In This Issue

University News and Research
Tsunami Disaster Spurs $2 Million Fundraising Campaign at UBC
Trek Magazine Hits the Streets
Applied Knowledge: UBC Research and the World Around You
Alumni News
Alumni Services Redux: AVP/ED Charts New Course
Do You Know a UBC Grad Who Deserves an Alumni Achievement Award?
Grads in Kuala Lumpur Cement Ties with UBC
Young Stars: Students and Young Alumni Shine
For a Good Time Call...the Volunteer Hotline!
Events and Services
Reunions & Regional Events
Services for Alumni

Tsunami Disaster Spurs $2 Million Fundraising Campaign at UBC

"[UBC is] a community that has a wealth of resources . . . . that include expertise in engineering, medicine, environmental, earth and ocean sciences, community building, and international relations, to name a few," said Martha Piper. As well as a fundraising campaign to encourage donations to relief agencies, she has established a Global Service Learning Endowment to address long-term impacts of the disaster... (more)

Trek magazine Hits the Streets

Applied Knowledge: UBC Research and the World Around You

The following stories and others appear in UBC Reports, published by UBC Public Affairs.

Turning Innovation into Commercial Success
A catalyst for commercialization is how he describes himself. Gary Albach, UBC’s new Entrepreneur-in-Residence -- the first such full-time position at a Canadian university -- hopes to boost the success of UBC start-up companies by serving as a liaison to markets and investors as well as coach and mentor… (more)

Old Computers and Toxic Waste
Toxic chemicals used as flame retardants are building up in the bodies of people and animals worldwide and a UBC chemical engineer suspects that your old computer monitor, keyboard and mouse may be to blame....(more)

All Alone: Too Many Mothers Give Birth Miles from Home
For thousands of BC women, having a baby has meant leaving home and family, travelling hundreds of kilometres, and sitting in a motel room for days or weeks waiting for labour to start....(more)

Cancer and Sex: The Unspoken Harm
When Linda Mercer underwent a radical hysterectomy to treat her cancer, she found herself and her husband struggling to regain a satisfying sex life....(more)

UBC Program is Helping War Victims be Heard
Erin Baines was walking with some of Uganda’s “night commuters” in the town of Kitgum when she got the call about the deadly ambush....(more)

Can We Trust the Drug Companies?
Imagine you are a 75-year-old woman who has been taking a daily drug to relieve arthritis pain. You’re shocked to learn the drug just got pulled off the market worldwide and you wonder if you can trust your doctor to know what’s safe....(more)

Do You Really Want That Bite? Resistance to signals from the "obesity hormone" may feed drive to eat, and contribute to the onset of diabetes
How many of us have resolved to lose weight in the New Year? Quick, put down that hamburger and raise your hand....(more)

Turning Gold into Green with Old Mine Tailings
Long considered an eyesore and an environmental problem, mine tailings -- the waste rock produced in the mining process -- may actually be helping to slow global warming by absorbing the greenhouse gases thought to cause climate change....(more)

Regulating Assisted Human Reproduction
Biological mothers, surrogate mothers, gestational mothers, egg donors, sperm donors, in vitro fertilization -- a lot has changed since the days our parents said they found us in the cabbage patch....(more)

The Harmonies of Human Conflict
Is there a music of human security...?(more)

Alumni Services Redux: AVP/ED Charts New Course

	Marie Earl was a member of the team that successfully integrated the independent Stanford Alumni Association into Stanford University. As AVP/ED Alumni Services at UBC, she will oversee a similar amalgamation and create programs and structures to serve more than 212,000 UBC graduates... (more)
Marie Earl heads Alumni Association

Alumni Achievement Awards

	Eight accomplished members of the UBC community -- from a internationally renowned physicist to the captain of the UBC Men's Basketball team -- were recognized in November for their achievements and contributions... (more) Do you know an accomplished UBC grad you would like to nominate for a 2005 Achievement Award? The deadline for nominations is February 25. Award Criteria Nomination form
Illuminating Achievement

Grads in Kuala Lumpur Cement Ties with UBC

The UBC Alumni Association of Malaysia was officially launched by President Martha C. Piper on October 15, 2004, at the Kuala Lumpur Sheraton Imperial Hotel...(more)

Young Stars: Students and Young Alumni Shine

A UBC Biophysics student has been named the 2005 Rhodes Scholar for British Columbia…(more)

UBC's Debating Society recently won its bid to host the 2007 world championships…(more)

Premier's Excellence Awards are given to accomplished BC high school graduates to acknowledge their outstanding academic achievement and service to the community and school. More than half of the 2004 recipients are now studying at UBC (more):
Tara Commandeur (anthropology),
Brittany Ewart (arts),
Florina Feng (sciences)
Eiston Lo (political science and business),
Lani McPherson (environmental engineering at UBC and UNBC),
Leslie Sanderson of Quesnel (sciences), and
Amy Jean Singleton-Polster (sciences)

Graduates of the last ten years (AKA Young Alumni) meet regularly to network, volunteer in the community, and learn useful skills - and they have plenty of fun doing it. Why not join them? Visit the photo gallery to see what the Young Alumni Network has been up to, lately…

If only you’d known then what you know now. Help smooth a UBC Student’s path into the world of work through mentoring – either face-to-face, or anonymously on line. Contact Dianna at yamentor@alumni.ubc.ca to find out how you can get involved. Better still, hire one! UBC’s Co-op programs provide students with real-life workplace experiences that flesh out their campus education. Employers can tap into a great source of developing talent. Contact Julie at Julie.walchli@ubc.ca for more information.

Do you remember The Ubyssey? This student-run publication was established in 1918, three years after the university opened its doors. Read about the issues that concern today's students at UBC...

For a Good Time Call...the Volunteer Hotline!

The Alumni Association relies on the skills and generosity of volunteers, from its board of directors to the students who help out in our office during the summer.

Volunteering is a door to new experiences and new people. There are many ways you can get involved with the UBC Alumni Association.

You could help organize a reunion for your class, take part in convocation by welcoming new members as they graduate, mentor a student or new grad, or start a new regional network in your part of the world.

Reunions & Regional Events

With more than 200,000 UBC Alumni, it's likely there'll be other grads living in your area. The Alumni Association oversees a network of alumni branches that helps grads stay connected with each other and with their alma mater.

You can check our web calendar for upcoming regional events, reunions, and more.

Alumni Services

Graduation from UBC means automatic membership in the Alumni Association -- and membership has its privileges.

	With the purchase of an ACard for $32.10, UBC alumni are entitled to discounts on campus attractions such as the Museum of Anthropology and the Frederic Wood Theatre; discounts on local services; and a Library Community Borrowers Card at no cost ($100 value).
	Alumni can take advantage of special rates on insurance, credit and financial services.
	You can choose from an exciting line-up of travel packages that combine learning and adventure. Immerse yourself in a different culture and learn about the area's history and people.
	The UBC On-Line Community (OLC) allows you to stay in touch virtually with your classmates and alma mater. Check it out for relocation advice, networking, and more.

The Grad Gazette is brought to you by the UBC Alumni Association, which provides services to all University of British Columbia grads. To stop receiving the Grad Gazette, or to provide comments or suggestions, please send a message to vanessac@alumni.ubc.ca. In the subject line of the message enter: unsubscribe grad-gazette. In the body of the message, enter your full name.

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