GradzetteTHE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA’S GRADUATE STUDENT MAGAZINENovember 2012

Gradzette

The UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA’S GRADUATE STUDENT MAGAZINE

Gradzettec/o The Manitoban NewspaperPublications Corporation105 University CentreUniversity of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2

General inquiries and advertisingPhone: (204) 474.6535Fax: (204) 474.7651Email: publisher@Gradzette.comEditor: Sheldon BirnieCopy Editor: Ryan HarbyDesigner: Leif LarsenContributors: Jennifer Wasko, Brian Hauri, Beibei Lu Cover: Beibei Lu

The Gradzette is the official student magazine of the University of Manitoba’s graduate student community and is published on the first Monday of each month byThe Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation.

The Gradzette is a democratic student organization, open to participation from all students. It exists to serve its readers as students and citizens.

The magazine’s primary mandate is to report fairly and objectively on issues and events of importance and interest to the graduate students of the University of Manitoba, to provide an open forum for the free expression and exchange of opinions and ideas and to stimulate meaningful debate on issues that affect or would otherwise be of interest to the student body and/or society in general.

The Gradzette serves as a training ground for students interested in any aspect of journalism. Students and other interested parties are invited to contribute. Please contact the Editor for submission guidelines.

The Gradzette reserves the right to edit all submissions and will not publish any material deemed by its editorial board to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic or libelous. Opinions expressed in letters and articles are solely those of the authors.

The Gradzette is a member of the Canadian University Press, a national student press cooperative with members from St. John’s to Victoria.

All contents are ©2012 and may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation.

Yearly subscriptions to the Gradzette are available, please contact publisher@Gradzette.com for more information.

Hello all,

It’s that time of year again and the UMSU & GSA Holiday Hampers are being prepared!

If you require a holiday hamper this holiday season, please completely fill out the Holiday Hamper Registration Form found at www.umgsa.ca, in the “services" section (Holiday Hampers Program on the left column).

Hampers will be delivered or will be available for pickup at your request at either the Fort Garry Campus or Bannatyne Campus.

Please fill out the form no later than Friday, November 30th, 2012, at 12 p.m..

For more information, or to volunteer to help out, please contact

Jennifer Chen, Vice-President Academic at: vpa@umgsa.ca, (204)474-9181.

A message from the GSA

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Jennifer Chen, GSA VP Academic

he whirs, buzz, and bangs of renovation still disturb the normally peaceful atmosphere of the University of Manitoba's main library, Elizabeth Dafoe. Ordinarily it is difficult to find a spot to sit in the

library, but this fall finding an open chair or carrel is easy. It is clear that the

no i se o f const r uct ion i s keep ing s tudents away. % “We hope to be done by mid-November,” head of Dafoe Library Nicole Michaud-Oystryk told the Gradzette. The construction was set to be finished in

October, but “we've had construction delays , i t ’s an old bui lding.”% When walls are opened in many old buildings, structural or other problems can come to light that need addressing. Michaud-Ostryk assured the Gradette, however, that those behind the project understand that the construction has been an inconvenience to students. The university remains committed to the understanding that the renovation will be done right and will

be completed a s soon a s poss ib le . % Entrance to the library is still accessible through the rear entrance of the building with many bright yellow signs guiding the way. The library elevator is s t i l l acces s ib le a s we l l .% Library staff have also remained committed to helping students throughout this chaotic time. For those still in need of a quiet study space, one cheerful staff member recommends the Icelandic reading room on the third

f loor – poss ib l y the qu ie tes t p l ace in the bu i ld ing .

% The main library services, including pick-up of reserve material and drop-off of materials, are currently conducted on the second floor at the Public Service desk. Drop-off of materials must be deposited in the labeled bin during library hours as the external drop-off system is closed during construction. Materials requested through document delivery must be picked up at the Sciences and Technology Library in Machray Hall. Although the reference collection is currently inaccessible to students, the staff will help you out, all

you ha ve to do i s a sk . % “At least we have our Starbucks back,” commented one student in a long line behind me as we casually talk about the construction while waiting to order

our dr inks . % The Starbucks lounge has been open since Oct. 9 with its usual entrance at the front of Elizabeth Dafoe. This is the noisiest spot of the building, with only a thin plastic film wall separating the coffee shop from the construction but it doesn't seem to bother the patrons who visit and enjoy their break as if there was nothing unusual about the drills and bangs.

