UBC Forestry Announces the Launch of Two New Micro-Certificates

UBC Forestry Announces the Launch of Two New Micro-Certificates

June 3, 2022 | Author: UBC Forestry

Personalized, adaptable and industry-aligned, UBC Forestry’s two new Micro-Certificates address the gap in online forestry education. 

The Faculty of Forestry continues to build out its breadth of accessible, flexible and virtual learning opportunities with the launch of two new Micro-Certificates in Forest Carbon Management (FCM) and Climate Action and Community Engagement (CACE). 

Delivered exclusively online, these new programs leverage UBC’s renowned remote education tools and technology to provide instruction to communities across the world, and bring UBC Forestry to working professionals and beyond. 

With the pressing urgency of the climate crisis and a call for interdisciplinary action across all sectors, UBC Forestry’s new micro-certificate programs aim to address the need for practical and applicable expertise in sustainable, responsible forest management and community action. 

“In the area of climate change and the workforce, there has been a real gap identified for applied tools and management practices on the ground, and professionals are really searching for this,” says Dr. Sheri Andrews-Key, Micro-Certificate Program Director, “That’s why we are developing these programs, to help build this capacity.”

Spanning 8-weeks, participants will join leading scholars and subject-matter experts in graduate-level courses rooted in real-world applications to gain additional skills and diversify employment opportunities and roles, or help meet entry requirements for relevant UBC undergraduate or professional programs.

Jorma Neuvonen, Assistant Dean, Professional Education and International Collaboration says, “These programs offer amazing opportunities to bridge the gap in Canada’s forestry education, and are really the first of its kind to offer quality, flexible education directly to learners at their convenience. And this accessibility is key to ensuring that graduates are prepared to work, adapt and grow in their careers in a rapidly changing world.” 

FCM and CACE follow UBC Forestry’s previous success in online micro-certificates, with classes beginning in October 2022. 

“I attended two UBC Forestry online courses and both of them built my knowledge, widened my international networks and enriched my critical thinking,” says a past student. 

Applications for both programs are now open.

Forest Carbon Management

Climate Action and Community Engagement

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Cristiano Loss and UBC Team Receive $1M NSERC Alliance Missions Grant

June 1, 2022 | Author: UBC Forestry

Cristiano Loss
Cristiano Loss

UBC Forestry’s Assistant Professor in Timber Engineering, Cristiano Loss, along with UBC civil engineering professors Tony Yang and Zhengbo Zou and a team of researchers, was recently awarded a $1 million Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alliance Missions grant.

Funded over two years, the project, High-Performance Timber Modular Tall Buildings Toward Resilient Construction, will help lead the development of advanced technologies aimed at creating high-performance structures and surrounding community infrastructure that can respond to external stimuli and develop a resilient built environment.

Smart Structures

Known as smart structures, these contemporary buildings can sense all kinds of different external forces including extreme weather-related events often associated with climate change. Dr. Loss and the team are working on a number of smart structure technologies that are aimed at addressing multiple challenges the commercial and residential construction sectors are experiencing all over the globe.  

“The team works on everything from testing new active devices that can be built into structures to help reduce the impacts of catastrophic events such as earthquakes to robotic technology that can assist with skilled labour shortages and more streamlined building techniques,” explains Loss. 

Among the many construction challenges this inter-disciplinary research team prioritizes is implementing more sustainable construction practices that incorporate more environmentally friendly building materials. 

“My primary role in all of this work is to ensure we are developing smarter engineered wood-based structures, whether they are low-rise, mid-rise or high-rise, with wood,” says Loss. “When you consider all of wood’s environmental and design characteristics, it is the logical building material choice.” 

Co-investigated by Dr. Loss, the research team includes Dr. Yang who is a co-lead and Dr. Zhengbo Zou who are both with UBC’s Department of Civil Engineering, as well as Dr. Dorian Tung  who is with the timber building systems group at FPInnovations.  

