From the visions of ancient cave artists to the astronomer’s search for inhabited planets, IdeaFest offers visitors new inspiration for the world of the mind.
It’s a week of special sessions, hosted by the University of Victoria and open to all.
Members of the university’s research community, from tenured professors to undergraduate students, vie for the annual opportunity to discuss, display and share their specialties in open sessions with the public.
Sessions are free. The only admission requirement is curiosity to explore new realms of thinking.
IdeaFest 2015, the fourth annual, runs all this week, from Monday to Saturday.
Look back to the 'dark ages'
An astrophysical look at the interstellar “Dark Ages” will also lead to that light at the end of the tunnel where we might find life on other planets.
Prof. Kim Venn, of the UVic department of physics and astronomy, said she hopes upcoming new telescope technology will allow scientists like her to see into a spot in time and space about 400 million years following the Big Bang.
“There is a gap in there called the ‘Dark Ages’ where we have almost no information,” Venn said. “We don’t think galaxies existed; we don’t think stars existed.”
“We think a lot of the fundamental laws of physics and numbers of particles in our universe were forming right in that little gap,” she said.
Meanwhile, those telescopes that will enable the investigation of the birth of the universe will also assist the investigation of “exoplanets.” These are the planets not in orbit around our sun but that might offer conditions capable of supporting life.
“The technology we have now is only just starting to be good enough to really explore the atmospheres of other planets,” said Venn. But “we can use these technologies that we are building to look for signs of life on other planets.”
Venn is one of four speakers, who hold Canada Research Chairs at UVic, who will offer up their best ideas at an IdeaFest event called Change Makers: Bright Minds and Big Ideas.
The others are John Borrows, an expert in indigenous law; Reuven Gordon, an expert in nanoplasmonics, the behaviour of light in very small spaces; and Roberta Hamme, who will talk about carbon and oceans.
Venn said her field, with its big ideas of space, time, astronomy and physics can seem overwhelming. But it can also be fun.
“It really makes me love science fiction,” she said. “Science fiction often does a really good job of actually portraying some of this stuff.”
Venn’s event is on Monday, March 2, 7-9 p.m. in the Hickman Building Room 105.
IdeaFest is only in its fourth year, but already it’s eagerly anticipated by professors, students and other researchers at the University of Victoria. David Castle, UVic vice-president of research, said the entire university community looks forward to IdeaFest as a yearly opportunity for researchers, in all fields, to showcase their projects and their special areas of interest.
“There is no stick or carrot involved in all this,” Castle said. “People come forward with all their own ideas for IdeaFest.”
“Our challenge is not to get the great ideas,” he said. “Our challenge is to shoehorn them all into just one week.”
IdeaFest is a week-long event, running from Monday to Saturday. It’s 50 different presentations, panels, discussions, workshops or old-fashioned lectures on topics selected for their intrigue factor.
And it’s all free and open to everyone. The only entrance requirement is curiosity and a willingness to engage with new ideas.
Other institutions frequently offer events like science fairs. But IdeaFest is unique in showing off the wide breadth of research happening at UVic.
“The University of Victoria is a medium-sized university, but we have an enormous research portfolio,” Castle said.
“The research portfolio covers everything from neuroscience through to work in the fine arts, theatre and everything in between.”
IdeaFest also offers chances to do hands-on workshops. An exploration of anthropology, for example, on Saturday, March 7, offers an afternoon of activities from bone identification to investigating and even replicating an ancient cave painting.
At least 10 of the events have even been selected with kids in mind. The culture of the orcas living around Vancouver Island, for example, was selected for its appeal to young people. But given the wide interest in whales, however, adults, are also expected and will be welcomed.
All presentations come from UVic’s own researchers, from world-renowned experts in their fields to resident professors to undergraduate students.
And all of them have been selected for their likelihood to engage, interest or even enchant.
From the orca, to the working of the human brain, or to energy systems, organizers like to think there is something for everyone.
IdeaFest is also a chance for the university to “open its doors” to the community and allow its neighbours inside to get a look at what’s going on.
“It’s an opportunity for us to showcase all the research that goes on here and all the fantastic researchers themselves,” said Castle.
