LFS Today Jan 28, 2022

 News  

LFS in the News

Sean Smukler spoke about the impact of climate change on food production: “We’re seeing an increased pattern of impacts to production that are currently impacting the capacity of farmers to produce food. And this will only get more challenging as we move forward.” CTV

 Events  

Today – Teaching Seminars

Xiurou Wu, Candidate for Assistant Professor in Human Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation
Teaching Seminar:  Using instrumental variables for causal inference in environmental and natural resource economics
January 28, 9:00-10:00am
Register here:
https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5Ird-GqrTIiGt0u4BaM76q68odpwClxuCep

Bruna Donatti Castro Falci, Candidate for Lecturer in Dietetics Education
Teaching Seminar:  Sustainable Food Systems: The roles and responsibilities of registered dietitians
Friday, January 28, 12:00-1:00pm (revised)
Register here:
https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5IsdO-trjkqH9WxAcMbTaW2sd_10Rin_waG

Today – Lunch & Learn Series: Open Office Hour w/ the Learning Centre Team

In anticipation of the return to in-person teaching on February 7, the Learning Centre Team will be hosting an open office hour drop-in session today, January 28th at noon.

Join us today to consult with us about your teaching requirements, equipment available for instructors and to get our recommendations for in-person teaching and midterm feedback.

To register, please visit  https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5cscumsqDwrG9OI5NHXco_FeqnmI0pzdWM1

Follow the LFS Learning Centre on Twitter and the Lunch and Learn Series Webpage.

Feb. 4-28 – Research and Teaching Seminars

We will be interviewing 5 candidates for a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Agricultural, Food or Nutritional Science from Feb 4 to 28.  We have included their information below, along with Zoom links to their seminars.  Registration is required, so please click on the links in advance to register, and you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting, and an option to add it to your calendars.  We 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.  If you would like to meet with any of the candidates, please contact Melanie Train (melanie.train@ubc.ca)

Jana Vamosi, Professor, Plant Diversity Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary
Professor Jana Vamosi is a biodiversity scientist at the University of Calgary involved in the conservation of Canada’s plant species within functioning communities. She and her team examine the factors influencing declines in threatened plant species in Canada and aim to pinpoint species for which the threat of climate change will increase extinction risk. Her research program brings evolutionary perspectives to questions on how plant traits alter the resiliency of plant communities.
Website: people.ucalgary.ca/~jvamosi/

Research Seminar: Crops in trees: Understanding the Evolution of Climate Change Vulnerability for Resilient Agroecosystems
February 4, 1:00-2:30pm
Register here:
https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5YucO-vrDkpE9zamw2MHf_avncoboySd96m

Lingyun Chen, Professor, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta
Dr. Lingyun Chen is a full Professor in the Dept. of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Plant Protein Structure Function. Her research focuses on a fundamental understanding of plant protein structure underlying their functionality. The generated knowledge has been applied to develop protein ingredients of improved physicochemical and functional properties, nutritive value and sensory quality towards health food applications. The second area of research interest is to develop biodegradable materials from agricultural by-products for microencapsulation, packaging, composites and other industrial applications. Dr. Chen has been awarded 2020-21 Killam Annual Professors at the University of Alberta. She has 185 refereed journal publications and more than 100 conference presentations in food and materials areas, and holds 2 patents in plant protein food applications. She is also leading and chairing protein symposiums/sessions in international conferences including AOCS, IFT and ACS.

Research Seminar: Molecular design approaches to develop new or improved plant protein functionality for food and material applications
February 7, 9:30-11:00am
Register here:
https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5Irf-qspjIrEtFDi1gAD0saSbenKyxPgrt2

