Staying safe on social media is the focus this week as part of Cyber Security Awareness Month.
Information Technology Services (ITS) has created a list of Social Media Security Best Practices for navigating the Internet’s social media landscape:
Never give anyone your password and always use a strong password that can't be easily guessed.
Only add people you know and trust to your social networks. Adding people you don’t know as friends or connections opens the potential that these unknown users might be trying to steal your information.
Limit what you share publicly. Don’t put too much personal information online, including your public profile. Details like your date of birth, home address, phone number and family relationships can be used to steal your identity. Try a Google search for yourself and find out what your profile looks like to someone who isn’t logged in.
Check the privacy settings for your account to control what people can see. Many sites set their default privacy controls very low, which means you could be sharing personal details with people you wouldn’t normally (including current or potential employers).
Be careful when posting pictures. Is there anything in the picture that you don’t want strangers to see? Avoid posting pictures of valuable objects that you own or that could be used to identify you, like your house or car.
Don’t click suspicious looking links or videos from friends. If it looks like something they wouldn’t normally share, their accounts might be compromised – and yours could be too if you click it.
Don’t share everything you do in real time or continuously “check-in” to places you visit. This tells people where you are at all times and makes you an easy target for stalking and theft.
Remember to log-out before leaving a public computer. Don’t let strangers have access to your account – or friends who might post embarrassing things while pretending to be you.
GPS tracking can allow social media like Facebook and Twitter to geotag your messages. If you’re using your smartphone and don’t want your location to be known, disable geolocation services, just to be safe
Visit the ITS website to learn more about cyber security at Queen’s and view information about the themes from previous weeks including phishing, a form of online identity theft, and mobile device security.
Homecoming is always an opportunity for alumni to reconnect with Queen’s University, former colleagues, faculty and current students. (University Communications)
Each year thousands of alumni return to Queen’s to reconnect with one another and relive some of their student experiences.
HOMECOMING 2015 Main hub for the weekend is Grant Hall – Alumni Meet and Greet
Friday, Oct. 23 11:30 am-6 pm Saturday, Oct. 24, 8:30 am-12 pm
Kick off the Homecoming Weekend by visiting Grant Hall. Representatives from Queen’s Archives, student clubs, Athletics and Recreation, Queen’s Bands and more, are eager to welcome you home to Queen’s. Pick up your reunion pin at the registration tables, along with any football tickets that you’ve purchased. Academic Excellence events: School of Policy Studies presents “Dear Premiers: How Does 20 Years of Fiscal Austerity Sound?” by Don Drummond, Stauffer-Dunning Fellow
Friday Oct. 23, 5:30-7 pm, School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Rm 100.
In this presentation Don Drummond will explain why economic and revenue growth will be insufficient and what provinces and territories can do to bolster growth. All welcome. Battle of the Books – Department of English
Saturday, Oct. 24, 10:30 am-12 pm, Stauffer Library, Speaker’s Corner
Eight teams will do battle to persuade the audience that their pick merits the 2015 Giller Prize. Teams participate in a series of three elimination brackets, with just three minutes to make their case. Open to all. Queen’s Spirit events: Engineers Without Borders – Pumpkin Smash
Friday, Oct. 23, 12-3 pm, Agnes Benidickson Field
A chance to chat about the work the group does in the community and the overseas ventures it supports. Watch as they drop a 500-pound pumpkin at 2:30 pm. Queen’s Solar education Centre Open House
Saturday, Oct. 24, 12-4 pm, Upper parking lot West Campus
Join alumni, students and community members at the QSEC, an off-grid home powered exclusively by solar energy. Team members will be offering tours of the home. AMS ReUnion Street Festival
Saturday, Oct. 24, On Union Street
A celebration of Queen’s pride and spirit that offers alumni and students the opportunity to interact through a variety of activities and entertainment.
Homecoming 2015, slated for Oct. 23-25, is a time of excitement and renewal for the returnees as well as the university.
Making sure the annual event will be one to remember for both the alumni and Queen’s takes months of planning and preparations, as well as a lot of hard work by staff and volunteers.
With Homecoming mere days away, everything is coming together quite nicely, says Sarah Indewey, Manager of Volunteer Relations and Reunions at the Office of Advancement.
