UNews - remote sensing

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.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge geography/ATIC researchers receive multiple awards at national remote sensing conference

trevor.kenney — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 17:35:47 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was front and centre at the 36th Annual Canadian Remote Sensing Society’s (CRSS-SCT) national symposium held recently in St. John’s Nfld.

Three U of L faculty members from the Department of Geography earned awards at the symposium, while a number of presentations from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students, post-doctoral fellows and professors showcased the outstanding work being conducted on campus, furthering the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s reputation as a national leader in the field of remote sensing.

“It is always wonderful to see our colleagues be recognized like this on the national and international stage. It brings further profile to the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre (ATIC) and the Department of Geography from which the three award recipients are affiliated," says Dr. Derek Peddle, professor of geography and co-director of ATIC.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ adjunct professor of geography Dr. Ron Hall (Canadian Forest Service, NRCan - Edmonton) earned recognition as the 2015 winner of the Val Shaw Memorial Award for his exceptional contribution in the use of remote sensing for natural resources management.

Over his career, Hall has made significant contributions to the use of aerial and satellite optical and LiDAR remote sensing in mapping and monitoring forest defoliation, harvesting and fire disturbances, vegetation inventory and biomass estimation as well as to the EOSD land cover classification project. He has also made significant contributions to training students.

The Val Shaw Memorial Award was established in 1990 in memory of Valerie Shaw, an executive with the Bercha Group and a strong proponent of remote sensing in Canada. The award consists of a certificate that recognizes lifelong achievement in practical remote sensing applied to natural resource management.

The U of L’s Dr. Laura Chasmer also received a major award. An adjunct professor in geography and an Alberta Innovates Research Fellow in Dr. Chris Hopkinson’s Artemis lab, Chasmer earned the 2015 CRSS-SCT Bronze Medal for her outstanding research productivity and early-career achievements.

The CRSS-SCT Bronze Medal Award was established in 2009 as an early-career achievement award to recognize emerging excellence in remote sensing in Canada.

Chasmer is a highly productive scientist integrating LiDAR and passive optical remote sensing in multiple research areas that include climatology, meteorology, ecosystem change, hydrology, northern studies and forest attribute estimation. To date, she has over 30 peer-reviewed publications in international journals, more than 75 conference proceedings papers and presentations, and has served on nine graduate student committees.

The third major honour involving the U of L went to Dr. Ravinder Virk, an instructor in the Department of Geography, who teamed with Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Scott Mitchell to produce the second best paper in the Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing Best Paper Awards category. Their paper was entitled, “Effect of different grazing intensities on the spatial-temporal variability in above-ground live plant biomass in North American mixed grasslands".

The four-day conference also featured a number of special sessions, oral and poster presentations, a leadership forum, exhibitors, a feature session on the job market in remote sensing as well as a full-day summer school for students, and keynote addresses from Nalcor, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Urthecast, and NASA. The U of L presented in a number of these sessions and was prominent throughout the symposium.

A special issue of the Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing will be published in relationship to the symposium. The 37th Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing will be held June 7-9, 2016 in Winnipeg.

For more information about ATIC and the Canadian Remote Sensing Society (including the above awards), visit the ATIC and CRSS-SCT websites respectively.

U of L to host Winter School on remote sensing of potentially habitable planets

caroline.zentner — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 17:42:54 +0000

Mankind has been searching the night sky for millennia, pondering the nature of the universe. With technological developments over the last few years, scientists now know much more about the universe and the existence of other Earth-like planets.

Sharing the knowledge behind the latest techniques for remote sensing of exoplanets, or planets that orbit a different star, is the idea behind this week’s Winter School on Remote Sensing of Exoplanets. The event runs Thursday and Friday and more information is available on the Winter School schedule.

Dr. Adriana Predoi-Cross, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, is also the research co-ordinator for the NSERC CREATE AMETHYST program that is sponsoring the event, along with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Tecterra.

“I thought it would be very instructive for the students to find out about how the exploration of exoplanets and the characterization of their atmospheres has evolved in the past decade,” she says. “I hope that by the end of this Winter School, the students will not only have an overview of the new research trends but may also get interested in pursuing aspects of this research.”

Students, the majority of them graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, will learn about the methods being used to search for and detect exoplanets. One of the speakers is the U of L’s Dr. Locke Spencer, who will talk about the key science and technology developments needed for the next generation of astrophysics experiments.

