UNews - Craig Coburn

Remembering Dean Gallimore

trevor.kenney — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:59:57 +0000

Dean Gallimore (BMgt ’84) was the consummate professional. A respected member of the southern Alberta business community, he was a decorated chartered professional accountant leading one of the top accounting firms in the city. What he will be remembered for was how he leveraged his professional accomplishments to effect long-lasting change in his community, advocate for post-secondary education and create pathways to success for the next generation of students.

Dean Gallimore was appointed the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 11th Board of Governors Chair in 2022.

Gallimore, Chair Emeritus of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors, passed away on Sunday, April 6, at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary at the age of 63. His passing is a profound loss to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, to those who worked alongside him and to the students he ensured had a voice in the governance of the institution.

“The loss of Dean has deeply impacted many people in our community and for me it is especially painful as he was one of the first people I got to know well as the Chair of the search committee when I was hired as president and vice-chancellor,” says Dr. Digvir Jayas. “His generosity, warmth and humility showed me from the beginning that this was a place and an atmosphere I wanted to be involved in, and in my time working with him since, his sincerity for supporting the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and its people always shone through.”

Gallimore, an alumnus of the Faculty of Management (now Dhillon School of Business) was born in Edmonton and raised in Lethbridge, attending Winston Churchill High School before beginning a family legacy by attending the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Both he and his wife Bev (BA ’85, BMgt ’87) graduated from ULethbridge and their daughters, Lauren (BMgt ’15) and Amanda (BSc/BEd ’19), followed in their footsteps as alums.

Gallimore with President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Digvir Jayas.

Education was extremely important to Gallimore, and he was eager to give back to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ through volunteer work and as a philanthropist, crediting his time as a student as the starting point of his professional success.

“Having my spouse, and two children also as alums, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has always been a big part of my life and helped launch my career here in southern Alberta,” Gallimore said on being appointed the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s 11th Board Chair in 2022. “Its connection to community as a partner and driver of commerce and innovation is something that is continually expanding and I’m excited to help steward in the coming years.”

He would make students a central focus during his time as Board Chair, advocating for student priorities and ensuring student representatives on the Board were heard. He welcomed student representation on the ULethbridge Budget Advisory Committee in 2021-22 as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ engaged in critical financial planning discussions.

“The entire student community is deeply saddened by this loss,” says Maleeka Thomas, President of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students’ Union. “Dean Gallimore was a tireless champion for student causes at our university.”

Always a champion of student initiatives, here he is in the hot tub after taking a cold dip supporting the annual Chillin' for Charity fundraiser.

His time as Board Chair saw Gallimore involved in several major initiatives, including crucial work on the Budget Advisory Committee that tapped into Gallimore’s vast financial acumen as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ continued to navigate its substantial budget challenges. ULethbridge’s major fundraising campaign for student scholarship support was initiated under his watch and the Board’s significant matching campaign, where the Board pledged $10 million in match funds for the establishment of new endowed student scholarships, was also created. The long sought Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP) was also realized, with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s first medical students slated to begin their training on campus in June 2026. Most recently, Gallimore was excited to help launch the ULethbridge Strategic Plan.

In 2023, the family established the Gallimore Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship in support of outstanding students pursuing undergraduate education in the management field. Upon his passing, a specific scholarship is being established in his memory. Due to his personal passion and involvement in the establishment of SAMP and the outstanding care he received from the medical team at Foothills Hospital, the endowed scholarship will support students pursuing medical training at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Contributions to the Dean Gallimore Memorial Scholarship, which will be matched by the Board’s matching program, can be made here.

Gallimore pictured with Wayne Lippa at Convocation.

“Working on these various initiatives with Dean leading the way, he always had a clear vision of our mandate and how we could better support students so that they would be able to excel in their studies,” says Toby Boulet (BEd ’89, MEd ’04), a fellow Board of Governors representative. “His authenticity and willingness to lead by example really set a tone for the work we were doing, and I’m grateful for the time we spent together. That he was also proud of being an organ donor and was always eager to support our family as we raised awareness around organ donations, suits his incredible character.”

As an organ and tissue donor, Gallimore saved three lives and improved the quality of life for countless others upon his passing.

Gallimore’s professional achievements were many and his financial acumen was a major asset to his various roles with the Board of Governors. He spent 28 years with local accounting firm KPMG, the final 12 years as the office managing partner before retiring in 2012. An Alberta bronze medalist who placed on the Canadian Honour Role for the 1986 Uniform Final Examinations (having placed in the top 20 of approximately 3,600 candidates), his portfolio at KPMG consisted largely of primary agriculture, agriculture services and agriculture processing clients, as well as many other industries.

Deeply respected by his peers, Gallimore received the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta Distinguished Service Award (2001) and was honoured as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta (2008). In 2009, he was named to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Alumni Honour Society.