Registrations for this year’s Homecoming weekend have topped 2,700, well ahead of last year’s numbers, she says.
Classes having milestone graduation anniversary years will enjoy special programming hosted by the university. Events are planned for classes celebrating their five-year and 25-year anniversaries, as well as those who graduated 50 or more years ago, better known as the Tricolour Guard.
One of the nice surprises this year is a significant increase in the number of alumni returning for their five-year reunion.
“There’s been some great work done in terms of engaging the younger alumni population. We started a pilot program last year to start recognizing the fifth reunion in a more significant way,” Ms. Indewey says, adding that organizers worked with Colin McLeod (Artsci’10), who is the Director-at-Large, Young Alumni for the Queen’s University Alumni Association (QUAA). “They did a strategic analysis of what it is their classmates are interested in that are coming back to the reunion.”
The result is an event that will be hosted at The Underground ahead of the AMS’ ReUnion Street Festival. There are more than 300 confirmed attendees, while a similar event last year attracted less than 100. Overall, more than 500 members of the Class of 2010 will be attending their first Homecoming, a number never seen before.
“So that committee and that approach really blew things out of the water,” Ms. Indewey says. “And that’s an important group for us to think about in the future when engaging the alumni. It’s a really positive win for this year.”
That positivity also reaches to the hundreds of volunteers who help make Homecoming the best event it can be.
There are over 200 student volunteers who help out throughout the weekend with the signature reunion activities as well as the wide variety of activities hosted by the faculties.
Another important aspect of Homecoming is philanthropy, particularly through class giving. Many classes choose Homecoming as a time to make a difference at their alma mater, usually with direct benefit to students. For example, BioSci’75 is working to raise $5,000 to purchase a number of one-person bunkies in support of students conducting field research.
“Class giving reconnects alumni with the student experience. It’s another way that they (alumni) can continue to make a difference at Queen’s and contribute to the traditions that were memorable to them as students,” says Tom Harris, Vice-Principal (Advancement), adding that more than 100 volunteers are working on this year’s philanthropy effort. “It speaks volumes about the dedication and pride that surrounds Homecoming weekend. We look forward to welcoming our alumni home, and to a safe and respectful celebration of the Queen’s spirit.”
Chris Osei-Kusi returns a punt 40 yards for a touchdown during the Queen's Gaels 33-32 win against the York Lions on Saturday in Toronto (Photo by Rahom Abtahi/York University)
FOOTBALL
The No.10 Queen's Gaels football team (5-2) secured a playoff spot as they hung on for a 33-32 win over the York Lions (1-7) in OUA action on Saturday afternoon in Toronto.
Game highlights included a game-winning 21-yard field goal by Dillon Wamsely with 1:42 left, a 48-yard touchdown run by Jonah Pataki and a 104-yard TD pass from quarterback Nate Hobbs to receiver Doug Corby. Chris Osei-Kusi also scored on a 40-yard punt return.
The Gaels will close out their OUA regular season Saturday at Richardson Stadium for Homecoming against the Laurier Golden Hawks. For tickets visit www.gogaelsgo.com/tickets. Only Gaels Club and limited assigned seating remains. Student tickets will be available for pickup on Oct. 20 starting at 6 am at the ARC.
CROSS-COUNTRY
The final race for the Gaels prior to the OUA Championship was their own Queen's Invitational held on Saturday afternoon at Fort Henry. Queen's took a first-place finish on the women's side beating out the other eight schools thanks to a first-place finish by Julie-Anne Staehli in the women's 6-km race in a time of 20:45.47. The men's team finished second among the 10 visiting schools, just behind the McMaster Marauders.
Behind Staehli on the women's side was a third-place finish by Claire Sumner who ran a time of 21:04.97. Charlotte Dunlap placed ninth and Erin O’Higgins was 13th.
On the men's side Alex Wilkie led the way for Queen's as he took second in at a time of 31:06.53 in the 10-km run. Wilkie finished just over four seconds behind the first place finisher Kevin Tree from Lakehead University. Eric Wynands placed sixth and Jeff Archer was 14th.