Before coming to UBC in 2019, Dr. Loss was based in Italy where he received an M.Sc. in Structural Engineering and a Ph.D. in Engineering of Civil and Mechanical Structural Systems. His primary research focus is on high-performance carbon-neutral hybrid structural systems and performance-based optimum design procedures for cost-effective building solutions. Dr. Loss also serves as the Chair of the UBC Wood Building Design and Construction cluster.

About NSERC

Loss and his fellow researchers received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alliance Missions Grant which is awarded to projects aimed at strengthening Canada’s economy through finding solutions for critical scientific and technological challenges.

Called Tectonus technology, the device pictured here is considered next-generation earthquake protection and was installed in one of the new mass timber buildings in Vancouver. Photo credit: Dr. Ashkan Hashemi.  

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Emily Cranston Awarded LeSueur Memorial Award

May 25, 2022 | Author: UBC Forestry

UBC Forestry wishes to congratulate Dr. Emily Cranston who is the 2022 recipient of the LeSueur Memorial Award from the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). Awarded to exceptional individuals for their work in the development of technical excellence, LeSueur Memorial Award recipients are honoured for their innovation and ingenuity within the Canadian chemical industry.

Dr. Cranston’s Distinguished Career and Sustainable Nano Biocomposites Lab

Dr. Cranston is a world-leading nanoscientist and in addition to her position as an associate professor in the  UBC Department of Wood Science and UBC Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Dr. Cranston serves as the President’s Excellence Chair in Forest Bio-products.

Cranston’s research group, the Sustainable Nano Biocomposites Lab focuses on the design of high-performance materials, specifically the use of the biocomponent nanocellulose derived from wood pulp in hopes to replace materials based on non-renewable resources. Moreover, Dr. Cranston has linked technical concepts and industrial applications of cellulose-based products in her innovative approach to complex technical challenges.  

Dr. Cranston is the 2016 recipient of The American Chemical Society’s  KINGFA Young Investigator Award, and was awarded the 2018 Kavli Foundation Emerging Leader in Chemistry Award by the American Chemical Society and Kavli Foundation for her significant contributions to the field of chemistry.

In 2020, as an associate professor at UBC, Cranston received funding from the Government of Canada through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF). This national investment in state-of-the-art labs and equipment allowed her to purchase an atomic force microscope to aid in the development of bio-based materials.

Additionally, in recognition of her innovation in the fields of wood science, chemical and biological engineering, Dr. Cranston is a recipient of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) 2021 E.W.R Steacie Memorial Fellowship which is awarded to six researchers in the natural sciences and engineering fields across Canada annually.

Thus far, Dr. Cranston has authored over 120 publications and trained dozens of students and researchers.

About the LeSueur Memorial Award

Since 1955, the LeSueur Memorial Award has honoured Ernest A. LeSueur, a pioneer in Canadian Chemical Engineering. This award celebrates individuals for their contribution to the Canadian chemical industry in both research/university institutions and industrial settings.

For more information on the LeSueur Memorial award visit the SCI website.  

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Wildfires Webinar (Formerly Fires & Floods Webinar)

May 19, 2022 | Author: UBC Forestry

We regret to inform you that Prof. Younes Alila is no longer able to participate in the ‘Fires and Floods’ webinar. The webinar will proceed with Prof. Lori Daniels with a focus primarily on covering wildfires.

Wildfires Webinar

When: June 7, 2022, 12pm – 1pm
Where: Online

The world is heating up, issuing a rising number of severe storms, droughts and record-breaking temperatures that are wreaking havoc on communities and economies. The price tag to repair recent catastrophic flooding that washed out farms, homes and sections of the Coquihalla highway, along with other roadways in the Fraser Valley, will likely be in the billions of dollars. Do land management practices, such as clearcutting, play a role in devastating floods? What about the role of fire suppression and land management practices in massive wildfires? Our forest dynamics expert Prof. Lori Daniels will discuss some of the forestry practices that are shaping landscapes in BC and how the profession can help mitigate the impact of extreme weather-related events.