Green Shirt Day meant a lot to Gallimore, here supporting Toby Boulet making smile cookies.

“In working with Dean these past few years, we spoke a lot about relationships and specifically building bridges between the Board of Governors and the faculty,” says Dr. Craig Coburn, a Board member and professor in the Department of Geography & Environment. “He worked hard to create a space where we could talk about some very difficult issues in a respectful and constructive manner, and I think we made great strides in terms of understanding each other and moving forward.”

Gallimore was also deeply committed to strengthening his community, giving time to several organizations and chairing such committees as the Chartered Accountants of Alberta Education Foundation, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Planned Giving Advisory Committee and Faculty of Management Advisory Committee. He first joined the ULethbridge Board of Governors in 2019 and, among his other duties, was Chair of the Finance Committee.

The culmination of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Strategic Plan launch marked a major milestone in Gallimore's tenure as Board Chair.

“Dean was someone I admired for embodying all that ULethbridge alumni aspire to be,” says Cyndi Crane (BMus ’95, MEd ’01), president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association. “He made the most of his ULethbridge education, excelling as a student and going on to be a respected, highly successful member of the business community. He also understood how he could contribute to his community beyond his professional role and embraced volunteering, philanthropy and seeking ways to make people’s lives better, all while raising a caring and engaged family with his wife Bev. He will be deeply missed.”

Terry Whitehead (BA ’94) joined his fellow alum in a leadership position in 2023 when he was appointed ULethbridge Chancellor. He says the passion with which Gallimore advocated for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was ever present.

“He truly believed in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, what it had provided for him and his family and how it was creating graduates who were making a real difference in the world,” says Whitehead. “He cared about people, he cared about his community, and I’ll miss our conversations, his warm smile and his generosity of spirit. He was a wonderful man whose impact was significant in every aspect of his life. Dean will be forever admired and deeply missed by all who knew him.”

Those wishing to send condolences to the Gallimore family can submit by following this link. The family also invites all those who knew Dean to share a short video (30 seconds to 2 minutes) reflecting on a special memory, an adventure shared or a meaningful lesson learned from him. Videos can be sent to deangallimoretribute@gmail.com by May 1. A selection of these will be shared at his Celebration of Life on Friday, May 23 (2 p.m.,
Science Commons Atrium) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ flag has been lowered in his honour and will remain down through Friday, April 18. It will then be lowered again on May 23, the day of his celebration of life event, and remain down through the end of Convocation weekend, June 2.

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas grant supports ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge research expertise

trevor.kenney — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 20:59:41 +0000

Eight ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge research projects focused on water storage, carbon storage, insect health, fish habitat and the endangered sage grouse will go ahead thanks to a $500,000 grant from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA).

“We’re joining forces with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to look deeper into environmental issues impacting southern Alberta,” said Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, in a news release. “This grant will help us better maximize and manage Alberta’s water supply, reduce emissions, recover species at risk and protect the environment in the years ahead. This is a great example of government and university scientists working together.”

The three-year research grant will ultimately help both government and ULethbridge researchers better understand and respond to environmental challenges in southern Alberta and across the province.

"The Ministry's significant investment in these innovative and provincially important research projects led by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers working with Environment and Protected Areas colleagues is greatly appreciated,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, vice-president research. “The research includes answering important questions about water resources and habitat management, carbon storage in landscapes, ensuring diverse and thriving insects, birds, and fish populations, as well as human actions and interventions that affect water and lands."

The projects target diverse areas of research. Drs. Matthew Bogard and Sam Woodman (BSc '15), a postdoctoral fellow, will collaborate with researchers from AEPA and Ducks Unlimited Canada to map and define patterns of prairie wetland carbon and nutrient stocks.

In another project, Drs. Theresa Burg and Melissa Chelak, a postdoctoral fellow, will work with AEPA scientists to see how endangered sage grouse populations are responding to recent habitat restoration, namely oil and gas reclamation efforts.

Drs. Laura Chasmer, Chris Hopkinson and Craig Coburn will be focusing on the vulnerability of peatlands to wildfire. Peatlands in Alberta have been drying out in recent years, reducing their ability to slow the spread of forest fires and resulting in increased carbon loss into the atmosphere. In addition, Chasmer and Hopkinson will also work on a project to assess the province’s lake water resources.

Climate phases, such as El Nino, can impact the productivity of native grassland and wetland ecosystems. Dr. Larry Flanagan and AEPA will examine how these year-to-year variations in weather contribute to fluctuations in productivity and carbon sequestration in these ecosystems and how these factors in turn can affect dryland farming, ranching, irrigated crop production and bird habitat.

