyday Every Other Day, featuring invasions of the political, fantastical and the irrational into the 'everday.'

June 19

UTM Spring Convocation: HBA and BA degrees will be conferred at 10 a.m., and HBSc and BSc degrees will be conferred at 2:30 p.m. Mayor Hazel McCallion will be the speaker at the morning convocation and Prof. Ulli Krull, vice-principal, research, will speak at the afternoon convocation.