They are “actually really focused on taking their research out of the university and making it accessible to the public,” he said.
Castle, whose own academic background is in biotechnology, said researchers, from arts to science, tend to use jargon, or technical words, to describe their activities.
“There are always going to be people who understand what they are doing mostly in terms of the technical language they use in their field,” he said.
“But some of our researchers are born communicators, and this is actually something they relish doing,” Castle said. “They are really enthusiastic.”
“And one of the things we have achieved of the years of running IdeaFest is that we have got our research community better attuned to making their work accessible,” he said.
History, meet science
First Nations oral history will meet 21st-century science when storytellers and academics gather to discuss tsunamis and our responses to them.
Ocean Networks Canada will bring together a panel of three “knowledge-keepers” from the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples from the west coast of Vancouver Island, an oceanographer and an official from Emergency Management B.C.
“The idea is really about taking these different ways of knowing and looking to see how we can get the best from both so we can be better prepared on our coast,” said Maia Hoeberechts, an associate director at Ocean Networks Canada.
For example, Hoeberechts said, a major tsunami struck the west coast of Vancouver Island, wiping out several First Nations communities in 1700. It was far bigger even than the 1964 tsunami that caused widespread damage in Port Alberni.
The Nuu-chah-nulth people still speak of the 1700 event. Meanwhile, scientists co-ordinating the Vancouver Island First Nations stories with Japanese written records have nailed the event down to Jan. 26, 1700.
Hoeberechts said the 1700 event was generated by a quake whose epicentre was very close to Vancouver Island’s west coast. By contrast, the 1964 event that struck Port Alberni was generated by a quake near Alaska.
So the 1700 tsunami wave hit Vancouver Island very quickly after the seismic jolt on the ocean floor. Unlike 1964, there was no wide distance of ocean to absorb much of the energy from the event.
“The impact of it would have been huge,” said Hoeberechts.
Nuu-chah-nulth place-based stories and tsunami science will be on Thursday, March 5, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the ceremonial hall of the First People’s House.
Sophisticated cavemen
When it comes to art, the cavemen of 40,000 years ago were often more sophisticated than modern university students.
University of Victoria Prof. April Nowell, in the department of anthropology, said she often starts one course with a week-long session where students are required to reproduce images created 40,000 years ago on the sides of a cave.
Nowell said almost always, students finish the week with new respect for the talent and observations of early humans.
“The students will say ‘I can’t believe how complex their images are,’” she said. “‘One little curve here gives volume, some shading there gives roundness and three dimensions that my image just lacks.’”
Teaching ancient, cave-art methods will be one of the sessions in Hands-on Anthropology. Participants can check out ancient bone casts and also try to imagine how our ancestors lived.
So another part of Hands-on Anthropology will invite participants to create musical instruments used by the North and South Americans prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492.
Giving people a chance to examine the art, the culture and the music of ancient peoples will give participants a richer appreciation of ancient peoples and their world.
Their lives were likely much more than just savage struggles for survival. These were real people living the human experience.
“When we start to put in the art and the music it gives such a richer understanding of our past,” said Nowell.
Hands-on Anthropology is on Saturday, March 7 in Cornett Building, noon to 3:30 p.m.
Room B225, noon - 3:30 p.m. hosts cave painting. Room B222, noon to 3:30 p.m. hosts bone identification. Room B250, noon to 2 p.m. is pre-Columbian instrument-making.
Beyond 'Gamergate'
University philosopher and longtime computer gamer Audrey Yap was never surprised by the sexism and anti-woman motifs in video games.
But Yap said she was a little taken aback by the online viciousness of the backlash when some women gamers suggested the anti-women elements were unpleasant.
“You see a few women speaking up saying: ‘Hey, isn’t diversity a good thing?’ or ‘Hey, it looks there is some sexism in here.’”
“And the reaction is just massive, so surprisingly out of proportion,” said Yap, an associate professor of philosophy specializing in logic.
“Gamergate” erupted last August when women in the video-game industry who criticized the sexism and violent anti-woman attitudes in some video games sparked a massive online uproar.
The controversy grew in its viciousness when some feminist thinkers spoke up about the sexism in some video games. Twitter campaigns threatening harm, rape and even death broke out.
