Research Compliance & Occupational Hygiene Assistantat University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC
This Winter term I’ve had the pleasure to join UBC’s own chemical safety team with the Safety and Risk Services as an research compliance & occupational hygiene assistant. Our team is currently working on a pilot project to increase lab awareness of hazardous substances and provide researchers with useful information regarding their chemical storage and inventories. My role in the team is to manage communications and scheduling, in addition to helping identify the hazards associated with the chemical inventories of various labs.
Developing a professional voice when communicating in a business setting was something I found very intimidating at the beginning of my placement. This Co-op term gave me a chance to polish those skills and build my confidence both within my department during meetings as well as acting as a representative of my workplace in external communications.
I have learned an incredible amount about research safety and lab protocol during this term, and my supervisors have encouraged my growth at every turn. Forestry Co-op and the UBC SRS team have provided me with a much broader perspective on laboratory research and safety which will help guide me in transforming what I’ve learned in my studies into workplace skills.
Environmental Co-op at Teck Coal Limited in Sparwood, BC
For my third co-op work term, I’m working as an Environmental Co-op with Teck Coal Ltd. Based out of Sparwood BC, I’ve been working closely with the Fish Team, focusing on fish habitat, planning, and monitoring. So far this term, I’ve helped out with field projects such as stream temperature monitoring, and trail camera maintenance to qualitatively monitor fish habitat and ice levels. I’ve also been working on a project using ArcMap to monitor and track large wood additions and their movement over time. Before working for Teck, I’d never worked for such a large company before, but I feel just as supported as I have in my previous co-op positions. The co-op program is a great way to try new things and gain valuable hands-on experience in your field of study.
Jr. Resource Technologist at Ministry of Forests in Fort St. John, BC
This term, I am continuing my tenure working for the Ministry of Forests. This term, I’ve been doing more fieldwork with the wildlife and water teams. For the wildlife team, I rode a helicopter and surveyed for Caribou. We collected dropping samples and sent them to a lab for DNA analysis. As for water, I helped them conduct monthly snow surveys. We used a long metal tube to collect snow samples and weighed them using a scale. Aside from that, my work has mostly been doing administrative reviews of Crown Land tenures and presenting my findings to my supervisor and upper management.
Co-op is important for students because it gives you a sense of direction. After doing fieldwork for the Ministry of Forests, I have a clearer picture of what I want to do in the future. It also allows you to meet potential mentors to help guide you with your career choices.
Forestry co-op has given me the chance to make personal relationships with the local First Nations and learn more about their culture. I’ve also gotten a better grasp of the processes behind applications and crown land sales or allocation. These are valuable opportunities I would not have gotten if not for the co-op program.
With the rapid growth of the mass timber construction industry, the challenges of making the building process more efficient through constructability, sustainability, and compliance with performance-based design regulations, are as prevalent as ever.
Photo Credit: Rodolfo Quirós
A new experimental study conducted at UBC by Samuel Shulman and Cristiano Loss examines the behavior and performance of innovative hybrid shear connectors for hybrid cross-laminated timber (CLT)-based structural composites and assemblies. Their study proposes a new connection design method for hybrid steel-CLT structures that utilizes shear connectors fabricated by encasing steel rods in CLT panels using an epoxy-based grout.
The researchers performed a series of experiments on the connector to test its performance under different loading conditions. Ultimately, the findings encouraged the adoption of 24 M rods, selecting the grout diameter and steel grade in order to meet ultimate limit state requirements. High performance in strength and stiffness was also attained without altering the ductility of the system.
Through comprehensive reliability analyses of the novel hybrid shear connectors, Loss and Shulman discovered that the grout-reinforced shear connector has the potential to be a reliable and effective solution for improving the performance of hybrid steel-CLT building systems. The mechanical properties of the connector itself also supports reusability and sustainability in the construction industry. These findings pave the way for future advancements in mass timber construction, offering promising possibilities for designing and constructing high-performance timber assemblies.
This new research has received an open access grant from the Faculty of Forestry, which is awarded to open access publications with high potential impact.
UBC Forestry extends our sincere congratulations to Dr. Rob Guy for receiving the Faculty of Forestry Excellence in Graduate Supervision and Mentorship Award for 2023.
The recognition celebrates Rob’s generosity of expertise, integrity and his ability to inspire and provide encouragement and tailored support for graduate students on their varied and individual journeys.
Rob has gone above and beyond in his commitment to serving the broader graduate student community. Not only has he supported his own research group, but he has also shared his knowledge, creativity and critical thinking skills as a committee member for over 112 students. His dedication is truly remarkable and sets him apart as a model of mentorship.
Many of Rob’s past mentees have attributed their success to the central role he played in helping them realize their full potential and launching their careers. Rob’s impact on the academic community extends far beyond his research, as he has inspired and supported the next generation of academics through his exceptional mentorship.
As one mentee, now a faculty member, attests, “I use Rob as the standard and point of reference for mentoring graduate students in my program.” Rob’s reputation for integrity, collegiality and professionalism in mentorship precedes him, and this award is a well-deserved recognition of his contributions.
