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

Next week’s IRES Seminar is in the Beaty Museum Allan Yap Theatre:

October 17, 2024: IRES Faculty Seminar with Dr. Simone Philpot

Evaluating impact reduction technologies: Decision support for a future-ready marine shipping industry

Location: Beaty Museum Allan Yap Theatre (Basement, 2212 Main Mall). Please check in at front desk on main floor before going downstairs.

No food or drinks allowed in the Theatre.

Time: 12:30pm to 1:20pm

Click here to register for Zoom link. Zoom will be terminated if we encounter tech problems 5 to 10 mins into the seminar.

Talk summary:

Marine shipping provides critical services, while also being the most efficient transportation option available when it comes to CO2 emissions per cargo tonne/mile. However, vessels still cause a wide range of environmental impacts (eg. harmful exhaust, underwater radiated noise, and chemical leaching). As expectations rise around minimizing these impacts, a range of technology and design alternatives are available for consideration. Given the complexity of vessels and the ecological systems they transit, evaluating these alternatives is no simple task. Drawing on case studies with the National Research Council Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard, we are developing decision support grounded in best practices from the decision sciences and techniques from systems design. In this talk, you will hear about our case studies, learn about the tools we are using to manage complexity, and get a look at our preliminary evaluative framework.

  Dr. Simone Philpot, IRES Postdoc

Bio:

Simone Philpot is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability. Simone merges systems modelling and qualitative research techniques to examine environmental management and planning issues. At the Lab for Environmental Assessment and Policy, she is developing a technology assessment framework for marine shipping that captures a range of environmental impacts. Previously, Simone completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the University of Waterloo’s Department of Systems Design Engineering where she investigated resource management conflicts. She holds a Ph.D in Geography and Environmental Management with specialized training in collaborative water management, from the University of Waterloo.

See you on October 17!

 _______________________________________________________________________________

Bonnie Leung

RES Program Support (she/her/hers)

Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES)

University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus | Musqueam Traditional Territory

Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory (AERL Building)

Room 429 – 2202 Main Mall | Vancouver, BC | V6T 1Z4 | Canada

 

Email: bonnie.leung@ubc.ca

Tel: 604-822-9249

UBC – Faculty of Land and Food Systems Announces

The Oral Examination for the Degree of

Master of Science
(ISLFS)

Lizeth Ardila

“Decolonizing Urban Alternative Food Organizations in Winnipeg: Centering the Voices of Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour”

Monday, October 28, 2024 – 2 PM

Exam Location: Room 220 FNH

 

EXAMINING COMMITTEE

Chair: Dr. R. Sargent

Supervisory Committee:
Dr. J. Grenz – Supervisor
Dr. T. Robin  – Committee member
Dr. M. McHale – Committee member

Defense Committee Composition
Dr. J. Grenz – Supervisor
Dr. T. Robin  – Committee member
Dr. M. McHale – Committee member
Dr. T. Soma – External Examiner

 

Dear Graduate Staff and Students,

We are pleased to announce the GSS Effective Communication Coaching Program, designed to help graduate students become more confident and effective communicators. This interactive course provides essential coaching frameworks to enhance communication skills and build stronger academic and professional relationships.

We encourage you to register and share this opportunity with your students. If you have internal newsletters, feel free to include this program in your communications.

Program Details:

• Dates: October 15 – November 19 (Tuesdays, 6 sessions)
• Time: 5:30–7:00 PM
• Location: Online (Zoom link will be provided)

For more details, visit our website and RSVP here.

Thank you for your support!

Best regards,

 

Frances Cong, MBA (She/Her/Hers)

Communications, Marketing and IT Manager

E: communications@gss.ubc.ca