September 15, 2005 Source: University of British Columbia: http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/media/releases/2005/mr-05-111.html UBC’s Fred Kaiser Building Opens, Engineering Expands Engineering teaching and research dramatically expands with the new Fred Kaiser Building at UBC. With $22 million in funding from the provincial government and a $4-million donation from the Kaiser Foundation for Higher Education, the building is part of an expansion of Faculty of Applied Science facilities on the Vancouver campus. The 9,026-sq.-metre, five-storey building was officially opened today by UBC President Martha Piper, Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell and Mr. Fred Kaiser, chairman and chief executive officer of Alpha Technologies Group. Located at 2332 Main Mall (immediately east of the E Cairn), the building will serve as the central hub of engineering at UBC’s Vancouver campus, centralizing Engineering Student Services, the Technical Communication Centre and the Faculty of Applied Science Dean’s Office, as well as housing the expansion of the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. The expansion will help accommodate the over 600 additional undergraduate students currently registered in electrical and computer engineering and mechatronics, ultimately doubling the number registered since 2001. “I am delighted to see Mr. Kaiser’s vision for a truly innovative learning environment realized here on the UBC campus,” says UBC President Martha Piper. “This well-designed space will significantly enhance the quality of our students’ education and enrich our applied science research environment. It will also support the province’s strategy for greater access to advanced education in the high-tech field.” “We are pleased to have provided significant capital funding in order to build a modern learning centre that will allow UBC to compete with other top science and engineering schools in North America,” says Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell. “The new facility will house the teaching and research facilities that will provide enough space for double the number of new students in electrical and computer engineering, and produce graduates with the education to help us compete in the knowledge-based economy.” The government funding, provided by the Doubling the Opportunity (DTO) initiative announced by Premier Gordon Campbell in 2002, was earmarked to create a total of 3,400 new high-tech student spaces over a period of five years, doubling the number of graduates in computer science and electrical and computer engineering. The goal is to promote economic expansion by increasing the number of professionals in the high-tech sector. “The Faculty of Applied Science is extremely grateful to the provincial government and the Kaiser Foundation for enabling this project to be completed,” said Dean Michael Isaacson, responsible for implementing the engineering component of DTO at UBC. “Thus far, DTO has been a great success and this building represents a landmark in making the vision a reality.” UBC, in honour of the Kaiser Foundation’s gift, has named the building after Fred Kaiser. Through his leadership and vision, Kaiser has helped advance the power technology industry in North America and has also provided extensive support for the Faculty of Applied Science, including his service on its Engineering Advisory Council. “It is a great honour, and at the same time, very humbling to have the building bear my name, particularly since this great University has consistently ranked among the world’s 50 best universities,” said Fred Kaiser, the building’s honoree. “It is also very gratifying to note that UBC has been rated amongst the top 10 North American Universities in terms of U.S. patents issued in the past year due to the proactive and progressive approach in partnering with government and the private sector.” The Fred Kaiser Building was designed to encourage collaboration, cooperation and innovation among faculty, students and staff, and greatly increases the capacities and capabilities of teaching and research. The building will facilitate research projects in wireless communication, next generation Internet and interactive multimedia; power electronics and power systems; nano- and biotechnology; biomedical application of control and signal processing; human computer interaction; microsystems technology for the life sciences; medical imaging, haptic interfaces; and system on a chip design. In addition to facilitating research and learning, the building boasts numerous sustainability features -- solar-protectant ceramic window coating, automatic lighting system, passive ventilation and low-flow plumbing fixtures to name a few -- intended to promote user health and amenity, reduce capital and operating costs, and minimize the building’s annual greenhouse emissions. Built over an existing laboratory, the new structure takes advantage of existing landscape features and uses unconventional building materials to conserve energy. NB: Digital photographs of the Fred Kaiser Building are available upon request. Please contact Brian Lin at 604.822.2234.
Backgrounder Fred Kaiser graduated in 1965 with a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Ohm Technical University in Nuremberg, Germany. He later completed technical and management courses at the British Columbia Institute for Technology as well as a Diploma in Marketing Management from UBC in 1977. Alpha Technologies employs more than 2,000 people and operates from more than 65,000 square metres of manufacturing space spanning five continents. The company provides power protection and energy backup to networks providing advanced voice, video and data services and is also engaged in areas of alternate energy and energy co-generation. The Faculty of Applied Science is one of 12 faculties at UBC Vancouver. It includes six engineering departments, and has an enrollment of more than 3,000 engineering students. On Oct. 18, 2002 Premier Gordon Campbell announced capital funding for the Doubling the Opportunity (DTO) initiative that provided nearly $100 million over five years to create a total of 3,400 new high-tech student spaces. DTO capital funding included $21,927,000 for the Fred Kaiser Building. This amount included $2,040,000 for code upgrade of the adjoining MacLeod building. -30-
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Contact Brian Lin
UBC Public Affairs
Tel: 604.822.2234
Cell: 604.818.5685
E-mail: brian.lin@ubc.ca Erin Rose Handy
Faculty of Applied Science
Tel: 604.822.1524
E-mail: erinrose.handy@ubc.ca
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