Milestones
UBC Supports Regenerative Agriculture and Agritech
Sean Smukler, Chair of Agriculture and Environment, joins a 17-person Advisory Group on Regenerative Agriculture and Agritech. The BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food created this advisory group to find ways of building resilient food systems and to support farmers in strengthening B.C. food production. Smukler will share his expertise in soil science and climate change adaptation.
Student Services Team Wins President’s Award
The LFS Student Services team, led by Christine Klaray, Director, Student Academic Services, won a UBC President’s Staff Award for Wellbeing for the creation of ROOTSS (Reach Out, Orientation, Transition & Study Skills). ROOTSS guides new-to-LFS students in academic transition, building social connections and improving wellbeing. Notably they launched ROOTSS a year earlier than planned to support incoming students during the pandemic.
New Research Program at BC Children’s Hospital
To help establish his research program at BC Children’s Hospital, new faculty member David Wright received a BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) Investigator Establishment Award of $250,000. Wright joined UBC as a Professor in Exercise, Metabolism, Nutrition & Health, and is appointed in FNH in LFS and the School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education (home department).
Canada Research Chair in Micronutrients and Human Health
Crystal Karakochuk is a new CIHR Canada Research Chair in Micronutrients and Human Health (Tier 2). Crystal is an Assistant Professor in the Food, Nutrition and Health (FNH) program with strong collaborations in the province, working as an Investigator at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and Women’s Health Research Institute.
Professional Dietetics Program Launches
The Master of Nutrition and Dietetics welcomed its first class of students in September. This 28-month graduate professional program is based on national competencies and accreditation standards for entry into the dietetics profession. Curriculum will cover advanced clinical nutrition, food provision management, leadership, business and entrepreneurship, counselling, Indigenous Peoples’ health, social justice and professional dietetic practice.
UBC Killam Research Prize
Marina von Keyserlingk in the Animal Welfare Program received a 2021 UBC Killam Research Prize in the Science category. The UBC Faculty Research Awards Committee selects recipients for Faculty Research Awards to recognize research excellence and scholarly achievements.
Students Contribute Ideas to Community Learning
Gail Hammond received a Students as Partners (SaP) in Course Design grant for the project, Amplifying learning in a fourth-year community experiential learning course: Implementation of innovative practical and theoretical activities. SaP in Course Design supports UBC Vancouver undergraduate students working in partnership with faculty to redesign courses, and positions students as collaborators in the university’s academic mission.
News & Notes
Christine Scaman Retires
Associate Professor Christine Scaman retires after 27 years with UBC. She served in many leadership roles with LFS, as Program Director of the Food, Nutrition and Health Program and Associate
Dean, Academic. Her research area of focus was primarily food chemistry, specifically investigating carbohydrates and enzymology.
Investing in New Research Technology
The following projects recently received investment from BC Knowledge Development Fund to support the development of leading-edge technology used in research.
- UBC Nutritional Epidemiology and Big Data Analytics Laboratory led by Mahsa Jessri
- Environment Economics Research Unit led by Frederik Noack
- Controlled-Environment Facility for Crop Pathology and Genetics Research (CEF-CPG) led by Gurcharn Singh Brar
- Integrated SOILRES platform for advanced study of soil processes driving agroecosystem resilience under climate change led by Jean-Thomas Cornelis
- Automated growth and screening platform for elucidating crop water requirements led by Thorsten Knipfer