“Some of the key questions in modern astrophysics, including areas such as star and planet formation, are waiting on improved observations in the far-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum to allow our scientific understanding to advance,” says Spencer. “This requires the integration and development of a variety of technologies and observation techniques involving contributions from many research groups across the globe."

NASA’s Kepler mission was launched in 2009 with the express purpose of searching for Earth-like exoplanets. After 16 months of observation, scientists had about 2,300 planet candidates.

“Almost 1,700 of these have been confirmed as exoplanets. Because of their recent discovery, there’s a flurry of scientific activity around them, trying to explore the composition, the photo-chemistry and the evolution of these extra solar planets. There are different methods that are used to observe these extra solar planets and some of the lecturers will be focused on discussing the different techniques to investigate exoplanets,” says Predoi-Cross.

The search for other habitable planets is definitely on, although progress may not be as fast as some would like. Technological developments have enabled the collection of vast amounts of data, such as their size, orbit and the possible composition of their atmospheres, that needs further analysis.

“Some of the exoplanets that have been discovered are in what scientists call the habitable zone where it’s possible to have liquid water on the surface. There is one planet called Kepler 22B that is a potential for the habitable zone,” she says.

Media are invited to schedule an interview on Wednesday, Dec. 3 with Dr. Ingo Waldmann, an astrophysicist from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College London in the United Kingdom and one of the speakers at the Winter School, to talk about the search for habitable planets.

Field of Opportunity

david.kirby — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 22:06:12 +0000

From droughts and pests to crop disease and unseasonable snowstorms, farming in this semi-arid section of Alberta’s Big Sky Country comes with big challenges. But from the early First Nations peoples to the homesteaders of the 1900s to today’s technologically savvy crop and livestock producers, Albertans have a long history of ingenuity and resilience. And thanks to forward-thinking donors, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers and trailblazing initiatives for agriculturalists-in-training, that strong tradition of inventiveness will continue in the future.

Cor Van Raay with Dr. Mike Mahon (left) and Lethbridge College President Dr. Paula Burns (right) at the announcement of his $5-million donation to the U of L and LC (Photo courtesy of Lethbridge College).

“As global food demand increases, the need for Alberta agriculture is becoming stronger than ever,” says Dr. Matthew Letts, the U of L’s interim associate vice-president (research). “To take advantage of this opportunity, there is a critical need for innovative agricultural research and data-driven agribusiness.”

These types of activity, he notes, are happening at – and are supported by – the U of L.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is located in the heart of southern Alberta, where farming and ranching are among the most important regional sources of jobs and wealth. Many faculty are experts in fields connected to agriculture, including biotechnology, remote sensing, economics and management.

In addition, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is a leading-edge learning environment for aspiring agriculturalists. An increasing number of graduate students are in agriculture-related disciplines while the Agricultural Studies program enables undergraduates to learn about the physical and economic interrelationships between agricultural production, marketing, trade and nutrient management, water, grazing and rangeland and riparian management.

Indeed, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s reputation for excellence in agricultural research and education is what led Cor Van Raay, a leading Canadian cattle producer, to make a major gift to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Last June, the founder of Cor Van Raay Farms donated a total of $5 million to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College to
establish the Cor Van Raay Southern Alberta Agribusiness Program.

Through this initiative, a joint program offered by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the College will be created, focusing on agriculture-related educational opportunities in economics, business development, entrepreneurship, finance, management, commodities trading and leadership, all with an emphasis on agricultural innovation. Van Raay’s donation will support endowed student awards, enhanced academic programming, an innovation and entrepreneurship program (at the U of L) and an agriculture entrepreneur-in-residence (at LC).

These initiatives will be complemented by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s new Research Chair in Potato Science. This position, announced in July, will be supported by a $1-million investment over five years from the Potato Growers of Alberta, McCain Foods, ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston and Cavendish Farms.

The Chair in potato science will expand research in the province’s potato industry, which is worth more than $1 billion annually. It is anticipated that the chairholder will collaborate with producers and industry partners, create additional learning opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students and help develop new potato varieties.