How rainbow and brown trout in urban rivers such as the Bow River are affected by the combined effects of exposure to two stormwater associated chemicals as well as increased water temperatures and decreases in dissolved oxygen is the subject of research by Drs. Steve Wiseman and Andreas Eriksson, a postdoctoral fellow, in collaboration with researchers from AEPA and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan.

Grasshopper expert, Dr. Dan Johnson, will be conducting extensive field sampling of Orthoptera to determine their diversity, abundance and biomass in wildlife food webs. Orthoptera includes insects such as grasshoppers and crickets.

A project team led by Dr. Jodie Asselin, an anthropology professor, in collaboration with government researchers, will look at the impact of human activities on the ecology of the Upper Oldman Watershed to assist in the development of policies that balance the needs of recreational users with the protection of at-risk species such as bull trout.

“These projects will help to monitor and build understanding of the southern Alberta environment and potentially lead to better responses to droughts, floods, species at risk and less predictable climate changes,” says McMartin.

Collaborative research project utilizes geospatial technology to locate lost graves sites in Vulcan County

trevor.kenney — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 18:17:09 +0000

Today’s cutting-edge geospatial technology is being utilized to honour and protect the past through a collaborative research project between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Vulcan County.

The initiative, Locating Missing Grave Sites using Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems, involves the use of advanced geospatial technology to locate and document potentially lost grave sites, enriching our understanding of local history and providing a respectful approach to cemetery management.

Researchers work in a rural cemetery collecting data as part of the collaborative community project.

“Unmarked graves have posed a significant challenge for rural communities for years. In Vulcan County, many of the cemeteries, which were associated with small towns, are now the responsibility of the municipalities and local service organizations to maintain, and many of these cemeteries have markers that have gone missing or were never recorded,” says Christopher Northcott, Vulcan County. “The absence of accurate records and mapping has not only hindered cemetery expansion but made it more likely for historical graves to be unintentionally disturbed during excavations.”

Research intern Paul Novoseltsev and a team of ULethbridge students under the guidance of Dr. Craig Coburn (geography & environment) will use a remote piloted aircraft system equipped with multispectral and thermal imaging technology, as well as terrain analysis using topography rendered from Structure from Motion (SfM), to locate missing graves throughout the county.

“Using these technologies, we will be able to conduct non-destructive and cost-effective surveys of potential grave sites,” says Novoseltsev. “We hope to be able to identify graves that may have been lost to time and, in the process, update municipal records and create detailed maps that will prevent future disturbances of these sacred sites.”

The project is funded in part by a $15,000 gift from Mitacs, a non-profit national research organization, with the other half of the funding coming from municipal stakeholders including Vulcan County, and the villages of Carmangay, Lomond and Milo. The Carmangay Historical Society, Carmangay Agricultural Society, Lions Club of Lomond and the Lions Club of Milo all rallied to support this important initiative, providing significant funding contributions.

“Partnerships such as these are extremely beneficial for both parties,” says Coburn, professor and Chair of the Department of Geography & Environment. “The experience our students get from applying the technology they are working with in a field setting and then interpreting the data they accrue is invaluable. Similarly, we are able to help resolve an important issue for these communities as they seek to celebrate and preserve their rich histories.”

To date, this project has nearly completed all required remotely piloted drone flights. This has generated an enormous trove of accurate location-referenced images that also overlay temperature variations. While this data will provide the basis for research into the capabilities of remote sensing technologies, for these rural communities the data will help establish cemetery profiles on local geographic information systems, identifying lost graves and areas where further investigation is required. Local histories will also be reviewed to complete the historical context for technical findings in the research component.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge earns more than $1.3 million in TECTERRA support of geomatics students and programs

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 15:11:38 +0000

Geomatics students at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge are the key benefactors of a substantial investment from TECTERRA today, as the Canadian non-profit supporter of geomatics technology innovation has invested $5.2 million in a Legacy Program for Alberta-based universities.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) are recipients of this program. The Legacy Program offers financial aid for geomatics undergraduates, helps geomatics graduates commercialize technologies within their institution, attracts aspiring geomatics enthusiasts, offers co-op and internship opportunities for job placement, and invests in advanced technology to enhance geomatics education.

The TECTERRA gift will support geomatics students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Here, a student collects data in the field.

What it means for ULethbridge is more than $1.3 million from TECTERRA to fund various undergraduate and graduate awards for students engaged in geomatics-related fields along with other supports to grow capacity in this important area of study. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors is also matching a portion of the funds as part of its commitment to student scholarships and bursaries.

“Providing financial support for our future leaders breaks down financial barriers that prevent students from being able to commit to their education full-time,” says Dr. Craig Coburn, professor and Chair of the Department of Geography and Environment. “With this strong financial support at the undergraduate and graduate level, unique programs, such as our undergraduate major in Remote Sensing, will continue to grow by attracting great students. Additionally, the graduate funding contribution is also important as it will allow students to pursue geospatial science and contribute to Alberta's vibrant geospatial community.”

