Shrinkage is a good thing

Shrinkage is nothing to shy away from when it comes to technology that improves your gadgets.

To satisfy demand for smaller products such as digital cameras, cell phones or laptops, scientists have turned to nano-devices — objects which are a hundred times smaller than a human hair, but able to operate larger devices.

However, the high cost of producing nanomaterials presents a few challenges. Giovanni Fanchini, tier-two Canada research chair in carbon-based nano-devices at Western, tackled these challenges by assembling nano-devices from cheap organic materials like plastics.

“Nano-technologies will help lower the cost of popular student technologies such as digital cameras, cell phones and laptops,” he said. “That is one of the main driving forces I have for my research.”

The second is providing low-income groups with affordable resources and undergraduate students with greater access to a wider variety of information.

In addition to creating funky tech gear, nano-technology is improving medical imaging which helps diagnose patients.

“Carbon is a good choice to use in nano-devices because it is a widespread element — we are all made up of carbon,” Fanchini said. “Therefore we are biologically compatible with this type of technology, making costs decrease.”

“This type of technology has a very prospective future,” he added.

—Allison Aziz

Western alumnus researches at University of Toronto

Four of Canada’s largest pension plans are funding one Western alumnus’s research at the University of Toronto.

Alexander Dyck has attained a new position at U of T’s Rotman International Centre for Pension Management. The position — Professorship in Pension Management — involves the study of current challenges facing today’s pension industry, with a focus on examining new policy approaches catered to today’s challenging global economy.

“Professor Dyck will be tasked with research in the area of pension management with a focus on governance, pensions, organizational design and organizational performance,” explained Ken McGuffin, the manager of media relations at Rotman.

An additional goal of the Centre will be to increase awareness of pension and money management issues, specifically seeking to include pension related material in undergraduate business and MBA programs at Rotman.

Dyck’s new position will be funded by Canada’s Pension Plan Investment Board, Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan and the Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System.

A renowned expert in corporate finance, Dyck previously taught at the Harvard School of Business.

—Michael Wheeler

Students promote best kept secret

King’s University College students are taking an important part in their institution’s promotion campaign.

The college has begun implementing new recruitment strategies which have been developed by students last year. The initiative began in a business management and organizational studies program where third-year students used various marketing techniques such as surveys, market scans and focus groups to determine how to best communicate with prospective students.

“We believe that our students know our campus best and are also the most market savvy about potential students,” Marilyn Mason, registrar for King’s University College, explained. “The results were so amazing that we realized we needed to use the results as the basis for our student recruitment campaign this year.”

The students at King’s proposed incorporating social media strategies with traditional personal communication. The campaign will utilize technology such as Facebook, Twitter, texting, and mobile websites. The campaign is branded as “Get Connected Make A Difference.”

The students’ research found King’s reputation was considered a “best kept secret” and Mason hoped the new campaign strategies will introduce this excellence to many people.

“This experience has been so great for our recruitment team that we have to continue to work with our amazing students,” Mason said.

“Who better to tell us what makes King’s special and how to tell other students about the King’s difference?”

—Ricki-Lee Gerbrandt

Transit union continues negotiations

The buses are busy, but it could have been worse.

Concerns were raised earlier this month regarding London Transit Commission employees’ negotiations to replace their old job contracts. Delays were anticipated due to LTC employees’ refusal to work voluntary overtime hours –– potentially clogging up already busy routes.

Yet, even with the return of Western students, the bus system appears to be working fairly smoothly.

“At this time, we have not heard many concerns from students or seen overwhelming problems with transit, other than the expected overcrowding on major routes,” Dan Moulton, University Students’ Council vice-president university affairs, said.

According to John Gillet, the vice-president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 741, the union and the LTC are still in talks to work out a new collective agreement.

“We’re presently still in negotiations,” Gillet said.

Moulton added the USC has been keeping in contact with officials from the LTC.

“[W]e are hopeful negotiations will come to a close soon, and will not have any further impact on transit across the city,” he said.

—Lauren Pelley