Together, the Cor Van Raay Southern Alberta Agribusiness Program and the Research Chair in Potato Science are expected to stimulate agricultural research and agribusiness at the U of L’s new Centre for Agricultural Research and Agribusiness Innovation (CARAI). Centre researchers will study pest and disease mechanisms, develop surveillance and detection mechanisms, and explore the use of remote sensing to produce data-driven agriculture.

The CARAI will prepare the agribusiness leaders of the future. Students will have access to fellowships and co-op placements, and will benefit from industrial research partnerships with producers and processors. In the end, graduates will be primed to develop solutions that will meet the demands of a growing global population.

“Collectively,” concludes Letts, “all of these initiatives will strengthen our position as a leader in agricultural education and research.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ seeking partnership opportunities as part of Algeria-Canada Colloquium

trevor.kenney — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 19:01:09 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Vice-President (Research) Dr. Dan Weeks is in Algeria with representatives from 12 other Canadian institutions, participating in a first of its kind colloquium between Canada and Algeria.

Organized by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), the Secretary General of the Algerian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS) and senior Canadian government officials, the colloquium objectives are to explore best practices for higher education in both countries, with a focus on quality assurance, research, institutional performance and improving the student experience.

Weeks says many of the U of L’s research strengths have emerged due to economic and social challenges and opportunities in Alberta. Despite the physical distance between Alberta and Algeria, the U of L has the ability to collaborate on issues facing both jurisdictions.

“Oil and gas sectors play an important role in Algeria’s economy, and like in Alberta, create similar challenges,” says Weeks. “The U of L has built important capacity in areas like water, energy, natural sciences and remote sensing that matches well with capacity at Algerian institutions. I believe there are tremendous opportunities to build partnerships that enhance research capacity for both Algeria and our institution.”

The CBIE delegation will meet with Mr. Mohamed Mebarki, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Topics of discussion will include: Government of Algeria’s goals to invest in higher education research, institutional performance and partnerships; current challenges in improving access to postsecondary schooling; and an overview of growing sectors in the country.

Building international connections is a key component of the strategic direction to enhance relationships with external communities found in Destination 2020 - the U of L’s strategic plan.

CBIE is Canada’s national organization dedicated to making Canada a global leader in international education by mobilizing expertise, knowledge, opportunity and leadership. CBIE’s pan-Canadian membership comprises 150 colleges, institutes, universities (including the U of L), school boards and language schools, which enrol over 1.2 million students from coast to coast.

A copy of CBIE’s news release regarding the Algeria-Canada Colloquium can be found at http://www.cbie-bcei.ca/news/education-partnerships-are-main-focus-as-algeria-canada-colloquium-gets-underway/.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recognizes faculty excellence

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:21:16 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge honoured faculty and postdoctoral fellows across campus who received academic research awards of distinction, secured research funding or published their research findings in the last year at Thursday's Celebrating Research Reception in Markin Hall.

The U of L also recognized those who had books published within the last calendar year.

Below is a list of the awards presented.

Research Awards: External

Alberta Science and Technology Leadership Foundation (ASTech) Award: Excellence in Science and Technology Public Awareness
Kristy Burke | Conference & Event Services

American Oil Chemists' Society Timothy L. Mounts Award
Roman Przybylski | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Campus Alberta Innovates Program (CAIP) Chairs
Chris Hopkinson | Geography, Terrestrial Ecosystems Remote Sensing
Greg Pyle | Biological Sciences, Aquatic Health

Canada Research Chairs
Louise Barrett | Psychology, Cognition, Evolution and Behaviour, Tier 1
Stacey Wetmore | Chemistry & Biochemistry, Computational Chemistry, Tier 2

Canadian Insolvency Foundation Lloyd Houlden Research Fellowship
Gordon Hunter | Management

Confederation of Alberta Faculty Association (CAFA) Distinguished Academic Award
Trudy Govier | Philosophy

Pat Clifford Award for Early Career Research in Education
Michelle Hogue | First Nations' Transition Program

Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal
Reginald Bibby | Sociology
Peter McCormick | Political Science
Richard Mrazek | Education

World Council for Curriculum & Instruction Distinguished Leadership Award
Peter Heffernan | Education

Research Awards: Internal

Ingrid Speaker Medal for Distinguished Research, Scholarship, or Performance
Joseph Rasmussen | Biological Sciences

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors Research Chair

Igor Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy
Sergio Pellis | Neuroscience

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Scholars
Janice Rahn | Education
Peter Visentin | Music
Judith Whitehead | Anthropology