The chosen post-secondaries will be recipients of financial support and expert guidance from TECTERRA, enabling them to actualize their industry-leading geomatics programs. This collaboration will have a substantial impact on moulding the future of the geomatics sector in Alberta and beyond.

“TECTERRA is excited to embark on this new journey of collaboration with Alberta’s universities,” says Monty Carter, Board Chair at TECTERRA. “Our aim is to fuel the geomatics industry’s growth by nurturing the talents of young minds, fostering innovation, and bridging academia with industry. Together, we’ll shape a bright future for geospatial technology in Alberta and Canada.”

Geomatics is a branch of science that deals with the collection, analysis and interpretation of data relating to the Earth’s surface. Geomatics-related fields include remote sensing, image analysis, cartography, resource management, GIS (geographic information system) analysis and consulting, among many others. TECTERRA, established in 2010, is a non-profit organization assisting geomatics technology companies and educators across Alberta. After more than a decade of successful collaboration with technology companies to expedite innovation, TECTERRA is now directing its focus toward academia to foster the next generation of geospatial experts and entrepreneurs.

“For the last decade, TECTERRA has supported growth and promoted innovation and commercialization across Canada’s geospatial technology sectors,” says Dr. Chris Hopkinson, a researcher in the Department of Geography & Environment and the Advanced Resolution Terradynamics Monitoring System Laboratory (ARTeMiS). “It’s great to see these Legacy Program investments to Alberta’s post-secondary institutions, where funds will support and reward innovations by emerging geospatial scholars, leaders and entrepreneurs.”

Teaching Innovation Fund supports remote sensing class project sending balloon to the edge of space

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 21:12:39 +0000

When ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge geography professor Dr. Craig Coburn looked at redesigning his Remote Sensing 4650 course, he aimed high – all the way to space. Proposing a high-altitude balloon project as the centerpiece, Coburn and his 24 students designed, created and launched a remote sensing system that scraped the edge of the earth’s upper atmosphere and provided an unparalleled student experience.

“I looked at the course and thought, why not. We can build a sensor, calibrate it, launch it, do the analysis all the way through to product generation in one class – if we do it right,” says Coburn.

Dr. Craig Coburn (holding balloon) and his Remote Sensing 4650 class shortly before the dawn launch of their high-altitude balloon outside Stavely, Alta.

Suddenly, a class that used to attract fewer than 10 students had to be cut off at 24. While videos exist showing American schools launching high altitude balloons, Coburn was much more ambitious with his plans.

“They’d never put up as advanced a system as we put up, but we’re supposed to be good at this, right? Remote sensing is a U of L thing so I thought, let’s try it,” says Coburn. “We had no idea if it would work or not.”

Buoyed by a $2,500 Teaching Innovation Fund from the U of L’s AGILITY program and the Teaching Centre, Coburn split his students into four groups tasked with various aspects of the project and the building began. The design of the instrument cluster was relatively simple, consisting of three cameras (colour, infra-red and thermal), GPS, temperature and pressure sensors, two Raspberry Pi mini computers and a GoPro action camera. This was all housed in a Styrofoam shell and mounted on a wood frame.

“It was not terribly complicated other than the imaging system, which was pretty fancy,” says Coburn. “In essence we were able to create five spectral bands, which is pretty good.”

With two tanks of helium to power its launch, the class set out for a site early one Saturday morning and set the balloon free on the outskirts of Stavely, Alta. Designed to scrape the upper limits of the atmosphere before bursting, the balloon exceeded expectations, eventually rising to 30,132 metres and traversing 160 kilometres before rupturing and floating on a parachute to the earth in a horse paddock near Brooks. All the while, the instrument cluster snapped photos and took measurements as it passed through the -65C temperatures of the troposphere and the thin air of the stratosphere.

Students followed its flight via GPS and, while tracking it on the ground, performed spectral measurements to ensure the accuracy of the data collected by the on-board imaging systems. They were then tasked to download and interpret the data once back in the lab.

“Maybe we didn’t learn all that much scientifically but at the end of the day, they now understand how it all works, from beginning to end,” says Coburn, who was assisted by balloon expert Nicholas Janzen of Calgary and recently graduated master’s student Gordon Logie, who snapped photos. “That’s something very few universities can offer. They created a system, launched a system and then were able to work with raw data they had to process. They also had to work with each other and off of each other, so we had physics students working with geography students and computer science students to make it all work.”

For fourth-year geography student Sarah McCrady, the experience was invaluable.

“I was part of one of the vicarious calibration groups, which involved getting ground spectral measurements,” she says. “I found the project really emphasized the importance of teamwork and the complexity that major projects like this entail. I had no idea how many things there were to consider, such as weather for launch, and legal permissions.”

