Students, Prof Make Airwaves, Headlines
November 14, 2011 - In the News
U of G graduate student Christopher Charles discussed use of his "iron fish" to help Cambodian villagers combat life-threatening anemia on the CBC Radio Canada International program The Link today. He was featured in a front-page story in the Toronto Star over the weekend.
The Link airs daily from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Radio Canada International. The program aims to tell the world what’s new and exciting on Canada’s cultural landscape, and provide insight and expertise about what’s happening in Canada. The show is translated into several languages and distributed internationally, including North America, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and India. It’s also broadcast overnight on CBC Radio One.
Charles was about to begin his U of G graduate degree when he went to Cambodia to work for an NGO studying dietary iron deficiency. He ended up helping find a possible treatment for iron-deficiency anemia, which affects about two billion people and is a severe public health problem in Cambodia. Read more
Psychology professor Mark Fenske is making headlines again with his research and explanations of the workings of the human brain. Fenske discussed how stress affects the brain’s ability to focus in an article in the Globe and Mail on Friday.
He also gave an interview to NewsTalk radio. His media appearances follow last week’s televised debate gaffe by U.S. presidential candidate Rick Perry, who forgot the name of a prominent government agency.
The neuroscience and cognitive science professor says that anxiety causes areas of our brain to overreact. The amygdala and insula become highly active compared to other brain regions responsible for cognitive functions such as thinking, remembering and making decisions.
Fenske co-wrote The Winner’s Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success with another Harvard-trained brain expert, Jeff Brown. The Guelph professor also writes a column on brain topics for the "Life" section of the Globe and Mail. Read more
A U of G program that helps local elementary children learn about growing, harvesting and preparing their own food was mentioned on CTV’s Canada AM recently by celebrity chef Chuck Hughes.
Hughes was doing a segment on getting kids involved in cooking and plugged the Garden2Table program, which is led by U of G Hospitality and Tourism Management students. The students, with assistance from the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming, work with local elementary students and teachers on numerous initiatives.
Garden2Table is based on an international movement to bring the basics of agriculture and cooking into the elementary school curriculum while giving back to the community.