Research Grants: External

Alberta Advisory Committee for Educational Studies Grant
Noella Piquette | Education
Jennifer Thannhauser | Education

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
Wei Xu | Geography

Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research Grant
(2) Claudia Malacrida | Sociology

Alberta Foundation for the Arts
Mary Kavanagh | Art
Taras Polataiko | Art
Janice Rahn/Michael Campbell | Education/Art Co-Principal Investigators

Alberta Gaming Research Institute Grant
Yale Belanger | Native American Studies
Cheryl Currie | Public Health
Gabriela Novotna | Addictions Counselling
Claudia Steinke | Nursing

Alberta Inflammatory Bowel Disease Grant
Sameer Despande | Management

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Grant
Gerlinde Metz | Neuroscience, Co-Director

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Sustainability Funds
Roy Golsteyn | Biological Sciences
Aaron Gruber | Neuroscience
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy
Paul Vasey | Psychology
Ute Wieden-Kothe | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) Grant
Shawn Bubel | Geography
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies
Jon Doan | Kinesiology & Physical Education
Leanne Elias | New Media
Carmen Mombourquette | Education
Monique Sedgwick | Nursing
David Slomp | Education
(2) Carol Williams | Women & Gender Studies

Alzheimer Society of Canada Grant
Shannon Spenceley | Nursing

American Cancer Society Grant
Raphael Lencucha | Public Health

ATB Financial
Gordon Hunter/Dan Kazakoff | Management

Canada Council for the Arts Grant
Mary Kavanagh | Art
Maria Ng | English

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Grant
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences, Co-applicant

Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
Nadia Rochdi/Karl Staenz | Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre/Geography

Canada Foundation for Innovation Leaders Opportunity Fund Grant
Aaron Gruber | Neuroscience
Paul Hazendonk | Chemistry & Biochemistry
Andrew Iwaniuk | Neuroscience
Hans-Joachim Wieden | Chemistry & Biochemistry

CIHR Emerging Team Grant
Gabriela Novotna | Health Sciences

CIHR Café Scientifique Grant
Penny D'Agnone | Office of Research & Innovation Services

CIHR Operating Grant
Sameer Deshpande | Management, Co-applicant
Judith Kulig | Nursing

CIHR Research Planning Grant
Sameer Desphande | Management, Co-applicant

Canadian Space Agency Contract
Karl Staenz | Geography
(2) David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy

Canadian Wildlife Federation
Richard Mrazek | Education

Department of Defense Contract
Albert Cross | Neuroscience

European Union FP7 Grant
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy, Co-applicant

Grand Challenges in Global Health Grant
Gerlinde Metz | Neuroscience, Co-applicant

Health Canada Grant
Judith Kulig | Health Sciences, Co-applicant

Heritage Canada Grant for Aid to Scholarly Publication
Peter Heffernan | Education

Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction Grant
Judith Kulig | Health Sciences

Max Bell Foundation Award
Noella Piquette | Education, Co-applicant

Monieson Centre, Queen's Business School
Gordon Hunter | Management

National Science Foundation
Jennifer Mather | Psychology, Collaborating Consultant

NSERC Collaborative Research & Training Experience (CREATE) Grant
Robert Sutherland | Neuroscience

NSERC Discovery Grant
Louise Barrett | Psychology
Sarah Boon | Geography
Howard Cheng | Mathematics & Computer Science
Saurya Das | Physics & Astronomy
Jon Doan | Kinesiology & Physical Education
Cam Goater | Biological Sciences
Bruce McNaughton | Neuroscience
Jackie Rice | Mathematics & Computer Science
Elizabeth Schultz | Biological Sciences
Robert Sutherland | Neuroscience
Soroosh Yazdani | Mathematics & Computer Science

NSERC Research Tools and Instruments Grant
Amir Akbary | Mathematics & Computer Science
Paul Hazendonk | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Shahadat Hossain | Mathematics & Computer Science

SSHRC Aid to Scholarly Journals Grant
Peter Heffernan | Education
Edward Jurkowski | Music

SSHRC Insight Development Grant
Abdie Kazemipur | Sociology, Co-applicant

SSHRC Insight Grant
Harold Jansen | Political Science
Heidi MacDonald | History
Noella Piquette | Education, Co-applicant
Paul Vasey | Psychology

