LFS Today Feb 5, 2021

Announcement: New Senior Manager EDI and Indigeneity

We are pleased to announce that we have created a new role, Senior Manager Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Indigeneity, to support work across the Faculty of Land and Food Systems in this important area. This position will be shared with UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science.

We would like to welcome Dana-Lyn Mackenzie who starts virtually this week as Senior Manager EDI and Indigeneity. Dana-Lyn is a member of the Hwlitsum First Nation, based in Canoe Pass, BC and a lawyer. She has most recently been working as an associate for Acumen Law in Vancouver, practicing criminal, administrative and employment law. She is a double alumna of UBC, having obtained her BA and JD degrees at UBC. 

Dana-Lyn brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise to this role. She has previously held staff positions at Dalhousie University as the Director of Student Services for the Schulich School of Law; and prior to this she was the Associate Director, Legal Studies with the Peter A. Allard School of Law with UBC. Dana-Lyn has been recognized for her contributions to this work as illustrated by being one of the recipients of the 2016 UBC President’s Staff Award on Advancing Diversity and Inclusion.

This position will work closely with LFS’s EDI Working Group, led by Will Valley and comprised of students, staff and faculty, to develop, implement and complete projects on EDI and Indigenous engagement. In this role, Dana-Lyn will establish relationships to ensure consistency of practice and adhere to UBC regulations, policies and procedures, and implement organizational change strategies, initiatives, processes and programs.

I look forward to working with Dana-Lyn as we expand our EDI and Indigenous engagement initiatives. Please join me in welcoming Dana-Lyn to our Faculty and our campus community.

~ Rickey Yada, Dean

The Future of Agriculture – register for today’s webinar! 

Join Rickey as he hosts today’s panel discussion on the Future of Agriculture, presented by LFS and alumniUBC. If you can’t make this morning’s session, we will share a later recording.

From labour supply and supply chains to technology and trade, COVID-19 has brought forth challenges and opportunities to the agri-food industry. How have different sectors handled the suddenness of the pandemic? What are the positive and negative learnings from the past year and how will the different sectors continue to adjust and respond? Will the pandemic forever change the future of agriculture?

Host
Dr. Rickey Yada, BSc(Agr)’77, MSc’80, PhD’84 – Dean and Professor, UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Moderator
Santa J. Ono – President and Vice-Chancellor, UBC

Speakers
Meeru Dhalwala, LLD’16 – Author, Chef, & Restaurateur; Faculty Advisory Board member, UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Peter Dhillon, OBC, BA’88 – Chairman, Ocean Spray Board of Directors; President and CEO, Richberry Group
John Stackhouse – Senior Vice-President, Office of the CEO, RBC

Friday, February 5, 2021
11:00am-12:00pm PST
Open to everyone. Register here.

Sustainable Friday

Your sustainability tip of the week is:

Consider taking ‘task breaks’ such as caring for plants, cleaning your desk area, organizing files, etc. to get your eyes off the screen.

Do you have a sustainability tip to share with your colleagues? Send it to mcm-lst@lists.ubc.ca and lfs.today@ubc.ca! Tips can cover a range of settings, from lab work to your community to working from home.

Soil 500 Graduate Seminar Series – Today

Date: Friday, February 5, 3:00pm
Title: Quantification and mapping of methane emissions using eddy covariance in a synthetic natural gas injection experiment
Speaker: Chitra Chopra, MSc graduate student, Atmospheric Science (supervisor Andy Black)
Abstract & bio available here.

Register in advance for this seminar: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5codeiqqzksGNdAwk5PH3y9cDt4b2IrCrBM  

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. All are welcome!

Research and Teaching Seminars: Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation

We will be interviewing 6 candidates for the position of Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation (joint position with IRES), starting February 8.  All interviews will be done online.  We have included their information below, along with Zoom links to each of the seminars.  Registration is required, so please click on the links in advance to register, and you will receive a confirmation email with info about joining the meeting, and an option to add it to your calendars.  We very much hope that you will be able to attend and to provide feedback to the selection committee.  A copy of the advertisement can be found here: https://lfs-ps.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2021/02/IRES-LFS-Joint-Hire-Job-Ad-Final.pdf

If you would like to meet with any of the candidates, please contact Candice Zhang at candice.zhang@ubc.ca.

