UNews - World Water Day

U of L becomes first Canadian member of international water council

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 16:39:28 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has become the first Canadian member of the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) – an organization of universities, non-academic institutions, and international affiliates leading the way in water resources education, research and public service.

Founded in 1964 as an expansion of the Universities Council on Hydrology, UCOWR members and delegates focus on water resources related research and education, and represent various fields of natural and social science.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Vice-President (Research) Dr. Dan Weeks says membership in UCOWR will increase the reach of leading water-research initiatives undertaken at the U of L, and will be a catalyst for future collaborations at both the researcher and institutional levels.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is known as a provincial and national leader in water research by governments, industry and organizations alike,” says Weeks. “Membership in the Universities Council on Water Resources will create international opportunities for collaboration that will benefit us an institution, and more importantly, benefit our communities.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is home to the Water Institute for Sustainable Environments (WISE). WISE researchers play a leading role in analyzing water resources, including natural science analyses of watersheds, and water quantity and quality; and overlapping social science investigations related to aspects such as water policy and economics.

David Hill, director of centres and institutes at the U of L, says water issues are globally important and that international collaborations are essential to finding ways to better address similar problems (such as water quality and quantity) for the benefit of all.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s participation on the Universities Council on Water Resources is a tremendous way to mark World Water Day (March 22),” says Hill. “The water research capacity at the U of L will be enhanced through UCOWR participation, and we will contribute our world-class experience with others.”

UCOWR's main objectives include facilitating water-related education at all levels, promoting meaningful research and technology transfer on contemporary and emerging water resources issues, compiling and disseminating information on water problems and solutions and informing the public about water issues with the objective of promoting informed decisions at all levels of society.

UCOWR’s membership includes over 60 American and Mexican universities.

Rowing for research

trevor.kenney — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:11:50 +0000

They're rowing across the Atlantic Ocean? Are they out of their minds?

Actually, no – but Adam Kreek and his teammates are mindful of the stresses, both physical and mental, that taking on a more than 3,700 nautical mile (6,700 km) trip entails. The group will set off from Dakar, Senegal, in mid January, rowing a sophisticated, open 29-foot rowboat, the James Robert Hanssen, on a world-record-attempting journey that will take them to Miami, Florida.

The late Dr. Rick Mrazek, centre, with Adam Kreek, far left, and members of his crew.

Along the way, researchers from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will be tracking their every movement and collecting valuable data for use in a number of studies.

The mission is expected to take 60 to 100 days to complete. Their original target date of arrival in Miami was Mar. 22 (World Water Day), but had to be pushed back by shipping delays caused by Hurricane Sandy.

When Kreek, an Olympic gold medal winning rower, visited the U of L this past fall, he turned his passion for water and adventure loose on land-locked faculty, students and community members in a way that got them thinking in innovative ways about water – a subject Kreek knows well.

"Let's face it: Lethbridge isn't surrounded by a lot of water," says Dr. Rick Mrazek, Faculty of Education Associate Dean and science educator. "The Oldman River, while picturesque, isn't massive, there are no great lakes nearby, and what water we do have in this area is highly managed to make sure it supports our regional water needs, agri-business and the farming economy. Working with the Canadian Wildlife Federation to support Adam's trip and the opportunities we have to be involved as interactive observers on this adventure is extremely exciting."

Mrazek says it's one thing to teach students about the Atlantic Ocean, but it's quite another to follow someone, in real time, who is rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. "Through our relationship with Adam and his team, our education students, teachers in the area and our researchers can take advantage of his trip to bring students authentic data and information about ocean and weather dynamics, marine life, the biomechanics of rowing and movement, and other real-life research opportunities."

Mrazek says the rowers will be collecting data which could be available to researchers and students here at the U of L. Students in community classrooms will also be following the trip online, and Kreek and his team will be checking in regularly.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation, OAR Northwest and a host of sponsors who have provided everything from satellite phones to the massive amounts of high calorie food the team members will require for their journey, are supporting the trip.

GET THE FACTS

· Kreek will be joined by teammates Markus Pukonen, Pat Fleming and Jordan Hanssen for their journey

· Mrazek is a bold proponent of environmental sustainability and the latest application of his research can be found at the Water in a World of 7 Billion legacy website (www.ww7b.org)

· Kreek's team will gather data from the ocean environment, marine life and themselves (relating responses in human physiology under stress) throughout the trip

· The team will row 24 hours per day and in two-hour shifts, allowing for sleep and rest

· Kreek competed in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, winning gold with the Canadian men's eights team at Beijing in 2008

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

Significant And Mentionable

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:46:20 +0000

Chancellor named Citizen of the Year

Widely known as one Alberta's most influential people, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chancellor Richard Davidson was recognized in May as the Lethbridge Citizen of the Year by the Rotary Club of Lethbridge and the Lethbridge Herald.

