UNews - Chris Hopkinson

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers awarded federal research grants worth more than $3 million

caroline.zentner — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 21:50:59 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers are among the successful applicants for federal grants announced by The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, and the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health.

The more than $1.3 billion in funding supports over 9,700 researchers and research projects in Canada through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

“From brain plasticity and the mechanism of low-dose radiation to supporting newcomers through mentoring, these grants illustrate the diversity of research being done at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, vice-president of research. “This funding not only helps established researchers continue their work but also helps our early career researchers build their research programs. Ultimately, our students benefit with increased opportunities to engage in research throughout their post-secondary careers.”

In total, ULethbridge received funding from NSERC for nine Discovery Grants and two Discovery Development Grants. The Discovery Grants will bring in nearly $475,000 a year for the next five years. The research projects include the following:

Dr. Gerlinde Metz (Neuroscience) will receive $96,000 per year for a study looking at the social determinants of experience-dependent brain plasticity.
Dr. Stacey Wetmore (Chemistry & Biochemistry) will receive $89,000 per year for a project involving computer modelling of modified RNA.
Dr. Olga Kovalchuk (Biological Sciences) was awarded $55,000 annually to study the fundamental mechanisms of low-dose radiation.
Dr. Borries Demeler (Chemistry & Biochemistry) is set to receive $47,000 yearly for solution studies of interacting biopolymer systems.
Dr. Hadi Kharaghani (Mathematics & Computer Science) will receive $32,000 a year for his project on special orthogonal matrices.

The remainder of the NSERC recipients are four early career researchers, each of whom received a Discovery Launch Supplement of $12,500 in addition to their Discovery Grant.

Dr. Corina Birghila (Mathematics & Computer Science) was awarded a yearly amount of $31,000 for a project titled Optimal Decision under Uncertainty.
Dr. Jessica Willi (Chemistry & Biochemistry) will receive $44,000 annually for a project on ribosome functions through synthetic biology.
Dr. Vineet Rathod (Chemistry & Biochemistry) will receive $38,000 annually to examine the structure-function relationship of natural and engineered amyloid proteins.
Dr. Dylan Girodat (Chemistry & Biochemistry) will receive $42,000 per year for a project on the structural dynamics of ribosomes during translation.

In addition, Discovery Development Grants, worth $22,000 each, were awarded to Drs. Christopher Hopkinson (Geography & Environment) and Marc Bomhof (Kinesiology and Physical Education).

Hopkinson will use remote sensing to model vegetation and snowpack response to wildland fire in headwater basins.
Bomhof intends to look at the interplay between exercise and dietary factors on appetite regulation.

ULethbridge social science and humanities researchers were awarded $645,000 in SSHRC Insight Grants.

Dr. Daniel O'Donnell (English) will work on a project involving Research Data Management and Research Data Infrastructure by humanities researchers.
Dr. Scott Rathwell (Kinesiology) wants to enhance sport participation, promote physical activity and improve health outcomes for aging adults by establishing a framework for effective sport programming in middle-aged and older adults.

Several ULethbridge researchers are the recipients of Insight Development Grants totalling more than $291,000.

Dr. Toupey Luft (Education) has designed a project to address the gap in understanding how arts-based mentorship may enhance a sense of belonging for newcomer young adults.
Dr. Kenneth Holyoke’s (Geography & Environment) project investigates the nature and scope of climate impacts on the Wolastoqiyik and Wabanaki archaeological record in New Brunswick.
Dr. Justin Raycraft’s (Anthropology) objective in this project is to increase understanding of the social dimensions of human-carnivore coexistence in the Tarangire ecosystem of northern Tanzania.
Dr. Jeffrey MacCormack (Education) will develop a professional development intervention consisting of a community of practice for teachers and principals where they learn evidence-based practices to support students with profound and multiple disabilities.
Dr. Miranda Leibel (Liberal Education) will examine how the creation and maintenance of postal services are an important component of Canadian state- and nation-building.

