Names in the News

 

Truong Vo-Van (Vice-Provost, Research) was quoted in the January issue of Forces magazine. The story was titled, “Science in the city” and it described Montreal's four universities and what they're doing.

Martin Racine (Design Art) was quoted in the same issue of Forces, under the headline “”When Art Meets Knowledge.” Racine teaches rapid prototyping, by which resin objects are designed entirely on a computer. The models are then used to construct objects or furniture invented by artists. The downside, he said, is that students can become computer-dependent, neglecting such practices as sketching.

Frank Chalk (History) was interviewed on CBC Radio’s Home Run on Feb. 10 about the Montreal Institute for Genocide Studies.

Chris Hinton (Cinema) was a guest on Global TV’s This Morning Live on Feb. 18 to celebrate his Oscar nomination for Nibbles, his latest animated short. In an article for The Gazette, Cilia Sawadogo, head of the animation unit of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, said that the abundance of local jobs has leveled off, as some are being outsourced to cheaper markets abroad.

Sara Terreault (Theology) was quoted in a Gazette article about the controversial film The Passion, by Mel Gibson. She said, “It doesn’t work on any level.” Taken out of context, “the fallout from the film is potentially anti-Semitic.”

Provost Jack Lightstone and Dean Martin Singer were quoted in the lead article in the current issue of University Affairs. It was about academic exchanges with China, and is well worth reading.

Graeme Decarie played adroit defence when The Gazette published a front-page photo of a painting that Haligonians claim prooves that hockey was invented there. He fired off a letter to the editor that said the picture was of an old British pick-up game called shinty. Hockey dates from the first rules, and they were invented in Montreal at the Victoria rink on Stanley St. in 1875.

Andy Lamey, writing in the National Post, gave the latest book by David Howes (Sensual Relations) a generally favorable review, although he suggested whimsically that maybe it’s time an anthropologist from New Guinea was sent here to study our academics.

Carolyn Fick (History) was mentioned in Le Devoir regarding the exhibit she organized at Concordia on the bicentenary of Haiti.

Norman Ravvin (Religion) was one of four writers who spoke at a round table on Jewish Canadian writing that was moderated by the CBC’s Eleanor Wachtel. Pat Donnelly covered it for The Gazette. She said Ravvin “spoke from a rather provocative, clearly Western perspective, having been brought up in Calgary.”

Gender equality in athletic bursaries was the subject of several articles in The Gazette on Feb. 12. Women students received only 34 per cent of the record $4.1 million given out by Canadian universities in 2002-03. Angela Di Stasi (hockey) and Russell Makofsky (basketball) were quoted.

The Current, Anna-Maria Tremonti’s weekday show on CBC Radio, included Guy Lachapelle (Political Science) on Feb. 16. He was reacting to former federal cabinet minister Stéphane Dion’s explanation of how the Liberal Party in Quebec is funded and how it recruits new members.

Loic Tassé (Political Science) was among several people interviewed on Télé-Québec on Feb. 18 about how dollar stores are proliferating around the world because of low labour costs, particularly in China, which is a specialty of his.

Lorne Switzer (Finance) was involved in a discussion on CFCF News regarding the Canadian dollar hitting a 10-year high due to the falling U.S. dollar.

Triant Flouris (Aviation MBA) said in The Gazette that free trade for airlines would help vacationers and businesses enjoy better fares.

Cherine Zananiri, Director of the Career Placement Centre, was quoted in Les Carrières D’Avenir regarding career opportunities and employment trends. She said that while 70 per cent of JMSB grads have found employment in their field, it will take grads longer and they will need to work harder to find their first job in the future.

Brian Petrie (Sociology/Anthropology, retired) was interviewed about being an Australian expatriate on a popular morning radio show in Sydney.