July 2014

Chief Operating Officer

Dwayne Martins

  • Budget season is not far away please remember to prepare for your own internal departmental budget meetings in September prior to the October faculty-wide budget season process.    

Media Relations

Crystal MacKay

  • See the Line garnered national media attention this month including coverage from SportsNet, CBC and Global National.
  • Dr. Ross Feldman's research showing a genetic risk factor for heart disease in women was featured in local and national media including extensive coverage on CTV National News.
  • A resident researcher at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Dr. Jordan Glicksman, was interviewed by international media outlets, including the New York Times, for his work showing a link between coffee and tinnitus.   

Dentistry

Nancy Kalbfleisch

  • The Grad Ortho expansion renovation continues. The construction provides an opportunity for many improvements including: a wheelchair accessible entrance, an enlarged waiting room and reception area, along with 3 new dental suites.
  • We are pleased to announce the following faculty appointments, effective July 2014:
    • Dr. Tom Mara, Assistant Director, Clinics (three-year term)
    • Dr. Najeeb Saad, Chair, Admissions Committee (three-year term)
    • Dr. Harvey Goldberg has been reappointed Assistant Director, Research (three-year term)
    • Dr. Graeme Hunter, Assistant Director, Faculty Development
    • Dr. Douglas Hamilton, Chair, Oral Biology (three-year term)
  • The Hospitals' Boards of Directors have appointed Dr. Henry Lapointe as the new Chief, Department of Dentistry effective July 2014.
  • Final presentations (including results/conclusions of projects) will be made by our Summer Research Students on August 20 to Dentistry Faculty, Staff and Students.
  • Schulich Dentistry’s White Coat Ceremony will take place Friday, August 29 at Talbot College to welcome the incoming class.

Research

Mady Hymowitz

  • Two internal funding competitions have been announced for Schulich Medicine & Dentistry researchers: Collaborative Research Seed Grants, and Faculty Support for Research in Education. Information on these two programs can be found here.  
  • We continue working with our colleagues at Research Western, Lawson, and other faculties on the city-wide review process for the 2014 CIHR Foundation Pilot.   

Human Resources

Theresa Mugimba

  • UWOFA Sabbatical Leave Applications
    • The deadline for submitting applications for Faculty Sabbatical Leaves starting on July 1, 2015 or on January 1, 2016 are due to the Dean's Office on September 8, 2014 (please send the applications to Theresa Mugimba, room 3710 Clinical Skills Building). The online application can be found here.
  • PMA Staff Performance Dialogue and Goal Setting 2014
  • Following are the upcoming deadlines for this year's Performance Dialogue and Goal-Setting (PDG) for PMA Staff:
    • Step 3 - Unit Draft Assessments Summary to Office of the Dean for Unit/Department Draft Reviews by August 13
    • Step 4 - PDG Meetings and Final Unit Ratings Summary to the Office of the Dean between August 25 - October 3
    • Step 5 - Submission of Final Unit/Departmental ratings summaries to Office of the Dean by October 10
  • If you have any questions on the PDG process, please contact Elana Whelan.

Finance

Rosemary Hicks

  • Thank you to everyone for taking the time to review your delegations of authority for the new Mustang Market e-procurement system. We have provided this information to Purchasing, and training for the system will commence shortly.
  • We have received our carryforward from IPB and have allocated the carryforwards to each individual department, for those eligible to receive them. Please check your August General Ledger and do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
  • We are moving forward with regular Activity Based Budgeting reporting and will be producing reports based on August, December and April actuals to start. For those of you who need to allocate salaries and/or expenses, please do so for August 31.

Basic Medical Sciences

Basic Medical Sciences Undergraduate Education (BMSUE)
Dr. Candace Gibson

  • BMSUE is coordinating the allocation and hiring of Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) from basic medical science departments in preparation for the start of undergraduate classes on September 4.
  • A new initiative on campus is the Lead GTA Program, which provides outstanding graduate students with an opportunity to apply their interest, teaching experience, and training beyond traditional GTA duties. The Lead GTA will serve as a mentor, coach and liaison for GTAs in basic medical science courses by providing resources and designing and facilitating workshops. Danielle Brewer, a PhD student in Anatomy and Cell Biology, has been hired as the Lead GTA for the School.
  • The task of collecting career plans from the 356 BMSc graduates this past June is currently underway. With annual response rates of 78-82%, this survey provides an excellent picture of where the BMSc graduate goes. The list of careers includes medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, graduate programs, optometry, physiotherapy, education and law.

