Congratulations to Vanier Science graduate Lu Yao, whose interest in theatre led her to start a theatre troupe at Vanier and direct a production of The Merchant of Venice last spring.  That bold initiative has now garnered her two 2012 Forces AVENIR awards. Read more.

Click here to view photos from this year’s edition of the Vanier College Foundation Golf Tournament.

By MARGUERITE CORRIVEAU
Originally Published: May 10, 2012

Three Vanier students received scholarships from the Regroupement des fondations collégiales de Montréal at the Recognition Gala for RFCM Scholarships for the Next Generation held on May 1, 2012. This year’s Vanier winners are from left to right in the photo: Jessica Benady-Chorney, Health Science, Giovanna Arcuri, OST: Micropublishing and Hypermedia; and Christopher Simeone, Special Care Counselling.

Every year, the Regroupement des fondations collégiales de Montréal awards three students from each of the 12 cégeps on the Island of Montreal a scholarship of $1,000 each.  The Regroupement is supported in its mission by industry and leaders in education. Students with a good academic record, who have shown commitment to their studies and to college life through extracurricular activity, and who have been endorsed by an employee of the College are eligible to enter.

Jessica devotes large amounts of her time volunteering in her community, including helping out at the Lakeshore General Hospital, in shelters and charity farms. Jessica is a member of the school’s Key Society, tutors other students and is on the Dean’s Honour List every semester. She plans to study Medicine at McGill University.

Giovanna is a regular Dean’s Honour Roll student studying Micropublishing and Hypermedia.  Many of her designs have won contests at Vanier.  For example, her poster was used to publicize La Semaine de la francophonie at Vanier as well as the Big Band Benefit Concert.  Giovanna has been taking dance classes for years and this experience has motivated her to start her own business, Shimmy Entertainment, which offers choreographies and belly dancing at events.  She plans to pursue her studies in Art History at Concordia University.

Christopher Simeone is committed to changing the way disabilities, especially learning disabilities, are perceived and dealt with in the academic environment. His work in Special Care Counselling will lead him toward a position where he can make a significant contribution to changes to curriculum and to promoting greater awareness of the challenges faced by those with disabilities.  Christopher is a member of the Learning Disability Association of Quebec and volunteers by giving workshops, as well as being a mentor for new students and a member of the Vanier Ambassadors for Student Services.

It is with great sadness that Vanier College announces the passing of Robert Frederick Jones on Tuesday, April 3, 2012. A graduate of the New England Conservatory and Brandeis University, he moved to Montreal in 1972 and joined the faculty of the Music Department at Vanier College in 1976.

He was appreciated for his outstanding abilities as a choral conductor and composer of music with an intensely spiritual quality. In addition to being a composer and pedagogue, Robert Jones was a remarkable pianist, noted for his outstanding abilities as an improviser and accompanist. Prominent in the music community he influenced a large number of students.

Retrospective concerts devoted entirely to his works were presented by Vanier College in 1998 and 2007, and last year the Music Department commissioned a work from him La Terra Promessa, which was premiered during the 40th anniversary of the College.

To paraphrase a notice from the program of one of his concerts is perhaps one way of remembering him and his legacy: When an audience hears a work by Robert Frederick Jones, they remember the soaring melodies, the intense and personal atmosphere he creates, and the way he touches the heart.

His passing is a loss to us all. Our sympathies are extended to his wife and family, Nadia Turbide and his colleagues in the Vanier Music Department, and his current and former students.

To honour the late Robert Frederick Jones, his colleagues in the Music Department have established the Robert Frederick Jones Compostion Scholarship. If you wish to contribute to this scholarship,  you may do so by cheque made out to the Vanier College Foundation or online here.

It with shock and sadness that I inform the community of the sudden death of former Academic Dean David Johnson on Sunday, March, 18, 2012. David was a pillar of Vanier College, starting as a chemistry teacher at Snowdon campus in 1974 and immediately taking an active role in the Program system development of the Snowdon campus and on the Board of Directors of Vanier College. He served as interim Sector Head at Snowdon (1979-80) and then that campus’ Academic Dean (1980 – 1986). He was invited to become Dean of Applied Technologies under the reorganization following the move of Snowdon to Ste-Croix in 1986. In 1993-94 he became Academic Dean of the College and retired from that position in Vanier College in 1999-2000, staying for two years longer to work on such endeavours as the Bell Science Fair. He kept in touch with his friends and colleagues at Vanier and  returned for the Thursday afternoon volleyball games when he was visiting Montreal.