Travis Houston is in his third year of geography with an interest in geographic information systems (GIS) and the intricacies of imaging.

“I got the chance to learn how satellite and aerial images are calibrated and adjusted post-launch, how to use the various instruments involved and how sensors react to reflected light from the Earth’s surface,” he says. “This experience definitely will help me in my career in that it gave me a clear understanding of what really makes up an image. Knowing how an image is taken and the effects that need to be accounted for is invaluable when using earth imagery for analytical purposes.”

Coburn now has a template for next year’s project, along with valuable lessons learned for another launch.

“You don’t always get this level of experience, where you have 20 students in a fourth-year class doing something cool – which is what I was after,” he says, crediting the AGILITY program’s support for making the project possible. “You want them excited by the opportunity and this is something we could offer that you can’t do anywhere else. With the knowledge we gained from this experience, I’m already thinking of ways to tweak it for the next time.”

Undergraduate student success highlights ATIC awards at national symposium

trevor.kenney — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 19:48:35 +0000

Undergraduate student Jason Beaver claimed the Best Student Oral Presentation Award as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre (ATIC) was prominent at the 37th Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing, held recently in Winnipeg.

Both undergraduate students and senior faculty members attended the annual conference as ATIC continued to build on its legacy as a national leader in the science of remote sensing.

U of L student Jason Beaver, right, accepts his award at the at the 37th Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing.

“Over the years, the research work of ATIC faculty members and students has been recognized with various awards and our group has earned its reputation as a leader both nationally and beyond,” says Dr. Derek Peddle, geography professor and ATIC co-director. “Jason’s award this year is especially noteworthy because I believe it is the first time an undergraduate student has won first place in this category.”

Beaver’s award-winning presentation, BRDF Effects on Vegetation Indices and Leaf Area Index Derivations in Agricultural Crops, was part of the Agricultural Applications in Remote Sensing Session. Student presentations covered many topics, and almost all involved masters or PhD level students from across the country. Graduate students from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia and Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ (Ottawa) placed second and third respectively.

“There’s no undergraduate award category, but we work at the highest levels and Jason’s presentation reflected that in the results that he achieved and his ability to deliver it effectively,” says Dr. Craig Coburn, geography professor and Beaver’s undergraduate honours thesis supervisor. “Supported by the NSERC CREATE AMETHYST program, Jason is one of our first students in the new BSc in Remote Sensing degree program.”

Beaver’s presentation explored new ways to use remote sensing in agriculture. The study assessed wheat and peas at different times in the growing season, deriving improved information on plant health, growth status and ultimately yield. Conducted in collaboration with Dr. Anne Smith at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre, this research used the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Goniometer System (ULGS-II) that allows measurements at different angles. The ULGS-II was designed and built by Coburn and Dr. Scott D. Noble (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan) and is widely recognized as one of the best in the world. A wheat field can look different if you look at it from different locations or angles – the same is true for remote sensing instruments on drones, airplanes or satellites. The ULGS-II allowed Beaver to test this extensively and discover optimal measurement approaches. This allows recommendations on best practices in agricultural remote sensing in terms of time of day for measurement, angle of sensing and also how these vary throughout the growing season. The results are important in ensuring the best possible agriculture information can be obtained from seeding to harvest time, and is intended to benefit farmers and how they monitor crops.

In addition to Beaver’s honour, Peddle was awarded the 2016 Canadian Remote Sensing Society Silver Medal, recognizing excellence in mid-career achievement in remote sensing in Canada.

ATIC’s presence at the conference was not limited to individual awards. Four faculty members from ATIC, along with students ranging from undergraduate to PhD levels and post-doctoral researchers, also offered presentations. In total, ATIC personnel gave 12 presentations involving 12 student and staff researchers as co-authors with ATIC faculty. ATIC personnel also organized a total of five special sessions, ranging in topics from Agriculture and Wetlands in Alberta, to LiDAR technology and GeoSpatial Education.

“This year’s outcomes continue what’s become a legacy of prestigious awards to ATIC personnel and students,” says Peddle. “These results further illustrate the strong leadership profile ATIC has earned in the remote sensing community.”

Coburn comfortable stepping into the unknown

trevor.kenney — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 18:53:28 +0000

As a function of his job as a professor in the Department of Geography, Dr. Craig Coburn is in the business of telling people what he knows – about calibration, remote sensing, measuring light reflectivity and so forth. What drives Coburn however is what he doesn’t know – ironically finding comfort in his discomfort.

“I pursue the things I don’t know, I’m perpetually in a quixotic adventure. I’m really comfortable if I have no clue as to what the answer is,” says Coburn. “It’s a frightful place and a lot of my students will find that it is the scary part of science, taking a step into the unknown. For me, that’s where professors live.”