SSHRC Partnership Grant
Yale Belanger | Native American Studies, Co-applicant
Henning Bjornlund | Economics, Co-applicant
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies, Co-applicant
Abdie Kazemipur | Sociology, Co-applicant
Richard Mueller | Economics, Co-applicant
Ivan Townshend | Geography, Co-applicant
Wei Xu | Geography, Co-applicant

SSHRC Public Outreach Grant
Debra Basil | Management

TECTERRA
Wei Xu/Karl Staenz | Geography

Research Grants: Internal

Emmy Droog Research Awards in Health Sciences Grant
Cheryl Currie | Public Health
Ruth Grant Kalischuk | Nursing

Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund Grant
Leanne Elias | New Media
Team: John Usher (Management), Janice Rahn (Education), Michael Campbell (Art) and Cheryl Meheden (Management)
Roy Golsteyn | Biological Sciences
Team: Olga Kovalchuk (Biological Sciences) and David Naylor (Physics & Astronomy)
Josephine Mills | Art
Team: Louise Barrett (Psychology), Lisa Doolittle (Theatre & Drama), Emily Luce (New Media), Bruce MacKay (Liberal Education Program) and Tiffany Muller Myrdahl (Women & Gender Studies)
Nicole Rosen | Modern Languages
Team: Inge Genee (Modern Languages), Robbin Gibb (Neuroscience), Claudia Gonzalez (Kinesiology & Physical Education), Fangfang Li (Psychology) and Noella Piquette (Education)
Carol Williams | Women & Gender Studies
Team: Glenda Bonifacio (Women & Gender Studies), Bonnie Lee (Health Sciences), Linda ManyGuns (Native American Studies) and Patrick Wilson (Anthropology)

Parkland Institute Faculty Research Grant
Claudia Malacrida | Sociology

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community of Research Excellence Development Opportunities (CREDO) Grant
Jerimy Cunningham | Anthropology
Claudia Malacrida | Sociology
Janay Nugent | History
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Internal
Artistic/Creative Grant
Michael Campbell | Art
Dagmar Dahl | Art
Mary Kavanagh | Art

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Internal SSHRC Grant
Michelle Hogue | First Nations' Transition Program
Janay Nugent | History
Kent Peacock | Philosophy
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Research Dissemination Grant
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies
Inge Genee | Modern Languages
Catherine Kingfisher | Anthropology
Janice Newberry | Anthropology
Hillary Rodrigues/John Harding | Religious Studies
Arlan Schultz | Music
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Research Fund Grant
Vishaal Baulkaran/Ebenezer Asem | Finance
Sarah Boon | Geography
Shawn Bubel | Geography
Michael Campbell | Art
Arundhati Dasgupta | Physics & Astronomy
Larry Flanagan | Biological Sciences
Claudia Gonzales/Fangfang Li | Kinesiology & Physical Education/Psychology
Ute Wieden-Kothe | Chemistry & Biochemistry
Jason Laurendeau | Sociology
Raphael Lencucha | Public Health
Hua Li | Mathematics & Computer Science
Heidi MacDonald | History
Kimberly Mair | Sociology
Steve Patitsas/Saurya Das | Physics & Astronomy
Adriana Predoi-Cross | Physics & Astronomy
Drew Rendall | Psychology
Shelley Scott | Theatre & Drama
David Siminovitch/Tony Montina | Physics & Astronomy
D. Andrew Stewart | Music
Mark Walton | Physics & Astronomy
John Zhang | Mathematics & Computer Science

Post-Doctoral Fellow Awards Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Postgraduate Fellowship
Ben Clark | Neuroscience
Corinne Montes-Rodriquez | Neuroscience
Jake Ormond | Neuroscience
Ivan Skelin | Neuroscience
Aaron Wilber | Neuroscience

Canadian Space Agency Space Science Enhancement Award Postdoctoral Fellowship
Matthijs Van Der Wiel | Physics & Astronomy

CIHR Fellowship
Hendrik Steenland | Neuroscience

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellowship (Short-Term) for North American and European Researchers
Noelle Gunst | Psychology

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Research Support Allowance (Short-Term) for North American and European Researchers
Noelle Gunst | Psychology