For more information on the U of M’s Elizabeth Dafoe Library, including construction updates, please visit: http://libguides.lib.umanitoba.ca/dafoe.

See construction pictures on next page.

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Library construction updateElizabeth Dafoe expected completion date pushed back to mid-NovemberBy Jennifer Wasko

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Photos by Beibei Lu

s a graduate student in my final year of an

MA degree, the question of what I’m going to do after I graduate arises with increasing frequency. I figured it prudent, both for my own benefit and for that of other graduate students, to explore the career services available to students here at the University of Manitoba. Such was the impetus for my recent discussion with Elizabeth Boyle, Lindsey Hiebert, and Lynda Peto, advisors with the Student Counselling and Career Centre, located at 474

University Centre. % I arrived early to my meeting and used that opportunity to look around the career services centre. Amidst the public use computers and comfy chairs, they had an extensive career library with books on job searching and networking, interview preparation, resume and cover letter preparation, and a

variety of books on careers specific to the various degrees offered at the U of M. In addition, they had an area devoted to answering the question “What can I do with a degree in…?” and binders for

specific areas of specialization. % Once 3 p.m. rolled around, I met up with the advisors, turned on my tape recorder, and enjoyed a 45 minute interview/discussion I wish had participated in when I first started my degree. I learned both about the

extensive online resources available through the career services website as well as the benefit that an in-person meeting with a career or employment counselor

can have. % Through an assessment of your education and extra-curricular background, they can offer you career paths that will use your specific background. In my case, a background with degrees in both philosophy and experimental psychology opened up career options in a field I hadn’t thought of

Take advantage of free resources while still a student

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Career services at the U of M

Brian Hauri

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Photo by Beibei Lu

before, that of “market research analyst.” If I were to pursue this career further, another great benefit of the career services department is their mentor program. The mentor program service is a very savvy way of looking for work and building a professional network. The advisors at career services can help you prepare for your meeting with a mentor and also make the initial contact, setting up a face-

to-face meeting with a professional in your desired field.

% Another one of the many functions of the career services department is in helping students find a career that they will enjoy based on their interests, values, personality preferences, skills/aptitudes, dreams, experiences, and life influences. They have tools such as the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test, which are tools used to assess your personality,

preferences, and the types of careers that may be right for you. % One of the many important points I gleaned from my discussion with the advisors is that more education does not always mean more opportunities. A key factor in finding gainful employment is to be mindful of the needs of the employer. This is where the time spent outside of courses can make a big difference. Thus, to get the most out of your degree, it is important to self-reflect early on as to why you chose the degree you did. Ask yourself questions

like:% “Which career am I interested in and are there specific employers I

would like to work for?”

% “Are there any skills or experience that can be gained through work and volunteering that will affect my marketability and help me get the most out of

my time at the U of M?” % Although it is certainly possible to get a lot of help through the career services website and the webshops, workbooks and workshops detailed in the sidebar, I learned firsthand that there is immense value to talking in person with a career or employment counselor. They can help with the initial decision making process and steer you in the right direction for a career that best meets your preferences and needs, but they can also give you a push to take a chance

and encourage you with the decisions that you do make. % The career and employment advisors at the U of M are here to help you to achieve your goals and I encourage you to make use of this amazing free

resource we have available. % Career and employment advisors at the U of M are offer "ee, in person or online workshops in the areas of career planning, resume writing, CV writing, job searching, interview preparation, and career fair success. Pre-registration is necessary for these workshops, as space is limited. Resources are available online at umanitoba.ca/student/careerservices/

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I learned firsthand that there is immense value to talking in person with a career or employment counselor . . . I encourage you to make use of

this amazing free resource we have available

Photo by Beibei Lu

DMONTON (CUP) — A grad student at the University of Alberta has discovered that lakes across Canada have been contaminated by

strains of algae species that produce toxins. % Along with a team of 17 researchers, Diane Orihel, a PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences, has spent the past two years analyzing existing data on blue-green algae, which contain high levels of nutrients including cyanobacteria — known to produce harmful toxins.