His career at Vanier was long and fruitful and he shepherded through many changes ranging from moves and t resulting re- organizations to new pedagogy and the integration of information technology.

After his retirement, David moved to Revelstoke, British Columbia, where he maintained his community involvement and interest in things both old and  new, most recently as Revelstoke Community Energy Corporation president. See the link below for his activities in British Columbia and that community’s reaction to his sudden death.

His passing is a loss to us all. Our sympathies are extended to his wife, Edna-Mae and his son and daughters, and their families, and his many friends and colleagues.

The funeral will be held in Revelstoke at St Peter’s Church, March 23, 2012.

Gilbert Héroux, Director General

Obituary in the Montreal Gazette

Donate to the David Johnson Memorial Fund

Vanier Science student extraordinaire, Santiago Paiva can add another feather to his cap: he recently won a grant from Forces Avenir, a program which aims to recognize, honour and promote students who have exhibited remarkable excellence and commitment while rigorously pursuing their studies.

A strong contingent of Vanier supporters including Jim Atkinson, Joshua Berman, Cari Clough, Jonathan Goldman, Monique Magnan, and Judy MacDonald travelled to Quebec City to watch Santiago accept his award at the Forces Avenir Gala on September 7, 2011.

A winning project on asteroids
In addition to winning a grant in the Project Category, Santiago’s entry, “Simulating Asteroids: Detection and Analysis,” won the overall award for best project. Not surprising because Santi is not afraid of tackling big questions.  When Santiago saw that astronomers could collect information on asteroids, comets and other celestial objects, but didn’t have the time or resources to figure out what they were seeing, he found a solution.  He used innovative software he is developing to facilitate the analysis of information collected by telescopes on near-Earth asteroids and to assess the probability of a collision with our planet.

Making his mark around the world
Santiago’s exploits are numerous: first place in the North American division of the Present Around the World (PATW) Competition and third in the world overall; initiating the Techno Talks Speaker Series; Chairman of IET Montreal Young Professionals; invited speaker at the prestigious Ignite Montreal speaker’s event; and the recipient of the VIP Scholarship at the 2011 Graduation Ceremony.

Physics at McGill this fall
This fall, he will be continuing his studies in Physics at McGill University but his real dream is to pursue a graduate degree at either MIT or Stanford and eventually work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

By SARA ANDRADE
Originally Published: February 2, 2012

Last January 25, the Meg Sircom Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Rosemin Nathoo

“She had a quirky, independent spirit that was wholly original. Wherever she went in the world, people were drawn to her wry wit, gentle charisma, and overwhelming love of humanity”. So it can be read in Margaret Sircom’s obituary.

It has now been a year since the passing away of the breast cancer diagnosed 43-year old teacher. Not only was she a devoted worker, part of the Vanier English department since 2001, but also an active member of the Montreal creative writing community. Among her involvements, she co-edited the 2001 poetry anthology Running with Scissors, which celebrates the poems of 19 young writers.

Miss Sircom deeply touched the hearts of her fellow colleagues and friends with her passion and special creativity. That is why the English department decided to give a Scholarship on her behalf. The annual award is given to a student with a good academic standing, having submitted a distinguishable portfolio of creative literary work. That includes poetry, drama, fiction, screenwriting, et al. All participants had until November 14 to submit their work. This year’s recipient is Rosemin Nathoo who impressed many with her maturity and imagery. An honourable mention was also attributed to Oliver Wockner’s comic “cheese soufflé” short story, which shows that one can write whatever one wants.

It was at a brief and informal ceremony that Miss Nathoo received her award, mostly among English teachers. A humming of appreciation emanated from the crowd as they heard some of the verses of Rosemin’s works. As a matter of fact, as soon as one hears the words flowing one after the other, one discovers the young writer’s experimental form and play of sounds.

