In June, the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat recognized two researchers from the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Faculty of Forestry as this year’s recipients of Canada Research Chairs. Dr Nicholas Coops and Dr Elizabeth Wolkovich were among the world-class scientists and scholars recognized from across the country to receive this honour. This year’s investment of $275 million was made in support of a diverse and talented group of new and renewed Chairs, all of whom are advancing discoveries and innovations aimed at improving the state of the environment as well as the health of our citizens, communities and economy.
Dr Nicholas Coops’ Canada Research Chair in Remote Sensing was a renewed Chair after a seven year term. The Tier 1 Chair, supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), is in recognition for his research in satellite and airborne remote-sensing technology to provide cost-effective and accurate solutions for sustainable forest management and conservation. Coops’ research centres on developing tools for forest management and biodiversity assessment in order to ensure sustainable regional and national production as well as storage and conservation of carbon.
Dr Elizabeth Wolkovich received a new Canada Research Chair in Temporal Ecology. Also supported by NSERC, the Tier 2 Chair was provided in support of her emerging research investigating how communities assemble and dis-assemble as a result of global change. Drawing from the areas of population and ecosystem ecology, evolutionary biology, and climatology, much of Wolkovich’s work examines the causes and consequences of plant invasions and the effects of climate change on the temporal assembly of plant communities.
The Faculty of Forestry at UBC is proud of the research conducted by Drs. Coops and Wolkovich as part of an overall drive to create a better world by being a global exemplar in supporting the health and well-being of our planet’s ecosystems and all who interact with them.