Register here

This program is made possible with support from:

Host/Moderator

Johanna Wagstaffe

Johanna Wagstaffe is the on-air meteorologist, seismologist and scientist for CBC VANCOUVER NEWS and CBC NEWS NETWORK. She has been covering national and international weather stories for the CBC News: Weather Centre since the summer of 2007.

Wagstaffe’s strong background in seismology and earth science has led her to cover major seismic events, space missions and the Copenhagen and Paris Climate Change conference. She has hosted two award-winning CBC Vancouver podcasts: Fault Lines, 2050: Degrees of Change and continues to work on various CBC original podcast projects.

She is a vital resource for CBC and provides expert insight into breaking weather stories and giving context to weather patterns and science stories in her “Science Smart” series.  You can catch ‘Science Smart’ on CBC’s Our Vancouver and online.

She graduated with an honours degree in geophysics from The University of Western Ontario. She was first exposed to weather forecasting as a summer intern at the Environment Canada Severe Weather Centre, then obtained her post-graduate meteorology certificate from York University. She first joined CBC Vancouver News and CBC News Now as the on-camera meteorologist in the Fall of 2012.

Outside of work, Wagstaffe enjoys running, teaching children about weather and science and flying. She got her pilot’s license when she was 17 years old and still flies with her father in a 1943 Aeronca on the weekends.

Featured Speaker

Lori Daniels

Lori Daniels

Lori Daniels is a Professor of Forest Ecology with the UBC Faculty of Forestry. Lori directs the Tree-Ring Lab where her research team reconstructs historical fire regimes, plus the impacts of climate and humans on forest change. With her research team, Lori is researching wildfires and forest resilience to climate change in the interior of BC, Rocky Mountain National Parks and the foothills of Alberta.

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Two pathogens linked to salmon health and survival in B.C.

May 19, 2022 | Author: UBC Forestry

Many wild salmon populations in B.C. have experienced substantial declines over the last three decades. New UBC research published today can help chart a course towards better protection of wild salmon.

Read the full article

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2022 Alumni Builder Award Winner Shares His Secret to Success

May 13, 2022 | Author: UBC Forestry

Some lessons must be experienced to be understood. For Arthur Tsai, testing his limits helped him realize not only what he was capable of, but a path in life that led him to complete both a BSc (1995) in Wood Science and Industry and MSc (2012) in Forestry at UBC, as well as achieve ongoing success heading the market intelligence team at Paper Excellence.

In 2022, Arthur was recognized with one of only 12 UBC Vancouver 2022 Alumni Builder Awards for his ongoing involvement with the Faculty of Forestry as a tri-mentor, guest lecturer, co-op mentor/ relationship builder and Alumni Advisory Council member. The awards recognize alumni who have made a significant contribution to the university and enriched the lives of others. 

On top of volunteering with the Faculty of Forestry, Arthur has sat on industry-related boards and the boards of local community and sports organizations. In fact, juggling multiple commitments is something he has perfected since pursuing his studies at UBC.

“Most of my friends wanted me to go into accounting with them, but that program did not interest me,” recalls Arthur. “I somehow stumbled into the Faculty of Forestry, and then Assoc. Dean Tony Kozak was nice enough to bring me into his office and explain the profession of forestry to me. I was so grateful to him for having taken the time. If it wasn’t for him, I would have been lost as an undergraduate student.” 

Tony opened Arthur’s eyes to different aspects of the profession, including the vast number of forest products derived from the BC forestry industry. Arthur was hooked.

As an undergraduate student, Arthur took a lumber marketing course taught by Prof. Dave Cohen who shared stories from the marketing realm that incorporated details about different types of wood products, where they are shipped and the end-users who consumed them. 