"Clearly in his law practice, his work with the Chamber of Commerce, his work with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and his work with virtually every other volunteer organization you could imagine, this is one cool dude," says Lethbridge Mayor Bob Tarleck, who also presented Davidson with a key to the city. "This is the highest honour we can bestow upon anyone, and Richard is extremely deserving."

Davidson was appointed a Queen's counsel in 1986 and is a partner at the law firm of Davidson & Williams. In recognition of his many contributions to the community, he has received numerous awards including the Commemoration Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada by the Governor General, the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, the Alberta Centennial Medal and the Law Society of Alberta Distinguished Service Award for Service to the Community.

U of L at forefront of water hub

World Water Day, on March 22, served as the perfect occasion for federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice to announce $1.5 million in funding for the creation of the Water and Environmental Sciences Water Hub at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The Hub, which will be developed over the next two years, will serve as a data repository and will be an authoritative public source of information, providing tools to analyze water and environmental data. This data will be used by governments, industry, academia and the public to make more-informed decisions regarding water, and will create a better understanding of this resource by these stakeholders.

Prentice explains that the government needs reliable water data to make better decisions concerning water.

"To make good decisions, governments in Canada need good information – and it's not as though you can just turn on a tap to get it. We need knowledge generated by scientists and researchers who can provide the evidence for informed decisions about freshwater use," says Prentice.

Ellis welcomed as new management dean

On July 1, Dr. Robert (Bob) James Ellis will join the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as the new dean for the Faculty of Management.

Originally from Vancouver, B.C., Ellis is an accomplished administrator who successfully bolstered business programs at both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia and Wilfrid Laurier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

With a collaborative and visionary approach, he has a strong record of attracting accomplished faculty and raising the research profile of programs. His current research focuses on increasing educational opportunities in society, specifically for aboriginal students in a business environment.

Ellis is looking forward to the creative atmosphere he sees within the Faculty.

"Throughout my career, my focus has always been to try and increase opportunities for students through the development of new courses or new programs," says Ellis. "The faculty at the U of L are very innovative, and I think at the forefront of management thought and action."

Ellis succeeds Dr. Murray Lindsay, who spent the past five years in the position and is returning to the academic community at the U of L.

Education dean O'Dea passes leadership to Loewen

After 10 years of incredible success, Dr. Jane O'Dea will step away from her role as dean of the Faculty of Education at the end of June. And while she is handing the reins of leadership over with plans to return to the classroom, she has no plans to leave the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Dr. Craig Loewen

"Absolutely not. This is a tremendous ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. I love its size, I love its entrepreneurial innovative spirit and its emphasis on community and student engagement," says O'Dea.

Taking over the Faculty, Dr. Craig Loewen (BEd '84) will serve as acting dean for a two-year term.

A veteran faculty member, Loewen admits he will miss the classroom, but stands firmly in a belief that whatever the setting, teaching is an important calling.

"You're looking after the path, building for the future, caring about the kids of today. I find it really hard to see anything much more important than that," he says. "The person who you are can, at some point, be traced back to a teacher or mentor."

CREATE funding translates to employment opportunities

On June 10, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) announced the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as the recipient of the CREATE program award. The U of L will be the only institution in Alberta to receive the award this year.

With more than $1.6 million, the CREATE program award provides funding for approximately 50 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral candidates working in satellite and other imaging programs, including photonics, climate change, civil engineering and optical networks.

Through the program, 20 projects will receive $32 million over six years, support that will help science and engineering graduates upgrade their skills to make a successful transition to the workplace.

As part of this, participating students will complete work placements with local, national and international organizations including companies such as Iunctus Geomatics, the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Corporation, Natural Resources Canada, NASA and several European research institutes.

U of L Vice-President of Research Dr. Dan Weeks says this will give students a strong mix of professional skills development and workforce preparation.

"The exciting aspect for me is the employment rate for graduates," says Weeks. "It isn't unreasonable to expect 100 per cent employment, because we are looking at this as a model that will provide for sustainable training for research workforce preparation."

Top 40 Under 40

Dr. Olga Kovalchuk, a biological sciences and epigenetics researcher at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, can now add recipient of Canada's Top 40 Under 40TM to an already long list of accomplishments.

Dr. Olga Kovalchuk

Canada's Top 40 Under 40TM, a prestigious national award program, annually honours 40 Canadians in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors under the age of 40.

With more than 1,200 nominees, honourees were selected by an independent advisory board based on five key criteria: vision and leadership; innovation and achievement; impact; community involvement and contribution; and strategy for growth.