“I usually write when there’s something I’d like to say that I can’t say aloud. I like to catch and remember what bounces around in my head and I have a fascination with grammar, wordplay and languages”, explains the Environmental and Wildlife Management student, who is now in her fourth semester at Vanier. It is that fascination with the English language that creates an art full of rhythm and musicality. For Nathoo, it is the senses of freedom and soothing that appeal to her when she writes: “It [writing] is liberating and calms me down”.

For Miss Nathoo, it was an honour to receive the scholarship, even though she did not get to know Meg Sircom. “I feel flattered, encouraged and guilty for not having known Meg”, she says. When asked what work she was most proud of, the humble and shy poetess does not have a specific answer: “I’m proud of the portfolio in general. My favorite poem is usually the one I’m thinking about at the time.”

Although the recipient receives recognition and attention for winning the award, it is impossible to forget the material prize. The latter is of 500$. “For now, I’m saving it for a rainy day. If no rainy day comes along anytime soon, I’ll use it for a tattoo I’ve wanted for quite a long time, a painting of a downy woodpecker on my right shoulder blade”, explains Nathoo about the money. The young lady seems to have everything planned for her near and even farther future. Unlike many students, she knows what career she wants to pursue: “As far as I can see, I’d like to start up in the environmental field as a tech, in water and plant management, hopefully. I might end up in teaching eventually; that’s something I’ve also always wanted to do, in English or biology.”

Therefore, it might surprise many that Rosemin Nathoo does not expect to pursue a career in writing. However, she states it will always be a part of her life: “Everything involves writing. I’ll probably keep applying for magazines and competitions, but not as a career. I’d like to finish my modern language DEC at Vanier for personal interest if I can.”

Shimmer by Rosemin Nathoo

one day, there won’t be bridal veils
but daisies
reaching outwards with
soft hands and chosen colours,

all atoms
strangely in the shapes of solar systems.

Sara Andrade is a 1st year Liberal Arts student at Vanier College. She is a reporter for the Vanier Insider.

Who hasn’t read a news story about advances in science helping bring a criminal to justice, even years after he committed a crime? One of those advances is PCR – polymerase chain reaction, a process that allows a tiny sample of DNA to be amplified enough to allow testing. And now Vanier College Biology students can work with such modern tools, because a PCR cycler is part of a 1.5 million dollar investment in laboratory renovations, upgrades and new equipment at the College.

New Organic Chemistry Lab – the Jewel in the crown

The new Organic Chemistry lab is the jewel in the crown of the 10 Science labs at Vanier that are used by all students in the various Science Programs. Coming with a price tag of one million dollars the new lab is a large, bright workspace with the latest in lab design options.

The old space was rebuilt from the floor up. New utilities were installed: new electrical wiring, a new heating, air conditioning and ventilation system, new gas lines, new plumbing, and a new safety shower.

New work benches have Ducron epoxy resin work surfaces resistant to damage caused by accidental spills. The benches contain lockers custom-built to store student lab equipment. Along the walls other new benches have cabinetry consisting of cupboards, drawers, equipment lockers and glass cabinets.

In all, the lab has 12 work stations for 24 students. Each station is equipped with its own sink and plumbing, and colour coded controls for gas, and compressed air and vacuum. The vacuum source and water aspirator at each station will allow students to carry out reduced pressure experiments.

Six ultramodern large double fume hoods can also easily accommodate 24 students in 12 groups. Each fume hood has two sinks and its own colour coded gas, air, vacuum and water aspirator controls. Underneath the fume hoods, there are vented cabinets to store acids, bases or solvents. Each type of storage cabinet has its own separate ventilation system.

The new laboratory is also very well equipped with a gas chromatograph, an IR spectrophotometer, polarimeters, a rotary evaporator, balances and hot plates, as well as all the glassware and tubing needed for organic chemistry. Add to the chemical paraphernalia, a computer with access to the internet and the teaching tools it provides.