TECTERRA support helps launch i4Geo Institute for Geospatial Inquiry, Instruction and Innovation

trevor.kenney — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 21:53:25 +0000

Geomatics-related fields of study are taking another significant step forward at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge thanks to major support from TECTERRA and the opening of i4Geo, the Institute for Geospatial Inquiry, Instruction and Innovation.

“This is something we’ve been working towards for some time and to see it come together is exciting and a real positive push for geospatial study,” says Dr. Chris Hopkinson, Professor in the Department of Geography & Environment, The Board of Governors Research Chair in Remote Sensing and Director of i4Geo. “There is so much opportunity in geographical information science, geospatial positioning and imaging technologies, sensor networks, big data analytics, artificial intelligence and 3D digital twins. Bringing these fields of study together under the i4Geo umbrella, encompassing research, training, networking, business innovation and community outreach will further establish ULethbridge as leaders in geospatial technology and its applications.”

Then graduate students Thomas Porter and Celeste Barnes set up and watch GNSS positioning, long range 3D laser scanner and four imaging systems, including Thermal, RGB, NIR and GoPro video all poised to capture the rates and volumes of avalanche motion as part of an international team of researchers participating in joint experiments for a BBC science documentary.

Geomatics is a branch of science that deals with the collection, analysis and interpretation of data relating to the Earth’s surface. ULethbridge students are the biggest winners with the introduction of i4Geo.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s geography department has provided me with many opportunities to work with emerging technologies, such as airborne and drone lidar, as well as do fieldwork across western Canada, learning the most current GIS and geospatial analysis techniques for both my undergraduate and graduate work,” says Emily Jones, a PhD student member of the i4Geo newly formed executive committee. “The TECTERRA-funded i4Geo institute will help continue these opportunities for myself and other students; opportunities to get hands-on research experience and networking opportunities that have real-life applications.”

The emergence of i4Geo is in large part thanks to TECTERRA’s continued support of geomatics-related study and innovation. Since 2009, TECTERRA has supported the advancement of the geospatial sector in Alberta through funding programs targeted at commercializing technology, and more recently has focused its efforts on academia to foster the next generation of geospatial experts and entrepreneurs.

“We understand that staying ahead of the curve requires constant adaptation and innovation and we are particularly excited about i4GEO’s commitment to developing unique academic programs. As the Institute continues to grow and evolve, we look forward to seeing the impact that its students, faculty and partners will have on the world,” says Monty Carter, Managing Chair at TECTERRA.

In 2023, TECTERRA invested $5.2 million in a Legacy Program for Alberta-based universities, out of which $1.3 million was directed to ULethbridge to fund various undergraduate and graduate awards for students engaged in geomatics-related fields, as well as further growth opportunities — i4Geo being one. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors also matched a portion of those funds as part of its commitment to student scholarships and bursaries.

“Our group of centres and institutes, now totalling 18, serve as exemplars of the incredible breadth of research taking place on campus,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, vice-president (research). “These centres push boundaries, spur innovation and provide opportunity for undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students to thrive in a rich multidisciplinary atmosphere that seeks answers to many of our most pressing societal issues. Adding i4Geo to this group further enhances the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s standing as a leader in this field of study.”

What excites Hopkinson about i4Geo is its broad, multidisciplinary nature. The institute offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in geography, remote sensing, environmental science, agricultural studies, geographical information science and computer science. There is also a major push to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, business incubation and community outreach.

“As a community of nationally leading geospatial ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and researchers, our faculty and students have so much to offer society beyond the day-to-day activities of degree-focused teaching and grant-funded research projects,” he says. “At its core, i4Geo’s goal is to provide a range of unique and complimentary pathways for community engagement and skills/knowledge dissemination, so that we can more effectively and collectively tackle a wide range of environmental challenges and nurture new opportunities.”

To that end, the institute debuted the first of its three-part series of workshops today — Using R for Geospatial Analysis: Part I. The three-hour workshops are intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students, while also offering individual modules via Continuing Education to members of the public in a blended learning environment.

