As 2016 draws to a close, Memorial is looking back on the year that was.
Our editors have chosen some of the top Memorial stories of 2016, presented here in chronological order.
Happy reading and see you in 2017!
1. Legacy project
The final print edition of the Gazette rolled off the press on Jan. 27 and included a timeline of archival photographs tracing almost 50 years of history at Memorial University. The photo retrospective includes the 1978 visit of Queen Elizabeth II, the 1994 introduction of Sammy the Sea-Hawk, a game of shinny hockey on Burton’s Pond and much more. Read more.
2. Tracing caplin
Dr. Marie Clément of the Marine Institute’s Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research and based at the Labrador Institute in Happy Valley-Goose Bay has assembled a team of researchers to determine the origins of the caplin that are now returning to the North Coast of Labrador. Read more.
3. Six universities, one mission
Nine students from Memorial travelled to Texas to present their design for a prototype of a high-speed ground transport vehicles. The students were part of an alliance of six universities, including Cornell, Northeastern, Harvey Mudd, Michigan and Princeton, combining their talent and resources to compete in the design competition as one team: OpenLoop. Their ultimate goal: to design, build and test a scaled down hyperloop pod. Read more.
4. Language loss and learning
During Aboriginal Peoples Week: Truth and Reconciliation in March, Dr. Marguerite MacKenzie and her colleagues from Memorial’s Department of Linguistics addressed issues around language loss and revitalization efforts. In this feature, you can hear Innu-aimun, Inuktitut, Southeastern Cree and Cayuga and learn more about Dr. MacKenzie’s work. Read more. This story was part of a special Gazette feature on Aboriginal Peoples. To see the complete list of stories, click here.
5. Galactic potential
Bethany Downer, a fourth-year Memorial science student, was accepted in the master of space studies at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. Of the thousands of applicants, Ms. Downer was one of only 40 accepted. She also received a €12,000 scholarship from the European Space Agency. Her success was noted by famed Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who tweeted his congratulations. Read more.
6. Op-ed: Dr. Ailsa Craig
In the wake of the deadly shooting at an Orlando, Fla., nightclub on June 12, Dr. Ailsa Craig penned a moving Gazette op-ed that addressed racism and homophobia. Read more.
7. Building bridges
In April, the federal government announced a $4.5 million investment to support innovative technologies and network upgrades that will help the Battery Facility become a bridge between Memorial and the people and organizations of Newfoundland and Labrador, no matter where they are located. Read more.
8. Supporting role
Memorial University was ranked first among universities across Canada in the category of support from the School of Graduate Studies in the International Student Barometer (ISB) survey, the global benchmark for the international student experience. Read more.
9. Building the future
Memorial’s state-of-the-art Core Science Facility received $125 million in joint federal-provincial funding, an unprecedented level of support that will create a collaborative learning environment and allow Memorial to continue to produce and deliver research of national and international calibre. Read more.
10. Courage and sacrifice
On June 29, The Danger Tree commemorative statue was officially dedicated at Grenfell Campus. The unveiling of the Danger Tree’s memorial plaque took place in the presence of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment’s colonel-in-chief. Read more.
11. One who lived
A soldier from Bell Island was among the first to receive facial reconstruction surgery during the First World War. Read more. This story was part of a special Gazette feature on Commemoration. To see the complete list of stories, click here.
12. Historic investment creates the Ocean Frontier Institute
The federal government announced nearly $100 million in funding in early September for the creation of the Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI), an historic partnership between Dalhousie University, Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). This new initiative will see researchers and graduate students from multiple disciplines undertake some of the world’s most ambitious research aimed at unlocking the secrets of the North Atlantic. Read more.
13. Investing in infrastructure
An investment of $14.4 million from the federal government will replace two of Memorial’s aging animal research care facilities. This will enable important research in a variety of areas, including cancer, diabetes, mental health, obesity, stroke mechanisms, osteoporosis and many others. Read more.
14. First international Indigenous intern named
Matthew Pike of Happy Valley-Goose Bay was chosen as the Labrador Institute’s first International Indigenous Intern. Hosted by the Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat, the prestigious new internship is comprised of a three-month internship in Norway, beginning in January 2017, followed by a one-month internship in Finland at the University of the Arctic. Read more. This story was part of a special Gazette feature on Back to School. To see the complete list of stories, click here.
15. Remembering Dr. Richard Marceau
Memorial University lost a great champion and gentleman on Sept. 26 with the sudden passing of Dr. Richard Marceau, vice-president (research). Read more.
16. World champs
Enactus Memorial wowed the world with their work to address food insecurity in Canada’s North through hydroponics in the 2016 Enactus World Cup. Read more.
17. Nobel of the North
For the second time in three years, Dr. Trevor Bell has been honoured with the coveted Arctic Inspiration Prize (AIP), becoming the only person from Memorial University to receive the accolade twice. Read more.