Book Awards 2013 recipients

M. Gordon Hunter & Dan Kazakoff (authors): Small Business: Journey to Success

Shawn Bubel, James McMurchy & Duncan Lloyd (authors): Record In Stone: Familiar Projectile Points From Alberta

Jean-Baptiste Leca, Michael A. Huffman & Paul Vasey (editors): The Monkeys of Smokey Mountain

Sarah Glassford & Amy Shaw (editors): A Sisterhood of Suffering and Service: Women and Girls of Canada and Newfoundland during the First World War

Geoffrey Hale (author): So Near Yet So Far: The Public and Hidden Worlds of Canada-U.S. Relations

Aaron Taylor (editor): Theorizing Film Acting

Marc R. Roussel (author): A Life Scientist's Guide to Physical Chemistry

Glena Tibe Bonifacio (editor): Feminism and Migration: Cross-cultural Engagements

Robert J. Williams, Robert T. Wood & Jonathan Parke (editors): The Routledge International Handbook of Internet Gambling

Arundhati Dasgupta (editor): Recent Research in Quantum Gravity

John S. Harding (editor): Studying Buddhism in Practice

Yale D. Belanger (editor): First Nations Gaming in Canada

Yongjian Bao & Wenlong Yuan (authors): The Contrarian Way of Crisis Management

Keith Roscoe & Rick Mrazek (authors): Developing Scientific Literacy: Ideas and Strategies for Planning, Assessment, and Instruction

Blythe Shepard & Lorna Martin (authors): Supervision of Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Handbook for Canadian Certified Supervisors and Applicants

Margaret A. Winzer & Kas Mazurek (editors): International Practices in Special Education: Debates and Challenges

Judith C. Kulig & Allison M. Williams (editors): Health in Rural Canada

Olga Kovalchuk & Igor Kovalchuk (authors) Epigenetics in Health and Disease

U of L inks international agreements

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:59:31 +0000

Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine – The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge today expanded its linkages in the Ukraine by signing agreements with two research universities.

On behalf of the U of L, Vice-President (Research) Dan Weeks signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ (IFNMU) to collaborate on research studies in occupational and environmental exposures to ionizing radiation. These studies will include the effects of industrial pollutants.

On Tuesday, Weeks signed an MOU with the R.E. Kavetsky, Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the National Research Centre for Radiation Medicine of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine (RCRM) to study the epigenetic effects on the workers at the Chernobyl power plants including cancer occurrences.

Epigenetics is the study of how an individual gene can go wrong or not work properly over a person's lifetime, and in in response to environmental conditions or other factors. (Epigenetics means beyond genetics in Latin).

Weeks also signed an MOU with the Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Oil and Gas (IFNTUOG). This MOU focuses on collaborative efforts in the areas of remote sensing, geomatics, water quality monitoring and water resource management. This collaboration includes the possible exchange of faculty and graduate students in these fields.

Weeks is currently participating in a mission in Ukraine led by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) aimed at formalizing linkages between Canada and Ukraine, and their post-secondary sectors. The trip includes Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Presidents, Vice-Presidents and Deans representing Universities from across Canada.

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.

New Chair in Aquatic Health Appointed

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 23:05:57 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has added to its internationally recognized expertise in water research with the addition of a new Chair in Aquatic Health, Dr. Greg Pyle.

Pyle is the first of four new research Chairs being added to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ this year as part of the Government of Alberta's Campus Alberta Innovation Program (CAIP) Chairs plan. The government is contributing $1-million for four Chairs, over the course of seven years, for a total investment of $7 million.

"It's exciting to be able to bring in an outstanding research talent such as Dr. Pyle," says Dr. Dan Weeks, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's vice-president (research). "His established expertise in the effects of environmental contaminants on the chemical communication systems in aquatic animals will greatly add to the already comprehensive research portfolio that has been established by our researchers in the Water Institute for Sustainable Environments (WISE)."

Pyle comes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ after spending the previous five years as head of the Aquatic Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory at Lakehead ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Thunder Bay, Ont. His research program is considered unique because he is able to study several aquatic species, including both vertebrate and invertebrate animals, representing different positions within a typical freshwater food web and thereby better understanding the subtle effects of environmental contamination.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has been building a strong reputation in research over the past several years, especially in the aquatic sciences," says Pyle. "I am thrilled to be part of that growing research culture, and excited by the prospects afforded by the university and surrounding region."

