U of W theatre department presents Machinal

The University of Winnipeg’s theatre and film department will be putting on a presentation of Sophie Treadwell’s tragedy, Machinal. The play, which debuted on Broadway in 1928, was one of the first to offer a female perspective on middle-class life in the increasingly industrial early 20th century. The play is directed by theatre professor Shelagh Carter and will be performed by third-year honours acting students at the Canwest Centre for Theatre and Film, Theatre 1T15. Show times are Tuesday, Feb. 15 to Friday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 19 at 2 and 7 p.m. Admission is free, but you can make reservations at http://theatre.uwinnipeg.ca.

Wesmen women’s basketball team earns split on the road, Golden Bears defeat Wesmen men

The University of Winnipeg’s basketball teams travelled to Edmonton to take on the University of Alberta on Jan. 28 and 29. On Friday night, the Wesmen women defeated the Pandas, 69-66. The following night, the Pandas came out strong and defeated the Wesmen, 71-62. On the men’s side, the Wesmen lost both nights to the Alberta Golden Bears. On Friday, they were defeated 99-80, and Saturday they lost 83-49. On Feb. 4 and 5, the Wesmen will host both of Fraser Valley University’s Cascades teams. Saturday’s game will be the last home game of the regular season for the Wesmen basketball teams.

CFI grants for U of W profs

According to a media release from the University of Winnipeg, the Canada Foundation for Innovation has given grants to three U of W professors totalling $552,248. Dr. Christopher Wiebe received $398,396 for establishing the Prairie Research Institute for Materials and Energy. The facility uses state-of-the-art equipment to synthesize and examine materials for technological applications. Dr. Jeffery Martin and Dr. Christopher Bidinosti together received $155,852 from the CFI to aid in the development of the Polarized Xenon Laboratory for Fundamental Physics, a facility dedicated to the study of particles that will hopefully expand our understanding of the universe.

Manitoba fights isotope shortage

The University of Winnipeg has announced that the Prairie Isotope Production Enterprise (PIPE), a partnership between the University of Winnipeg, Ascion Industries in Pinawa and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, will have its headquarters in the Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex. The Government of Canada has also granted PIPE $4 million for the production of medical isotopes, replacing the aging Chalk River facility. PIPE will use an electron accelerator, which has a number of benefits over a standard nuclear reactor, including lower cost and less nuclear waste. It is also hoped that this project will make great advances in medical research.

New professor joins innovative graduate program

Dr. Wade Davis, anthropologist and National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence, has been named senior fellow in the Master’s in Development Practice – Indigenous Development program, stated a University of Winnipeg media release. Davis earned his PhD in anthropology and biology at Harvard University and has lectured at over 300 universities around the world, as well as institutions such as the Smithsonian and the Museum of Natural History. Davis’s expertise will help provide a holistic approach to development. The program, part of a network of 22 prominent universities, includes coursework covering natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences and management as well as field experience.

Published in Volume 65, Number 18 of The Uniter (February 3, 2011)