UNews - Mitacs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Agility is now an approved Mitacs incubator

caroline.zentner — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 20:44:23 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge graduate students and post-doctoral fellows with an entrepreneurial bent can access funding to further develop their business ideas now that Agility has been approved as an incubator for Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur projects.

Accelerate Entrepreneur funds would-be entrepreneurs to further develop the research or technology at the core of their startup business when they are hosted by an incubator facility. Along with the funding, entrepreneurs receive support from Agility with the goal of commercializing their technology, product or service.

“As soon as Agility was approved to be the Lethbridge incubator, it was obvious this will benefit our U of L innovators,” says Brandie Lea, U of L partnerships and commercialization coordinator. “Applications are already in the works to request funding. It is exciting to see a culture of innovation and startup creation on campus and we are looking forward to the companies and product development that will receive support from a very reliable funding partner.”

“This is a great opportunity for our aspiring entrepreneurs,” says Brandy Old (BA/BEd '17), Agility manager. “The entrepreneur acts as an intern for their own business and Agility supervises and supports them throughout the internship.”

To be eligible, the entrepreneurs must own their startup and have responsibility for the management and/or operations of the company (which must be incorporated). Once housed at an approved incubator, the company invests a minimum of $7,500 in funding for a research project. Mitacs matches the funds and the total amount of $15,000 is administered through the entrepreneur's professor as a grant. The minimum stipend paid to an intern is $10,000 and they can also access to up to $5,000 in flexible funding to pay for research costs such as laboratory materials or equipment.

The program gives entrepreneurs a funded internship so they have the opportunity to pilot and test a new product, service or technology or improve on an already existing one. Applications are accepted any time and evaluation is completed in six to eight weeks. Projects start at four months, but can be scaled up, depending on the startup’s needs.

A major benefit of the program is that it provides a safe space to test out an idea.

“The funding goes right back to the entrepreneur, so they are actually functioning as a working employee for their own startup at a very early stage,” she says. “The Mitacs program helps aspiring entrepreneurs take the risk and dedicate some time towards doing early ideation and validation of a business idea. They’ll learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur and test out if their research project has commercial potential.”

Old plans to offer Accelerate Entrepreneur students Agility’s Trailblazing program, an online incubator for early stage ideation and validation. The program focuses on identifying problems, doing customer discovery, making sales pitches, networking, organizing, managing time and getting involved in the community.

“This program is perfect for anyone who wants to be their own boss and is committed to learning how to do it fast,” she says. “Students often discredit their readiness to turn their ideas into businesses and programs like Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur help reduce the risk of taking the leap.”

Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows from any discipline are welcome to apply. For more information visit the Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur website or contact Brandy Old (brandy.old@uleth.ca) or Brandie Lea (brandie.lea@uleth.ca).

Mitacs Globalink students gain research experience while sampling local culture

caroline.zentner — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 17:32:09 +0000

Undergraduate students from across the globe are expanding their learning at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge this summer through the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship program.

The program allows undergraduate students from Brazil, China, France, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Vietnam to participate in a 12-week research internship under the supervision of Canadian university faculty members. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, with nine interns, is one of more than 45 universities in Canada to host Mitacs Globalink Research interns this summer.

Mitacs Globalink students from left to right, Mohamed Alanquri, Kanika Parashar, Neeraj Prakash, Santhosh Polubothu, Mitacs director Oba Harding, Luong Ai My, Mayela Sosa and Houlin Yu. Two interns are missing from the photo.

Mayela Sosa, a third-year psychology student at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guadalajara, Mexico, studies neuroscience. She’s working on a grasping study in Dr. Claudia Gonzalez’s Brain in Action lab.

“I chose this project because of the professor and because it is more related to movement and neuroscience than other projects,” she says. “I’m learning a lot. Many of my friends tried to get an internship in Canada so I’m really grateful Mitacs has given me this opportunity.”

“The Mitacs Globalink program is outstanding. It identifies talented undergraduate students, who are highly qualified personnel, to come to Canada for 12 weeks to gain research experience,” says Gonzalez, a U of L kinesiology and physical education professor. “As faculty, the program has provided me with the opportunity to have a pair of extra hands in the lab and a student to hopefully inspire or excite about research in Canada and at the U of L.”

Santhosh Polubothu, an electrical engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee near New Delhi, has been doing research in reversible logics under the supervision of Dr. Jackie Rice, a U of L mathematics and computer science professor.