“These workshops will allow us to support internal degree-level training needs, public education and outreach, as well as provide graduate students and postdoctoral fellows an excellent opportunity to share what they have learned and reinforce their own teaching portfolio in an area of their strength,” adds Hopkinson.

Finishing PhD student, Linda Flade, is hosting the first workshop and says they are designed to grow knowledge of geospatial work internally and externally.

“Through the opportunity afforded by i4Geo to embed my course on using R for geospatial analysis within this innovative series of workshops, I can share the knowledge gained during my PhD program with ULethbridge students and the public in a blended learning framework,” she says. “This will expand knowledge transfer from ULethbridge to the community and will further strengthen my teaching skills and experience.”

Measuring the snowpack — ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge partners with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas

caroline.zentner — Tue, 28 May 2024 15:49:09 +0000

With the threat of drought hanging over the province, the Government of Alberta enlisted a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge research team to assist with accurately measuring the snowpack in southern Alberta and the variations from one watershed to another — measurements that are more important than ever as the province tries to manage its water resources.

“Given the potential for drought, following a couple of years of already dry conditions and low snowpack, the Government of Alberta approached us at the beginning of January to see if we could help them with the snow monitoring,” says Dr. Chris Hopkinson, professor in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Department of Geography and Environment and director of the new TECTERRA-funded Institute for Geospatial Inquiry, Instruction and Innovation (i4Geo).

For seven months of the year, scientists with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA) go up into the mountains in the backcountry to measure snow depth and density, information critical to managing water and reservoir levels throughout Alberta.

While it’s practically impossible for workers to physically measure snow depth and density and take samples across whole watersheds, combining the measurements and samples from selected areas with data from airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a remote sensing system that can map snow depth, can provide more accuracy.

Photo, taken April 21, 2024, shows the Upper Oldman River, fed by the mountains in the background, as it enters the Oldman Reservoir.

“Effectively responding to drought, both this year and in the future, requires a better understanding of snowpack conditions in the mountains and the amount of water we can expect during the spring melt to refill our reservoirs and recharge our rivers,” says Dr. Brandi Newton, a hydroclimatologist with AEPA. “Partnering with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge on the use of LiDAR in our snow survey program allows us to collect detailed snowpack data over a much wider area and will ultimately help Alberta make the most out of every drop.”

For the Bow and Oldman watersheds in southern Alberta, Hopkinson and his team began planning two airborne missions, one in March and one in April. For the March mission, Teledyne Optech provided a state-of-the-art Galaxy LiDAR system and an operator, while Calgary-based Aries Aviation provided the aircraft. The April mission utilized ULethbridge’s unique Titan Multispectral LiDAR system, with some operational support from Airborne Imaging, also out of Calgary. The LiDAR scans sampled the Rockies from as far south as the U.S. border and north to Saskatchewan Crossing.

Photo depicts the Bow River just downstream from Banff. All photos courtesy of Dr. Chris Hopkinson.

“The data is confirming that the snowpack in the mountains is not very abundant,” says Hopkinson. “But it’s important to bear in mind that we don’t really have anything to compare it to because we’ve never done this before. All we can do is take our estimates of snowpack water equivalents in the mountains and relate it to similar data structures such as precipitation gauges, snow pillows, field data or runoff records.”

While the LiDAR results are comparable to traditional measurements, LiDAR can provide more spatially precise data.

“It’s telling us, for example, that the Oldman is showing a lot less snow water in the mountains than the Bow,” says Hopkinson. “But we’d probably expect that anyway just because the Bow is higher in elevation, slightly farther north and has wider mountains. But now we’re able to quantify these things in a way we previously couldn’t.”

