campus news
Academic council on the united nations system stays at Laurier
People at Laurier
University wins bid for third five-year term
Larry Agranove, retired professor of business, passed away March 9, 2012 at the age of 83. He joined Laurier’s School of Business & Economics in 1972 and was a full-time professor for 17 years.
Laurier has won its bid to remain home to the prestigious Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) for an unprecedented third five-year term. In conjunction with the start of its new term, ACUNS is in the process of relocating to larger offices at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. The Balsillie School is located at the CIGI campus, a hub of international scholarship located in Uptown Waterloo. “Laurier’s success with ACUNS proves that a relatively small university with strong international programs can have a global influence,” said Alistair Edgar, executive director of ACUNS. Previous hosts of ACUNS include Dartmouth, Brown and Yale universities in the United States. Laurier’s first term as the organization’s host began in 2003, when ACUNS relocated from Yale. It was the first time in 15 years that the council was headquartered outside the U.S. ACUNS publishes an award-winning quarterly journal and newsletter, maintains a global network of liaison offices, and holds international conferences and meetings on the UN and on international issues. The council works closely with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), an independent thinktank on global issues, which is also based at the CIGI campus. ACUNS’ membership of about 700 comes from some 50 countries and includes leading international institutions, scholars and diplomats. The organization’s mandate is to promote excellence in research, writing and teaching about the UN, international organizations, international law and the functioning of multilateralism. The announcement of Laurier’s third term coincided with ACUNS’ 25th anniversary. Edgar said it is fitting that the council’s capabilities are being enhanced in a milestone year.
Quincy Almeida, director of Laurier’s Sun Life Movement Disorders Research & Rehabilitation Centre, is the 2012 Early Career Distinguished Scholar, presented by the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. A professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Almeida is an expert on movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
Bruce Arai has been reappointed dean of Laurier’s Brantford campus. He joined Brantford as associate dean in 2003 and was named to his current position in 2008. Gohar Ashoughian has been appointed university librarian for a five-year term. Ashoughian was previously university librarian at the University of Northern British Columbia.
Jennifer Baltzer, associate professor of biology, and Laurie Barclay, associate professor of business, each received a $100,000 Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation. Baltzer wil investigate the impact of climate change and the thaw of the permafrost on Canada’s boreal forest. Barclay will explore the effectiveness of guided journal writing for people experiencing workplace unfairness. Sergeant Rick Cousineau of Laurier’s Special Constable Service was awarded a Community Involvement Award by the Optimist Clubs of Waterloo Region. Three years ago, Cousineau started a bicycle-recycling program at the university in partnership with Elmira District High School and the Community Action Program for Children of Waterloo Region. Discarded bicycles on campus are delivered to the high school where students repair them, and the bikes are then distributed to local children in need.
Penelope Ironstone was awarded a Wilfrid Laurier University 2012 Award for Teaching Excellence in the full-time faculty category. An associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies, Ironstone was recognized for her innovative teaching methods, ability to motivate her students, and command of the interdisciplinary fields of communication, cultural and media studies.
Richard Petrone, associate professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, is part of a research team working on rebuilding peatland fens on the sites of depleted oil-sand mines in northern Alberta. He is one of four environmental researchers who have received a total of $6.7 million in funding as one of the largest-ever Collaborative Research and Development Grants, combining funding from industry and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Ronald A. Ross was awarded a Wilfrid Laurier University 2012 Award for Teaching Excellence in the parttime, contract academic staff category. An instructor in the Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, and the Medieval Studies program, he is known for his professionalism, engaging students inside and outside the classroom, and his ability to create a learning environment in any class size.
Mercedes Rowinsky-Geurts, a professor and associate dean of students in the Department of Languages and Literatures, is the recipient of a 2012 Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) Award for Teaching Excellence. The award recognizes educators who go above and beyond the textbook to inspire their students to learn. Selected by students, the award is presented annually to professors from each of OUSA’s member campuses who exemplify teaching excellence.
LAURIER CAMPUS Summer 2012
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