"This is an outstanding award for Olga, the members of her lab team, for her research collaborators here and literally worldwide – and for our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," says U of L President Dr. Bill Cade.

"Olga has worked very hard to bring new research and new programs to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and has influenced countless young researchers. With her husband and research collaborator, Dr. Igor Kovalchuk, they have brought new people with a wealth of international talent to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. It is an understatement to say that we are extremely proud of her achievement."

A ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors Research Chair, as well as a Canadian Institute of Health Research Chair in Gender, Sex and Health, Kovalchuk focuses her research on the effects of long-term exposure to radiation, and how that exposure changes cellular and molecular structures in animals and people.

Inspired by her experience as a high school student living in Ukraine, only 600 kilometres from the nuclear Chernobyl blast, her work examines how radiation induces secondary tumours in cancer patients, the different effects radiation has on women and men, and what can be done to protect the children of radiation-exposed parents from contracting cancer.

Kovalchuk has also played a key role in working toward establishing an Alberta Institute for Epigenetics at the U of L.

Sakamotos give back

Ron and Joyce Sakamoto

Ron Sakamoto (LLD '03), or "Sak," as he is affectionately known, has presented shows from KISS to Shania Twain. In March, the concert provider and his wife, Joyce, announced a $200,000 donation in support of students in the U of L Digital Audio Arts (DAA) program. The gift will be matched by the Government of Alberta's Access to the Future Fund, bringing the total to $400,000.

Launched last fall, the DAA program is the first of its kind in Canada and produces graduates who are experts in music technology and have skills to integrate with visual media, audio and advanced research.

"The role of audio across all media has changed monumentally from the traditional broadcast media of the past. The culture of audio and visual media is growing and evolving rapidly," says Sakamoto.

"Joyce and I are happy to support students in the DAA program. These are the people who will be superstars in the years to come, and I look forward to the contributions this group will make to the music industry."

To view the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

U of L pegged as Water Hub

trevor.kenney — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:10:28 +0000

World Water Day (Mar. 22) served as the perfect occasion for Assistant Vice-President (Research) Dr. Lesley Brown to make a major announcement. Sharing a stage with federal environment minister Jim Prentice, they announced the creation of the Water and Environmental Science's Water Hub at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Prentice, who announced $1.5 million in funding to support the project, explains that the government needs reliable water data to make better decisions concerning water.

In addition to announcing the investment at the U of L, Prentice also announced $750,000 for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan to develop software that can be used as a tool to help energy developers make environmentally responsible decisions on power plant locations by determining impact on water quantity and quality in the area.

The funding announced for the Universities of Lethbridge and Saskatchewan was made in tandem with the Government of Canada's $2.5 million investment in the Global GEMS/Water – the Global Environment Monitoring System Water Program run through the United Nations Environment Programme.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Water Hub will increase the impact of Canada's contribution to the UN's Global Environmental Monitoring System by hosting large data sets supporting the international exchange of information. Further, the web-based tools developed in the Hub will allow for more informed decisions to be made internationally.

Brown points out that this announcement affirms the international impact of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's renowned water program.

"While the unique issues in southern Alberta influenced the genesis of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's water research focus, we are poised to make a difference internationally. This announcement is an example of this fact," she says.

Richard Westlund is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's director of government relations

LPIRG's H2Oil screening Monday night

trevor.kenney — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:06:12 +0000

The Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG) has partnered with a number of agencies to help recognize World Water Day by presenting the feature film H2Oil at the Lethbridge Public Library on Monday night.

This free screening, 7 p.m. in the Theatre Gallery, is co-sponsored by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's LPIRG, the Lethbridge College Eco-Collective, the Council of Canadians Lethbridge Chapter and the Lethbridge Public Library.

Directed by Shanoin Walsh, the 72-minute film asks the question, "Ever wonder where America gets most of its oil?" If you thought it was Saudi Arabia or Iraq you are wrong. America's biggest oil supplier has quickly become Canada's oil sands. Located under Alberta's pristine boreal forests, the process of oil sands extraction uses up to 4 barrels of fresh water to produce only one barrel of crude oil.

It goes without saying that water — its depletion, exploitation, privatization and contamination — has become a hot button issue facing humanity. At the same time, the war for oil is well underway across the globe, and a struggle is increasingly being fought between water and oil — not only over them.

H2Oil follows a voyage of discovery, heartbreak and politicization in the stories of those attempting to defend water in Alberta against tar sands expansion. Unlikely alliances are built and lives are changed as they come up against the largest industrial project in human history.

UNews - World Water Day

U of L becomes first Canadian member of international water council

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