“In the 1990s, Japan was the main offshore market for British Columbia’s wood products outside of North America,” recalls Arthur. “Dave explained how business was done there and what products performed best in that market. That in and of itself was fascinating to me.” Enough so that Arthur worked with Dave to complete a master’s in lumber marketing focusing on demographic factors affecting the demand for wood products: “factors such as age cohorts, population growth, immigration/migration flow,” adds Arthur. 

At that time, Arthur was working full-time for Canfor while undertaking a full course load to complete his master’s, all while raising his two young daughters with his wife. 

“I was about to quit the master’s program at one point because it was too much to handle; I was so stretched mentally and physically.” 

That’s when Dave gave Arthur sage advice that has been a guiding light for him. 

“He said to me: ‘You have to set your priorities. First, you need to take care of yourself, then your family, then your career and then school’.” 

Recognizing the care and support behind Dave’s words gave Arthur the extra boost he needed to persevere. It was also the reason why Arthur later decided to return to the Faculty of Forestry to mentor the next generation of forestry students. 

“I wanted to give back to the Faculty and help others the way that I was helped. Now that I’m more settled in my career and life, I am grateful to have found time to devote to volunteering.” 

Mentoring Forestry students, and helping them get co-op placements at Canfor in his prior role, also served to keep Arthur abreast of changes at UBC while helping students pursue their studies and careers.

“To me, success is about how well you care for your family and then, with time, your willingness to give back to your community,” reflects Arthur, whose eldest daughter enrolled in Forestry undergraduate studies at UBC. 

“The more you meet other people, the more you learn, the more you connect with different folks and different ways of thinking and different cultures, the more it shapes you for the better. That belief system has really guided me over the years, and it’s something that I hope to humbly pass along to my girls and the students.”

Learn more about how you can become a Faculty of Forestry mentor, volunteer or supporter

Branchlines

Led by our very own Development and Alumni Engagement Office, and shaped by valuable feedback from our alumni community, the Spring 2022 issue of Branchlines showcases the dynamic and multifaceted fields of forestry. 

Read More

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Where the Waters Meet

April 25, 2022 | Author: UBC Forestry

A TA’s award-winning work keeps compassion flowing

Hauling boxes out of a moving truck with her husband and new lab mates, UBC Forestry PhD candidate Stefanie Lane heard about a man whose reputation for compassion she would go on to model in her own work.

Stefanie arrived in Vancouver from Austin, Texas – after a brief stint collecting seeds in Oregon for the Chicago Botanic Garden – in 2018. At the time, UBC Forestry Postdoc. Jordan Burke (PhD Forestry’16) was in hospice with terminal cancer. While Stefanie did not have the opportunity to meet him, she was touched by what she learned about the much-beloved UBC Forestry sessional instructor and teaching assistant (TA) who was known for his sense of humour and offering beyond-the-call-of-duty care and attention to his students.

“Talking to people and reading about his life and work, it was very evident that Jordan was this powerful force of inspiration,” recalls Stefanie.

After completing her undergraduate studies in botany, Stefanie traveled to UBC to pursue an MSc in forestry and, later, a PhD. Specializing in tidal freshwater marshes, she has spent a lot of time thinking about the interface between rivers and the ocean where fresh and salt water mix.

Her current research involves measuring differences in above-ground vegetation, seed diversity and sediment after severe geese grazing. Observing and tracking how plant communities recover after this disturbance tells a story about their resilience and what to expect following similar events in the future.

“With time, geese eating the roots of plants can turn a vegetated marsh habitat into a mud flat, which can have negative consequences on, for example, juvenile salmon,” Stefanie explains.

Stefanie also mentors Forestry undergraduate students as a TA, a role in which she journeys with students through general plant biology as well as UBC campus’s diverse plant species and the art of specimen dissection.

“What I love most about TAing is helping students get to that lightbulb moment when they develop a deeper understanding of something they’ve learned, along with nerding out on a topic.”

