LFS Today Mar 23, 2022

 News  

LFS in the News

Tamara Cohen and Trista Yuan spoke about their new study on intuitive eating. L’actualité

Wellness Wednesdays: Join a mindful cooking class

Learn about the relationship between mindfulness and cooking. Join Mindwell-U’s free cooking workshop on March 24.
See details here.

 Events  

Mar. 23 – Biodiversity Research Seminar

Date & Time: Wednesday, March 23, 12 – 1pm

Speaker: Dr. Susan Whitehead

Title: Fruit, frugivores, and the evolution of phytochemical diversity

Abstract: Although fleshy fruits function primarily to attract animal seed dispersers, many fruits contain complex mixtures of secondary metabolites that can be deterrent or toxic to consumers. In this talk, I show the complex roles that these metabolites play in seed dispersal and fruit defense. Furthermore, I argue that fruit-frugivore interactions may be an important but underappreciated force in shaping phytochemical diversity at the whole plant level.

The speaker will be presenting remotely. This seminar will be hosted both in-person in the Beaty Museum auditorium, as well as via zoom.

Zoom webinar link for remote attendees: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/63152067404

If you would like to meet with Dr. Whitehead on Wednesday, March 23rd, please sign up using this google sheet.

After the seminar, there will be a virtual lunch with the speaker for graduate students and post-docs. Zoom links for virtual lunch and all other meetings can be found in this google sheet.

Mar. 25 – SOIL Seminar: Phosphorus management in agricultural lands

Topic: Legacy Phosphorus Management in Agricultural Lands and Potential for Environmental Losses in Fraser Valley of British Columbia
Speaker: Sylvia Nyamaizi, Ph.D. student in Soil Science; Supervisor Dr. Sean Smukler; Co Supervisor Dr. Aime J. Messiga
Date & Location: Friday, March 25^th 2022, 3:00-4:00 pm
In-person viewing (McMl 154) and Livestream via zoom (see details below)

Abstract: Phosphorus is the second essential nutrient for plant growth. In BC, mineral and manure phosphorus applications in excess of plant needs to support a diverse and intensive peri-urban agriculture have contributed to legacy phosphorus accumulation in the soil. A provincial survey recently showed that 89% of fields have legacy soil phosphorus in the excess class. This largely presents a great potential of pollution to water resources. Therefore, the pressing need is to identify a better match of phosphorus applications to different cropping system needs  to maintain or drawdown excess soil test phosphorus and reduce phosphorus losses to water resources. Silage corn as a major cropping system across the Fraser valley will be considered in this research and later on expanded to others. The main research objective is to improve understanding of the mechanisms controlling phosphorus cycling in high phosphorus testing soils in order to reduce the risk of phosphorus losses to water sources while building resilient cropping systems in BC. Various rates of phosphorus inputs (starter and manure phosphorus) and their effects on phosphorus risk indicators on farms and direct analysis in the field and laboratories experiments will be tested. In this seminar, I will focus on one objective which is understanding the effects of increasing soil pH to near-neutral using lime on: 1) phosphorus saturation index and water extractable phosphorus and 2) soil phosphorus pools and phosphate sorption characteristics in high phosphorus testing soils of the Fraser Valley.

ALL WELCOME
Join us via zoom. Register in advance for this meeting: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5MvduurrT4oHNF6SJLdx8V34tYVfePOWLyj
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting
Or view on the big screen in McMl 154 (Sylvia will be joining us virtually)

Mar. 25 – IOF Seminar: Tamata (All of Us): Indigenizing and Decolonizing Fisheries Education, Research, and Governance in Alaska

Motivated by deep inequities, Indigenous erasure, and systemic racism against Alaska Native people and Tribal sovereignty, the Tamamta program seeks to transform education, research, governance systems in Alaska and beyond. We envision a future where Indigenous Peoples and our/their knowledge and governance systems steward land, fish, and animal relations. We are supporting three cohorts of Alaska Native and Indigenous students to pursue their graduate degrees in western and Indigenous fisheries and marine sciences. We are working to decolonize and Indigenize our curriculum, programs, and institutions. We are hosting difficult dialogues on racial equity, providing short courses, and cultural exchanges for state and federal partner agencies to join us in this transformation. We are shifting research practices with Indigenous-led projects centering Indigenous protocols and methodologies, such as Indigenizing Salmon Science and Management. In all of this, we center deep relational work based on reciprocity, respect, and redistribution. We will share how our collaborative work began – including our research programs on wellbeing and Indigenous governance and fisheries privatization and dispossession – and the work of our first year of Tamamta with opportunities and challenges met along the way.

Friday March 25
11am – 12pm

Register here

 Deadlines  

May 13 – LFS Internal Research Grant Program (IRGP) 2022 Spring Application (Research Stream)

The Faculty of Land and Food Systems Internal Research Grant Program (IRGP) provides short-term support for the development of innovative, multidisciplinary research that will eventually form the basis of a research proposal submitted to one of the Tri-Agency funding organizations (i.e. NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC) or the UBC TLEF program. The overall aim of the IRGP is to identify and support innovative, early-stage research within LFS which will enable preliminary data to be gathered for the purpose of strengthening the calibre and competitiveness of research proposals submitted to the Tri-Agency and TLEF funding competitions from LFS.

The LFS IRGP encourages collaborative multidisciplinary submissions: this year’s IRGP also aims to spark new collaborations with units and faculties external to LFS, hence applicant teams must be comprised of a lead PI from LFS and at least one other co-applicant from outside LFS with whom the PI has never worked before. The lead, and at least one other co-applicant, must be full-time LFS faculty members with a minimum of 12-month appointments.

This year’s IRGP applications must address one or more of the five priority areas from the current LFS Action Plan, Navigating Change: Addressing climate change and resilient food systems; Ending hunger and improving food security; Enhancing regional agriculture for sustainable cities; Promoting nutrition and wellbeing for healthier communities; Ensuring the health and welfare of animals in society.

Support will only be provided for the direct costs of research that are essential to the completion of the proposed research, including: stipend and salary support for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, research-related travel, and material supplies or consumables. This year’s IRGP applications must include support for at least one undergraduate student.

Applications (application form plus all attachments submitted as a single PDF file) for this funding call should be sent to lfs.research@ubc.ca  by 5 pm, Friday May 13, 2022.

Full details on the IRGP program including the Application Form can be found here.