UOIT connects with community during Ontario's best lecturer presentations

Attendees explored ethics and astronomy with TVO competition winners

OSHAWA, ON. - Community members experienced first-hand the world-class calibre of the professors students connect with and are challenged by at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) during an event held to showcase TVO's Big Ideas Best Lecturer competition winners.

"This event is a wonderful opportunity for UOIT and the community to come together and we're delighted that TVO was on hand to tape the lectures for future broadcast," said Dr. Ronald Bordessa, president, UOIT. "Dr. Brar and Dr. diCarlo are to be congratulated, once again, on their remarkable achievements. They share a passion for teaching and their subject matter is certainly of interest to a large audience."

Attendees of the event, held at the Regent Theatre in Oshawa, Ontario, enjoyed free lectures from Dr. Christopher diCarlo, a former UOIT professor and 2008 competition winner, who delivered a talk on The New Ethics: A Synthetic Approach to Understanding Good and Evil followed by Dr. Rupinder Brar, a Physics lecturer and 2010 competition winner, who presented The Impact of Astronomy on Humankind's Perception of the Universe.

Dr. diCarlo is a philosopher of science and ethics whose interests in cognitive evolution have taken him into the natural and social sciences. His personal research focuses on how and why humans reason, think, and act the way they do. He is interested in how and why the human brain has evolved to its current state and what cross-cultural and cross-species behaviour can provide insight into universally common modes of reasoning. Dr. diCarlo is an outspoken activist for freethought, humanism and secularism. He is a fellow, advisor and board member of Center for Inquiry Canada. He is also a fellow of the Society of Ontario Freethinkers and board advisor to Freethought TV. On July 1, 2011, Prometheus Press will release Dr. diCarlo's latest book:How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass: A Critical Thinker's Guide to Asking the Right Questions.This release will be accompanied with a North American - European book reading and signing tour.

Dr. Brar joined UOIT as Physics lecturer when the university opened its doors in 2003. He earned his Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physics, Astronomy and Mathematical Science degree from the University of Toronto and went on to complete his Master of Science in Physics and Astronomy degree from the University of Waterloo and his PhD in Physics from Queen's University. During graduate school, Dr. Brar researched the halos of spiral galaxies while at the same time he discovered his love for teaching Physics and Astronomy to undergraduate students. He received the UOIT Teaching Award in the Complementary Faculty category in September 2010. When he is not teaching, Dr. Brar conducts astrophysics research and is actively involved in a wide range of cultural, environmental and political groups.

The lectures were taped for a future retrospective segment of TVO's 'Big Ideas Best Lecturer competitions, which will highlight the past five years of the show.

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About UOIT

As an innovative university, UOIT delivers a leading-edge learning environment that uniquely combines academic knowledge, research opportunities, hands-on skills and a vibrant student life. UOIT's more than 7,400 undergraduate and graduate students are taught by professors who are experts in their fields from around the world. As Ontario's first laptop-based university, the university offers a diverse array of challenging undergraduate and graduate degree programs through its faculties of Business and Information Technology; Education; Energy Systems and Nuclear Science; Engineering and Applied Science; Health Sciences; Science; and Social Science and Humanities. UOIT's commitment to research excellence has resulted in millions of dollars in grants and awards, including seven Canada Research Chairs. To find out more, visit www.uoit.ca or call 905.721.8668.

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Media contact
Melissa Levy
Communications and Marketing
Ontario Tech University
905.721.8668 ext. 2513
289.928.0268
melissa.levy@uoit.ca