In 2020, Stefanie received one of two inaugural Jordan L. Burke Memorial Awards in Forestry for Best Graduate Teaching Assistant in recognition of her exceptional mentorship of burgeoning foresters. The award gave Stefanie the opportunity to make her first connection with Jordan’s mother, April, and the Burke family.

“Meeting April, and sharing stories about our lives and talking about Jordan, has given me glimpses into who Jordan was,” says Stefanie. “I now think of him as a friend that I didn’t have the chance to meet.”

Despite the challenges of TAing during a global pandemic in which in-person learning was put on hold, Stefanie found innovative ways to connect with students through fun videos that enhanced their online learning experiences, and offered a healthy dose of compassion. Her efforts and out-of-the-box thinking did not go unnoticed, resulting in her receiving a second Jordan L. Burke Memorial Award in 2021.

“This scholarship is a way to continue Jordan’s passion and commitment to teaching and mentoring,” says April. “It extends ‘what might have been’ to dedicated students like Stefanie who can use it for their own support and inspiration, and to spread Jordan’s dedication to others.”

A thoughtful person by nature, Stefanie has run with the intent of the award in the guidance she provides to forestry students, some of whom may one day become TAs themselves. “Keeping his memory alive and the spirit of this award has reinvigorated me to be a compassionate TA,” says Stefanie. “Especially during the COVID-19 period of physical distancing, I’ve recognized how powerful of an impact this can have on a student’s life.”

Learn more about the Jordan L. Burke Memorial Award and donate:
give.ubc.ca/memorial/jordan-burke

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Three Forestry Projects Receive Funding Through CUES

April 16, 2022 | Author: UBC Forestry

UBC Forestry congratulates Dr. Cole Burton and PhD candidate Sarah Dickson-Hoyle who are among the recipients of the 2021-22 Community-University Engagement Support Fund.

With over $500,000 awarded to 27 projects, CUES funding aims to support community partnerships in pursuing shared projects with UBC that center around inclusive engagement to benefit communities and advance collaboration across the province.

Cole Burton
Dr. Cole Burton
Sarah Dickson-Hoyle, PhD candidate

About the Projects

Project TEACH (Talking about Ecology & Aims for Conserving Habitat)

In a collaboration between the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, the Coexisting with Carnivores Alliance, University of Victoria’s Applied Conservation Science Lab and UBC Forestry’s Dr. Cole Burton, Project TEACH will host a publicly accessible educational series discussing topics such as the connections between carnivore conservation and climate action, to the impacts of recreational activities on animal behaviour. This is part of efforts to explore how human-decision making can result in landscape-level impacts.

Collaborative monitoring and cultural heritage management in fire-affected territories: Revitalizing roles as yecwmín̓men

In a partnership between Skeetchestn Natural Resources and UBC Forestry’s Sarah Dickson-Hoyle, this project will co-design and pilot a cultural heritage monitoring program, with the goal of supporting long-term ecosystem restoration and promoting community land use. In doing so, this project aims to collectively identify opportunities for collaborative monitoring, ecology knowledge sharing, cultural heritage and fire stewardship.

Indigenous leadership in wildfire management: Implementing lessons learned from Secwepemcúl’ecw

Also in collaboration with Sarah Dickson-Hoyle, this project builds on an existing partnership between UBC and the Secwepemcúl’ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society. Following the success of their report, Elephant Hill: Secwépemc leadership and lessons learned, this project will work together with BC Wildfire Service and the BC government to implement key findings and recommendations to continue to advance Indigenous leadership in wildfire management and recovery.

About CUES Funding

The Community-University Engagement Support (CUES) is a competitive funding program that provides eligible community organizations in BC the funds to build partnerships and pursue collaborative research, teaching and learning projects with UBC. Administered by UBC Community Engagement, Vice-President External Relations, and the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, a total of $1,759,222 has been paid directly to community partners to date. 

