“There are very few people in the world who do this type of analysis, so being aware of my research, the researchers at the University of Frankfurt contacted me by email and asked if I was willing to assist them,” he said, explaining how he collaborated with the paper’s lead authors, a graduate student, Lineth Contreras and her supervisor Dr. Joerg Pross. “This paper reconstructs Antarctica’s climate in a time of extreme global warming — the early Eocene Epoch.”

Dr. Greenwood outlined his research, which examined sediments that had been extracted from the sea bed containing pollen from Antarctica’s Wilkes Land forests as part of the international ocean drilling program. The discoveries that he made about the climate of Antarctica 52 to 54 million years ago from these samples are remarkable.

“Our analysis showed that this part of Antarctica had an almost tropical climate with palms and other kinds of trees that are restricted to the tropics, very different to the permanent ice and bare rock that exists there today,” he said. “The record we have also includes a time after (the middle Eocene), when the warming episode ended, and it shows a cool temperate rainforest such as you would see today in southern Chile replacing the tropical forests on the Antarctic coast.”

This is not the first time Dr. Greenwood has lent his expertise to an international research team or publishing endeavour. His findings, along with those of various colleagues from around the globe, have appeared in many other scientific publications.

“However, being published in the science journal Nature is always special. I published a similar paper in Nature in 2009, but on the Arctic, and with a different team,” he said. “Both papers are a thrill because Nature is considered in all of the sciences the pinnacle for scientific publishing and its very hard to get published there.”

This level of research is not unusual at Brandon University. Dr. Greenwood explained that his success story is just one among his colleagues in the Faculty of Science. Nevertheless, the acting Dean of Science Dr. Phillip Goernert is delighted with this latest success.

“Dr. Greenwood and colleagues’ current paper in Nature illustrates research at the highest level. The topic of the paper is an extension of Dr. Greenwood’s ongoing research plan that reconstructs climates of the geological past,” said, Dr. Goernert. “Students in the Faculty of Science are most fortunate to have Dr. Greenwood available to serve as a mentor for their research projects.”

Dr. Greenwood’s trip to his homeland of Australia is another highlight of his summer. The conference to which he is contributing is held in a different country every four years and attracts geoscientists from around the globe. At this gathering, he will be chairing a symposium that will focus on the geological record of climate change. He will give a presentation about the Antarctic climate study that is appearing in Nature and will discuss follow-up studies on his research about the Arctic.
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Honorary Doctorate Recipients

• Annette Thorimbert Osted: A dedicated psychiatric nurse, Mrs. Osted also held the position of Executive Director/Registrar of the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba (CRPNM) for more than 30 years. Throughout her career, she also devoted time to volunteer, gravitating to organizations that help those afflicted by a mental illness.

• Anton Kuerti: An Officer of the Order of Canada, Mr. Kuerti is acclaimed for his performances of Beethoven’s music and has appeared with many of the world’s top orchestras. With more than 25 discs to his credit, he is also avid chamber musician has collaborated with other remarkable instrumentalists, the likes of Yo-Yo Ma and the Tokyo String Quartet.

Distinguished Teacher Award Recipients

• Dolores Hardy: Born in Rossburn, Manitoba and raised in Mississauga, Ontario, Ms. Hardy is a Brandon University alumna. She spent her first year teaching in Alexander, followed by 21 years at King George School in Brandon.

• Brigit Lavallee: Raised in Winnipeg, MB, Brigit graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1994. She taught for 10 years in Roblin, MB and is now teaching History and English in Rossburn Collegiate.

• Sherryl Maglione: Born and raised in Alberta, Miss Maglione is currently working on her MEd at Brandon University, with a focus on indigenizing the high school English Language Arts curriculum. She has been teaching for 15 years, and in the past five, her focus as been senior English Language Arts at the Sioux Valley High School.

Board of Governors Community Service Award Recipient

• Patrick Johanneson: Patrick, who was born and raised in Ste. Rose du Lac, writes science fiction and fantasy, and has been published in On Spec, Tesseracts 14 and Daily Science Fiction. In 1997, he started taking judo lessons. In 2009, he received his shodan (or first degree black belt) and he currently runs the Brandon Judokan club, which practices in the Brandon University gym. Patrick also volunteers at the Evans Theatre.