Hopkinson’s team includes Dr. Celeste Barnes, a post-doctoral fellow who provided project management and data analysis, Jessica Van Gaalen, a master’s student who prepared the data for the cloud computing environment to train an online model and Italo Rodrigues, a PhD candidate who prepared the various layers of data to build an online model of the snow cover. Maxim Okhrimenko, a PhD student and LiDAR lab manager, helped plan the surveys and flying. Farnoosh Aslami, a research associate, assisted with the project by working up data layers as needed. Also working on the project are Dr. James Craig at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waterloo and Dr. Ryan MacDonald (BSc ’06, MSc ’09, PhD ’14), CEO of MacHydro Consultants.

“The idea is that we’ll use these data to input into a hydrological modelling scheme to do the forecasting,” says Hopkinson. “It’s innovative because you don’t normally have a spatially continuous map of snowpack that you can then put into a hydrological model. Hopefully, in the next month or two, we’ll get some scenarios from these data that will parallel or supplement the kind of forecasting work the province is doing.”

In the future, having more precise snowpack measurements will help guide water management policies and practices.

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.

��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.”

Health of water resources on Alberta’s Eastern Slopes the focus of new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge-led project

trevor.kenney — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 15:37:28 +0000

Alberta’s Eastern Slopes are changing, and with land use practices under increasing pressure, it’s imperative policy makers fully understand the relationship between snowpack and downstream river runoff in managing our water resources.

A new project, headed by principal investigator Dr. Chris Hopkinson of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and funded by Alberta Innovates, will partner ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with the public and private sector to develop innovative data and technology workflows to better understand and monitor the conditions of Alberta's Eastern Slopes vegetation and snowpack resources.

The majority of Alberta’s cities draw water from rivers that begin as glacial or snow melt in the Eastern Slopes. PHOTO by Thomas Porter

“Mountains are incredibly valuable to us, not just for their easy access to natural resources or as indicators of environmental change, but also for their recreational and spiritual values,” says Hopkinson, a researcher in the Department of Geography & Environment and the Advanced Resolution Terradynamics Monitoring System Laboratory (ARTEMIS). “More than anything, they are the source of our most critical resource — water.”

The majority of Alberta’s cities draw water from rivers that begin as glacial or snow melt in the Eastern Slopes, hence the need for source water protection of these key areas, often referred to as natural water towers.

“With changes in climate and the many land cover changes that have occurred due to resource extraction, wildfire, insect outbreaks and other successional processes, there is a growing concern that the water resources we have come to rely on over the last century may not be available in the future,” says Hopkinson.

Made possible by an Alberta Innovates investment of $583,000 over four years, the project will marry satellite imaging and airborne lidar data with on-ground monitoring devices to gain a better understanding of historical and future trends in Eastern Slopes landcover, snowpack and water balance. It also highlights a concerted effort by multiple partners, including Alberta Environment and Parks, Parks Canada (Waterton, Banff and Jasper), ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waterloo, MacHydro Consultants Inc, Fluid Planet, Inside Education and Castle Mountain Resort, to address an issue of public importance.

“We will model changing snowpack and runoff properties across the Eastern Slopes,” says Hopkinson. “Our goal is to develop an integrated snow and vegetation modelling framework to inform future water management and policy in Alberta. This will allow us to understand, forecast and protect our precious water resources.”

Further, the project will support the creation of innovative high tech online resources to support public high school education on Alberta’s Eastern Slopes land and water resources, all while supplying valuable research and training opportunities for ULethbridge graduate students.

“It is exciting to work with talented colleagues across multiple sectors and institutions to construct immersive 3D digital twins of our headwaters,” says Hopkinson. “These new online environments will allow us to share forest, wetland and water resource simulations as educational resources for students and the general public, alike.”

Funding for the project began in January and will run through December 2025.

U of L research propelled by Mitacs Accelerate grant

caroline.zentner — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 22:32:07 +0000

Increased leveraging opportunity now available for small to medium enterprises

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers will help quantify the fuel load in Alberta forests affected by the mountain pine beetle, thanks to a Mitacs Accelerate grant in partnership with fRI Research worth $180,000.