“I have done some work in digital electronics back at my university so I thought it could be more useful for me. This project was my first choice,” he says. “The Mitacs Globalink Research Internship is one of the best programs in the world. It’s very hard to get in and the stipend is very good. It’s not about the money but the research we’re doing.”

Neeraj Prakash, who’s studying engineering physics at the National Institute of Technology Calicut, India, is working under the supervision of Dr. Adriana Predoi-Cross, a U of L physics professor.

“I’m having a good experience working in the lab. Even though I’m an undergrad, I’m getting the opportunity to work as a researcher,” says Prakash, adding he especially enjoys having input into the project he’s working on.

Houlin Yu, an undergraduate biology student at Northwest Agriculture and Forestry ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Yangling, China, is working in Elizabeth Schultz’s plant biology lab on a project to define the role of the FKD1 gene family using Arabidopsis thaliana, or thale cress. This is Yu’s first visit to another country and he’s soaking up as many experiences as he can.

“It’s spectacular to see the scenery and the people are hospitable,” says Yu. “I love the lab I am working in here. I want to come back here to do my master’s under Dr. Schultz’s supervision.”

The students have also managed to squeeze in some fun. They have visited downtown Lethbridge, Waterton Lakes National Park, participated in an escape room adventure, toured tecconnect, and celebrated Canada Day at Henderson Lake.

Mitacs is a national, non-profit organization that designs and delivers research and training programs in Canada to support industrial and social innovation in Canada.

Mitacs Globalink students on campus

trevor.kenney — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:58:42 +0000

They're recognized as being some of the sharpest minds in the world. Now, 46 top undergraduate students from India have come to Alberta to apply their skills to complex research projects and interact with industry.

Four of those elite students are being hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in the Mathematics and Computer Science and Chemistry and Biochemistry departments.

It's all part of a new program called Mitacs Globalink, which was launched to attract international undergraduate students to the province and promote the benefits of a Canadian education to those pursuing graduate degrees.

"Every year, tens of thousands of future entrepreneurs and scientists from India travel abroad to countries like the U.S. or U.K. for graduate studies," says Arvind Gupta, Scientific Director of Mitacs, a leading national research organization that creates innovation research and training programs for up-and-coming researchers.

"Our message to international students is that Canada has world-class universities that provide superior education and innovative collaborative research opportunities. We also have some great companies interested in working with these students to help commercialize their ideas into the new products of tomorrow."

Mitacs has launched this one-of-a-kind program in the province with the support of the Government of Alberta, which has provided $375,000 towards the program.

"During my stay in Alberta, I have been able to interact with Canadian graduate and undergraduate students which has been very enlightening and informative," says Anupam Srivastava, a student from the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad who is at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge this summer.

"I would surely recommend the Globalink program to my friends back in India."

The Hon. Greg Weadick, Minister of Alberta Advanced Education and Technology and MLA, Lethbridge West says that programs such as Globalink help position Alberta as a world-leading research and innovation destination.

"We are thrilled to host these young international leaders in Alberta," says Weadick. "Bringing smart people into our Campus Alberta system is essential to building Alberta's knowledge-based economy, and we want these students to come back to Alberta for future studies, and to implement their skills and knowledge here."

At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the students have jumped right in to their various projects.

"We have been very pleased to host our Globalink students, and are learning from them as much as they are learning from us," says Dr. Jackie Rice, a mathematics and computer science researcher who is working with a student on a project which uses genetic algorithms to try and reduce the size of reversible logic circuits.

Her colleagues Dr. Yllias Chali and Dr. Shahadat Hossain are also supervising students, while another student is working with chemistry and biochemistry researcher Dr. Ute Kothe.

"We hope they will return home with new friends and contacts, and a different perspective on how their future education could include Canada and the U of L," says Rice.

The Globalink program was piloted in 2009 when 17 Indian students spent three months at British Columbia universities.

This year, Mitacs has placed top students from India in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, and expanded Globalink programming to students from China and Brazil for the first time.

The Globalink program also goes beyond the classroom, Gupta explains, by providing "a big picture taste for life in Canada.

"As part of the internship, for example, the students spend time working alongside their Canadian counterparts to understand Canadian culture and how easy it is for them to fit in, he says. "Our goal is to have these students interact with Alberta students and form new friendships that will extend well beyond their three months in the province."

"In order to be an international innovation leader, Canada must become an attractor for global talent, ensuring that we can compete effectively with other leading jurisdictions," says Gupta. "Building these types of linkages to India is a key part of that strategy."

UNews - Mitacs

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

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Agility is now an approved Mitacs incubator

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Mitacs Globalink students gain research experience while sampling local culture

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Mitacs Globalink students on campus

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