Brandon University Alumni Association’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award

• Rochelle Rands: Rochelle, who grew up in MacGregor, graduated with a B.Ed. from Brandon University in 1998. She first taught in Portage la Prairie at Yellowquill School. During this time, she completed a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Education and a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Education from the University of Manitoba. In 2008, she completed the Masters Program in Special Education at Brandon University and became the Assistant Superintendent/Student Services Coordinator for the Pine Creek School Division. In 2009, she transitioned back to Portage la Prairie, where she is in her third year as the Administrator of Student Services.

Brandon University Alumni Association’s Excellence in Teaching Award

• Dr Wendy McCallum: Dr. McCallum holds a Bachelor of Music degree and a Bachelor of Education degree from Brandon University and completed a Master of Music at the University of North Dakota. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas. As a faculty member at Brandon University, she conducts the Symphonic Band and teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting courses, as well as instrumental music methods. She is well respected for her knowledge and conducting skills and has been invited to conduct numerous junior high and high school, among other honours.

Valedictorians

• Jennifer Shead: Born and raised in Winnipeg, Jennifer moved to Brandon to pursue her studies in Music Education after high school. During her time at Brandon University, she performed as a member of the National Youth Band of Canada (NYB) in 2010, worked as a Student Ambassador for Recruitment & Retention, and served as President of the Brandon University Student Music Educators Association (BUSMEA). A multi-scholarship winner, she has been accepted into the flute masterclass program at the Orford Arts Centre in Orford, Quebec for the summer of 2012. She hopes to teach instrumental music in the public school system in Manitoba in the fall.

• Kelsey Grindey: With a lifelong desire to teach, Kelsey left her small rural hometown just outside of Winnipeg and enrolled at Brandon University. During summer breaks, she moved back home to work with Aboriginal youth in Winnipeg’s inner city. She is very proud to be First Nations and is looking forward to starting her career as a Senior Years teacher.

• Natasha Vandamme Born and raised near Baldur, Natasha began her studies at Brandon University in 2008 and is now graduating with a Bachelor of Science (4-Year), with a major in Chemistry and a double minor in Mathematics and Zoology. While at BU, she served several terms as a lab assistant in the Chemistry department as well as was an Academic Residence Advisor. In her third year, she received the Chemical Institute of Canada Silver Medal and she is currently working on an NSERC grant with Dr. Lemaire.

All four ceremonies — at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on both June 1 and 2 — can viewed via live streaming at:

http://www.brandonu.ca/convocation/video
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“I remember studying John’s recordings and compositions when I was a student at Eastman a long time ago,” said Gatien. “He’s not as well known as he should be, having chosen to settle in Wisconsin, but he is a truly remarkable musician. Hearing him play is going directly to the source. Getting to hear him live, getting to play his compositions here in Brandon is a remarkable opportunity.”

A student of the late, world-famous jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, Harmon co-founded Matrix, a jazz nonet. With that group, he contributed to five recordings and countless live performances. Since the early 1980s, the pianist has also been focused on music education. He has been the Director of Jazz Studies at his alma mater, Lawrence University. For almost two decades, he was the music director of the Fox Jazzfest.

Nicknamed ‘Wisconsin’s Gentle Poet of Jazz’, Harmon’s work underlines his concern for the environment and his interest in Native American culture. He has received many awards for his musical achievements. These include an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts (Lawrence University); fellowships from the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters and Culver Military Academy (IN); Distinguished Service Awards from both the International Association of Jazz Educators and Wisconsin State Music Association; the Jazziz Award, and many others.

Harmon will join the Brandon University musicians on Wednesday, May 30, at 8 p.m., in the Lorne Watson Recital Hall. Admission to this performance is free and everyone is welcome to attend.
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“I am very pleased that we have negotiated an agreement that will facilitate Mount Royal University music students who wish to continue with Music degree opportunities at Brandon University. When universities partner for the benefit of students, both institutions benefit,” said Dr. Deborah Poff, Brandon University’s President and Vice-Chancellor.

“The School of Music is greatly honored to have forged this alliance with Mount Royal University’s Music Diploma Program,” said Dr. Michael Kim, the Dean of the School of Music at Brandon University. “This collaborative venture will be of great and mutual benefit to both our music programs, and we look forward to welcoming the very talented young musicians from this program in the near future.”

