The Brain - book review
January 7, 2010
John S. Allen is Research Scientist, Dornsite Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging Center and the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California. Drawing on recent techniques of imaging as well as insights and discoveries from paleoanthropology, microbiology, brain anatomy, and molecular genetics Allen provides an "exploration of the evolution of the human brain" as a... Read more
First video art show opens this week
January 6, 2010
The Nanaimo Art Gallery at Vancouver Island University has something special in store for art lovers – the first video art show series. Two shows in the campus gallery of the Nanaimo Art Gallery (900 Fifth Street) open Friday. A third show at the gallery’s downtown location on Commercial Drive opens Thurs., Jan. 14. The show on Nanaimo Art Gallery’s upper floor features the video art work of... Read more
VIU MBA student gives Elvis fashion company a global boost
January 4, 2010
Elvis Presley died six years before Sharon Huang was born in Taiwan but that hasn’t stopped the 26-year-old MBA student at Vancouver Island University from helping to keep memories of the King very much alive. During a four-month internship with Pro Elvis Jumpsuits in Nanaimo, Huang worked with costume designer Elle von Boetticher to reach out to an estimated 80,000 Elvis tribute artists around... Read more
Canadian Letters and Images project receives $12,000 gift
January 4, 2010
The Canadian Letters and Images project, a unique online archive of Canadian war experiences maintained by Vancouver Island University history students, received a special gift from the Nanaimo Community Foundation - $12,000 for technology upgrades. The objective of the Canadian Letters and Images project is to let Canadians tell their own story in their own words by creating a permanent online... Read more
VIU students take action on challenges of homelessness
December 23, 2009
Students at Vancouver Island University are going beyond simply studying about the challenges of people experiencing homelessness in Nanaimo. Their research into the extent of the problem has uncovered gaps in services for the homeless and found a way to improve efficiency in existing programs. Students in Helene Demers’ Anthropology of Homelessness course also raised more than $460 in... Read more
VIU supports multi-generational learning
December 22, 2009
For Irene Kopec, TJ Bickerton and Deb Bickerton, studying at Vancouver Island University is a family affair. Three generations - grandmother, mother and daughter - all attended VIU. “I love it. It’s fantastic,” said TJ Bickerton, 28, a third-year student in the Bachelor of Science program, majoring in Biology. “The teachers are passionate and approachable.” TJ’s mom Deb is a third-year... Read more
VIU grad selected for Students Without Borders in Vietnam
December 22, 2009
Jan Beecher’s bags are packed and she’s ready to go. With the ink barely dry on her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Journalism from Vancouver Island University, Beecher leaves for Vietnam Jan. 5. She’s been selected for a three-month internship to teach English with the Hanoi Community College as part of the Students Without Borders (SWB) program. “I am totally excited, but shell-... Read more
VIU scientists probe seasonal topics
December 18, 2009
Who can resist the taste of heptenal at this time of year? Vancouver Island University chemistry professor Todd Barsby explains that heptenal is the compound that gives mashed potatoes an earthy taste. It’s one of the insights offered by members of VIU’s Faculty of Science and Technology on this week’s Not Rocket Science radio broadcast. The holiday theme continues with astronomy professor Greg... Read more
Heart of Gold project builds cultural bridges
December 17, 2009
Sharon Fallas and Nidia Montero won’t forget their study abroad experience in Canada. The students, 24 and 21, are back working on their family coffee farms in Costa Rica after studying English-as-a-Second-Language for one semester at Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo campus. “It’s changed me forever,” said Fallas. “I’m more confident and speak much better English. I’ll never forget this... Read more
VIU team inspires passion for education with The Art of Teaching DVD
December 16, 2009
Vancouver Island University educators Neil Smith and Nancy Randall believe innovative, engaging and risk-taking approaches to teaching are worth sharing with the rest of the world. The associates of VIU’s Teaching and Learning Centre have collaborated on producing and distributing The Art of Teaching, a 45-minute DVD that has been presented at seminars and conferences in Canada and... Read more