Physics Prof, Provost In the News
October 12, 2012 - In the News
Physics professor Ralf Gellert is making headlines around the world today, including being featured by CBC News. Gellert was part of a NASA team that conducted a teleconference Thursday on the latest findings of the Mars rover Curiosity.
Gellert says a rock being studied by the rover is unlike any Martian stone ever seen and is similar to an unusual but well-known rock on Earth. This type of rock is the first of its kind encountered on Mars and is helping broaden scientists' understanding of how igneous rocks form.
Studying the rock is possible in part because of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS) mounted on the arm of the rover that was developed by an international team led by Gellert. He also worked on the APXS systems used on twin NASA rovers launched in 2003.
Maureen Mancuso, provost and vice-president (academic), is quoted today in the Globe and Mail. She was interviewed for an article on academic reform, specifically the undergraduate learning process.
In the story, Mancuso expresses concerns about the idea of creating a two-tiered education system, with some universities focused on research and others on teaching. She says a better solution is focusing on “transformative change at the very core of how we pursue both our teaching and research missions.”