View all CUES projects

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Jeanine Rhemtulla Receives Killam Teaching Prize

April 12, 2022 | Author: UBC Forestry

UBC Forestry congratulates Dr. Jeanine Rhemtulla for receiving the Killam Teaching Prize in Forestry for the 2021-2022 academic year.

About Dr. Rhemtulla

Jeanine Rhemtulla

A multi-award winner, Dr. Rhemtulla most recently received the Killam Accelerator Research Fellowship from UBC last year. She was among five other UBC recipients who were recognized as exceptional early-career researchers who have demonstrated outstanding research achievement as well as the potential for significant impact in their fields.

Her teaching initiatives have always integrated perspectives for understanding complex livelihoods and conservation challenges. She is known for inspiring her students to think critically when it comes to how best to manage forests and landscapes sustainably. Her interactive teaching approaches include virtual field trips, nature journals, capstone projects and classroom debates.

Dr. Rhemtulla’s ongoing research examines potential solutions to global ecological challenges including climate change and deforestation. The objectives of this research are to increase biodiversity, ecosystem function and benefits to local people.

About the Killam Teaching Prize

The Killam Teaching Prize is awarded annually to faculty nominated by students, colleagues and alumni in recognition of excellence in teaching. Recipients are recognized at the graduation ceremonies.

As one of six Killam institutions, UBC offers yearly awards from the Killam Endowment Fund to faculty and teaching assistants who demonstrate excellence in teaching.

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Rising to the challenges in Hydrology

April 6, 2022 | Author: UBC Forestry

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Piotr Kuraś (BSc’04, MASc’06) has seen water resource studies increasingly focus on climate change adaptation over the years. The UBC Forestry grad, who started as a research scientist, is now a consultant and principal with Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (NHC) where he provides his clients with the latest information on various water resource disciplines. Since starting with the company, Piotr has witnessed how expected climate change impacts are addressed in his field.

“Ten years ago, it was recommended that flood estimates be increased by 10% to address the impacts of climate change,” says Piotr. Now, they refine large-scale global climate models to a local level. This provides for long-term planning in water supply, infrastructure design and floodplain area development and safety in a specific area.

“We’re interested in models that aren’t available yet,” says Piotr. “So, we’re going ahead of what’s available provincially.” 

Piotr’s project teams use the most recent global climate models to apply the latest science and results on expected climate change.

To address the impacts of climate change, Piotr says foresters and scientists would benefit from having more long-term and consistent monitoring stations across BC. The stations allow them to access historical climate and water flow data, which they can then use to run climate scenarios and models.

Recently, Piotr worked on a water system planning project for Metro Vancouver where NHC developed hydrologic models of the Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam watersheds. Different climate scenarios for the region up to the year 2100 were taken into consideration in the review of locations for additional water supply dams for the region.

Engagement with stakeholders, such as First Nations, local government and residents, is crucial when working on water stewardship projects, says Piotr. “It’s essential to include a variety of viewpoints in the process to help us understand their perspectives and values when designing projects and determining how their outcomes can be most useful.”

“Modelling is often informed by different interests,” says Piotr. “This feedback can alert us to concerns that might not have otherwise been raised.”

Tips for new graduates

For people interested in following in Piotr’s footsteps, he recommends professional registration after graduation. Piotr was able to register as an engineer and thinks he got the chance to work with NHC because the company was looking for someone who had engineering and forestry backgrounds.

New graduates should also take advantage of networking opportunities, such as staying in touch with leading academics in their field or presenting research at conferences, for example.

“You can fire your resume around, but the people part of it is how you connect,” says Piotr.

About the Author

Elif Kayali is an international student from Turkey who is double majoring in economics and political science. Elif is currently working for UBC Forestry’s Development and Alumni Engagement team as a Work Learn student where she gets to use her passion for journalism and writing to meet and write about the wonderful members of the forestry profession. In her free time, Elif loves to write for UBC’s student newspaper, The Ubyssey.

Learn more about the UBC Work Learn program

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