MEN’S RUGBY
The Queen’s Gaels men’s rugby team (5-1) clinched their fifth consecutive win Saturday afternoon with a convincing 60-20 victory over the Laurier Golden Hawks (2-4). The Gaels charged out to a 36-0 lead at the half and held on for the victory.
WOMEN’S RUGBY
The No. 5 Gaels (5-1) defeated the York Lions (2-4) 53-15 on Saturday in the OUA quarterfinal match, sending the Gaels on to the OUA semifinals. The Gaels took a commanding 26-3 lead into the half.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
The Queen's Gaels women's soccer team (6-2-6) picked up a win and a draw in weekend action. On Sunday, the Gaels topped the Trent Excalibur 3-1 on the road, following a scoreless draw with the UOIT Ridgebacks on Friday. The results place the Gaels fourth in the OUA East Division heading into the final week of the regular season.
MEN’S SOCCER
The Queen's Gaels men's soccer team (8-2-4) picked up a pair of wins on the weekend, defeating the Trent Excalibur 4-2 on Sunday afternoon and a 1-0 victory Friday over the UOIT Ridgebacks. The Gaels sit third in the East Division, with a four-point cushion over the Carleton Ravens and one point behind the Toronto Varsity Blues.
MEN’S HOCKEY
The Queen's Gaels (2-1-0) defeated the Brock Badgers (0-3-1) 4-3 on Saturday night in OUA men's hockey at the Memorial Centre in Kingston. On Friday, the Gaels suffered their first defeat losing 3-1 against the York Lions.
WOMEN’S HOCKEY
The Queen's Gaels (3-0-0-1) traveled to Toronto on the weekend. After dropping a shootout decision to the No. 6 Toronto Varsity Blues 2-1 on Friday they were able to bounce back with a 2-0 win over the Ryerson Rams (0-3-0-1) on Saturday.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
The Quen's Gaels (1-0) grabbed a straight-set win against the RMC Paladins (0-1) Saturday in their first game of the 2015-16 OUA season. The Gaels took the match 25-22, 25-15, and 25-17. Newcomer Marko Dakic along with Dylan Hunt led the attack, contributing 14 points each.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Queen's Gaels women's basketball team made it a clean sweep at the Tindall Invitational Tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC), topping the Carleton Ravens 81-63. Earlier the Gaels beat the Memorial Sea-Hawks 94-62 and the UQAM Citadins 69-63.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Queen's Gaels men's basketball team dropped the final game of its Invitational Tournament on Sunday at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC), falling 98-75 to the Ottawa Gee-Gees. The Gaels finished with a 1-2 record, beating the UQAM Citadins 89-87 on Saturday and losing to the Cape Breton Capers 82-67 on Friday.
ULTIMATE
The Queen's men's ultimate team won the national championship this weekend defeating the Manitoba Bisons in the final. The Gaels women’s team were able to rebound after a semifinal loss to finish in third place.
Here are 10 tips to help you achieve 150 minutes of physical activity in a week, and to help you live a healthy lifestyle. See how many you can do in one week:
Make an exercise game out of your favourite TV show, so every time a catchphrase is used you have to do 10 jumping jacks, etc.
Volunteer to be a referee or coach for a local youth sports team
Pay attention to recommended serving sizes
Start a jogging group
Order dressing on the side of salads
Go on the haunted walk in downtown Kingston
Incorporate games with movement into activities with friends, for example Twister or charades
Make easy healthy meals using a crock pot and freeze extra servings for another meal
Organize a fun sport tournament with friends
Take advantage of the equipment desk at the ARC, whether its sport- or exercise-related
The Agnes Etherington Art Centre has received a substantial grant of $261,937 from the Museum Assistance Program (MAP) of the Department of Canadian Heritage, it was announced Friday.
Norman Vorano is the Queen’s National Scholar and Curator of Indigenous Art.
The grant, the largest received by the gallery from this source, will be allocated over a three-year period. It supports an extraordinary exhibition of graphite drawings under the title Drawing from the Past: Picturing Inuit Modernity in the North Baffin Region, 1964. The show will be featured at the Agnes in 2017, with a national tour to follow.