This new agreement between Brandon University’s School of Music and Mount Royal University’s Faculty of Communications Studies was preceded by similar transfer agreements between the Calgary-based University and other Albertan universities. This arrangement will be advantageous for Brandon University, Mount Royal University and the students involved.

“With the signing of this articulation agreement, Mount Royal University will be able to provide its Music Diploma students with a remarkable opportunity to complete a four-year degree at Brandon University in a most prestigious Music School,” said Mount Royal University’s President Docherty.
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“The National Youth Band of Canada allows youths aged 16 to 21 to join together for a week of rehearsals and performances that include excellent leadership, challenging repertoire, and meaningful rehearsal,” said Dr. Wendy McCallum, a faculty member in the BU School of Music and the current President of the Canadian Band Association (CBA). “This experience provides opportunities for individuals to extend musical skills, while developing relationships with musicians from across the nation. The National Youth Band is a significant program in the Canadian Band Association’s mandate to represent and support bands and band music across Canada.”

The BU students who auditioned and were chosen for the NYB are second-year alto saxophonist Lauren Dobko, second-year baritone saxophonist Madeline Lowe, first-year tuba player Tyler Lischynski and fourth-year percussionist Melissa Ballard. As well, this year’s Music Director Dr. Colleen Richardson, who is the University of Western Ontario’s Coordinator of Bands, the Wind Ensemble Director and an Assistant Professor, graduated from the BU School of Music in 1987.

In recent past NYB ensembles, there have been numerous BU students involved, including Corah and Suzu Enns, Jennifer Shead, Kena Olson, Julia Howe, Mikaela Oldenkamp, Wendy Stenger, Taryn Jackson, Joelle Nielsen, Sean Pullen, Derek Thorsteinsson as well as soon-to-be-graduates Holly Bryan, Ryan Premack and Chelsey Hiebert. Meanwhile BU School of Music alumnus and current Master of Music (Performance and Literature) candidate, clarinetist Chris Byman spent the 2007 to 2010 sessions with the NYB. He was able to travel to Prince Edward Island, Southern Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, thanks to this ensemble.

“NYB is a fantastic experience for young musicians in Canada. As the CBA holds the program in different cities around the country each year, it gives re-participating musicians (like me) a chance to not only travel the country, but interact with talented peers and world-class conductors,” said Byman. “The fact that Brandon is hosting a portion of NYB this year is exciting as it shows our city is making yet another national footprint in the arts community.”

The National Youth Band will give two concerts — at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. — Thursday, May 10, in the Western Centennial Auditorium. There are still some tickets left for both performances and will be available at the door.
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Between January 1949 and March 1950, several young musicians recorded an album of music composed for an unusual ensemble of trumpet, alto sax, baritone sax, trombone, French horn, tuba, piano, bass and drums. The compositions were strikingly original, blending jazz harmonies and rhythms with classically inspired counterpoint. Several of the player/composers went on to become household names among jazz followers, including Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan and Gil Evans. The album, called The Complete Birth of the Cool, was released in 1957, and the title reflects the consensus that these recordings marked the beginning of the post-bebop trend in jazz that prevailed through the 1950’s, known as the “Cool School”.

In spite of the vast influence of this recording, the ensemble itself, with its marvelous colours and possibilities, was extremely short lived (aside from the recording sessions, they only performed one two-night stand at a club in New York) and rarely duplicated. This tragic neglect has now been rectified by “The Complete Rebirth of the Cool” project.

“Miles Davis’s “Birth of the Cool” recording is one of the classics in the history of jazz music—a marker of a new style and approach to jazz-ensemble playing. Every member of this project, as a musician and educator, has been inspired in some way by Miles and this recording,” said Platz. “This project serves as both a tribute to the music of those legendary recording sessions and as a catalyst for new creative works by members of the ensemble.”

Under the direction of Winnipeg trombonist and composer, Jeff Presslaff, “The Complete Rebirth of the Cool” recreates many of the conditions of that original burst of creativity: A team of probing musical thinkers and the means to compose and perform their new ideas.

