© News the other press Kelly Parry e kelly-parry@telus.net November 26, 2003 UBC Setting the PACE Kelly Parry News Editor The Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE) announced an in-kind contribu- tion with a commercial value of approxi- mately $240 million to the University of British Columbia (UBC) today. The in- kind contribution—consisting of com- puter-aided design, manufacturing and engineering software, hardware and training—is the largest in UBC's history. It is also the largest initial contribution that PACE has made to a Canadian uni- versity. Michael Grimaldi, President of General Motors of Canada said, “As a result of PACE’s contribution, UBC Faculty of Applied Science undergradu- ate students will have the opportunity to state-of-the-art, computer-aided engineering tools. PACE partners are playing a key role in fostering innovation in Canada by enabling students to work with world-class tools and preparing them for future success as a designing engineer.” UBC has installed a new computing lab to incorporate the contribution. The lab, which enables students to design, engineer, and validate products in a vir- tual world, opened earlier this year. Dr. Martha Piper, President of UBC said, “We are proud to join the presti- gious group of international institutions participating in the PACE program. The leading-edge learning tools will have a significant and lasting impact on engi- neering education, and help to position UBC as a source of highly qualified engi- neers. This in-kind contribution will expand our research capabilities and give use our students hands-on training in the most advanced computer-aided design and engineering methods available today.” “The PACE in-kind contribution to the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC creates a world-class environment that will allow our future engineers to develop the skills most needed by industry,” said Dr. Michael Isaacson, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science. “This repre- sents an important investment that will bring enormous benefits to the Faculty, the University, and industry, but most especially to the students.” To date, 26 academic institutions in Canada, the US, Mexico, Europe, and China have been selected to participate in the PACE program. Twenty-four institu- tions, including UBC, have formally been announced. The value of contribu- tions to date is close to $3 billion in total with almost $460 million donated to institutions in Canada (UBC, Dalhousie University, the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, and Queen's University). Canadian universities involved may also further leverage the PACE contribution through application to federal and provincial matching fund programs. Adrienne White, Judi Piggott, Ruth Wilson, and Beverly Cramp. OP Contributors Douglas College’s Print Futures: Professional Writing Program celebrated its tenth anniversary with Writing Matters, a reunion and conference, November 14 and 15. Over 50 program participants, instructors, and guests attended dinner at the Westminster Club on Columbia Street Friday evening as a kick-off to the weekend’s events. The Saturday conference saw industry professionals and grads sharing their insights on the world of business writing. The day opened with a plenary of panel- lists, including freelance writer Beverly Cramp, Alliance for Arts and Culture training and development specialist Judi Piggott, Raytheon Canada communica- tions manager Adrienne White, and free- lance editor Ruth Wilson. Catherine Jones, a second year student commented, “I am impressed that execu- tives from the fields of editing, corporate communications, and arts administration Kelly Parry and Barbara K. Adamski sat as panel members at the conference. To me, it indicates that the Print Futures program has captured the attention and gained the support of industry profession- als, and it assured me that my hard-earned diploma will have meaning and value in their communities.” Workshops were spread throughout the day and covered all aspects of professional writing. Topics included technical com- munications, editing, ethics, freelancing, enhancing creativity, and exploring the unexpected. The day closed with program graduates speaking on the topic of “If 1 Knew Then What I Know Now,” with magazine edi- tor Stuart Harries (Class of 2001), editor Lynn Smith (Class of 2002), and techni- cal writer Sharon Twiss (Class of 2001). Sheryl Gray, a part-time Print Futures student said, “Writing Matters is a great opportunity to network and discuss career strategies, from choosing a career focus to contacting potential employers.” Following the all-day conference was a “Night Out” in the Douglas Room on campus, where a small crowd gathered for post-conference _ socializing. Founding members of LooseLeaf , an online magazine promoting the work of present and past Print Futures students, spoke about how the ezine came to be. Also introduced was Writers’ Blocks, a col- lection of poetry by Print Futures stu- some dents. The event was deemed a success by Program Coordinator Maureen Nicholson, who is already thinking ahead to Writing Matters 2004. The final word goes to Lynn Paus, a first year, full-time student “I laughed, I listened, I learned. It is tremendous fun to hang out with so many like-minded and brilliant people, and I’m just bursting with pride and feeling so privileged to be a member of this community.” eee Page 4 _hittp://www.otherpress.ca