Dr. Aparna Howlader, Postdoctoral Researcher, Princeton University
Website: https://www.aparnahowlader.com/

Research Seminar: Consequences of Conservation Policies: In past and present
February 8, 9:30-11:00am 
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XWVB2fcsTlqpe5qQiL0e5g   

Teaching Seminar: Using Instrumental Variables for Causal Inference
February 9, 9:00-10:30am 
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5csc-GvrjIpGdJ0zTdBbh9x8yF71h8sGq2T  

Grad Student Roundtable
Open to graduate students from Biodiversity Research Centre, IRES, and Land and Food Systems
February 9, 1:00-1:45pm 
Please use this Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69006164065?pwd=L2djWkY5WFlSRHU1NzNHbFBtL0ZFQT09   

Dr. Robin Naidoo, Lead Wildlife Scientist, WWF-US, Washington, DC

Research Seminar: Developing and applying quantitative, interdisciplinary science to understand the human dimensions of conservation
February 10, 9:30-10:45am
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4SlPZMIBRiCHY6tHaGFsNw   

Teaching Seminar: Using Instrumental Variables for Causal Inference
February 11, 9:00-10:30am
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5AvduuhqjMjE9dJjd3QGlYGKcbJFjlfn8qs   

Grad Student Roundtable
Open to graduate students from Biodiversity Research Centre, IRES, and Land and Food Systems
February 11, 1:00-1:45pm
Please use this Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69006164065?pwd=L2djWkY5WFlSRHU1NzNHbFBtL0ZFQT09   

Dr. Ranaivo Rasolofoson, Postdoctoral Associate, Cornell University
Website: https://fiorellaresearchgroup.com/people/ranaivo-a-rasolofoson/ 

Research Seminar: From nature conservation to human health and nutrition
February 16, 9:15-10:45am
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Awtj-nBfQniCg0zZ3o71mw   

Teaching Seminar: Using Instrumental Variables for Causal Inference
February 17, 9:15-10:45am
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5Ilf-6srTgtHdPK7iYbxf_G3UU7r913kNpt   

Grad Student Roundtable
Open to graduate students from Biodiversity Research Centre, IRES, and Land and Food Systems
February 16, 2:30-3:15pm
Please use this Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69006164065?pwd=L2djWkY5WFlSRHU1NzNHbFBtL0ZFQT09
 

Dr. Yuta J. Masuda, Senior Sustainable Development and Behavior Scientist, The Nature Conservancy, Global Science 

Research Seminar: Warming from tropical deforestation adversely impacts human health and well-being
February 18, 9:00-10:30am
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_L7dTFlIaQxuORaKSF7Zs_A    

Teaching Seminar: Using Instrumental Variables for Causal Inference
February 19, 9:30-11:00am
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5MqcuqppzgjHNerJw2LvtBqeECh79DCyygQ   

Grad Student Roundtable
Open to graduate students from Biodiversity Research Centre, IRES, and Land and Food Systems
February 19, 2:00-2:45pm
Please use this Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69006164065?pwd=L2djWkY5WFlSRHU1NzNHbFBtL0ZFQT09   
 

Dr. Youpei Yan, Postdoctoral Associate, Yale University
Website: https://youpeiyan42.wordpress.com 

Research Seminar: The Newfoundland moose-forest ecosystem as a portfolio of natural capital
February 22, 9:15-10:45am
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f64eWS3iTa61HYBKTEpD-g  

Teaching Seminar: Using Instrumental Variables for Causal Inference
February 23, 9:00-10:30am
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5UldumsqTwqHdca6dpMoTk_kVoFUqf5fvsx   

Grad Student Roundtable
Open to graduate students from Biodiversity Research Centre, IRES, and Land and Food Systems
February 23, 10:45-11:30am
Please use this Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69006164065?pwd=L2djWkY5WFlSRHU1NzNHbFBtL0ZFQT09   
 

Dr. Laura Vang Rasmussen, Assistant Professor, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen
Website: http://thelandlab.net/ 

Research Seminar: How do we feed the world, while conserving nature at the same time?
February 24, 9:30-10:45am
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hO6NV3Z6TI6NUIf72yJm5g 

Teaching Seminar: Using Instrumental Variables for Causal Inference
February 25, 9:00-10:30am
Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5MucO2pqD8uH9Jy6XWGWkjfRkYVCKn2s2Mv  

Grad Student Roundtable
Open to graduate students from Biodiversity Research Centre, IRES, and Land and Food Systems
February 25, 2:00-2:45pm
Please use this Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69006164065?pwd=L2djWkY5WFlSRHU1NzNHbFBtL0ZFQT09

UBC Nominations for Microsoft Research Faculty Fellowship

UBC announced the February 12 internal deadline for the 2021 Microsoft Research Faculty Fellowship. The two-year fellowship recognizes innovative, promising early-career professors in the Americas exploring breakthrough, high-impact research in computer science or a related field. The award includes $100,000 USD in annual funding for two years beginning Fall 2021. Candidates must be nominated by their university or a researcher at Microsoft before receiving an invitation to submit a proposal.

The 2021 guidelines are available here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/academic-program/faculty-fellowship/

UBC Internal Selection:

Microsoft limits each university to a maximum of 3 nominations. To be considered for UBC’s nomination, researchers must email their nomination details along with an up-to-date UBC CV to Heather Frost (heather.frost@ubc.ca) by Friday, February 12, 2021. Depending on the number of nominations received, UBC will conduct an internal selection process to identify up to 3 candidates and submit to Microsoft by Monday, February 22, 2021. 

Note that following nominations, Microsoft will directly request a full proposal package from eligible candidates, due Monday, March 29, 2021.