Dear LFS graduate students,

The Applied Biology Program will be interviewing 3 candidates for a faculty position in Soil Science (see Ad). We would like to invite all graduate students to lunch with the candidates on October 21, 28 and November 4, from 12:00-1:00pm in McM 350.

Please RSVP to Sasha Pollet (sashapol@student.ubc.ca) and include any dietary restrictions by 2pm on Thursday, Oct 17.

You are also invited to attend their research and teaching seminars. We would welcome your feedback following the interviews as per forms below. Note the seminars will be in person only but we will have recordings available afterward.

Dr. Henry Chau (Oct 21-22)

Henry Chau is a Research Scientist in Soil Conservation and Land Resilience at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. His current research examines how environmental stressors and agricultural management practices impact soil resilience and ecosystem services.  Henry earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a Specialization in Microbiology at the University of Alberta in 2007. He completed a PhD in Soil Science (Soil Physics) at the University of Saskatchewan in 2014. He previously worked as a Lecturer (2014-2018) & Senior Lecturer (2018-2022) in Soil and Environmental Physics in the Department of Soil and Physical Sciences at Lincoln University, New Zealand. In his academic role, he was actively involved in the understanding of the impacts of land use and management on soil physical and hydraulic properties, processes and related ecosystem functions that are essential for addressing global societal challenges of water and food security, sustainable land management, economic development, weather uncertainty, and climate adaptation.

 

Research Seminar: Soil’s Dichotomy Dilemma: Balancing Productivity with Ecosystem Services and Climate Mitigation

October 21, 9:30-11:00am

MacMillan 158, 2357 Main Mall

 

Teaching Seminar: Soil Water Flow

October 22, 1:00-2:00pm

MacMillan 160, 2357 Main Mall

 

Feedback Form: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5zEGdPBKLsRmdP8

 

 

Dr. Cynthia Kallenbach (Oct 28-29)

Cynthia Kallenbach is an Associate Professor at McGill University in the Natural Resource Sciences department. Her research group integrates soil ecology and biogeochemistry to understand soil organic matter turnover and accumulation and microbial-plant interactions affecting carbon and nutrient cycling under land use and global change. She has two MSc from the University of California-Davis in International Agriculture Development and in Soil Biogeochemistry and completed her PhD from the University of New Hampshire in Earth and Environmental Science. Before coming to McGill, she was a United States Department of Agriculture postdoctoral fellow at Colorado State University.

 

Research Seminar: Microbial-Organic Matter Interactions and Responses to Changing Soil Moisture

October 28, 9:30-11:00am

MacMillan 158, 2357 Main Mall

 

Teaching Seminar: Soil Physical Properties:  Impacts on the Soil Environment

October 29, 1:00-2:00pm

MacMillan 160, 2357 Main Mall

 

Feedback Form: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1IaLOLGXuTMeMx8

 

 

Dr. Nan Li (Nov 4-5)

Nan Li is a soil scientist with a Ph.D. in Environmental Management from the University of New South Wales. Her research integrates remote and proximal sensing technologies with digital soil mapping to promote sustainable soil and water management in agriculture. Currently, she is an Assistant Project Scientist at the University of California, Riverside. Nan’s ongoing work focuses on using artificial intelligence and big data from high-resolution imagery and ground sensor networks to optimize irrigation, fertilization, and soil salinity management. With a passion for promoting sustainable agricultural practices, Nan aims to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical field applications.

 

Research Seminar: Farming the Data: Leveraging Sensing Technologies and Digital Soil Mapping Method for Sustainable Soil Management

November 4, 9:30-11:00am

MacMillan 158, 2357 Main Mall

 

Teaching Seminar: Soil Texture and Electromagnetic Induction

November 5, 1:00-2:00pm

MacMillan 160, 2357 Main Mall

 

Feedback Form: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b7LPWuIjSfNNudM

Happy First Day of October LFS Faculty!

Autumn is in the air, and with it, I am very pleased to announce our first LFS Scholar Seminar of the 2024-25 academic year.

Dr. Chelsey Armstrong from Simon Fraser University will join us for a seminar titled, “Land-Use and Use Rights: Historical-Ecological Perspectives of Food Systems in the Pacific Northwest.”

Thursday, October 24, 4pm – 5pm

Location: CHEM D200

Mix and mingle social with food and refreshments will follow!

Please register using the link.

 

As provided by Dr. Armstrong, an abstract for the content of her seminar:

Indigenous communities throughout the Pacific Northwest have long told researchers that plant resources were routinely managed and encouraged across the region. Despite these accounts, archaeological and ecological research documenting land-use and cultivation legacies have been lacking. To investigate ancient and historical land-use and cultivation in the Pacific Northwest, this research uses historical-ecological methods to document forest cultivation through time. This research shows that practices like orcharding and fruit tree management not only lead to increased functional and biological diversity, but challenge long held Eurocentric beliefs about cultivation and land-use in Ts’msyen, Gitxsan, Coast Salish, and Nuu-chah-nulth homelands. In the context of settler states like Canada, Indigenous cultivation and land-use is equated to use rights and therefore require careful attention and scrutiny.

 

Please join us on October 24^th and do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions!

Warm regards,

Madison

Madison Johnstone (She, Her, Hers)
Graduate and Postdoctoral Program Assistant
Faculty of Land and Food Systems
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus
291 – 2357 Main Mall | Vancouver BC | V6T 1Z4 Canada
Phone 604 822 8373 Ext. 28373
madison.johnstone@ubc.ca

 

 

CCEL Social Impact Grants for Students – $1,500 to $10,000 of funding available per project. Applications close January 31, 2025.

At the Centre for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL), we empower students to drive social change through funding for meaningful projects in partnership with BC-based community organizations. Our grants support students in co-designing and implementing impactful initiatives that directly address community needs. We encourage bold, creative ideas and support collaborations in tackling real-world issues. Dive in, explore new possibilities, and gain hands-on experience addressing societal challenges. Students and community organizations with questions or who would like to book an advising appointment are encouraged to email Jacquie (she/her) at jacquie.kwok@ubc.ca.

If you are interested please contact Dr. Sandra Brown at sandra.brown@ubc.ca