The music reflects to a large degree the sensibilities of the original recording, but the goal is emphatically to make new pieces that reflect the musicians’ personal experiences, as well as the changes in the musical landscape over the past 60 years. There is a greater variety of grooves and much influence from modern composition techniques and the music of other cultures.

“In performance, the repertoire of this project will include a few arrangements of music from the original “Birth of the Cool” recording along with compositions written specifically for this project by some of Western Canada’s leading contemporary jazz composers,” Platz said. “It’s an exciting combination of old and new, traditional and contemporary, that I don’t think you get to hear presented all that often in jazz.”

Presslaff has a strong track record of successfully coordinating collaborative composition projects, including the Jazz Composers Ensemble, All Winds, Papa Mambo and the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra.

This newly formed ensemble will be drawing on the formidable instrumental abilities of both the composers and highly regarded players from the region. Presslaff will be joined by some of the leading lights of Western Canada’s creative jazz community, including the already eminent Dean McNeil on trumpet (Saskatoon) and Ken Gold on baritone sax (Winnipeg), as well as composers Will Bonness (also on piano), Jonathan Stevens, Chuck McClelland and Danielle Baert. Also in the lineup will be Irene Sas on French horn (Winnipeg) and Steve Oberheu on tuba (Winnipeg).

“Personally, the reward of being involved in this project is the chance to make a connection to an important part of the jazz tradition in the context of a contemporary community of modern improviser/composers. For me, music making is about community—expressing and strengthening community,” said Platz.

This concert will take place Saturday, May 5 at 8 p.m., at The Music Studio, 940 Rosser Avenue. Admission is $10 for students and seniors and $15 for adults.

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BRANDON, MB — The 101st Convocation at Brandon University this spring will not only celebrate the accomplishments of 675 new graduates, but will also acknowledge the contributions of two distinguished Canadians. One of them is internationally accomplished musician, Anton Kuerti.

Brandon University is pleased to announce the conferral of a Doctor of Music (honoris causa) upon Mr. Kuerti. An Officer of the Order of Canada, he has received numerous awards during his long career. These include the Schumann Prize of the Schumann Gesellschaft and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.

Acclaimed for his performances of Beethoven’s music, Mr. Kuerti has appeared with many of the world’s top orchestras. Born in Austria, he grew up in the United States and has lived in Canada since 1965. His late wife, cellist Kristine Bogyo founded the Mooredale Youth Orchestras in Toronto. Today, Mr. Kuerti remains the artistic director of these ensembles as well as the Mooredale concert series.

With more than 25 discs to his credit, Mr. Kuerti has displayed his individuality and musicianship in recordings of all the Beethoven Concertos and Sonatas, the Brahms and Schumann Concertos, and the Schubert Sonatas. An avid chamber musician, he has collaborated with other remarkable instrumentalists, the likes of Yo-Yo Ma and the Tokyo String Quartet. Also, he is the founder of the much lauded Festival of the Sound.

“It is an honour for Brandon University to recognize this extraordinary musician and citizen,” said Deborah Poff, Brandon University’s President and Vice-Chancellor.

There will be four convocation ceremonies at Brandon University this spring. Mr. Kuerti will receive his honorary doctorate the afternoon of Saturday, June 2. This ceremony will be dedicated to graduands in Music, General Studies, Physical Education and the Education concurrent programs. Two ceremonies are slated for Friday, June 1: The morning commencement exercises will be for Health Studies and Science graduands, while the 2 p.m. ceremony will be for Arts and Rural Development graduands. On June 2 at 10 a.m., the focus will be on Education graduands. All ceremonies will take place in the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium.
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The schedule is as follows:

9:00-10:00—Why We Buy It and Why We Toss It
• Barbara Farough: “Shilling with Exploitation: Advertising as Reflected in a Capitalist Patriarchy”
• Nicole Peel: “Greening of Greed: A Critical Analysis of the Current Green Movement”
• Tauvia Siemens: “Development of a Refuse Audit across the Brandon University Grounds”
10:00-10:45—Killings
• Jason Dooley: “Lethal Formalities: The Killing of Capt. Thomas Innes by Capt. Edward Clark”
• Morganna Malyon: “The Griffintown Horror”
10:45-11:45—Cultural Representations
• Jenn Maxwell: “Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Allegory and Effects of Good Government: The Hypothetical Rhetoric of Iustitia, Pax, Concordia, and Securitas“
• Katie Solbeck: “Mortimer”
• Adam Schipper: “King Theese”
11:45-12:45—The Prairies
• Kelsey Howell: “A Habitat Structure Comparison of Successful vs. Failed Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) nests in Antelope Creek, Alberta”
• Joel Springer: “The Changing Landscape: The Commission on the Transportation of Grain by Rail, the Crow’s Nest Pass Rate’s, and the Fight Over the Future of Grain Transport in Western Canada”
• Jurgen Van der Sluijs: “Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for the Development of High Resolution Digital Elevation Models for Localized Areas”
12:45-1:30—Perceptions
• Fabien Cayer: “Quid Est?: The Uncertainty of Perceptional Correctness”
• Benjamin Lockhart: “The Handling of Minimal Risk Research by Ethics Review Boards”
1:30-2:30—Brandon!
• Mike McFarlane: “The Fundamentalist Modernist Controversy at Brandon College, 1919-1923″
• Evan Stitt: “Magnacca as Mayor”
• Natalie Majcher: “‘Those (students) who are promiscuous need medical or psychiatric attention’: The 1971 contraceptive controversy at Brandon University”
2:30-3:15—But It Doesn’t Look Like Democracy
• Brad McClelland: “The State of Democracy in Contemporary Russia: Are Critics too Cynical?”
• Chris Hunt: “Putting the Regent Back into Vice Regent: How the Governor General Can Protect our Democracy”
3:15-4:00—At the Edge of Empire
• Jenn Maxwell: “The rebellion out west is getting a rather hot affair”: British-Canadian Nation Building amidst the Northwest Rebellion of 1885″
• Jeremy Roberts: “Adaptation and Imposition: The Settlement of a Pioneer Family in the Canadian Prairie West”
4:00-5:00—Medieval Worlds
• Natalie Majcher: “Penance, Clerical Education and the Fourth Lateran Council”
• Morganna Malyon: “Jews and Christians in the High Middle Ages: Accusations of Blood Libel”
• Chris Bentley: “The Production of Maleficia: Magic and Sorcery in the High Middle Ages”
5:00-5:45—Cross-Cultural Education
• Chris Bentley: “English as a Language for (Em)Power(ment): EAL Education, Multiculturalist Policy, and Critical Pedagogy in Socio-Historical Perspective, 1950 to the Present”
• Ryan Premack: “Culture in the Music Classroom”
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For more information, please contact:

Joanne F. Villeneuve
Communications, Brandon University
270 – 18th Street
Brandon, MB R7A 6A9
204-727-9762
villeneuvej@brandonu.ca

http://www.brandonu.ca

This semester had been a series of shining moments for the musician. Kim, who was born in South Korea and has lived in Canada since he age of 12, first came to Brandon University as a scholarship student of Professor Emeritus Dr. Lawrence Jones in the Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory of Music. Now, recognized for his outstanding performance and potential, he has been studying at the Brandon University School of Music as a recipient of the President’s Scholarship and is a student of Dr. Kyung Kim.

In March, he shone during his performances at the Brandon Festival of the Arts, winning the Westman Communications Group Scholarship and the Western Financial Group Tudor Bowl. He was then invited to perform in the Festival Encore Concert, after which he took home the coveted Kaye and G.R. Rowe Memorial Scholarship. Furthermore, in the annual audition for the School of Music’s concerto competition, Kim won the chance to perform with the BU Orchestra in their semester-ending performance.

“To be sure, we’re very proud of Jinsung’s recent accomplishment and are thrilled that our School will be represented by such a fine young pianist and person on a tour of Western Canada,” said Greg Gatien, the Chair of the Music Performance Department in the School of Music. “Jinsung is an excellent example of the kind of students that the School of Music has been attracting over its many years. It is wonderful to see Jinsung’s work rewarded with this recognition, but equally gratifying to see the work of our faculty continue to shape the musical landscape of Western Canada in such tangible ways.”
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For more information, please contact:

Joanne F. Villeneuve
Communications, Brandon University
270 – 18th Street
Brandon, MB R7A 6A9
204-727-9762
villeneuvej@brandonu.ca

http://www.brandonu.ca