Pine beetle study will help guide forest management

Drs. Laura Chasmer and Chris Hopkinson, professors in the Department of Geography and Environment, have partnered with fRI Research, an Alberta-based, not-for-profit organization that that conducts research to improve land and resource management, to collaborate on the creation of a 3-D map to illustrate the distribution of fire fuels in Jasper National Park. Using data from terrestrial and airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scans, two interns, Dr. Zhouxin Xi, a post-doctoral fellow, and Saeid Parsian, a graduate student, will work on the project for two years, with half of their stipend being paid by Mitacs.

“We’re looking at the impact of mountain pine beetle on the vertical and horizontal distribution of fuels for wildfire,” says Chasmer. “This is, of course, of significant interest to Jasper National Park and Parks Canada and especially to the town of Jasper. It allows us to figure out where the fuels are in the landscape and which areas they need to manage or remove those fuels so they can reduce the impact of wildfire.”

Western Canadians don’t have to look very far to be reminded of what wildfire can do. The Kenow Wildfire swept through Waterton Lakes National Park in 2017 and the Lytton Creek Wildfire, which destroyed the Town of Lytton, illustrates how destructive fires can be to communities within the wildland-urban interface.

“In the last 20 to 30 years, wildfires have basically doubled in area,” says Chasmer. “And in the next 20 years, they’re expected to double again. So the combination of things like mountain pine beetle, which is expanding in range because of warming winters and longer, warmer and drier summers, and droughts is making the landscape extremely susceptible to fire. Combine that with 100 years of a colonial type of fire suppression within these national parks and along the eastern slopes and it is a concern that needs to be addressed by fire managers.”

Chasmer says the study will also help demonstrate that prescribed fires and thinning of trees to burn off detritus in a highly managed way is a very important way to reduce the fuels.

“The public, in the past and until now, have not been highly supportive of prescribed burns, because people are worried the fire may become too difficult to manage,” says Chasmer. “Prescribed burns are applied under very controlled conditions to reduce the potential for spread to unintended areas. This is the best way to manage fuels for wildfire and the potential for fires in the future.”

“The work that Laura is leading in Jasper National Park is an evolution of our gradual expansion of our research activity in the eastern slopes,” says Hopkinson. “There are multiple research initiatives and partners and the projects are all intertwined.”

Their research has included surveys all along the eastern slopes, including Waterton Lakes, the Castle Mountain area and Banff. Partners include Alberta Environment and Parks, NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council), Canada Wildfire, Western Economic Diversification Canada, Aries Aviation International and Teledyne Optech.

Mitacs Accelerate grants

Mitacs is a national non-profit organization that works to support collaborations between academia and industry. The Accelerate program is designed to assist companies in hiring interns for a minimum of four months for a $15,000 stipend.

“It allows us to help a company bring on an intern for a period of time and Mitacs typically covers half of that intern’s stipend,” says Hannah Scott, Mitacs business development specialist at the U of L. “From there, as long as the project is longer than four months, we can make a project of nearly any size.”

In the past couple of years, Mitacs has expanded programming and eligibility and Scott hopes to set up more collaborations between the U of L and community partners.

“The really exciting thing is that we have an increased leveraging opportunity for small to medium enterprises (SMEs),” says Scott. “Instead of covering 50 per cent of the intern’s stipend, this lets us cover 75 per cent of the stipend costs for any company with fewer than 500 employees. We’re really excited about this and there are a lot of potential partners in the area that could make use of it.”

Mitacs also offers the Business Strategy Internship innovation program for companies working on new and novel ideas that don’t necessarily involve research. The combination of programs offered by Mitacs provides a wide-playing field.

“Mitacs can work with any sector and any department on campus,” says Scott. “We can work with any for-profit company, eligible not-for-profits, hospitals and municipalities and with students at any level.”

The increased leveraging opportunity is only available for project applications submitted before March 1. For more information, contact Scott by email at hscott@mitacs.ca.