Dr. Craig Coburn speaks about the challenges of remote sensing calibration in the third installment of the PUBlic Professor lecture series.

Coburn presented Understanding the Complexities of Imaging the Earth: The Challenge of Image Calibration as the third installment of the PUBlic Professor lecture series on Thursday night at Lethbridge City Hall. He removed some of the mystery around the science of remote sensing and spoke to the incredible detail required to produce quality imaging and data.

“One of the fundamental difficulties we have in remote sensing is that of calibration,” he told the audience, describing how satellites often need to be recalibrated once they enter space or after they have been deployed for a certain amount of time.

“We found over time that things drift, things change, components can get dirty, so we started a process of doing post launch calibration efforts that were based on observation of earth targets,” he says.

These targets, of which there are nine, are spread across the globe and established as areas on the Earth’s surface that do not change, as they are needed as a base measure for instruments. They are also shared internationally.

“It’s one of those rare happenings in humanity where everybody agrees. In the space sector, everyone works together,” he says. “What they try to do is share this part, the calibration piece. Everybody plays nice, because we need their measurements as much as they need ours, as it allows you to then cross-calibrate your measurements.”

Remote sensing and the data acquired through the science have changed markedly over the years. As Coburn says, it’s not just about just making maps.

“What we do now is focus on making maps about biophysical parameters, more complicated elements of the earth’s surface,” he says. “We can do the map part but it’s about getting more in-depth data about the Earth, and in order to do that, you need a physical unit, not just a pixel value, an energy value. That’s a new challenge, and to get that, you need an absolute correction target.”

Coburn is able to get those targets and he’s well known as the go-to guy with the “fastest, baddest goniometer on Earth”. He describes being summoned by NASA to a remote desert area near the Mexican border (where scenes for the film Return of the Jedi were shot) to do the goniometric work (a goniometer is a device that measures angles) that would establish the tract as a measurable target.

“We needed to get a series of measurements that allowed us to characterize that target per angle,” he says. “A satellite always flies over at the same time locally, but the angle of the earth changes with respect to the target as the year progresses. For two days we measured from sun-up to sundown and gave them the most complete data they’d ever had for that target. It’s fundamental work and it’s difficult work but it’s needed.”

What enthuses Coburn though is not so much the actual data acquisition, but rather how they do what they do. It’s inspired him to create a number of customized instruments in his garage, starting with nothing more than an idea and a sketch on the back of a piece of plywood.

As a result, he’s almost stumbled into the title of the “BRDF guy” thanks to creating a better method of measuring what a surface’s bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is. Essentially, it is trying to calculate the reflective nature of an object.

“The model that we have conceptually for how we understand remote sensing data is too simple, and that’s a fundamental flaw in science,” says Coburn. “We say things have reflectance, a unitless number where black is black. Then I come to you and say, yes, from a certain distance black is black but the closer I get to it, it’s not black anymore, it is black plus complexity. In a computational architecture, if I’m a long way away from something, it’s simple. If I zoom in on something, I’m down to a big pixel, and I can’t tell anything from a pixel except that I have to tell everything from a pixel, from climate change to forests to water to everything, and that’s a big ask. That’s where I’m trying to work now, focus on some of those bigger questions.”

These questions, those he doesn’t yet have answers for, put him right in his comfort zone.

Kovalchuk research points to a future of personalized medical treatments

trevor.kenney — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 17:03:02 +0000

You needn’t look too hard to find the motivation for Dr. Olga Kovalchuk’s research focus.

Growing up in Ukraine, Kovalchuk lived just 600 kilometres from Chernobyl, the site of the worst nuclear accident in history. A high school student at the time, with an eye on the medical field, she was greatly influenced by the events at Chernobyl and the response of the medical community and industry as they sought to help with the radioactive fallout and subsequent disease.

The PUBlic Professor Series featured Dr. Olga Kovalchuk presenting - Epigenetics of Health and Disease – From Personalized Science to Personalized Medicine.

It eventually led Kovalchuk into the study of genetics and most recently epigenetics, a burgeoning field that is rapidly gaining attention as it helps scientists understand how diseases of all kinds occur. One of her research interests is on the epigenetics of cancer cells.

On Thursday night, Kovalchuk presented, Epigenetics of Health and Disease – From Personalized Science to Personalized Medicine, to a packed room at Lethbridge City Hall. The presentation was the second of this year’s PUBlic Professor Series, a set of thought-provoking pub-style talks that bring a range of experts and researchers from across the arts and sciences to the community for spirited conversation.

Still considered a re-emerging science, epigenetics is the study of how genes are expressed, or turned on, by environmental factors.

“People say that if genetics is the alphabet of life, epigenetics is the grammar,” explains Kovalchuk, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Chair of Gender, Work and Health.