“Part of what makes this so interesting is: ‘Why the reaction?’” Yap said. “Why is the reaction so extreme?”
She said “nerd culture,” video gaming and the whole digital world has grown in social acceptance. “Geeks” are now part of the mainstream, widely accepted and no longer seen as the victims of bullies.
Yap speculated the viciousness of the response to criticisms of the video games is driven by an inner defensiveness.
“Clearly, if these people really feel this way, it has got to have something to do with how they see themselves,” Yap said.
Women tech-culture: What’s the big deal about diversity anyway? will be on Monday, March 2, 5 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. in the Engineering/Computer Science Building, Room 660.
Whither Islamic State?
Academics will boldly step in where most specialists fear to tread, the Middle East, to discuss the new phenomenon of ISIS.
IdeaFest will bring together a broad panel of experts, historians, political scientists and religious experts to examine ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Martin Bunton, associate professor of history (Middle East) and the acting director of UVic’s Centre for Global Studies, said ISIS can be examined on many different levels.
Is it just another militia group stepping in to fill the political void left behind after the collapse of Iraq, after the 2003 U.S. invasion and the recent implosion of Syria?
Why is it so successful? Does its success have anything to do with its extreme violence? Recently, it outraged people around the world by burning a Jordanian pilot alive.
What are the religious elements of ISIS? It claims to be ready to create an Islamic state. But fellow Muslims in places such as Iran are nowhere near supportive.
And if anybody does battle with ISIS, will that be taken as giving aid to Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad? Al-Assad, after all, is somebody many leaders wish would disappear.
Bunton said his wife once told him about eating an oyster-like piece of seafood in Japan that seemed to grow bigger the more she chewed. It was a perfect metaphor for the Middle East.
“The more you examine the Middle East looking for answers, the more questions appear to emerge,” Bunton said.
“Canada has put itself into the middle of that,” he said.
Canada’s War on ISIS will be discussed on Thursday, March 5, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the David Turpin Building Room A102.
Secrets of Island orcas
The world of the orca is very multicultural.
Scientists have learned these complicated animals organize themselves into various groups that eat, hunt, live and even speak differently.
UVic marine biologist Kristen Kanes, who will lead a discussion called Orcas of Vancouver Island, said researchers now segregate the animals into three “eco-types.”
One ecotype are residents. These are orcas that live in groups, eat fish, mostly salmon, and tend to stay within a specific area. These local residents are segregated into two groups, north and south of Campbell River.
Another groups are the Bigg’s orcas, formerly known as transients. These animals live alone or in small groups and attack and eat marine mammals, such as dolphins, seals and sea lions.
Kane, who is using ocean acoustics to complete her studies, said the residents and Bigg’s orcas even speak or vocalize quite differently. It’s almost as if they speak different languages.
When they meet, it has been suggested, residents and Biggs recognize each other from their different sounds. And they can even fight over their differences.
“The residents and the Bigg’s orcas have a long history of not liking each other,” Kane said.
The third group spotted around Vancouver Island, but only occasionally, are the offshore orcas.
These animals live in large groups, about 100 or even more, and live far out to sea. But occasionally they have been known to stray into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
“They are very mysterious and we don’t know a whole lot about them,” Kane said.
Orcas of Vancouver Island will be held Friday, March 6, 3 p.m. -5 p.m., Bob Wright Centre A104 (BWC A104) .