Chasmer research group utilizing remote sensing to increase knowledge of wildland fire potential and behaviour

trevor.kenney — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 18:25:44 +0000

As wildland fires continue to increase in frequency, size and intensity throughout Canada, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers have received funding to work with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) — Canada Wildfire Strategic Network, and in collaboration with the Canadian Forest Service.

Dr. Laura Chasmer of the Department of Geography and Environment.

The group, led by Dr. Laura Chasmer in the Department of Geography and Environment, is part of the cooperative research network designed to address national wildland fire science needs and priorities. Dr. Mike Flannigan (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta) is the principal investigator for the project that includes representation from researchers across the country — a group united in creating better emergency management strategies and informing forest management policy and practices, among others.

“I get the sense with this group they really want to improve fire management and our understanding of fire for community benefit,” says Chasmer, who will receive $750,000 from a total grant of $5 million earmarked for the network. “A key focus will be to work with experts to improve the forest fire danger rating system — the way we predict and manage wildland fires in the landscape. The way we have traditionally looked at susceptibility for fire is about 40 years old and we don't bring in geospatial information to understand where these fires could occur.”

U of L students Jesse Aspinall (bottom left), Sam Gerrand (top left), and Chinyere Ottah (top right), with Dr. Laura Chasmer in a field plot at Waterton Lakes National Park.

Chasmer and her team, which includes Dr. Chris Hopkinson, Chair in Terrestrial Ecosystem Remote Sensing, specialize in remote sensing and will use a multispectral LIDAR (light detection and ranging) system funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada to better understand where fire fuels are and where the potential is for fires near communities.

Flying over selected areas in planes equipped with LIDAR technology will allow them to quantify fuels within the vegetation canopy and understory in three dimensions and at very high spatial resolution.

“I'm interested in peatlands and the transitional zones between peatlands and forests. These are wet areas that accumulate a lot of carbon,” says Chasmer. “They're starting to dry out now in central Alberta from changes in climate. So those peatlands have a lot of fuel associated with them.”

The group will target select areas that have the potential to burn as well as measure trees and shrubs and areas that have already burned.

“We're interested in knowing how ecosystems are regenerating following a fire event,” she says. “Will they regenerate the same as they have in the past or, if they're sensitive enough, will they regenerate into a new ecosystem?”

If possible, they may mobilize the LIDAR system to fly in front of an active fire as it burns through the landscape and will also employ the system on a series of Fire Smart plots (test sites), where they will take measurements before and after a controlled burn to gauge a fire’s behaviour.

The research will provide excellent opportunities for students to contribute to the project.

“Each of the leads are very collaborative, and so for students, this gives them the opportunity to not only work with someone like myself or Dr. Hopkinson, but also with those from other universities who have different areas of expertise,” says Chasmer, who already has six students partially funded for the project and expects to add another post-doctoral student, additional masters and PhD students as well as undergraduates.

“There are also opportunities for internships through government agencies such as the Canadian Forest Service (CFS). I already have one student scheduled to do an internship with CFS in the spring term.”

July 1 marks the start for six new U of L Board of Governors Research Chairs

caroline.zentner — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 16:23:14 +0000

Six diverse scholars will begin their appointments as Board of Governors Research Chairs, highlighting their exceptional work and impacts on their chosen fields of study.

“I am very pleased these individuals are being recognized as the outstanding scholars that they are,” says Dr. Robert Wood, interim vice-president (research). “They reflect the exceptional quality of research being done across the academic disciplines at the U of L and their important work enhances our reputation as one of Canada’s most influential research institutions.”

Dr. Debra Basil, a professor in the Dhillon School of Business, will begin a five-year term as a Tier I Research Chair in Marketing and Management. Her research examines social responsibility with marketing and management, with a focus on the nexus of non-profit and for-profit organizations. She has held several major external grants and her works have been presented in numerous national and international journals and conferences. She is currently completing a book titled Social Marketing in Action: Cases from Around the World.

