KINnected | September 21, 2020

THIS ISSUE INCLUDES

Faculty & Research News | Event Recaps | Upcoming Events | Resources

 

FACULTY AND RESEARCH NEWS

The Positively Dance Pilot Program: Examining the Feasibility of a Peer Research Associate-Led Dance Program for Women Living With HIV.

Congratulations to Dr. Eli Puterman, Associate Professor (KIN), for his successful CIHR Project Grant application. Dr. Puterman (PI) and his team were funded for $100,000 for their project.

Co-investigators on the project are: Drs. Mark Beauchamp (KIN), Hélène Côté (UBC), Melanie Murray (UBC), Angela Kaida (SFU), Erica Bennett (Trainee, KIN), and Shelly Tognazzini (Collaborator, Vancouver Friends for Life).

The project aims to pilot a free and easily accessible, peer-research associate-led 24-week aerobic dance program to assess its feasibility and acceptability. It also aims to explore the effects of aerobic dance on immune cellular health markers as a primary outcome; and traditional health markers, and psychological and social wellbeing in a sample of Women living with HIV, as secondary outcomes.

 

EVENTS RECAP

Virtual Imagine UBC Day Recap

On September 8th, the School embraced 400 new-to-BKin students, while welcoming back returning students from around the globe to join in on Virtual Imagine UBC Day.

Special thanks to the faculty and staff who helped make Imagine Day a success behind the scenes as well as in front:

First and foremost, many thanks to Elise Le Brun for her epic work organizing it all, and to Jump Start Faculty Fellows, Dr. Maria Gallo and Dr. Carolyn McEwen, as well as all of our Jump Start Orientation and Transition Leaders, Imagine UBC Senior Orientation Leaders and Imagine UBC Orientation Leaders for their dedication and commitment to welcoming our incoming class of 2020.

To read a full recap on Imagine Day and to download the Kinesiology cellphone wallpaper, click here.

 

 

 

UBC Indigenous Strategic Plan Virtual Celebration

For those of you who missed the live event on September 14th, we are happy to announce that the virtual celebration of the UBC Indigenous Strategic Plan is now up for viewing. An impressive lineup of speakers provided supportive endorsements and sage advice on our next steps toward implementation. This makes UBC the first university in North America to commit to taking a human rights-based approach to its Indigenous strategic framework.

We invite you to view the event here.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

UBC Homecoming

September 25th, 2020 | 7PM PST

All faculty, staff, students and alumni are invited to attend what should be a novel online Homecoming replete with wine-tasting, cooking classes, trivial pursuit games and more! This year, Homecoming will be a fully virtual celebration, happening on September 25th at 7 pm PST, presented by RBC Royal Bank.

Musical performers and special guests include:

  • Headliner Canadian singer-songwriter, Scott Helman
  • UBC's own Hip-hop/rap and soul singer, Missy D
  • Multi-platinum, Juno award-winning vocal group, The Tenors (featuring UBC alum Fraser Walters)
  • Raptors 905 head coach and UBC KIN alum, Jama Mahlalela
  • Music journalist and musician, Nardwuar
  • President Santa J. Ono, Chancellor Steven Point and VP Students, Ainsley Carry
  • Other notable UBC alumni and UBC athletes

UBC has also put together a weekend of fun activities for you to take part in. See the full weekend schedule here and be sure to pre-register for the Virtual Celebration.

KIN students, alumni and staff and faculty can show their spirit by downloading and posting the KIN "Amazing" emoji on social media. To download the emoji, click here.

Click here to enjoy Homecoming at home and be sure to share your personal Homecoming celebrations via #UBChomecoming and #UBCKin!

Online Escape Room Game for Kinesiologists

Friday, September 25th, 2020 | 6:30-8:30PM PST

To kick off Homecoming, we invite all faculty, staff, alumni and graduate students to an Online Escape Room based on the board game, Clue. We recommend that you have pen and paper ready, a screen big enough to read clues (i.e., a laptop rather than a phone), and that you bring your problem solving skills.

