“In studies involving more than 2,000 children over the past seven years, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver found a drop in aggressive behavior among students who were in classrooms with empathy babies. . . . ‘I’m a scientist—I’m very skeptical of things,’ says Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, the developmental psychologist who conducted the study. ‘I’m really surprised at how consistently the findings have been positive.’”

Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, associate professor in educational counselling and psychology, researches the social and emotional development of children, and has evaluated the effectiveness of Roots of Empathy, a program that invites babies and parents into elementary schools.

“With real estate in the news, there are more questions heard regarding the role real estate should have in the corporate portfolio and what executives need to face in evaluating their corporate real estate strategies and needs. Decisions about the nature and ownership of real estate have always challenged general management, in small and large firms alike.”

Daniel F. Muzyka, dean and RBC Financial Group professor of entrepreneurship at the Sauder School of Business, authored this and more as a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail on management issues.

“ ‘These monks are literate people, they read,’ said Tsering Shakya, an expert on modern Tibet at the University of British Columbia. ‘To subject them to this intense education and campaign program in the monasteries has led . . . to all this pent-up anger to come out.’ ”

Prof. Tsering Shakya, Canada Research Chair on Religion and Contemporary Society in Asia, was quoted widely in international media during unrest led by Tibetan monks.

“But at least some baby boomers, too, don’t want to miss out on any worldly delights. Historian Doug Owram, 60, author of Born at the Right Time: A History of the Baby Boom, observes that his generation has always yearned for self-satisfaction. . . .

Boomers got more pragmatic as they grew up, says Owram, who’s deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of British Columbia (Okanagan).”

“How do you make science sexy? CBC TV thinks it has come up with the right chemistry. A slick, fun, fast-paced half-hour weekly show called Project X . . . . It doesn’t hurt, too, that the series has enlisted Jennifer Gardy, a hip microbiologist who sports the only pair of Gucci safety glasses on the University of British Columbia campus.”

Jennifer Gardy, a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, hosts CBC TV’s new science show currently running Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Read her blog at: www.cbc.ca/projectx/blog.

“ ‘If the United States becomes the licensing authority, Ottawa’s ability to control what the satellite is used for and to commandeer the equipment in emergencies might be lost,’ Michael Byers, a professor of international law and global politics at the University of British Columbia, told a parliamentary hearing last month.”

Michael Byers, Canada Research Chair in International Law and Politics, provided analysis on a proposed U.S. company takeover of  MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates. Prof. Byers was also a source of expertise for international media on the military in Afghanistan and Canada’s Artic sovereignty.

2007|08 The University of British Columbia