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Dr. Andrew Watson

  • While graduate student recruitment is moving well for the coming year, we are still collectively short of targets for PhD students. Thus, we would ask all programs to still consider finding ways to take on at least one more PhD student per program.
  • Programs should also be selecting individuals that are strong candidates for Vanier PhD scholarships. Collectively we wish to maximize the number of Vanier's our PhD students can be awarded in the coming year. SGPS is asking Faculties and Graduate Programs to invite those qualified to apply by October 1, 2014.
  • It is thesis defense time! Please participate on defense committees including volunteering to chair defenses across campus. If you are able to spare your time, please e-mail klocke2@uwo.ca directly.

Communications

Jennifer Parraga

  • We have made great progress with our Phase Two website redevelopment project. Close to half of the web maps have been approved and we have begun building the approved websites. We have also started CASCADE content management training for our Phase Two participants.
  • We will be launching three new departmental websites on August 26: Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Imaging, and Medical Biophysics
  • Work is underway for the upcoming White Coat Ceremonies, as well as our Medicine Family & Friend information session.
  • See the Line was a huge success with more than 500 people attending the public symposium, and close to 100 in attendance at the Continuing Medical Education (CME) session.
  • Continuing efforts for Homecoming 2014. Purchase your tickets for the Dean’s Gala before September 12.

Information Services

Sergio Rodriguez

  • The VERC facility is now fully running virtual desktops. In mid-July, the entire VERC facility (140 computers in M150, M150A, DSB 4006, 7 & 8) was converted from standard desktops to virtual desktops running from Western's VDI infrastructure. A special thanks to the Schulich IS support team for the great work in completing this very significant work quickly and efficiently.
  • Renovations and AV upgrade work in key Schulich Medicine & Dentistry facilities continues in preparation for the start of the new academic year. HSA 101, MSB 384, CSB 2721 are all progressing well and should be ready well before September. In addition, a damaged AV switcher was replaced in the Drimmer lab on August 7th.  
  • IS has been busy working with UME and AFMC on the new AFMC Student Portal that is being launched in October. The Portal will be a single entry point for all visiting electives in Canadian medical schools for both Canadian and international medical students. Features of the Portal include a national, online application service and guide to visiting elective opportunities available in Canada.

Project Management Office/Strategic Technology Commons

Dale Shelley

  • The next 2-Day 'Focus' workshop (Process Improvement & Management Methodology & Tools) has been scheduled for October 14 - 15, 2014. If you would like to participate, please send your request to pmo.inquiry@schulich.uwo.ca to register. Feedback from previous attendees has been very positive and we would like everyone in Schulich to have had an opportunity to participate.   
  • Congratulations go to Dr. Jay Loftus for successfully defending his doctoral dissertation at the University of Calgary in July.  
  • There is an SOP workshop scheduled for August 18. Please email stc@schulich.uwo.ca to register. You can also e-mail stc@schulich.uwo.ca for any consultation or training requests related to instructional design or training.

Education

John Ruicci

  • LEW and UME and the Windsor Program are currently working with Western Services for Students with Disabilities to clarify policy and process as to how and when learners declare needs for academic accommodation and how academic accommodation is handled at each campus.  
  • In preparation for our upcoming CACMS-LCME Accreditation Survey Visit (April 12-15, 2015) we have secured the dates for a dress rehearsal Mock Accreditation to be held from October 19 to 22, 2014 at both London and Windsor campuses.
    • Two experienced accreditors will conduct a survey visit that will mirror the formal site visit. This will include an opening and exit interview with Dean M. Strong.
    • Many schools have used this process strategically to enhance their understanding of program strengths & weaknesses and prepare for the upcoming site visit. It is imperative that you attend as scheduled. A schedule has been circulated - and will be placed on the UME Accreditation Website soon.
  • The 2014 Pilot Aboriginal MedLINCS based in Owen Sound was very well received by community. Many diverse partnerships throughout the area - Saugeen First Nations, Chippewa of Nawash, Metis Nation of Ontario, were nurtured and developed by the committee team and our medical students. The traditional model of the MedLINCS program is a week-long program held in a central location, where students from the area register in advance. Due to the Aboriginal program being a pilot project this year, the model used previously was adapted based on community feedback, needs and barriers identified, such as transportation and summer employment.  Further, programming was opened to include elementary, secondary, and post-secondary participants. This dynamic and cross-generational approach was seen as the highlight of the project, and was felt to be the most impactful and accepted by the bands, councils and community agencies involved.
    • Medical student engagement and observership was well supported by Grey-Bruce Health Services-Owen Sound, Wiarton Hospital, Grey-Bruce Public Health, M-Wikwedong Native Cultural Resource Centre, Southwest Ontario Health Access Centre, Georgian College, Saugeen First Nations and Chippewa of Nawash.
    • Continued collaboration is planned moving into 2015.  Expertise and guidance will be provided by Indigenous Services, Western University and growth of established partnerships.  We will work with the community to ensure we are receptive to feedback and ensure flexibility in programming offered in order to meet local aboriginal needs.
  • Admissions held a productive, summative retreat day on July 24.