In her presentation, Kovalchuk describes how DNA sequences do not determine everything in the body. While the DNA content of each cell in a given higher organism is identical, meaning our liver and brain cells contain the same DNA, they are very different in their shapes and functions.

“This is due to the existence of different patterns in reading and translation of genes for the type of cells in question – referred to as gene expression,” she says.

Epigenetic changes extend beyond cell division to reproduction and although epigenetic changes are inheritable, they are also reversible and play key roles in our responses to the environment, disease predisposition and even to medical treatment.

“There is still a lot to be learned about the role of epigenetic changes in living cells and organisms and their interactions with the environment,” Kovalchuk explained to the audience, noting the role of epigenetic changes in health and disease, and specifically cancer and aging. “Our epigenetic makeup is heavily influenced by environment and lifestyle. Epigenetic changes are pliable and reversible, and therefore I call epigenetics the science of hope. Through positive changes in our lifestyle, we can positively affect the function of our genes."

She went on to describe how medical treatments in the future must recognize the uniqueness of every patient, right down to the cellular level.

“Just as no two people are similar, no two cancers are alike, and there is a lot of variation even within the same tumor,” she said. “Ideal therapeutic regiments targeting every cancer cell in the body must be tailored individually for each patient. We are now working hard with our academic, clinical and industrial partners to establish a public-private alliance with the goal of development and implementation of novel personalized science and medicine strategies."

There is no denying the passion that Kovalchuk has for her studies, which has seen her delve into a variety of areas related to radiation exposure and cancer. In 2013, she began a five-year study into whether men and women were affected differently by radiation exposure in nuclear work environments.

Previously, she was also funded by CIHR to study how radiation induces secondary tumors in cancer patients and what can be done to protect the children of radiation-exposed parents from contracting cancer.

It’s a lifelong pursuit that does not see her slowing down any time soon.

The next talk in the PUBlic Professor series is Thursday, November 19, 2015 when Dr. Craig Coburn presents Understanding the Complexities of Imaging the Earth: The Challenge of Image Calibration.

The entire lineup of PUBlic Professor series presentations can be found at: ulethbridge.ca/artsci/publicprofessor.

Cooper to kick off popular PUBlic Professor lecture series

trevor.kenney — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 20:22:43 +0000

Imagine defending yourself of a major crime where your fate is determined through a simple majority vote – by 1,500 or more local citizens. Such was the way of Athenian society, the world’s first democracy, and a major focus of Dr. Craig Cooper’s research portfolio.

Dr. Craig Cooper will present Catching the Crook in Classic Athens as the opening session for the now annual and extremely popular PUBlic Professor lecture series.

Cooper will present Catching the Crook in Classic Athens as the opening session for the now annual and extremely popular PUBlic Professor lecture series, Thursday, Sept. 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lethbridge City Hall.

“Athenians espoused this idea of rule of law, that every citizen was equal before the law regardless of their social status,” says Cooper, the dean of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Arts & Science. “There is a debate among scholars about whether Athenians, though they ideologically and rhetorically espoused the rule of law, actually upheld the notion or put it into practice.”

The PUBlic Professor initiative was introduced in 2014 as a thought-provoking series of pub-style talks that bring a range of experts and researchers from across the arts and sciences to the community for a spirited conversation.

“We are a publicly funded institution, so I think we have a responsibility to communicate with the public about what we do,” says Cooper of the PUBlic Professor series. “I think what we do is very important across the disciplines, whether it’s from the sciences or the humanities, and I think it’s important to share this with the general public.”

So popular were the talks last year, the size of the crowds necessitated a change in venue from the U of L’s Dr. Foster James Penny Building to City Hall.

Cooper, an expert in ancient Greece, ancient Greek biography and historiography, turned to study Athenian law when he was asked to fill in one semester to teach a course on Athenian Law and Society at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg. It quickly became his favourite course to teach and a passionate area of research.

He says the workings of ancient Greek courts and the lessons learned from studying them still have relevance today.

“Looking at any society and its aspects are relevant because it helps us reflect on our own. Here was the first democracy and this is how it ran. They would not in any way consider what we do as democratic,” says Cooper. “What concerned humans 2,000 years ago and what may have led to litigation, in some ways, were the same concerns we have now, so there is that continuity of the human experience. For me, it’s also an intrinsically interesting topic.”