“Not only is the new lab a beautiful space to walk into, it’s also a space students will look forward to working in,” says Barrie Benton from the Chemistry Department. Along with two other General Chemistry labs, the new Organic Chemistry lab is used by all the Vanier Science programs. Without question the Vanier Chemistry Department now has one of the best Organic Chemistry labs anywhere.

New Biology Equipment

Going over the list of new Biology lab equipment is like being a kid in the proverbial candy store. In addition to the new polymerase chain reaction – PCR Cycler, other big ticket new items include a dissolved oxygen sensor to study photosynthesis in aquatic environments, DNA electrophoresis chambers to separate and analyze DNA fragments and a light trans-illuminator to visualize and analyze DNA and protein electrophoresis gels.

New SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) chambers are used to separate and analyze protein molecules. With the SDS-PAGE chambers, Biology students analyze muscle proteins from different animals then take the protein profile to determine evolutionary relationships among the animals studied and construct a genetic tree.

“This is exciting Molecular Biology and Genetics that used to be carried out only at the university level, but it’s a standard part of Biology II at Vanier,” indicates Biology teacher, Edward Awad.

There are also various new physiological sensors for the Human Physiology course that’s part of the Science Major in Biomedical Science. Conductivity sensors analyze urine, force sensors study muscle activity, blood pressure sensors measure student blood pressure, electrocardiography (EKG) sensors and heart rate sensors measure heart activity, and spirometers measure lung capacity. Students get to use all these outstanding tools to study the functioning of the human body. New laptops interface with the different sensors to log and analyze the data.

And what do the Biology labs look like? They are large, clean, well lit, with individual fume venting cones above each work area for any off gassing from chemicals used in biology studies. Recently when visiting science teachers from other Cegeps saw the equipment and topnotch labs here at Vanier, one of them exclaimed: “Wow, we don’t have anything like this. These labs are to be envied!”

With new labs, new computers and a new telescope, Vanier makes Physics exciting

In the Physics Department, which has four labs, renovations meant old counters and cupboards moved out, and two large new laboratories emerged with more usable space. In one of the renovated Mechanics labs, students now work at counters equipped with air tracks and other equipment needed for mechanics experiments. There is plenty of space to move around for motion detection experiments and other computer driven equipment.

The overall atmosphere is welcoming and exciting for the students. The labs are all equipped with new computers that are fully networked for easy access to the internet and to Webworks, a key on-line study resource that is used extensively at Vanier for Physics and Mathematics problems. Computers are also used in physics labs for data acquisition and analysis.

In the Electricity and Magnetism lab each of the twelve work stations is equipped with a computer, an oscilloscope, a signal generator, and low and high voltage supply. There are also devices to measure the charge/mass ratio where students can track an electron beam. Each station also has all the other equipment and components needed to study as well as build circuits and measure every aspect of electrical activity.

The Waves and Modern Physics lab has also been enlarged and equipped with new high speed computers for class notes and internet access. “At Vanier, the Science labs are never overcrowded,” says Hodé Erdogan of the Physics Department. “Not only are the labs large, but also the scheduling of lectures and lab sections means there are just twenty to twenty-four students in a lab at one time. Students work individually or in small groups depending on the experiment and activities.”

Vanier is one of the few Cegeps with its own Observatory and an 11” telescope

In addition to its four Physics labs, Vanier is also one of the few Cegeps in the province equipped with its own Observatory, used extensively in the Astrophysics course. A brand new 11” reflector telescope hooked up to a camera and a new GPS star tracking system dominates the centre of the room under the dome.

Key in a star identifier and the fully interfaced computer will rotate the telescope and automatically locate the star. Students can then make images of stars and planets.

In the spring, star classes take place under the open sky when the 11” and another 8” telescope get transported into the field and star gazing and photographing fills the night.

The Vanier Physics Department also does joint activities with the Royal Astronomical Society of Montreal – RASC. The Department runs a series of astronomy lectures with invited guests from leading space institutions and universities.

It also organizes public astronomy parties in the field behind the college where students and interested members of the public can interact with professional astronomers and use the telescope to view directly the night sky.

“With an innovative program and renovated labs, the Vanier Physics Department is an inspiring place to study Physics in Montreal,” concludes Don Hetherington, Dean of the Faculty of Science and General Studies.