UNews - Jim Byrne

Globe-trotting TV producer headlines 22nd Annual International Dinner

trevor.kenney — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 17:00:21 +0000

Geoff Haines-Stiles always had a desire to travel the world – it was just a matter of finding the right itinerary and ticket. Through education, that route was revealed and Haines-Stiles eventually visited all seven continents, including two trips to the most remote, and least visited – Antarctica.

Guest speaker Geoff Haines-Stiles has visited all seven continents, including two trips to the most remote, and least visited – Antarctica.

A senior producer and director for Carl Sagan’s classic 1980 PBS television series, COSMOS, Haines-Stiles will bring his globe-trotting/planetary perspective to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015 as the featured speaker at the 22nd Annual International Dinner.

“As a kid, growing up in England, I was much more an arts person than a science enthusiast – I was not so great in math and physics,” says Haines-Stiles. “But working with Carl for several years and reading Cosmic Connection and Dragons of Eden turned me on to the fact that science is a truly humane endeavour, just as much as Latin and literature. We need to embrace both cultures to build a sustainable future.”

Haines-Stiles completed BA and master’s degree in history at Peterhouse, Cambridge (UK), before earning an MA in Communications from the Annenberg School at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Pennsylvania. Hired initially by CBS Television, Haines-Stiles eventually made his way to KCET Los Angeles to work with Sagan. COSMOS won three Emmys and a Peabody Award, and has now been seen by more than 800 million people worldwide.

“Working on COSMOS showed me that a television series could be as substantive as a book, and could engage large and diverse audiences with exciting and even cutting-edge content,” he says. “It’s really rewarding to find people still commenting favourably on our 1980 series when COSMOS 2.0 with Neil deGrasse Tyson was recently screened on Fox and National Geographic. I’ve been working in science television ever since. COSMOS was my ticket to ride!”

He’ll share a behind-the-scenes look at the production of COSMOS, including stories and clips from his outstanding career, with the International Dinner audience. Haines-Stiles will also address his latest project, the National Science Foundation-supported The Crowd & The Cloud, which covers citizen science, Big Data and the democratization of research. The U of L has a direct connection to The Crowd & The Cloud – several students working with Dr. Jim Byrne (geography) are contributing researchers on the production. Byrne and Haines-Stiles have previously collaborated on a series of climate change videos.

The annual International Dinner celebrates the international spirit at the U of L and its great benefit to the campus environment. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is the institution of choice for more than 600 international students representing 65 different countries.

“The diversity our international students bring is so enriching to our campus,” says Paul Pan, acting executive director of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge International. “The perspectives of their global experience and their eagerness to become a part of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and broader community are extremely beneficial to our students and southern Alberta as a whole.”

In addition to the presentation by Haines-Stiles, the 22nd Annual International Dinner will feature cuisine from around the world. A silent auction in support of the International Students Entrance Scholarship will also take place. Cocktails begin at 5 p.m. with the dinner to follow at 6:30 p.m. in the Students’ Union Ballrooms.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 403-329-2053, email international@uleth.ca or visit the International Dinner website.

Byrne film an environmental landmark

trevor.kenney — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:29:29 +0000

This story first appeared in the Lethbridge Herald

By SHERRI GALLANT

An educational film with algae-filled Lake Winnipeg as its focal point appeals to farmers and city dwellers to change their ways and help the country's watersheds to heal.

Choking Lake Winnipeg, a 25-minute documentary available free online, was screened Thursday at Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs. Produced by Jim Byrne, U of L prof and Chair of Geography, and his wife, Leanne Little, it includes interviews with many of the nation's top environmental scientists, including David Schindler, Killam Memorial Professor of Ecology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, and Joe Rasmussen, Canada Research Council Chair in Aquatic Ecosystems at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

An original soundtrack for the film was created by Stephen McGlenn, a U of L grad who attended COP 16 in Cancun — the United Nations Conference on Climate Change — as a Canadian Youth Delegate.

"We're looking to change a political/social approach to the way we deal with environment," said Byrne. "I went to some of my very favorite colleagues, Canada Research Chairs in many locations, outstanding and brilliant colleagues."

Byrne's expertise is in global environmental change. He was the lead scientist, originator and co-producer of the 2002 award-winning television series Global Change and the 2004 TV series Water Under Fire.

"Our goal was to inform people in a qualitative way and let them know that not only do we have this very challenging environmental problem, but we have some suitable solutions if we just have the political will."

Comparisons can be made with conditions in southern Alberta, where chemical runoff from farming and manure from beef, chicken and hog operations makes its way into the Oldman River watershed. Farmers, said Byrne, can go to zero-tillage practices which holds moisture in the soil and doesn't allow erosion and runoff; while city dwellers can take steps that include conserving water, being aware of what they shouldn't flush down their toilets, and using less — or zero — herbicides and pesticides on their lawns.

The film shows how massive blue-green algae blooms have appeared in Lake Winnipeg and other water bodies across the Canadian prairies. Eutrophication (when water is depleted of oxygen by algae, killing the body of water) is fast becoming a problem; not just in Canada but in the most heavily-populated parts of the industrialized and developing world.

To learn more, visit www.scientia.com.

Focused on water

trevor.kenney — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:39:13 +0000

Teaching upcoming generations about the environment is critical to ensuring a healthy future for all of us, says long-time educator Dr. Rick Mrazek.

"The bottom line is, you can't have healthy human beings in an unhealthy environment. We have to understand that relationship," he explains.

Mrazek, a veteran professor in the Faculty of Education and Board of Governors Teaching Chair, has been internationally recognized as a leading science, technology and environmental educator and researcher. For decades, he's dedicated his research to helping upcoming generations understand the world around them.

But he says traditional methods are proving to be less effective. His research now explores how to integrate new technologies into classroom learning.

"We know that this generation now thinks differently and uses information differently," he explains.

Mrazek isn't just researching the use of technology in education – he's creating digital resources too. With U of L geography professor Dr. Jim Byrne and George Gallant of Gallant Productions, he helped create the Canadian Wildlife Federation's Water Under Fire website from the Water Under Fire documentary series, which draws upon the knowledge of water scientists from coast-to-coast to create concise public service announcements and webisodes about our water systems and conservation topics.

The short videos provide key information about surface water, ground water, wastewater, and how to use water in a more sustainable way.

Water Under Fire public service announcements run on television networks across Canada to the general public, but the series is meant to also function as a teaching tool for educators, says Mrazek.

"It provides authentic information 'on demand' anywhere, anytime – which is what today's youth prefer," he says.

Mrazek is presently taking part in a national study, funded by the Canadian Wildlife Federation, which is examining levels of adoption of emerging technologies – particularly web applications like YouTube and TeacherTube – by teachers of conservation and environmental education.

"We know that a lot of people are being exposed to (online) information, but now we're trying to figure out how this is being used in classes."

The Water Under Fire webisodes and public service announcements are available online at www.waterunderfire.ca and cwf-fcf.org.

UNews - Jim Byrne

Globe-trotting TV producer headlines 22nd Annual International Dinner

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Byrne film an environmental landmark

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