Created in partnership with the Canadian Museum of History and the Piqqusilirivvik Inuit Cultural Learning Facility in Clyde River, Nunavut, Drawing from the Past will examine a tumultuous era in the history of Canada’s Arctic through the display and interpretation of a unique collection of Inuit drawings made in 1964. The drawings, created by Inuit men and women from the North Baffin communities of Clyde River, Pond Inlet, and Arctic Bay, document the thoughts, apprehensions, memories and observations of Nunavummiut during a time of social upheaval. The pieces entered the collection of the Canadian Museum of History in 2014.
Norman Vorano, Queen’s National Scholar and Curator of Indigenous Art, will lead the project. The exhibition is the first effort to bring this collection to the public in 30 years. Dr. Vorano says the project represents a special opportunity.
“The partnership with Piqqusilirivvik will ensure an informed, culturally rich interpretive framework for presenting these drawings, and opens a new channel of engagement with Canada’s Aboriginal population,” he says. “Reflecting contemporary discussions in curatorial practice, the exhibition seeks a realignment of the relationship between Indigenous and settler perspectives on non‐Western art through an emphasis upon the intangible elements of visual arts — the stories, memories and voices associated with the drawings.”
Agnes Director Jan Allen points out that the cultural exchange embedded in Drawing from the Past takes the work of the gallery in a new direction.
“With the support of MAP and the help of our partners, these drawings — tangible traces of cross‐cultural encounter from half a century ago — will come to life through reflective interviews with the people of their community of origin,” she says. “In conceiving this project, Norman Vorano has cultivated a fresh collaborative approach that promises to be revelatory for all involved.”
In addition to his role at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Dr. Vorano is an assistant professor in the Department of Art at Queen’s University.
For more information, contact Diana Gore, administrative coordinator, at (613) 533.2190 or diana.gore@queensu.ca.
To mark Open Access Week (Oct. 19-15) University Research Services and the Queen’s University Library are hosting a special panel discussion entitled “Open Access: What it is, what it means for you and why you should care.”
Taking part in the panel discussion on open acces are, clockwise from top left: Kerry Rowe; David Murakami-Wood; Jeremey Geelen; Rosarie Coughlan; Brian Hole; Jeff Moon; Nasser Saleh; and Simon French.
The panel brings together a range of different perspectives on open access, including funders, publishers and Queen’s authors and will be held Tuesday, Oct. 20 (Lunch: 12:30-1 pm, discussion 1-2:30 pm), in The Peter Lougheed Room of Richardson Hall.
The discussion is expected to be highly relevant to all researchers, whether faculty member, student, post-doctoral fellow, or research associate;
“The ways in which knowledge is created and exchanged is evolving. Many international funding agencies, including Canada’s federal Tri-Agency have implemented policies requiring awarded research publications to be made freely accessible online to the widest possible audience,” says event organizer, Rosarie Coughlan, Scholarly Publishing Librarian at Queen’s, and a member of the panel. “We are keen to bring all stakeholders to the table in exploring the impact of recent open access requirements and what this means for Queen’s faculty and researchers.”
Along with Ms. Coughlan, panelists include: Simon French (Rehabilitation Therapy); David Murakami-Wood (Sociology); Kerry Rowe (Civil Engineering); Jeff Moon, Data Librarian and Academic Director - Queen's Research Data Centre; Nasser Saleh, Head, Engineering and Science Library and Ambassador: The Open Science Framework; Jeremey Geelen, Policy Analyst at Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC); and Brian Hole - founder and CEO of Ubiquity Press, via Skype from the UK.
With just one year to go until Queen’s 175th anniversary, David Walker can feel the excitement building.
“I sense the momentum spreading across campus and in the community,” says Dr. Walker, Chair, Queen’s 175th Anniversary Executive Committee. “I am encouraged to see individuals and groups come forward with innovative ideas for marking the 175th anniversary in their respective areas.”
On this day 174 years ago, Queen’s received its Royal Charter after petitioning Queen Victoria in London. The university will celebrate the 175th anniversary of this occasion in 2016-17, with most of the celebrations taking place during the academic year, September to April.
