April 2009, Vol 8, No 4

Ho the People's Choice

"Nature whisper...", a composition by Vincent Ho, BMus'98, was selected by voters online as the People's Choice award winner following a March 26 concert broadcast live across Canada. The concert and award presentation served as the grand finale for EVOLUTION, a contemporary music competition produced by CBC Radio 2 and Espace musique in partnership with The Banff Centre.

Ho was one of five emerging Canadian composers selected to spend March in Banff, creating new works in the public spotlight. The artists documented the month-long creative process in blogs; their entries and a recording of the final concert are available on the website.

The Dalai Lama is coming to Calgary!

This is your chance to see His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at NOW, a three-day event and conference presented by the U of C from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. An opportunity not to be missed! NOW is composed of three distinct events:

• At connect NOW, the public address at the Pengrowth Saddledome, His Holiness will speak to the future of our community;
• engage NOW is a two-day conference featuring an additional address by His Holiness, three remarkable keynote speeches examining the concept of community engagement;
• listen NOW, a concert showcasing a private performance by k.d. lang and friends.

Ticket packages for the events are available NOW, but will go quickly! Learn more...

Alumni couple strikes the right vibe

If you encountered a young couple campaigning for support in Calgary shopping malls, at off-leash dog parks, or along 17th Ave. SW in frigid February, you likely met an alumni couple competing in a local radio station's contest for a $98,000 dream wedding in Jamaica this June. Emil Chow, BComm'05, and Emily Ho, BA'04, were a determined pair. Learn More...

Alumni cheer on Dinos at CIS Finals

On March 14, 40 U of C alumni were treated to an Alumni Association-sponsored brunch in Ottawa where the men's basketball team was competing in the CIS Basketball Championships at Scotiabank Place. Looking to advance to the title match for the second time in team history, the second-seeded Dinos lost 79-74 to UBC, but the result didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the alumni crowd who were thrilled to reconnect with Dinos basketball and fellow alumni.
Click here for the pics...

An eye-opening experience

Even though Tiffany Fabro, BN'06, has visited a lot of places around the world, nothing prepared her for what she encountered on a two-month volunteer stint in Zimbabwe last summer. In the midst of social unrest following a run-off election, Fabro headed to Howard Hospital, about 80 km from Harare. "The situation was very tense with people being tortured due to their political beliefs; leading up to my departure, I was ridden with anxiety," Fabro confesses.
Learn More...

One World: Humanity Exposed

All alumni are invited to attend One World: Humanity Exposed, an exhibition of photography on April 9 at Calgary's Webster Galleries, 812-11 Ave. SW. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the U of C's Light Up The World Foundation. The Alumni Association is proud to be a sponsor of this showcase of photography highlighting social issues from around the world. The exhibition and a cocktail reception begin at 5 p.m., with two keynote speakers--LUTW's Roselyn Himann and Pen Canada Writer-in-Exile Jalal Barzangi--making presentations starting at 6 p.m. For more information, or to RSVP, contact drdavies@ucalgary.ca.

Jobhunting? Campus resources for alumni

Career Services on campus isn't just for students—benefits for all U of C alumni include online access to such tools as OptimalResume, a comprehensive, web-based application you can use to create, present and manage resumes. This easy-to-use tool is more than just an online template; it also features an OptimalInterview module that allows you to practice your interview skills via multimedia interview scenarios. Learn More...

Community investment attracts leader in spinal cord research

Peter Stys has an enviable resume. A scientist and physician, his research has led to several major discoveries on how nerve fibres are damaged by lack of blood flow or traumatic injury. His cutting edge work has been published in the prestigious, international scientific journals Nature and Nature Medicine. And now, as the inaugural Dr. Frank LeBlanc Chair in Spinal Cord Research, Stys calls the U of C's Hotchkiss Brain Institute home. Learn More...