Surgery Is Adding New Life to Parkinson’s Sufferer
Calgarian Mike Reitsma was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease twelve years ago. And while medication helped some, it did little improve his quality of life. But thanks to a multi-day surgery performed by U of C neurosurgeon and researcher, Zelma Kiss, which involved placing electrodes in his brain and connecting them to a pacemaker in his chest, Reitsma says he feels “human” again. This surgery may be performed in centres across the country, but U of C (partnered with the Calgary Health Region) is the only institute in Canada doing basic research on deep brain stimulation and the thalamus at the cellular level.

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Engineering Profs Are Winning High Honours Janet Ronsky, with the Faculty of Engineering, was presented with the Award for the Support of Women in the Engineering Profession by the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE). Thanks to Janet Ronsky’s efforts, the University of Calgary has one of the largest complements of female engineering faculty members in Canada. Ronsky also organized the annual Women in Engineering Day and volunteers for several women-in-engineering initiatives. Learn more... Colleague Elizabeth Cannon, a professor in the Department of Geomatics Engineering, was also recognized in May. She was awarded the Frank Spragins Technical Award at the APEGGA (Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geo-physicists of Alberta) Summit Awards and also received the 2004 WEPAN (Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network) Betty Vetter Award for Research.

U of C Researchers to Help Afghani Women
Scientists with U of C’s Institute for Gender Research launched a 10-month-long study on domestic violence and its impact on women’s health in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Jordan. Two of the researchers, Jennifer Hatfield and Wilfreda Thurston, headed over to Afghanistan earlier in the month. In addition to conducting their own research, the pair will train local researchers and identify policy strengths and gaps for preventing domestic violence in the participating countries.

For more University of Calgary news, go to http://www.ucalgary.ca/news.

Fresh Alumni Web Site Coming Soon
Your U of C alumni Web site will soon have a new look. The Alumni Relations office is working on the site to make it more user friendly, easy to navigate, timely, and informative. The new site will launch in early June, so head over to www.ucalgary.ca/alumni then to check it out.

Compete in Alumni Olympics at Campus Fair
Test your athletic abilities at this year’s Campus Fair in the Alumni Olympics. There will be events like tug-of-war, sack races, relay races, and a bean-bag shot put that your family can participate it. The fair runs from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm on Saturday, June 19 and you can find your alumni competitors on the lawn between the MacEwan Student Centre and the MacKimmie Library Tower.

Campus Fair was recently granted the Gold Award for Best Special Event from the Canadian Council for Advancement in Education. So you don’t want to miss this award-winning event!

Engineers Enjoy Their AGM and Dean’s Lecture
Earlier in May, the Engineering Alumni AGM was held in conjunction with the Dean’s Annual Lecture for the first time, and the combination of the two events saw a notably increased turnout in comparison with past years. The dean of engineering at MIT, Thomas Magnanti, was the speaker—perhaps another reason for the strong showing. “This is the first time we’ve had the Alumni AGM coincide with the Dean’s Annual Lecture series, so adding a keynote speaker really helped to generate a lot of additional interest in the event,” says Pamela Bergsteinsson, the faculty’s manager of Industry and Alumni Relations.

Faculty of Medicine Hosts Conference on Spirituality and Health
The University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine is hosting a conference on Spirituality and Health from May 27 to 29 at the MacEwan Student Centre, Conference and Event Centre. The Third Annual North American Multidisciplinary Conference on Spirituality and Health is an open forum designed to bring together physicians and other healthcare professionals to discuss diverse topics relating to spirituality and its implications for healthcare.

Are Calgarians More Active than Edmontonians?
The University of Calgary’s Be Fit For Life Centre encourages all Albertans to take part in the SummerActive Challenge Day and is organizing a fun run/walk on May 28 at noon. Meet at the south side of the Olympic Oval. An afternoon barbecue will follow. Calgary and Edmonton are pitted against each other to prove who’s the provincial leader in physical fitness, so come on out. Interested in doing something on your own and still want that activity to count? Go to www.summeractive.canoe.ca.

EMBA Alumni in Calgary Gather at Murrieta’s
Executive MBA Alumni are invited to meet at Murrieta’s West Coast Bar & Grill, 200 – 808 1 Street SW, on Thursday, June 3 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. For more information or to RSVP, e-mail craig@craigelias.com.

MBA Alumni Calgary Luncheon
The next MBA Alumni Networking Luncheon will be held on Friday, June 11 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Delta Bow Valley, Calgary. The guest speaker will be Wilma Slenders, P\president of Transcend Management Consultants and president of the Strategic Leadership Forum. Topic will be “Re-focusing on strategy.” The cost of the luncheon is $25. Register by Tuesday, June 8 by e-mailing rsvp@haskayne.ucalgary.ca or call Cynthia Kong at 403-220-5688.

Calgary Community Invited to Campus Fair
Come one, come all to Campus Fair at the U of C on Saturday, June 19. There’ll be entertainment, exhibits, games, and good times for everyone. It’s open to the public from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Free admission and parking.

First Annual Haskayne Toronto Alumni Mini-Golf Tournament
Alumni in Toronto and area are invited to attend the First Annual Mini-Golf Tournament on Thursday June 24. Start-time is 6:30 pm at The Docks, 11 Polson Street. Pay-as-you-go. ($6 for mini-golf, drinks/food extra). Prizes. Please RSVP to rsvp@haskayne.ucalgary.ca or call Cynthia Kong at 403-220-5688.

For more events, go to http://www.ucalgary.ca/events/