A selected calendar of ideafest events
Monday, March 2
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Our WSANEC# community:
Through the lens of a camera
Explore an exhibit of compelling photographs from students at the WSANEC Adult Education Centre. These images demonstrate the powerful impacts of using media literacy in adult education and offer a unique glimpse of the WSANEC community through the lens of the camera and views of the artists. MacLaurin (MAC)A. Wilfrid Johns Gallery
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Happiness
Ever wonder what makes you or other people happy? Ever think about how researchers measure happiness? Let’s look at the research and put that research into practice. Join our eclectic panel and discuss what happiness is, how to measure it and ways to achieve it. Hickman (HHB) 105
5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Co-op 180: The transformative impact
of experiential learning through co-op
For students, hands-on learning can engage and inspire research, creativity and transformation in the workplace, in the classroom and beyond. Hear from students, an employer and a co-op co-ordinator about standout co-op experiences in a panel discussion moderated by Co-op and Career Executive Director, Norah McRae. McRae’s recent PhD research explored transformative learning during co-op work terms, a form of experiential learning. David Turpin Building (DTB) A104
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Why the quantum age is closer than you think
Discover the quantum world — nature at its smallest scale — with renowned quantum physicist Raymond Laflamme. Hear how researchers at the forefront of science are innovating at the subatomic realm to develop new technologies that will change the ways we work, communicate and live. Bob Wright Centre (BWC) B150
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Testing 1, 2, 3: New approaches to music courses in the 21st century
From Beyoncé and the Beatles, to jazz legends and rock divas, UVic’s School of Music is always looking for new approaches to its music courses. Through a look at course content, shifting tastes and audience demands in popular music, this illustrated lecture will demonstrate the need for innovative course design. MacLaurin (MAC) B037
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Change-makers: Bright minds and big ideas
UVic is home to 38 internationally recognized Canada Research Chairs that are pushing the frontiers of knowledge in their fields. Join four of these preeminent scholars as they share their stories of innovation and impact in a series of fast-paced talks, followed by a conversation with the audience. Come and be inspired by marine and deep-space discoveries, ground-breaking cancer research and new perspectives in Indigenous law. Hickman (HHB) 105
Tuesday, March 3
3 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Pecha Kucha Biomedica and poster social
The Centre for Biomedical Research is a collaborative collective of scientists, clinicians and research trainees investigating important problems related to human health and medical application. Join us for an engaging and fast-paced Pecha Kucha-style event highlighting biomedical research (e.g. genetics, molecular biology, neuroscience, medicinal chemistry and biomedical engineering) delivered by graduate students. MacLaurin (MAC) David Lam Auditorium and lobby
4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
The mythology of the mad genius:
Five myths about creativity
Where do ideas come from? Do you have to suffer for your art? And are all artists really that eccentric? Find out when moderator and Acting Dean of Fine Arts Dr. Lynne Van Luven deconstructs the myths of creativity in this zesty and informative panel discussion featuring one faculty member from each of the fine arts departments (music, writing, art history, theatre and visual arts). MacLaurin (MAC) D110
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Understanding sex work:
Evidence, faith and popular perceptions
Many people imagine the sex industry as a dangerous and seedy underworld, but where does this impression come from, and how accurate is it? Join a panel of scholars, clergy, and sex workers as they reflect on the industry. An open discussion on the roles academic research and faith play in public opinion and policy regarding sex workers, and those they interact with, will follow. Christ Church Cathedral
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
The brain and technology: Who’s driving whom?
Three mini-talks (7-12 minutes each) on technologies and the brain: videogames that help children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder; new technologies in autism research; and cellphones and distracted driving. Ask questions and engage with researchers during the demo session in the reception lobby. Human and Social Development (HSD) A240
Wednesday, March 4
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Performing gender and genre
in the Hispanic and Italian world
Join the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies for their annual colloquium, now in its 30th year. This year’s event explores how Latin Americans, Spaniards and Italians have performed and imagined gender and genre in literature. A Spanish theatre director, a Mexican philosopher and UVic professors and students will tackle this complex issue in a series of drop-in talks and presentations in English, Spanish or Italian. UVCA 180
11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.
