Gazette, 1992-06-18

              Gazette
Memorial
University of Newfoundland
Volume 24    Number 19
June 18,1992
Memorial honors excellence in teaching, research
The winners or the 1992 awards honoring outstanding teachers and researchers at Memorial are shown on the steps or Raymond Gushuc
Hall following a special presentation ceremony last week. Shown (L-R) are Dr. Neil Bose, engineering; Dr. Michael Sherrick, psychology;
Dr. Peter Sinclair, sociology; William Kearns, history; Dr. Priscilla Renour, anthropology; Geoffrey Farmer, geography; Dr. Mark Howe,
psychology; and Dr. Gregory Kealey, history.
Eight    members    of   Memorial's    recognized for their outstanding contribu-
academic community have been    tions in the areas of university teaching
No problems found with
library air quality
After seven years and more than
$7
and research. Three individuals were
honored for excellence in teaching, two
were named university research professors, and three received the President's
Award for Outstanding Research at a special awards ceremony on Wednesday
afternoon, June 10.
The university makes the three awards
annually as a way of honoring members
of faculty who have demonstrated outstanding merit in teaching or research.
Memorial initiated the two research
awards in 1984, and added the award
recognizing its outstanding teachers in
1988.
Geoffrey Farmer of geography, William Kearns, history, and Dr. Michael
Sherrick, psychology, were named the
1992 winners of the President's Awards
for Distinguished Teaching. Historian Dr.
Gregory Kealey and sociologist Dr. Peter
Sinclair each received the rank of university research professor, and Dr. Neil Bose,
engineering, Dr. Mark Howe, psychology,
and Dr. Priscilla Renouf, anthropology,
were named winners of the President's
Award for Outstanding Research.
The university research professorship
is a distinction above the rank of full
professor that honors individuals who
have achieved international prominence
in their particular field. In addition to a
$3,000 research grant, university research
professors receive the benefit of a
reduced teaching load.
The President's Award for Distinguished Teaching recognizes the essential
role that teaching excellence plays within
the university community. The terms of
the award require^ that former students of
the nominee are among those who
nominate a distinguished teacher. As well
as a commemorative certificate, each
winner of the teaching award receives a
See EXCELLENCE, p. 3
$750,000 of tests and retrofits,
Memorial's Department of University
Works has been advised by independent
consultants that there are no problems
with air quality in the Queen Elizabeth II
Library.
"All the advice that we've been given
by independent testing agencies and consultants has been strictly followed," says
Aiden Kiernan, associate director of
university works. "These standard tests
are accepted as indicators of problems;
whatever tests we've been asked to do,
we've done. And all the results of independent testing have come up with a clean
building."
Questions about problems with air
quality in the 10-year-old building first
arose in 1985. University works, working
closely with the Department of Labor,
conducted a series of tests for CO2,
temperature and relative humidity in the
building. The results of those tests indicated no problem with air quality.
"Levels of CO2 are a measure of air
quality; if you're getting a high level of
CO2, it means the air isn't circulating,"
says Mr. Kiernan. "We were getting CO2
readings of 400-500 parts per million,
well below maximum acceptable levels."
As a comparison, he says, outside air in
Toronto is 650 parts of CO2 per million.
Recommendations followed
But by the following year, complaints
about air quality persisted. BFL Limited, a
local consulting engineering firm, was
commissioned to carry out a study of
areas where problems had been identified.
All of BFL's recommendations were carried out, including an increase in the
amount of fresh air introduced into the
building.
Complaints started up again, however,
in 1989-90, and the firm of Morrison
Hershfield was contracted, under the
guidance of the Library Health and Safety
Committee, to address their concerns and
conduct more tests. As a result of their
report, a number of steps were undertaken
— such as readjusting and recalibrating
all environmental control devices in the
library, the installation of separate air systems for the archives and Centre for Newfoundland Study areas, an upgrading of
the building's air filters from 50 per cent
to 85 per cent efficiency, doubling the
relative humidity, an upgrade of air supply
to the study areas, and a variety of minor
retrofits — at a cost of more than
$750,000.
More tests were carried out in 1990-91,
for ozone levels and microorganisms.
Again, levels were found to be much
lower than acceptable standards. "For example, when testing for microorganisms
— bacterial colonies and the like — the
allowable limit is up to 1,000 colonies per
test sample," says Mr. Kiernan. "In tests
in the library, we came up with 30."
According to Mr. Kiernan, all the
standard tests for air quality have been
performed, and all results have
demonstrated no problems with air quality
in die building.
Friends of the Garden
The Memorial University Botanical Garden at Oxen Pond opened the season recently
with a number of special events centred around the conferring of an honorary degree
during spring convocation on Dr. Alfred Evans, an internationally renowned horticulturist from Scotland. During his visit to the province Dr. Evans officially opened the
new Alpine House facility and rock garden and gave an informal presentation to the
Friends of the Garden volunteer group. (Pictured, L-R) Dr. Evans talks with Janet
Story, president, Friends of the Garden, and Bernard Jackson, the garden's curator.
INSIDE
In brief 2    Myth and knowledge 6-7
Budget approved 3    Sports camps 9
Distance counselling 5    Calendar 11