% Orihel’s team looked into more than 3,000 records and samples from the past ten years in order to gain a picture of the toxic algae’s national presence in Canadian lakes. The nutrients causing algal blooms can be deposited into lakes in the form of sewage, fertilizers or artificial canals. Shoreline property where the wild vegetation is cut down can also make it easier for these nutrients to

find their way into the lake.% “The one thing to understand is the riparian zone—the vegetation around the lake—is really important for filtering nutrients before they hit the

water,” Orihel said.

% “So if you have a developed shoreline, like if you have cottage development where people have mowed down that vegetation it exhausts your

last line of defense. “% Orihel expected prairie regions and areas of Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to carry the toxic algae in the water, but was

surprised to discover it was present in other parts of Canada.% “Those lakes typically have poor water quality. These are shallow lakes and the water’s just developed for agriculture and they’re known to have algal

blooms.” % “I wasn’t expecting to see these toxins in kind of the more pristine areas,”

Orihel said, particularly noting the east and west coast. % Health problems have been linked to the exposure of the algae through ingestion of the water. This can occur through recreational activities such as swimming or inhaling water spray during jet skiing. Another possibility also

includes the consumption of fish that have ingested the algae.% Managing the algae has proven difficult. According to Orihel, it is unknown why the algae creates toxins out of the excess nutrients, but the only way to control the cyanobacteria population is to sever the nutrients. This includes managing livestock waste near water systems, controlling fertilizers

and redeveloping vegetation along shorelines.

% “The message is that everyone has a role to play,” Orihel said. % “Right from choices that individuals make to municipalities putting in

Research could benefit Canadian university

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U of A grad student tackles eutrophication

Katelyn Hoffart – The Gateway (University of Alberta)

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“How is the government going to make decisions on how to manage our lakes, how to monitor our fish population when we no longer

have the best tool in order to answer those questions?”

-Diane Orthel

bylaws, to how provincial governments put in regulations and direct funding for particular

research and monitoring.”% Orihel said she wants to take the study to the next level by conducting a manipulation experiment, where the research team tests their findings in a controlled ecosystem with predetermined levels of phosphorus and nitrogen

in the water. She feels that the experiment would be able to guide government policy to help

control the deadly algae.% However, the only area where this is permitted is in a world-class test area in northwest Ontario called the Experimental Lakes Area. This test area was shut down in May by the federal

government.

% “How is the government going to make decisions on how to manage our lakes, how to monitor our fish population when we no longer have the best tool in order to answer those questions?”

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Photo curtesy CUPwire

imothy J. Graham is a University of Manitoba graduate student researching visually guided actions. A undergraduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, Graham’s interest lies in “universal principles of behaviour

and in finding real, demonstrable answers to questions.” The Gradzette sat down with Graham to talk about his research and interests.

Gradzette: What drew you to study psychology?

Timothy J. Graham: I’ve always had a general interest in people and their behaviour. I’m very interested in not only what people think, but why they think it. When I was younger this took root as an intense interest in issues like politics and religion. In fact, I was admitted into undergrad (at Wilfrid Laurier University) as part of the religion and culture department with the intention of declaring a major in political science.

As time went on, and especially as I was introduced to ideas from psychology, these fields seemed to be increasingly inadequate. While they are important in their own right, poli-sci, religious studies, anthropology/sociology don’t actually seek to answer questions about why or how humans behave so much as they describe that behaviour through dominant narratives (conservatism, Judaism, feminism, post-colonialism, etc.).

My interest has always been in more universal principles of behaviour and in finding real, demonstrable answers to questions. As such, psychological science seemed to be a better fit for what I wanted to pursue.

G: Where do you get your ideas and main research questions from?

TJG: Generally speaking, my theoretical approach to psychology is that of “functionalism.” This means, when I put together new ideas, or generate new research questions, my main concern is what function the behaviour or concept serves to the individual. This function can be at many levels, such as the behaviour providing an evolutionary benefit or the behaviour being developed through a person’s life to serve some purpose.