Jianping Wu, Professor and Director, Food Science and Bioresource Technology Division, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta
Dr. Jianping Wu is a Full Professor and the Director of Food Science and Bioresource Technology Division in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta. He is also a member of Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta. He received his PhD from Wuxi University of Light Industry (now Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China), followed by various postdoctoral/research associate positions at the University of Hong Kong, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, University of Manitoba, and Iowa State University. His research interests are bioactive peptides, egg science and technology, and protein sustainability. Dr. Wu is listed by Stanford University as one of the top 2% scientists in all fields, and has published over 230 peer-reviewed papers at peer-reviewed journals, 15 invited book chapters, 2 edited books (1 sole editor), over 250 presentations, and 10 patents/applications, with an h-index of 56 and a total citation of > 10,000 (Google Scholar). He has successfully supervised 16 PhD and 13 MSc students, and 22 PDF. He is an editorial board member of Food & Function, Journal of Functional Foods and Journal of Future Foods, associate editor for Journal of Functional Foods (since 2019), and Food Science and Human Wellness (since 2014), and past associate editor for Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (2012-2018). Dr. Wu was awarded the Fellow of the Agricultural and Food Chemistry Division (AGFD) of the American Chemical Society (ACS), and the Public Health Award in Honor of Babcock-Hart from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).

Research Seminar: Food Proteins: processing, bioactivity, and sustainability
February 11, 1:00-2:30pm
Register here:
https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5Mtf-usrjMqE9d77IBV8tmfivzdKbSupwsU

Kayla King, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford
Dr. Kayla King is presently Professor of Evolutionary Ecology in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford. Her research investigates how contemporary evolution and ecology affects interactions between hosts and microbial pathogens. She also applies ecological and evolutionary theory, and molecular understanding of mechanism, to improve our understanding of infectious diseases in the context of animal and plant health. Dr. King has high-impact publications in Science, Nature Communications, and Current Biology, among others, and has been awarded several prestigious prizes for her research and teaching, such as the American Naturalist Young Investigator Prize (2013), Philip Leverhulme Prize (2018), Linnean Society of London Bicentenary Medal (2020), and recently the Canadian Society of Zoologists R.A. Wardle Medal (2022) for research in parasitism, immunity, and the environment.

Research Seminar: Microbes and monocultures: an evolutionary perspective
February 14, 9:30-11:00am
Register here:
https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5Ytce2rpjgsEtder7Hr8ktscqToXFdOD7TC

Leluo Guan, Professor and Associate Dean, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta.
Dr. Leluo Guan is Professor and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta.  Dr. Guan is one of the pioneer researchers in cattle gut microbiome. Dr. Guan’s research program focuses on 1). Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of host-microbial interactions by characterization of bovine gut microbial ecology and its functions using metagenomics/metatranscriptomics approaches, and host gene expression using a functional genomics approach; and 2). Association between gut microbial ecology and feed efficiency, methane emission and gut immunity development in beef and dairy cattle 3). Study of the bovine transcriptome, proteome, and non-coding microRNAs and their roles in economically important traits. Dr. Guan is the author or co-author of 242 peer-reviewed publications and 8 book chapter with H-index of 60.0. She has secured > 33.9 M research funding (>10.5 as PI and >23.4 M as Co-I) and has trained a total of 38 grad students and 21 postdocs.  For her contribution, Dr. Guan was awarded with multiple prestigious awards including Technical Innovation in Enhancing Production of Safe Affordable Food Award from Canadian Society of Animal Science in 2013; Killam Professorship in 2017; ADSA Zoetis Physiology Award and Canadian Society of Animal Science Fellowship  in 2021.

Research Seminar: Systemic Omics and Implications in Cattle Production and Health
February 28, 9:30-11:00am
Register here:
https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5wufuysqjwsH9LaPr7Kzg23MhDksQztznL3

 Deadlines  

Feb. 11 – Killam Teaching Prize – Calls for Nominations open for 2021-22

The Killam Teaching Prize is awarded to acknowledge outstanding teaching and learning contributions made by teaching faculty in LFS. Among the criteria taken into consideration while nominating a Faculty Member will be the ability to motivate students and stimulate critical thinking, sustained teaching excellence and development of innovative approaches to teaching methodology and curricula.

Do you know a teacher that has inspired you?  Nominate them for the Killam Teaching Prize.

Nominations are being accepted until Feb 11th on a webform and can be made by anybody. Nominees will be contacted and invited to submit their Killam submission package by Feb 25th. The prizes will be awarded on recommendation of the Killam selection committee of faculty and students. More information and the nomination link can be found here: https://lc.landfood.ubc.ca/killam-award/

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