In total, seven talks make up the 2015/2016 PUBlic Professor series schedule. All the talks are free and open to the public, with free appetizers and bar service available. The full lineup is as follows:

September 24, 2015– Dr. Craig Cooper (Arts & Science) – Catching the Crook in Classical Athens
October 22, 2015– Dr. Olga Kovalchuk (Biological Sciences) – Epigenetics of Health and Disease
November 19, 2015– Dr. Craig Coburn (Remote Sensing) – Understanding the Complexities of Imaging the Earth: The Challenge of Image Calibration
November 26, 2015– Dr. Jennifer Copeland (Kinesiology) – Physical Activity Versus sedentary Time and How They Interact to Affect Health
January 21, 2016– Dr. Harold Jansen (Political Science) – The Impact of Digital Technology on Democratic Citizenship in Canada
February 25, 2016– Dr. Shawn Bubel (Archaeology) – Prehistoric Bison Hunters in Southern Alberta: Excavations at the Fincastle Site
March 17, 2016– Dr. Reg Bibby (Sociology) – Beyond the Gods & Back: The Return of Religion in Canada

*All presentations are from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lethbridge City Hall. Seating is limited – no RSVP required.

Alums Myshak, Brown turn knowledge into business

trevor.kenney — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:34:16 +0000

When they began their academic adventures at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, co-owners of the newly formed Isis Geomatics Incorporated, Steve Myshak (BSc '10) and Owen Brown (BSc '09) were heading down very different career paths.

In fact, Brown wasn't planning on staying at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for long. Originally enrolled in pre-engineering, he intended to transfer to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary to complete his degree there, but one semester in geography at the U of L and he knew he was hooked.

Myshak entered the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as a mature student, looking for a fresh start. He initially majored in history but after switching majors several times, he found his true passion.

"I took Geography 1010. They had it set up so that all the different geography professors came into the class and each took a week to show us the breadth of geography," says Myshak. "After I took that class, I decided that geography was what I liked and what I wanted to do."

Owen Brown, left, and business partner Steve Myshak are off and running with ISIS Geomatics Incorporated.

They both graduated from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with their bachelor of science degrees, Brown in 2009 and Myshak in 2010, and are both set to complete their master of science degrees at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ this summer.

"I'd always thought about getting my masters. I had a good relationship with my professor, Chris Hugenholtz; I had done some independent studies with him and I liked the classes he taught. I took a semester off after I graduated, but when Chris asked me one day if I would be interested in the masters' program I just ran with it," recalls Brown.

Myshak, who began studying for his masters under the supervision of Drs. Craig Coburn and Karl Staenz, also began studying the possibility of starting up his own company.

"When I was doing my masters, I was working with Agriculture Canada and I spent a lot of time in the field. We were using ground-based remote sensing. I thought there had to be a better way to get the data. I came up with the idea to attach sensors to UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and get the data that way. I looked into government funding, IRAP and Techterra, and found that there was funding available, but I needed someone else's opinion," says Myshak. "Our masters' class used to unwind on Fridays at Backstreet Pub. That is where I approached Owen. I told him I needed a partner and asked him what he thought of my idea. We had taken a couple of classes together in our undergrad and in our masters. Owen is very mature in the way he thinks, he has worked in industry and hasn't just spent all his time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Working with Owen was just a natural fit."

"He caught me a little off guard I guess, because I always thought I would just get a job when I finished my masters. I never thought about a business. I talked to my parents and they were very supportive. I decided to try it," says Brown. "We got started right away. Steve had already gotten some government funding, so we put a business plan together, put our nose to the grindstone and got to work."

They incorporated in August 2011. Although there has been a definite on-the-job learning curve, both Brown and Myshak feel strongly about the knowledge base they received and the support they continue to get from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"You gain a lot of critical thinking skills doing research and lab work at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. You are given a task and there may be several different ways to do that task. You just have to break it down and do it step by step," says Brown. "We have learned fantastic problem solving skills. The breadth of knowledge we have gained is unbelievable, and the support from our professors on our business has been great."

Using the technical knowledge they gained throughout their academic and work experiences, Myshak and Brown are quickly breaking into the agriculture industry. Judging by the feedback on their recent presentations, they are hopeful that ISIS Geo will soon become a familiar name in the oil and gas industry as well.

"We use UAVs to acquire imagery and then transform that imagery into data using geographic information systems (GIS). UAV's have been used in police and military applications but there are many applications for it in the commercial world," explains Myshak.

"For example, we do vegetation health mapping for remediation, livestock counting and recently we have been doing a lot of work for municipalities, measuring volumes of gravel piles for municipal audits. We have also done some mapping applications as well," says Brown.

Such aerial imaging work has traditionally been done by satellite, but ISIS Geo has a much more detailed response and quicker turnaround of data. With satellite information data, each pixel is 5m x 5m, but with UAV technology, Myshak and Brown can provide data that is 3cm x 3cm.

"One of the advantages is the much better resolution," says Myshak. "The other advantage is that we can fly and have the data the same day, whereas satellite data can take up to two-to-three months to get. We are also less expensive than satellite and we can work when it is cloudy because we fly the copter under the clouds."

Over the past eight months, they have been working on pilot projects that have proven to be highly successful. For this innovative new company, the sky's the limit.

This story first appeared in the February 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

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