G: What research are you currently conducting?

TJG: My current research deals with how visual information is used to guide simple hand movements, essentially eye-hand coordination. The study has subjects reach to grasp a target object while navigating their hand around an

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By Brian Hauri

Gradzette

RESEARCHER PROFILE

Timothy J. Graham

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“Having a base of knowledge that says how this behaviour is observed in a healthy population can illuminate early

detection of neurological decay or even suggest possible methods of rehabilitation.

-Timothy J. Graham

obstacle, placed at various positions between the subject and the target. The goal is to try and describe how and when visual information is used to guide the hand. Essentially, what function does vision provide while we act? What visual information does an individual prioritize a s re le vant and how does th i s prioritization impact how a behaviour is performed?

G: What was your initial interest in this field of research?

TJG: My research as an undergraduate dea l t w i th v i sua l percept ion and attention. Research into basic perception is fascinating and ver y worthwhile; however, I am personally interested in attempting to describe behaviour in more realistic settings.

James Gibson described visual perception as active rather than passive, meaning that what we see and pay attention to is not merely a passive recreation of the world around us, but is shaped by what we want to do in the environment. This has been backed up by research that shows there is a difference between just

looking at an item and looking at it with the intent to use it. Thus, my interest in this field came from wishing to move what I had learned during undergraduate work into this vision-for-action paradigm.

G: How is this research important and what benefits can it have?

TJG: This depends a lot on what is meant by “important.” I tend to be of the belief that knowledge in and of itself has value, so answering any question is important as it provides new knowledge that humanity didn’t have prior. More d i rect l y, r each ing to g ra sp ob ject s i s fundamentally the way humans interact with their environment. For us, and our evolutionary ancestors, the ability to interact with objects through reaching, the ability to view objects as potential tools, underlie what fundamentally shaped human physiology and cognit ion. Therefore, by understanding more about reaching we can understand, at the most basic level, what it means for humans to interact with their environment.

Additionally, this research has direct implications for clinical disorders. Many neurological issues also present errors in the control of the limbs or eyes, and

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having a base of knowledge that says how this behaviour is observed in a healthy population can illuminate early detection of neurological decay or even suggest possible methods of rehabilitation. This research could also provide some insight into how to better design robotic equipment or user interfaces for

human-computer interactions.

G: How is the research conducted?

TJG: Subjects are fitted with an eye-tracking headband and several infrared sensors on their index, thumb and wrist. On each trial, they reach out and grasp a target object and place it in front of themselves. Data is collected from the eyes and arm and sent into a single software package used by our lab. From this, we are able to look at positions of the eyes and hand in a shared coordinate system, something that technology is just now allowing researchers to do.

G: What do you see as the main challenge for your research field in the future?

TJG: Most research into the coordination of vision and action falls into one of two categories, mainly because of technological limitations. Research into simple movements tend to use a lot of computer generated objects and

unrealistic scenarios, whereas research into more complex movement and real world environments sacrifices much of the specificity available with simpler designs and tends to focus on broader sequences of actions. There are exceptions and as technology improves so will this gulf. However, at this point it is very difficult to bridge the gap between the specificity available in simple, lab based experiments and the realism offered by less controlled settings.

G: What career goals do you have for the future?

TJG: My immediate goals are obviously to finish my graduate work and hopefully find employment in academia. Beyond that, broadly speaking, I want to move forward the idea of functionalism as a driving method of explanation in psychology, much like evolution informs biology. I would love to be able to describe even the more enigmatic parts of the human mind — conscious experience, for instance — as being a byproduct of neurological systems that played an adaptive and functional role for our evolutionary ancestors or in how these systems provide a specific functional benefit to us as individuals, given the unique experiences we have had in our lives.

G: When you’re not working, how do you "escape" from your work?

TJG: I’m a news junkie.

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“I would love to be able to describe even the more enigmatic parts of the human mind as being a byproduct of neurological systems that played an adaptive and functional role for our evolutionary

ancestors.

-Timothy J. Graham

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