Work continues on a significant anniversary project: highlighting 175 seminal moments from Queen’s history. The curation team has whittled the list down after receiving hundreds of submissions from alumni, staff, students and community members. University Historian Duncan McDowall is currently drafting short descriptions of the moments that will be featured on many different platforms when they are unveiled during the 2016-17 academic year.
“175 moments can’t possibly capture everything that has happened at an institution like Queen’s that’s so rich in history,” says Dr. Walker. “That being said, I think people will enjoy exploring the evolution of Queen’s through these milepost moments,” Dr. Walker says.
I am encouraged to see individuals and groups come forward with innovative ideas for marking the 175th anniversary in their respective areas.
David Walker, Chair, Queen's 175th Anniversary Executive Committee
In other 175th anniversary news, Senate recently voted in closed session on the honorary degree recipients for 2016. Senate agreed to award all honorary degrees in 2016 to Queen’s alumni in celebration of the Queen’s 175th anniversary. The honorees will be announced publicly in the New Year. It is anticipated that those hosting these distinguished alumni recipients might wish to build a special event around the occasion to mark the anniversary year, says Dr. Walker.
Also in 2016, Queen’s and Perth, a small village 85 km north of Kingston, will erect joint plaques honouring William Morris, a founding father of both the university and the town. William Morris played a key role in establishing Queen’s College as chair of the first Board of Trustees and he was an early settler of Perth. The Queen’s plaque will be situated outside of Morris Hall, a student residence on campus.
For many graduate students the next big step is entering the job market. To help them get started the School of Graduate Studies is hosting its second annual Career Week for Graduate Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows from Oct. 19-23.
The School of Graduate Studies is hosting its second annual Career Week for Graduate Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows from Oct. 19-23. (University Communications)
The week is comprised of a series of workshops that focus on how to apply skills acquired during graduate training to various career options and how to best market those skills.
“Graduate study is not only about pushing the boundaries of discovery and deepening knowledge and its application, it’s also about preparing our students for what comes next,” says Brenda Brouwer, Vice-Provost and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. “The SGS Career Week provides a series of workshops and hands-on sessions designed to expose students to the skills and strengths acquired in their academic training that will position them for success in a variety of career settings and to learn strategies for networking, self-marketing, and career planning. It’s a fantastic opportunity to think about the future and where your graduate degree might take you.”
Workshops will cover a wide range of topics including how to utilize online tools to promote your skills in a changing labour market, jobs in academia, teaching dossiers, and identifying your skills.
There will also be special sessions for graduate coordinators and students with guest speaker Anne Krook, who has extensive experience in the post-secondary and IT sectors.
The week will conclude with a networking reception on Friday, Oct. 23 from 4-5:30 pm at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre. Participants will meet local employers and alumni of Queen's graduate programs to expand their network and explore career opportunities. In this guided networking event, each employer or alumnus will offer up a valuable tip for finding a career that perhaps students and post-docs never knew they were trained to do.
With such a broad range of topics and information, graduate students are sure to find something of value.
A full schedule of the week's events can be found online at queensu.ca/exph/career-week/.
By Chris Moffatt Armes, Government Relations Analyst
Get to know one of Canada’s preeminent technology entrepreneurs in this Q&A interview, following his Principal’s Forum speech. Sir Terry offers lessons learned over a lifetime of entrepreneurship.
Q: Was there any advice you wish someone had given you before you started your first company, or was entrepreneurship something you always aspired to?
A: No, I think it was in my blood from the get-go. In the area I was brought up, there were engineering companies all around me. From a very young age, I could pull apart a machine, I could fix a radio, I could fix a vehicle, an engine, an axle. It was in the blood. So I think there’s something in the DNA. You have to choose people or give them the opportunity. Some people will have a go and make it, and some people just can’t because they’re just too risk averse.
Q: If you had to live your life over again, but becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t an option, is there anything else you would have liked to do as a career?
A: It’s such a pleasurable thing to put a team together to fight and grow and be successful. I don’t think I would want to have gone down a different track. I might have been an explorer of some kind, but it could not be passive. I’m not a passive person. Inherently, I’m able to take risks, judge what the risks are, and judge what I consider to be the worst case and the best case. I’ll go for the best case if I can live with the worst case. If I can’t live with the worst case, I won’t do it.