Society’s role in promoting violence
in the sex industry
Our media is full of stories about the horrors of violence in the sex industry, with sex workers perpetually at the mercy of buyers and “pimps.” Our study shows that experiences of violence are not as pervasive as commonly assumed and that society — ourselves — including our unfair laws, stigmatizing attitudes, and inadequate policies, contribute to the violence that is experienced. MacLaurin (MAC) A144
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
The best liar wins: Hidden information and role-playing
What happens when the audience becomes the performer? Join UVic’s theatre department in a fun and dynamic role-playing event where audience members must make a decision with limited information — your figurative life is on the line as you engage in lies, acts of deception and leaps of faith. Members will engage in a battle of wits where they role play a villager in the midst of a crisis and ultimately try to out-perform their peers. Phoenix (PNX) Lobby
2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Humanities in a lab coat:
Another kind of research life
From making video games to imaging the tongue, humanities research is much more hands-on than you may think. Students and faculty researchers will showcase their exciting collaborative projects taking shape in these research labs: the Humanities Computing and Media Centre (HCMC), the Electronic Textual Cultures Lab, the Maker Lab, the Digital Language Learning Lab, the Speech Research Lab and the Sociolinguistics Research Lab. You might be surprised at what you discover. Engineering/Computer Science (ECS) 108
4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Inside JM’s Diary: Researching a First World War ‘History Mystery’
Join Marcus Millwright of UVic’s Department of Art History and Visual Studies as he shares how he solved a historical mystery in searching for the true identity of the now-famous “JM,” the author and artist of a First World War diary. The two-volume diary will be on display at his presentation as part of the Legacy-Maltwood exhibit The Arts of World War I. Participants can view first-hand more than 130 watercolour illustrations and pen and ink drawings detailing the author’s life during the war. McPherson Library (LIB) A003
4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Listening to young people:
Research that makes a difference
Half of the world’s population is under the age of 25. Research that includes the perspectives of young people is critically important — whether the topic is: what kind of city we want to live in or how to successfully transition to employment. Come check out the Centre for Youth and Society’s interactive display on creative and playful ways of engaging young people in an array of research topics. Bob Wright Centre (BWC) Foyer
4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Aging deconstructed:
The art and science of living well
Join the Centre on Aging for a café scientifique event. Experience the passion of centre researchers, students and staff as they discuss the questions that guide their work and how their findings are having an impact on everyday living and aging — on topics such as technological solutions for aging at home, family involvement in dementia care, the role of peer health coaches in managing diabetes, and support for patients and families in long-term illness and end-of-life care. Engage in the conversation and share your views, experiences and questions! University Club (UCL) Dining Hall
5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Losing our marbles: A playful approach
to understanding our electricity supply
How does our electrical power system work, from the power plant to the light bulb? What are the challenges of integrating renewables? What would your ideal system look like? Explore these questions posed by the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems by participating in a group demonstration of a marble-based “electricity grid.” The IESVic research team will support the activity, draw parallels to real-world challenges and facilitate a discussion. Engineering/Computer Science (ECS) 660
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Tapping population data: A new era
in health research and care
How do we measure the health of our society? Population Data (PopData), a huge collection of data on millions of individuals, has recently brought a powerful tool to health researchers’ fingertips. A panel of four experts will discuss PopData’s transformative potential, who uses it and how. They will delve into broad topics of researcher access and privacy protection, as well as specific case studies, such as the evaluation of B.C.’s Alzheimer’s Drug Therapy Initiative. Join host and moderator vice-president research David Castle for a rich discussion with these panellists on this new era of health research. Hickman (HHB) 105
thursday, March 5
10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Where do research ideas come from?
Join an interdisciplinary panel of post-doctoral fellows as they share personal stories and reflections on the theme of generating research ideas. These up-and-coming researchers are fresh off the dissertation trail and at the cusp of cutting-edge ideas, theories and technologies. Where are the seeds for big ideas planted and how are they fostered and fed? Come and explore the connections between research ideas and the experiences, people and places that fuel them. Clearihue (CLE) C112
12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Original objects and original research: Hands-on learning with rare books and archives
Why not judge a book by its cover? Or for that matter, its paper, binding and illustrations? This event explores what can be learned from engaging directly with rare books and archives and how this hands-on work can transform the learning experience. Faculty will discuss how they incorporated rare and unique materials from UVic Libraries into the classrooms and the impact on student learning. McPherson Library (LIB) A003
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Including people in decisions that affect them: The influence of stigma related to drug use and poverty
Stigma related to drug use and poverty prevents the inclusion of many community members in policy and service decisions that affect their lives. Addressing stigma is fundamental to social inclusion. Join UVic’s Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. for this dynamic workshop on how to apply social inclusion practices to overcome stigma related to drug use and poverty. Central Library, 735 Broughton St.
