University of Calgary

Endless possibilities┬áThe University of Calgary is enjoying the biggest phase of expansion in its 43-year history. Steve Dantzer talks to Gay Sutton about the revolutionary digital library project and why multidisciplinary facilities could stimulate groundbreaking research. In recent years the population of the province of Alberta has been increasing at a tremendous rate, driven by the expanding needs of the regionÔÇÖs huge oil and gas exploration industry.   The success of this industry has generated considerable revenue for the region and stimulated further growth associated with a rapidly maturing and successful economy. At the heart of this growth lies the sunny city of Calgary, located just 80 kilometers east of the Canadian Rockies. With a flourishing ecotourism industry and a worldwide reputation for winter sports, Calgary is at the southern end of the densely populated Calgary-Edmonton corridor. And according to Steve Dantzer, associate vice president capital programs at the University of Calgary, it also receives ÔÇ£some of the longest hours of sunshine in Canada, so weÔÇÖre blessed with that.ÔÇØThe University of Calgary opened its doors in 1966 and is now engaged in the biggest expansion program of its 43-year history. ÔÇ£The University has about 28,000 students,ÔÇØ Dantzer explains, ÔÇ£and there has been tremendous pressure for us to expand and take in more students as a result of the population increases in southern Alberta.ÔÇØ With the considerable revenue generated from the oil and gas industry, the province has been able to support the universityÔÇÖs growth plans by providing millions of dollars of investment into building. ÔÇ£We have more than $700 million under construction right now and hundreds of millions of dollars more in the planning stage,ÔÇØ Dantzer said.ÔÇ£The first part of our expansion program was what we call our Health Research Innovation Centre (HRIC). ItÔÇÖs a $240 million project that started over five years ago,ÔÇØ he continues. ÔÇ£Many areas of the 600,000-square-foot building are already occupied and operational, and by the summer of 2010 the entire building will be fully functioning.ÔÇØThe HRIC has already been involved in a research project that looks set to revolutionize neurosurgery. Harnessing technology originally developed for the US space program, researchers at the center have developed the neuroArmÔÇöa robotic surgical device operated by computer and linked to an MRI scannerÔÇöwhich is capable of carrying out extremely intricate and fine-scale brain surgery. The research center houses medical research including human and veterinary medicine. Researchers with common interests from both faculties work alongside each other. This marriage of disciplines is part of a revolutionary initiative being pioneered by the university. ÔÇ£The vision is to create collaborations between human medical researchers and veterinary medicine researchers to investigate the links between animals, humans and their environments and of course the correlation of diseases that occur in both animals and humans.ÔÇØ The World Health Organization says about 75 percent of the new infectious diseases that have affected humans over the past decade originated from animals or animal products. Many of these diseases have the potential to cause serious public health issues as they are able to spread over long distances.┬á┬á ÔÇ£To promote this multidisciplinary approach, the universityÔÇÖs new Faculty of Veterinary Medicine launched in 2005 and immediately began to recruit researchers, teachers and graduate students,ÔÇØ says Dantzer. The first undergraduate Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students began classes in September 2008. ÔÇ£The new Faculty will have space at the HRIC, but because of the unique needs of veterinary medicine we are also building a new facility in the north-west corner of the City,ÔÇØ he adds.The 80-thousand square foot Clinical Skills Building is specifically designed to facilitate teaching, including animal handling and surgery; research and house the facultyÔÇÖs animals, including cattle, horses and companion animals.The university is looking to expand its multidisciplinary offerings and is in the process of constructing what it calls the Energy Environment Experiential Learning (EEEL) building. This will enable students to look at energy and environmental issues from the scientific, engineering and policy points of view. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs an interesting concept: to bring five faculties together to work in a single building,ÔÇØ Dantzer says. ÔÇ£The aim is to establish multidisciplinary thinking and to generate true cross-pollination of ideas. We have, for example, designed easy visual access into the laboratories. So as the students walk around, they can see whatÔÇÖs happening throughout the building. We hope to encourage students to be curious and become involved in the teaching and research.ÔÇØ The $180 million building is scheduled for completion by January 2011. One of the most interesting changes under way at the moment is the construction of the Taylor Family Digital Library. The primary resource of any university is its library, and the University of Calgary is harnessing the latest technology to provide its studentsÔÇöand members of the local communityÔÇöwith access to a vast wealth of digital knowledge. This $200 million project, $25 million of which was donated by a local family of business people, includes the construction of a new library on campus. There will be areas for teaching and learning, and library staff on hand to coach the students in how to identify and research the information they needÔÇöanother valuable skill for todayÔÇÖs digital age. Meanwhile, a significant portion of the existing paper library will be moved offsite to a new high-density library, essentially an automated warehouse, which is being constructed alongside the Clinical Skills Building. Students will be able to request any of these books via the Internet. The books will be automatically retrieved and transferred to the library on campus within hours of the request.Looking to the future, there are a number of projects on the horizon. A new International House is due to open in August 2009, while there are plans to build a new 600-bed residence, to renovate and expand the engineering facility, and to acquire the lease on a property in downtown Calgary for teaching purposes. But with a further 80 acres on the west side of the campus available for development, the future options are endless. ÔÇô Editorial research by Jim Rose┬á