Prior to taking up a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology at Lakehead, Pyle helped establish and build the Department of Biology at Nipissing ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. He earned both his bachelor and master's degrees from Laurentian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and received his PhD from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan.

The CAIP Chairs plan is part of the Government of Alberta's Campus Alberta collaborative initiative and will provide research Chairs to Alberta's four Comprehensive Academic and Research Intensive (CARI) institutions: the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary.

The U of L will also welcome CAIP Chairs in the areas of brain health and dementia, synthetic biology, and terrestrial ecosystems and remote sensing later this year. Pyle's appointment at the U of L is funded for seven years.

"The program is designed to recruit new research leaders to Alberta in specific areas of study," says Weeks. "Not only do these areas align with the Government of Alberta's strategic priorities, but they also reflect the core strengths of our institution."

Book Awards handed out Mar. 19

trevor.kenney — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 21:48:46 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will celebrate the 2012 Book Awards on Monday, Mar. 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. in Andy's Place (AH100).

This is your opportunity to celebrate the achievements of your colleagues. A wine and appetizer reception will follow the formal portion of the event.

Following is a list of Book Award recipients. Congratulations on your achievement.

Book Awards: Book Listing

Dr. Carly Adams – Queens of the Ice

Dr. Reginald W. Bibby – Beyond the Gods & Back: Religion's Rise and Demise and Why it Matters

Dr. Glenda Tibe Bonifacio – Gender, Religion, and Migration: Pathways of Integration

Dr. Bryson Brown (Editor) – Philosophy of Ecology Handbook of the Philosophy of Science Volume 11

Dr. Christopher Burton (Editor) – Soviet Medicine: Culture, Practice, and Science

Dr. Craig A. Coburn (Editor) – Proceedings, 30th Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing

Dr. Mary Dyck – Coaching Volleyball Champions: Principles and Practices

Leanne Elias (Book Designer) – Science Fiction Science Fair

Dr. Trevor W. Harrison (Editor) – Against Orthodoxy: Studies in Nationalism

Dr. Harold J. Jansen (Editor) – Money, Politics & Democracy: Canada's Party Finance Reforms

Dr. Bryan Kolb – An Introduction to Brain and Behavior

Dr. Christopher J. Kukucha (Editor) – Readings in Canadian Foreign Policy: Classic Debates and New Ideas

Norman Leach – Passchendaele: Canada's Triumph and Tragedy on the Fields of Flanders

Norman Leach – Broken Arrow: America's First Lost Nuclear Weapon

Norman Leach – Canadian Battles: Canada's Role in Major World Conflicts

Emily Luce (Book Designer) – Science Fiction Science Fair

Dr. Jennifer A. Mather – Octopus: the Ocean's Intelligent Invertebrate

Dr. Kevin M. McGeough (Editor) – World History Encyclopedia v. 3 & 4: Era 2: Early Civilizations, 4000-1000 BCE v. 5 & 6: Era 3: Classical Traditions, 1000 BCE – 300CE

Dr. Kevin M. McGeough – Ugaritic Economic Tablets: Text, Translations and Notes Ancient Near Eastern Studies Supplement 32

Dr. Sheila McManus – Choice & Chances: a History of Women in the U.S. West

Dr. Kent A. Peacock (Editor) – Philosophy of Ecology Handbook of the Philosophy of Science Volume 11

Dr. Derek R. Peddle (Editor) – Proceedings, 30th Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing

Dr. Adriana Predoi-Cross (Editor) – 20th International Conference on Spectral Line Shapes

Dr. Thomas A. Robinson – Out of the Mouths of Babes: Girl Evangelists in the Flapper Era

Dr. Hillary P. Rodrigues (Editor) – Studying Hinduism in Practice

Dr. Steven Urquhart (Translator) – Not for Every Eye

Dr. Ian Q. Whishaw – An Introduction to Brain and Behavior, Third Edition

Dr. Kelly Williams-Whitt (Editor) – Perspectives in Disability and Accommodation

Dr. Patrick C. Wilson – Federaciones Indígenas, ONG y el Estado: El Desarrollo y la Politizacíon de la Cultura en la Amazonía Ecuatoriana

Walter Wymer – Connected Causes: Online Marketing Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations

Dr. Ying Zheng – Chemistry for the Life Sciences I

UNews - remote sensing

Coburn comfortable stepping into the unknown

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