3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Breaking down crazy: Personal experiences
of bipolar disorder
Wonder what it’s like to “come out” about a mental illness? Join a UVic student artist and an activist as they talk health and disorder, mania and medication, stigma and disclosure, and the great balancing act that is bipolar. A live illustration of the event’s talk will be created. MacLaurin (MAC) D010
4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Pecha Kucha Film Night
Faculty members and students from the Faculty of Education will share the societal impact of their research and scholarship in a Pecha Kucha format using short videos. The research presented at this event involves the fields of educational psychology and leadership studies, curriculum studies and exercise science, physical and health education. MacLaurin (MAC) David Lam Auditorium
4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Cars, coffee and coding: Sustainability in entrepreneurship
What does sustainability mean to entrepreneurs in different industries? How do they implement social and environmental justice into their businesses and why do they care? Join the Innovation Centre for Entrepreneurs and the Centre for Social and Sustainable Innovation as they host a joint event exploring these very questions. Sedgewick (SED) A142
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Exercise is my medicine: The latest science
on how exercise improves our lives
School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education faculty and students share their cutting-edge research findings in a series of rapid fire and interactive talks about maximizing health potential through fitness, recreation, physical education, exercise science and rehabilitation. Come and learn more about the benefits of exercise and the latest information on how to keep moving. McKinnon Building (MCK) 150
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Understanding epidemics: Why do they happen?
Join us as we discover how emerging diseases become epidemics. Led by our panel of experts, explore the history of epidemic disease, how disease is spread, what happens to our bodies when we are exposed to contagious organisms and how mathematical modelling of disease spread can help. Engineering/Computer Science (ECS) 125
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
3-Minute Thesis
The 3-Minute Thesis is an exciting competition that challenges graduate students to describe their research in a clear, engaging and jargon-free presentation using just one slide in 180 seconds. Master’s and PhD students from across campus will participate in the final round of the UVic competition in front of a panel of esteemed judges, including Bob McDonald (the host of CBC’s Quirks and Quarks), Dave Obee (editor-in-chief of the Times Colonist) and Tania Miller (music director of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra). MacLaurin (MAC) David Lam Auditorium
Friday, March 6
10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Can computers and art produce esthetic work?
Join professors and students from the departments of Computer Science and Visual Arts to discuss projects using computation to help an artist produce artwork difficult to make with traditional media. Esthetic shading rules, informed by the work of the Dutch masters, drive a new mathematically inspired drawing tool as well as a tool to help artists produce stylistic shading. Feel inspired as artists and scientists discuss the symbiosis between the groups and give a demonstration of the creation processes. Visual Arts (VIA) 150
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Woven voices: Community resilience through art
Weavings hold stories and histories for the indigenous Quechua population of the Andes. Join members of Mosqoy for a lecture about Andean struggles between culture and development. Bob Wright Centre (BWC) A104
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Indigenous social work in the neoliberal era:
What is it and what it is not
Join a diverse panel composed of students, professors and community members in discussing the importance of Indigenous social work in a neoliberal era and the challenges of taking theory and applying it to practice. Everyone is welcome and there is a chance to win door prizes. First People’s House
1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Out and proud: Queer families in the 21st century
Join panelists from the School of Child and Youth Care, the Positive Space Network and the community who bring diverse perspectives on the changing perceptions and lived experiences of queer families in contemporary Canadian society. Panelists will illuminate current research on queer families and debunk myths and common misconceptions about family life. They will also present the continued need for advocacy and support to engage and celebrate queer parents and their children. Cornett (COR) A129
Saturday, March 7
10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
What’s new, now and next in early childhood research
Graduate students from across faculties will be recognized for their exemplary research in early childhood development and present their work at the sixth annual graduate student research day. The event includes a keynote speaker, student presentations and a panel of senior researchers who will discuss ways to improve the quality of young children’s lives. Hickman (HHB) 110
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Weather and climate:
From Vancouver Island to planet Earth
Bring your curiosity and questions to this interactive learning event from UVic’s Vancouver Island School-Based Weather Station Network. Discover the science of climate modelling and experience demonstrations of a variety of weather phenomena, including cloud and wind formation, air pressure, liquid interactions, tornados and more. Bob Wright Centre (BWC) A104