By David Kent. After many months of consideration, Jonathan and I have finally decided to push forward with making the Black Hole blog entries into a book. The last six years have seen a steady stream of blog entries, reader comments and guest posts that have highlighted many of the major issues challenging the way our system currently educates and trains scientists. More...
We need to examine the dark corners of peer review
By David Kent. One of the best peer-review processes that I have experienced is one that I didn’t get a great outcome from. I was applying for one of my first research grants with the U.K. Medical Research Council and did not get an interview based on the reviews of six experts who each had read my research proposal and submitted their comments. More...
The importance of delight in the learning process
By Jessica Riddell. When I was in graduate school, I used to joke that if academia didn’t work out, I’d become a party planner. My flippant remark elicited the expected response – laughter – largely due to the ostensible incongruity between the weighty, cerebral world of academia in contrast with the ephemeral, and seemingly superficial, pursuits of the party. More...
Fulbright Program celebrates 25 years of U.S.-Canada cooperation
By Bruce A. Heyman. Abraham Lincoln said the best way to predict your future is to create it. I have found this creative spirit ingrained in the people I meet every day across our great shared continent. Canadians and Americans believe that we, as individuals and as a community, have the ability and the obligation to leave things better than we found them. As the people privileged to call these two countries home, we can and must create our own future. More...
The perceived disconnect between the classroom and the ‘real world’
By Thomas Klassen. Despite some concerns, a liberal arts degree is still the best preparation for a rewarding career. More...
Large, linked data sets are transforming historical research
By Jenny Green. New book describes how historians are using longitudinal analysis to shed light on our collective past. More...
Take a seat on Carleton University’s friendship bench
By Shawna Wagman. Carleton University students would have a tough time ignoring the presence of the bright yellow bench in their main quad. And that’s the point. The vividly painted bench, installed in September, is meant to be a daily visual reminder for students to open up and talk about mental health issues. More...
Questions raised over preserving sensitive Truth and Reconciliation testimony
By Moira Farr. Many survivors believed their confidential statements would be destroyed, not archived for posterity. More...
Study finds a lack of structure and cohesion in how writing is taught at university
By Natalie Samson. HEQCO report raises concerns over the quality and design of writing assignments across disciplines. More...
University of Windsor names its first cartoonist-in-residence
By Natalie Samson. Comic-book artist shares his passion for storytelling with writers. More...