Researchers Working to Straighten Spines One out of every 200 people is affected by scoliosis. Most of these are children. But U of C researchers are working with health care providers at the Alberta Children’s Hospital to better detect and treat this disease. Traditionally, scoliosis patients have needed repeated X-rays to monitor the curves in their spines. And the X-rays expose patients to radiation time and again. This is changing, courtesy of a multidisciplinary group of U of C engineering, kinesiology, and medical researchers, who are digitally imaging patients’ torsos using an optical scanning system and a 3D stereo radiographic reconstruction technique. These two technologies provide doctors with more detail of the deformity without risk of radiation. Learn more...

Award-Winning Writer Moves to Campus
Thanks to the Markin-Flanagan Distinguished Writers Programme, Toronto writer Natalee Caple will be the new writer-in-residence beginning September 15. The author of four books, Caple has been hailed for her daring originality, philosophical ruminations, dark humour, and poignant psychological portraits.

Learn more...

U of C Heads to the Olympics The biggest international event of the year is just weeks away, and eleven members of the Canadian Olympic team headed to Athens in August have links to the U of C — they’re a mix of alumni, students, and club members all who train on campus. A twelfth U of C participant, Nico Jacobs, will be competing for his native Namibia. Watch for the following athletes during the games and cheer on fellow U of C family members: Jody Patrick (Badminton) Cattherine Dunnette (Fencing – Epee) Grant Golding (Gymnastics) Nathan Gafuik (Gymnastics) Erin Gammel (Swimming) Morgan Knabe (Swimming) Lauren van Oosten (Swimming) Mike Brown (Swimming) Malindi Elmore (Track) Cora Campbell (Water polo) Nico Jacobs (Wrestling) Christine Nordhagen (Wrestling)

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

New Web site for the Calgary Community
Alumni and the greater Calgary community are all welcome to explore the U of C campus, and there is a new tool to help everyone on their journeys. Community pages have been added to the U of C Web site, which include information on what’s happening on campus, details on programs, conferences, and more that might be of interest to the general public, how one can get involved, and links to community-related initiatives, research, and groups. Check out the new site: http://www.community.ucalgary.ca

A Challenge for all U of C Alumni
The University of Saskatchewan has issued a challenge to the alumni of the U of C: who will get more alumni out to the Dinos vs. Huskies football game to be played on Friday, September 3? Take a look at any Riders vs. Stampeders game played in Cowtown, and you know that Saskatchewan is well represented in the city. So be sure to come out and watch the Dinos take a bite out of the Huskies.

More details will be posted to www.alumni.ucalgary.ca as the event approaches.

U of C’s 40th Anniversary Web Project
Have you been hanging around campus for years? Do you have all sorts of interesting stories to share? If so, the 40th Anniversary Web Project needs you! The University of Calgary Archives is putting together a Web site for the university’s 40th anniversary in 2006. They are working on two projects: prehistory of U of C (1912–1966) and history of U of C (1966–2006) and are hoping to gather statistics, photos, stories, events, happenings, etc. for the Web site.

If you have anything of interest for either of the timeframes, get in touch with Judy Loosmore at loosmoore@ucalgary.ca or (403) 220-7814. They request that you indicate the year of any item you might send (e.g., 1967). For photos, include the year and any information about the event and names of people in the shot.

Survival Tips for First-Year Teachers
The first of the Faculty of Education’s alumni professional development seminars this year will be Survival Tips on August 19 at 7:00 pm in room EDB 388. Recently graduated teachers will share their first-year experiences and provide practical solutions to help new teachers through the first critical weeks of school. To pre-register, e-mail your name and phone number to educalum@ucalgary.ca. Although the seminars are free to alumni, pre-registration is requested.

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, September 2 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, September 10 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Delta Bow Valley, Calgary. The guest speaker will be George Watson, past President and CEO of TransCanada. Watson left a $25-billion corporate position to start up a new venture. His topic will be “Success After the Tech Bust: Striving for Profit.” The cost of the luncheon is $25. Register by Tuesday, September 7 by e-mailing rsvp@haskayne.ucalgary.ca, or call Lana Westergaard at 403-220-3175.

Writers Hold Readings
Former writer-in-residence, Robert Findley, and his successor, Natalee Caple, will hold a public reading on Thursday, September 16 at 7:30 pm at the Canto Reading Foundation (134 11 Avenue SE). The event is free.

New Year of Music for Celebrity Series
The Department of Music has announced its schedule for the 2004/05 Celebrity Series, kicking off with violinist Jasper Wood on September 24 and 25.

Full schedule: http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/july04/celebrity-series.html

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