UBC -LFS Announces The Oral Examination for the Degree of

Master of Science
(SOIL)

Morgan Hamilton

“Effects of a Low Soil Biochar Application Rate on Nutrient Dynamics in a Coarse Textured Agricultural Soil”

Friday, June 7th, 2024 – 9:30 AM

Exam Location: MCML 350

 

 

EXAMINING COMMITTEE

Chair: Dr. L. Lavkulich

Supervisory Committee:
Dr. J. Cornelis – Co-Supervisor
Dr. M Krzic – Co-Supervisor
Dr. M Johnson – Committee Member                                                                                                      Dr. S. Bittman – Committee Member

Defense Committee Composition
Dr. J. Cornelis – Co-Supervisor
Dr. M. Krzic – Co-Supervisor                                                                                                                    Dr. M. Johnson – Committee Member                                                                                                    Dr. S. Day – External Examiner

Hello LFS TAs!

We wanted to let you know about some upcoming workshops that can be applied to your LFS Advance TA Skills Certificate. Haven’t heard of the Certificate? Scroll to the end of the email for a brief description or see the full requirements in the LFS TA Portal: https://blogs.ubc.ca/lfsta/resources/#training

The CTLT Spring Institute (June 3 – 6) has a number of workshops that are relevant to the Certificate. Some examples:

Teaching Fundamentals:

Adopting a Wholistic Approach to Teaching and Learning in Laboratory Courses

Data Informed Teaching Practices with Learning Analytics

Designing Safer, More Effective Teamwork Activities in the Classroom

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:

Cultivating the Wellbeing of Students and Teachers Through Simple but Effective Wellbeing Pedagogies and Practices

Reducing Ableism One PowerPoint at a Time

Sharing Back Our Knowledge: Development of the Indigenous Learning Pathways Training Program

A Tabletop Role-Playing Game for Building Interpersonal Skills: Demonstration and Feedback

Learning Activity Development Through an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lens

Is there a workshop you’re interested applying toward the Certificate in that isn’t on this list? Email us
(Lexis lexis.ly@ubc.ca and Steven sbristow@student.ubc.ca) and we’ll let you know which category it falls under!

————-

In order to receive the LFS Advanced TA Skills Certificate,  you must:

Be a (graduate/undergraduate) student in LFS.

Complete at least 5 professional development trainings (workshops, etc.) offered by the LFS TA Training Program or CTLT. The five trainings must fall under the following categories:

– Teaching Fundamentals (3 trainings)

– Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (1 training)

– Teaching Theory and Pedagogy (1 training)

Three out of the five trainings must be completed within the LFS TA Training Program. At least one of which must have occurred after the approval of the Certificate Program (i.e., later than September 1st, 2023).

Applications for the Certificate will be open at the end of each term (November and April) For more information about applying, see the LFS TA Portal: https://blogs.ubc.ca/lfsta/resources/#training

————-

Questions? Let us know!

LFS TA Coordinators

Lexis (lexis.ly@ubc.ca) and Steven (sbristow@student.ubc.ca)

Dear LFS graduate students,

The Applied Biology Program will be interviewing 3 candidates for an Assistant Professor in Plant Science position (see Ad). We would like to invite all graduate students to lunch with the candidates. The second candidate lunch will be with Dr. Zayda Morales Moreira on Wednesday, June 5, 12:00pm to 1:00pm, McM 350.

Please RSVP to Harini Aiyer (harini.aiyer@ubc.ca) and include any dietary restrictions by 12pm on Monday, June 3.

We’d also welcome your feedback following the lunch, using the Feedback Form: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aahxEeDoK1Lw9VA

 

You are also invited to attend her research and teaching seminars, as below.

Dr. Zayda Morales Moreira (June 5-6)

Zayda Morales Moreira is currently a Research Associate in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at UBC. She completed her PhD in Applied Microbiology at University of Saskatchewan, her Master of Science in Agricultural Microbiology at Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia in Brazil and her Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology at Army Polytechnic School in Ecuador. During her PhD, Zayda was the recipient of the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission Award and the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Award for her contribution to canola and lentil research. Zayda’s research focus on sustainable agriculture, plant-microbe interactions, and plant microbiome function.

Research Seminar: Harnessing plant-associated microbes for sustainable agriculture

June 5, 9:30am, MacMillan 160

Registration Link: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5UrdeCtpj0sGdMaPiyZSxqoZV_fhpfrlGhM

 

Teaching Seminar: The plant microbiome: structure and function
June 6, 11:00am, MacMillan 160

Registration Link: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5code-rpzgtE9Q6xDkmeAEpmq3q08T70thc

 Thank you and best regards,

Melanie

 

Melanie Train

Human Resources Manager (Faculty) | Faculty of Land and Food Systems

The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus

248-2357 Main Mall | Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z4

Phone 604-822-3105 | Fax 604-822-6394

Email:  melanie.train@ubc.ca

Office: M/W/F: Remote: T/Th

Seminar by Dr. Gruninger on June 4^th from 10-11 am at  MCM258.

Application of culturomics and metagenomics to characterize the microbial pathogens associated with liver abscesses in feedlot cattle.

Gruninger RJ¹, Zaheer R¹, Chomistek N¹, King M¹, O’Hara EO¹, Ribeiro GO², Guan LL³, Zovoilis A⁴, McAllister TA¹

¹ Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada

² College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

³ Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

⁴ Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada

Feedlot-finishing diets in North America consist of high-concentrate rations that are formulated to provide ≤ 10% dry matter as roughage. Diets low in forage increase the incidence of metabolic and digestive disorders, and approximately 23-30% of cattle in feedlots develop liver abscesses. Severe liver abscesses are linked to reduced intake and decreased feed efficiency. In Canada, liver abscesses cost the industry approximately $61.2 million annually. The biological processes involved in the development of liver abscesses are not well understood. Metataxonomic studies have shown that while Fusobacterium necrophorum is ubiquitous among these infections, close to 50% also have high levels of unknown Bacteroidota. We present our recent efforts employing metagenomics and culturomics to examine the microbiology of liver abscesses in feedlot cattle. We obtained four high-quality MAGs, including two bacteria not previously known to be associated with liver abscess. Using a culturomics approach, pure cultures of isolates corresponding to the unknown MAGs were obtained and genomically characterized. This work provides important information on the microbial pathogens that cause the development of liver abscesses in cattle, data that will be valuable in efforts to reduce antibiotic use in livestock production and identify alternative therapeutics to in-feed antibiotics for the prevention of liver abscesses.