STEM Workshops Instructor – UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach
This co-op term, I have been going into elementary, middle and high schools to teach students about STEAM. Through this co-op, not only have I been able to learn so much about different topics in STEAM myself, but I’ve also been able to work on my confidence in public speaking. Being able to teach so many different age groups each day has been very rewarding, and I find myself more comfortable in presenting each day as my knowledge on these topics grow.
To me, co-op is an amazing opportunity. To be able to gain work experience in fields relevant to my studies both provides insight into potential future jobs I may be interested in, as well as allowing me to improve my skills so that I can set myself apart from other candidates during job searches after graduation.
Communications and Community Engagement Co-op – BC Wildfire Service
It has been an amazing eight months working with BC Wildfire Service. I attended several events with my colleagues. It’s impressive to talk with a lot of people about wildfire and campfire ban. I also helped to translate the campfire pamphlet to Mandarin to engage more people at the Richmond Night Market and Surrey Fusion Festival.
Besides working in Communications and Community Engagement, I also worked in Plans Section, coordinated with RWCO, dispatch, Logistics, etc. I prepare the document for “prep sheet” which indicates the personnel in each section and firefighters in zones. When we get into fire season, I also did Fire Analysis. This helped to summarize the value at risk in a certain area.
I’m excited about learning so much and involving in wildfire suppression. I really appreciated all the folks introduced me into this big family so kindly and patiently.
Process Development & Quality Control Assistant Co-op – Gilbert Smith Forest Products Ltd.
My name is Miguel Paulhus and I have been working with Gilbert Smith Forest Products (GSFP) during this co-op. I am in the Process Improvement and Quality Control department which has given me the opportunity to be exposed to a myriad of different projects. I have mainly been working on Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) projects around different machine centers throughout the sawmill, some examples of these projects are reducing the energy usage of the kiln, finding the optimal saw characteristics for the canter line, creating new standard operating procedures and troubleshooting guides around the mill and much more.
This work term has taught me great organizational and communication skills due to the freedom I have been given to work on my projects.
This event is open to all and will be held in person only.
Seminar Abstract
Emerging research on the forest-based bioeconomy often assumes an infinite supply of low-cost, zero-impact forest harvest residues as feedstock for future biosector production facilities. Such assumptions can undermine the feasibility and sustainability of bioenergy initiatives. My research program seeks to ground these discussions in a more realistic context by leveraging and extending existing forest estate modeling frameworks to forecast a range of plausible future scenarios for low-grade forest harvest and sawmill residue biomass feedstocks. This involves predicting biomass volume, cost, quality, and geographic distribution over extended time horizons and large regions, using integrated and adaptive modeling approaches.
Central to this work is the development of an open modeling system for cumulative effects within Canada’s managed forests. In collaboration with ecologists, we are advancing the interoperability of forest estate models favored by foresters and spatial discrete event simulation models used by ecologists. This allows for more comprehensive evaluation of trade-offs and synergies between forest management decisions and ecosystem processes, such as wildfire, carbon fluxes, and biodiversity. This effort is supported by substantial new cloud and HPC infrastructure, enabling the rapid development and deployment of innovative cloud-based open software solutions.
Moreover, this research program aims to bridge the technology and knowledge gap between ongoing research and real-world decision-making. By advancing open-innovation decision support systems and nurturing an open-innovation hub, we aim to empower stakeholders to make informed, nature-smart choices that enhance forest sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change. This seminar will explore the convergence of cutting-edge modeling technologies, collaboration between sectors, and the growing ecosystem of open solutions shaping Canada’s forest-based bioeconomy.
Speaker
Dr. Gregory Paradis is Assistant Professor of Forest Management in the Department of Forest Resources Management (Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship) at the University of British Columbia (UBC). His research spans a wide range of forest management problems, with a common thread being the application of operations research (OR) methods to formulate and solve mathematical programming representations of complex decision problems. He uses a systems approach to modelling interactions between ecosystems, industrial supply chains, governments, and society. His research interests lie at the intersection of forest science, forest economics, forest and industrial engineering, data science, computer science, and operations research.
He obtained his PhD in Forest Science at Université Laval, where he also spent a year working as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Dr. Paradis also worked for four years as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Research Associate fellow in the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship at UBC. He has a B.Sc.Eng. Forest Engineering and a M.Sc. Forest Engineering from the University of New Brunswick.
In addition to his academic credentials, Gregory has over two decades of professional experience working with the forest sector. He maintains Registered Professional Forester (RPF) and Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designations, provides expert consultant services to institutional and private-sector clients in Canada and abroad.
Quality Control Wood Products Summer Co-op – West Fraser
I have been working on quality control at West Fraser – Hinton Wood Products, where I am responsible for ensuring the quality of production. This job combines both mental and physical labor, making it interesting and engaging. In the office, I monitor live data on my computer, and if any metrics deviate, I must identify and go to the shop floor to resolve the issue. I also prepare daily reports and analyze data using Excel. On the shop floor, I measure the dimensions of boards from canters and edgers, visually inspect the debarking of logs from barkers, and check the condition of boards from trimmers.
During this co-op term, I have gained professional knowledge related to lumber quality control, such as visually assessing board quality and adjusting machine parameters to change board sizes. Additionally, I have improved my communication skills and gained confidence in public speaking. Beyond these skills, I have met many inspiring people whose outlooks on life have encouraged me to think more about my future. I have also realized the importance of studying, motivating me to pursue further knowledge.
This co-op job represents my first step into society, making it a valuable and meaningful experience. I believe that co-op programs are beneficial for all students, as they foster personal growth and we will not truly understand our true career aspirations without firsthand experience.
On behalf of UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, congratulations to Sylvie Yang, Hollis Kinnard, Brianne Boufford and Kimiya Rahmani Mokarrai on being the 2025 3MT winners!
Sylvie Yang — First Place Presentation: Invisible livelihoods: the women of Guyana’s artisanal fisheries (Janette Bulkan, supervisor)
Hollis Kinnard — Second Place Presentation: Using sensor fish to examine fish friendliness of flood pumps (Scott Hinch, supervisor)
Brianne Boufford — Third Place Presentation: Rainfall and resiliency: modelling hydrological recovery in disturbed forests (Nicholas Coops, supervisor)
Kimiya Rahmani Mokarrari — Fourth Place Presentation: Optimizing the slash supply chain for bioproduct production (Taraneh Sowlati, supervisor)
13th Annual Forestry Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition
Seventeen graduate students took part in the 13th Annual Forestry Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Heat. Nicholas Coops was the emcee, Julie Cool, Tom Booker and Juliet Lu were the 3MT judges. Thank you to all participants for presenting their research and congratulations to our 2025 Forestry 3MT Competition winners who advanced to the UBC Semi-Finals.
An exciting project out of the University of British Columbia has started its recruitment efforts. This community-based nest monitoring program titled NESTigators is a research study that is investigating both the nesting success of birds in Metro Vancouver and how participation in a program like this could influence human-nature connections. They are looking for research participants for this spring and summer, to spend between 1-3 hours a week helping monitor birds while also taking part in a few interviews and questionnaires to understand your experience throughout the program. If you have any questions, please reach out to nestigators.ires@ubc.ca and consider applying today!