Also appointed at the Tier I level is Dr. Chris Hopkinson, a professor in the Department of Geography & Environment. He will be the Research Chair in Terrestrial Ecosystem Remote Sensing. Hopkinson founded the ARTeMIS Lab for ecosystem change in 2013, when he joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge after working as an Environmental Research Scientist with the Australian Government. With a background in engineering and geography, Hopkinson integrates hydro-meteorological, remote sensing, spatial and temporal data sources to better understand multi-dimensional natural resource and ecosystem process dynamics in cold region environments.

Mary Kavanagh begins a five-year term as a Tier I Research Chair in Fine Arts. Kavanagh is a visual artist and professor in the Department of Art, where she teaches drawing, interdisciplinary studio, spatial art practice and critical theory. For more than 20 years, her work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions in Canada and abroad, and she has consistently contributed to academic forums including publishing, lecturing, conference publications and adjudicating.

Beginning a four-year appointment as a Tier II Research Chair in Addiction is Dr. Darren Christensen, an associate professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences. He researches the etiology, prevention, and treatment of addiction. His research includes developing behavioural treatments for problem gambling, evaluations of the effectiveness of harm minimization measures, and an investigation of regular opioid antagonist dosing on gambling urge and brain function.

Dr. Richard Larouche, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Public Health Program, has been appointed a Tier II Research Chair in Children’s Physical Activity for a four-year term. He joined the Faculty in 2017 after a postdoctoral fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute. His research program revolves around physical activity among children and youth, with special interest in different types of physical activity such as active transportation (e.g., walking and cycling to and from places) and outdoor play. Larouche published his first book in 2018 with Elsevier entitled, Children’s Active Transportation.

Also at the Tier II level, Dr. Jenny McCune has been appointed as Board of Governors Research Chair in Plant Conservation for four years. McCune, a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences, completed her undergraduate degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph and graduate degrees at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Kent in the United Kingdom and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia. Between degrees, she worked as a professional ecologist for an environmental NGO in California and as a biologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Prior to joining the U of L, she held a Liber Ero fellowship, which supported her work in the conservation of rare plants in Canada.

U of L to host 2020 Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing in Yellowknife

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 20:36:14 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, along with Wilfrid Laurier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, is gearing up to host the 2020 Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing at a unique off-campus location — The Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

The five-day conference, July 13-17, 2020, brings together the country’s foremost experts in remote sensing with this year’s focus on the increasing rate of change in today’s environment. Titled, Landscapes of Change; Remote Sensing for a Sustainable Future, the conference will showcase a wide range of technical, applied and natural sciences topics relevant to the remote sensing community. The group will also host special sessions and workshop discussion dedicated to remote sensing of environmental change and, more critically, how remote sensing-based knowledge can help pave the way for solutions at community to global scales.

It is the first time the conference is being held in the Northwest Territories and Dr. Chris Hopkinson, Chair in Terrestrial Ecosystem Remote Sensing and a member of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Department of Geography is one of the lead organizers. He says the location will offer some unique opportunities for attending delegates.

“We felt it was appropriate to host our national meeting in Canada’s North, as the remote nature of these vast landscapes means satellite and airborne monitoring are the most effective ways to monitor the widespread ground-level impacts of climate change,” says Hopkinson. “The symposium will host all the typical themes relevant to our national community but given climate and land surface changes are most severe in the North, we will host special sessions and workshops dedicated to these topics.”

The conference program, although not yet finalized, will feature a host of educational workshops and daily keynote presentations on a range of local, regional and nationally significant topics in the field of remote sensing and change. There will also be ample opportunity for delegates to attend informal social and student networking events.

“The symposium is a great networking opportunity for senior and junior remote sensing professionals and students,” adds Hopkinson. “A unique element of this year’s meeting is how we plan to engage communities to understand their needs and explore opportunities for remote sensing-based solutions.”

For more information on the event, visit the conference website at https://crss-sct.ca/conferences/csrs-2020/

UNews - Chris Hopkinson

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