Congratulations to all of the nominees for their outstanding contributions to graduate supervision and mentorship. We also express our gratitude to the adjudication committee for their diligent work in selecting the recipient of the award.
Community Wildlife Resiliency Coordinator at City of Port Moody in Port Moody, BC
For my final co-op work term, I had the pleasure of working as the Community Wildfire Resiliency Coordinator for Port Moody Fire Rescue. In this role, I was involved in every aspect of wildfire management and emergency response in a municipal context. Over the past 5 months, my main task was developing a presentation and report for Port Moody City Council to adopt the updated 2019 Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which is a document that outlines a toolbox of best practices for wildfire threat mitigation and adaptation. This began with reviewing the draft document and prioritizing recommended action items, from neighbourhood FireSmart education to by-law amendments. Subsequently, I organized the diverse scope of action items into summary statistics in the form of charts and diagrams for ongoing project management. I also had the opportunity to participate in a province-wide emergency response exercise simulating what would happen if an Earthquake were to hit coastal BC. When I am not in the office, I am outside assisting Environment staff with Nature Walks and addressed any questions related to wildfire management and ecological restoration.
I am so grateful to have gained insights into how climate adaptation policies are adopted into municipal legislation. I thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with other city departments on environmental projects, as environmental management challenges are often interdisciplinary in nature. Thank you to UBC Forestry Co-op and my wonderful supervisor Deputy Chief Kirk Heaven for this wonderful and memorable opportunity!
UBC Forestry wishes to congratulate Bianca Eskelson, Associate Professor in the Department of Forest Resources Management, for receiving the Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers awarded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Bianca is being recognized as a Humboldt fellow in support of the following research project: Climate-sensitive tree mortality models and economic consequences of altered mortality probabilities under climate change in mixed-species stands of central Europe and interior British Columbia, Canada.
“I have no words to express my excitement about returning to the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology in Göttingen, where I get to build research collaborations with Dr. Carola Paul as a visiting scientist almost 20 years after my graduation,” says Bianca. “I am honored to receive the Humboldt Research Fellowship, which makes my research visits over the next three summers possible. Many thanks to my family and my awesome graduate students, who put up with my crazy ideas and accommodate my time in Göttingen!”
In her future as a Humboldt Fellow, Bianca will be able to host Humboldt postdoctoral fellows funded by the foundation in her lab.
About the Humboldt Research Fellowship
This fellowship is among the most prestigious research awards worldwide, giving researchers across all disciplines and career stages the opportunity to conduct their own research in collaboration with a host at a German research institution of their choice.
Undergraduate Intern at Alex Fraser Research Forest in Williams Lake, BC
Over the past 2 months I have been working as an undergraduate Intern at the Alex Fraser Research Forest in Williams Lake. Being an Intern I have had the opportunity to be involved in many different projects and help in the planning and execution to the extent that was possible with my skillset. One of the first projects I was a part of was layout out blocks for logging. After going around the block and seeing the regen from previous entries we went in and started laying out chunks within the block that were harvestable while retaining valuable regen. We also laid out Wildlife Tree Patches to protect important habitat. I was also a part of GPS the plot and mapping them on GIS and creating maps for site plans and operators. We also worked on managing the mule deer winter range. For which we selected clumps of trees throughout the block to remove that would open up the canopy to promote a multilayered, uneven-aged stand structure by reentering the block multiple time over 250 years. This helps maintain the diversity of habitat within the block so that it can provided, thermal and security cover for Mull Deer. During selection of the tree we took diameters of the trees selected and specie of the tree so keep track of the volume that will be remove and minimize negative impacts of removal.
In October I was introduced to doing stocking surveys and multilayered surveys which was a great opportunity to refresh my memory on the topics that I had learnt in university and also be in the field physically doing it. We also timber cruised two plots ( about 45 plots) at Gavin, and as a part of it we took DBH, Height, logs obtainable, recorded species and their status. I was also able to work with the contractors doing Beetle probing and worked with their crew in the field looking at trees in the previously detected beetle spots. We assessed trees for Fir beetle frass and if we found a tree with frass we would chop into it to check to see if we can find live beetle. I am excited to see what the rest of my term has in store for me!
Wildlife Biologist at BC Ministry of Lands, Water and Resource Stewardship in Surrey, BC
This term, I am finishing up my work on the project that I started in January. My primary responsibilities include supervising volunteer data entry, conducting data analyses, and communicating my work through scientific reports. This position has allowed me to gain confidence in many areas that I lacked confidence in previously. Like presenting, supervising/leading, scientific writing, networking, and more. This is a role I have aimed to fulfill for a long time, and I’m grateful to have been offered to continue in this position even after my co-op has ended.
Junior Forestry Technician at Coastal Natural Resource Management Ltd. in North Vancouver, BC
For the last 12 months, I have been working as a Junior Forest Technician for Coastal Natural Resource Management. I have been working across British Columbia working on forestry consulting projects on the coast and the northern interior. During the last year, I have completed forestry assessments, timber evaluations, stream inventories, road engineering and more. I was able to learn and build upon my skills which have been a valuable experience. I have enjoyed the coop program and it is a great opportunity for students to get practical work experience during their studies.