Sign up individually or with a partner. A successful escape will require you to work with a team to find clues, connect hints, and solve challenging puzzles! We hope many of you will join us! 

To register for the event, click here.

Career Crossroads Podcast Episode #3

September 24th, 2020

In this monthly podcast series, Young Alumni leads, Yingying Zhao (BKin 2019, MM20) and Nikol Grishin (BKin 2020) interview KIN alumni to bring their stories about navigating the changing economy and finding work in a virtual world after graduation. To learn more about the podcast, click here.

This month, Young Alumni lead, Nikol Grishin, interviews Hannah Haughn (BKin 2017), a former member of the women's varsity field hockey team at UBC. The interview will delve into why Hannah has chosen to pursue a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and whether playing a sport a professional level played a role in making this decision. Most importantly, Hannah will share the tools and skills she gained while attaining both her athletic and academic goals. Stay tuned for the release of this episode on Soundcloud and Spotify on September 24th!

UBC Exercise, Kinesiology and Health Seminar Program

September 23rd, 2020 | 3:30PM - 4:30 PM PST

In collaboration with UBC-O's School of Health and Exercise Sciences, the UBC Exercise, Kinesiology and Health Seminar Program is a forum for critical academic discussion between students and faculty members from all disciplines.

The seminar series will take place every Wednesday afternoon from 3:30pm  - 4:30pm. The first seminar begins on Wednesday, September 23rd with Dr. Pascal Bernatchez, whose topic title is: “The endothelium and endothelial function in atherosclerosis and heritable aortopathies: from bystanders to drug targets.”

Click here for more information about the program.

2020 Saltin International Graduate Webinar: Foundations to Frontiers

October 7-8th, 2020

All faculty and graduate students are welcome to attend the 2020 Saltin International Graduate Webinar: Foundations to Frontiers, on October 7-8th, 2020.

This annual, integrative, research-based course covers basic and applied science topics on various physiological systems and extends to common clinical physiological applications. Thematic areas in physiology will range from subcellular signalling to organ function and systemic integration. The international aspect of the course facilitates the exchange of diverse topics, research perspectives, experimental approaches, research design and national traditions.

To see the program schedule, click here; and to register, click here.

Virtual Fall Graduation  -  Save the Date!

November 25th, 2020

This fall graduation will be celebrated virtually on November 25th, 2020. Please pencil the date into your calendars. 

Check back here for updated information on the Virtual Fall Graduation.

 

RESOURCES

Resources for Working Remotely 

Everything IT you need to know to set yourself up for successful remote work:

From setting up an effective work station to learning and navigating new online platforms, the UBC IT page has compiled extensive guidelines to support you in working off campus. Click here to read more.

Minimum Cybersecurity Controls:

To respond to the increased risk of attacks, combined with the risk resulting from thousands of faculty and staff working from home, UBC has minimum cybersecurity standards in place for the workstations we are using.

Find out more about increased securty precautions for faculty, staff and researchers here.

 

Microsoft Teams and OneDrive

 

Tips To Reduce Eye Strain When Working from Home

As most of us have transitioned to working remotely, we have become so consumed by our computer work we even forget to blink. Studies have found we blink less when we are reading or watching a screen, which causes eyes to become dry and irritated. You have likely noticed that staring at screens causes eye strain. Eye strain can cause headaches, fatigue, blurred or double vision, pain around the eyes and other forms of discomfort.Here are a few tips to avoid eye strain:

  • 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break and look at least 20 feet away.
  • Keep your distance: Make sure your computer screen is positioned at least an arm’s length away from your face.
  • Adjust the brightness: Your brightness level should not be lower or brighter than your surroundings.
  • Take a break: It’s important for your vision health to take a 15-minute break about every two hours that you spend on your computer. Grab a quick walk before getting back to work.

If you’ve noticed that your eyes are red, seem sensitive to light, or have been watering more than usual, you likely have dry eyes. Some ways to avoid dry eyes include:

  • Concentrate on blinking 10-15 times per minute.
  • Add a humidifier to your home office.
  • Position your computer screen a few inches below eye level.