Q: What common traits have you noticed that highly-successful people seem to share?
A: It’s all over the map. Some people are very arrogant, but they wind up doing very well. Some people are dishonest and create an aura. Personally, I don’t like that. I think it’s good to be humble. I’d rather drive a half-ton, rusted truck than a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce. If you set yourself up, you might be torn down.
Q: You have many different projects on the go. What do you do to relax?
A: That is what I do to relax. That’s my hobby. I like Business. If I retired… well actually, I am retired. I retired in 1978 when Mitel went public and my hobby is to create businesses. Enjoy what you do. If you don’t enjoy it, do something else!
Q: If you could only leave behind one lesson for the next generation of entrepreneurs, what would you want it to be?
Wendy Powley, a research associate and adjunct lecturer in the School of Computing and the Faculty of Education, was recently appointed as chair of the ACM-W Celebrations committee, a subgroup of the Association for Computing Machinery. (University Communications)
For years Wendy Powley (School of Computing) has worked toward attracting more women to the field of computing, at Queen’s, in Ontario and across Canada.
A big part of this effort was founding and organizing the Ontario Celebration of Women in Computing (ONWIC), a conference that draws female students from across the province to gain experience, receive support and make valuable contacts.
Ms. Powley, a Research Associate and Adjunct Lecturer in the School of Computing and the Faculty of Education, also continues to play a key role in Women in the School of Computing (WISC) at Queen’s, an informal support and social group for all women, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, in the School of Computing.
So it perhaps wasn’t much of a surprise that she was recently appointed as chair of the ACM-W Celebrations committee, a subgroup of the Association for Computing Machinery, the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society.
Having organized such Celebrations since 2010, she’s ideally suited for the role.
Ms. Powley will not only coordinate the organization of the Celebration in Canada, but she will oversee ACM-W Celebrations that occur annually worldwide. In the 2015/2016 academic year there are at least 10 Celebrations planned across the United States as well as Celebrations in Europe (2), India (2), Puerto Rico, Cuba and, of course, in Canada. In her new position, Ms. Powley will play a key role in encouraging new Celebrations in an effort to broaden their reach. She will share her expertise with Celebration organizers and ensure that the resources provided by the ACM-W such as funding, swag, web hosting, and emotional support reach each and every Celebration organizer.
“Communication with my ACM-W mentors was crucial during the organization of our first Celebration. Kind offerings of advice, encouragement, and validation kept me going,” Ms Powley says. “That will be a big part of my role – to inspire and motivate others. Organizing a Celebration is a huge undertaking, but I want them to know that in the end they will have no regrets. It is incredibly satisfying to provide an inspirational experience that will have a lasting impact on young people.”
It was the ACM-W Celebrations model that got ONCWIC started at Queen’s in 2010 – that along with a very keen group of student helpers from WISC. Each year since 2010 the conference has been hosted by a different university and has been growing in popularity. This year the conference has a new identity – the “Canadian Celebration of Women in Computing” and will become a national annual conference. It is expected to attract more than 500 women from across the country.
Queen’s continues to play a prominent role in the conference through Ms. Powley’s organizing role as well as the number of participants – a contingent of 60 at the most recent event.
This prominence is a positive for Queen’s as well as for the School of Computing.
“Being visible at the Celebration as a very large group speaks volumes that women are welcome here at Queen’s in Computer Science,” Ms. Powley says. “It’s a way to retain our women as well. Our first year students who attend find the event very inspiring as they see many positive female role models and learn of the vast opportunities available in the field. We hope this has a lasting effect”.
So far the efforts have been successful at Queen’s. With approximately 35% of the undergraduates enrolled in computing programs being female, it is believed that Queen’s has the highest percentage in Canada. With the national average in North America hovering around 15%, there is still much work to be done.
She sees the ACM-W Celebrations as a key part of finding a long-term solution.
“We need to be actively involved in encouraging women to come into the field. We are all consumers of technology. It only makes sense to ensure that there is diversity among its creators,” she says. “Ideally, the way to get more women into the field is to get more women into the field.”
Ms. Powley in her new role at ACM-W intends to ensure this happens.