LFS Today Nov 12, 2020

Most Creative Pumpkin Contest Winners

Thank you to everyone who voted and submitted an entry to our Most Creative Pumpkin contest! The winners are:

1. E.T. phone home, by Patricia Hingston
2. Life in pumpkin, by Justin Henry
3. Baby-o-lantern, by John Frostad

Congratulations! Winners will be contacted by the Dean’s Office.

Mac OS Upgrade Compatibility Issues

On November 12, 2020, Apple is scheduled to release macOS 11.0, Big Sur. Mac users should note that upgrading to Big Sur can cause compatibility issues with their current software. The current version of Cisco AnyConnect is not compatible with Big Sur – if users wish to use Cisco AnyConnect with Big Sur, they will need to download the newest version of Cisco AnyConnect from the IT website at https://it.ubc.ca/services/email-voice-internet/myvpn/manually-configuring-anyconnect-45-mac-os-x. We recommend confirming with software vendors that they have a Big Sur compatible release for their software before upgrading.
 
Please contact the Learning Centre if you have any questions or concerns at it@landfood.ubc.ca.

Interviews: Assistant Professor (Indigenous Scholar) in Land and Food Systems

We will be interviewing three candidates for this new position, starting November 24. All interviews will be done online. We will send out links for the seminars shortly, but wanted to give everyone the chance to get these dates and times into their agendas now. We very much hope that you will be able to attend and to provide feedback to the selection committee. Also, if you’d like to meet with any of these candidates (virtually) during their interview please contact Melanie Train (melanie.train@ubc.ca) to set up a time. A copy of the advertisement is included here.
 
Tabitha Martens is a PhD candidate in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Manitoba, with a research agenda that focuses on Inninnew (Cree) Elders, traditional foods, ceremony and implications for Indigenous food sovereignty, especially the intersections between these topics.
 
Research Seminar
November 24, 1:00-2:30pm     
 
Teaching Seminar
November 25, 1:00-2:15pm
 
Hughie Jones received a PhD in Soil Science in LFS in 2019 under the supervision of Dr. Andy Black. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in IRES (Ecohydrology Group) at UBC, where he uses soil, plant, water and meteorological techniques to understand the impact of climate change and land/resource management on the sustainability of agricultural and aquatic ecosystems.
 
Research Seminar
November 26, 1:00-2:30pm
 
Teaching Seminar
November 27, 1:00-2:15pm
 
Jennifer Grenz completed her PhD in Integrated Studies in LFS in October 2020 under the supervision of Dr. Carol McAusland. She is currently a Sessional Lecturer in our Faculty. Her expertise incorporates (but is not limited to) food security and sovereignty, plant science and sustainable agriculture, and includes scholarly approaches to the intersection of food systems and indigenous issues.
 
Research Seminar
December 3, 1:00-2:30pm
 
Teaching Seminar
December 4, 1:00-2:15pm

Random Acts of Recognition

Congratulations to Random Acts of Recognition recipients:

Mona Lee, Melanie Train and Barbara Hsiao for navigating the first round of HR transition to Workday! Somehow they managed to maintain their attention to detail through the transition and shepherd the first pay period in WorkDay!

To nominate a faculty member, staff or graduate student that’s been doing an outstanding job or has gone above and beyond in some way, send an email to lfs.recognition@ubc.ca and tell us why this person should be recognized. We’ll send them a $6 Starbucks gift card and acknowledge their good work in LFS Today.

LFS in the News

Charlotte Liu, a current GRS undergraduate student, wrote an Op-Ed for the National Observer: Make TransLink greener.

Carson Li (MSc Soil Science ’19), the Lab and Research Coordinator for the Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes (SAL) Lab, was quoted in the National Observer: Warmer winters mean more freeze-thaw cycles — and more emissions — for Canada’s fields.

MFRE Speaker Series – Today

Speaker: Kelly Costa, Director of Field Sales for Western Canada
Topic: Bimbo Canada: How Data Analysts Can Support Sales Teams
Date & Time: Thursday, November 12, 12:30-1:30pm
More info.

In this seminar, Kelly will talk about Bimbo Canada, and provide insights on how young, data-driven professionals can bring value to an organization from a Field Sales point of view.

Event Link: Email mfre.lfs@ubc.ca for ZOOM Link

Cascadia Innovation Corridor Virtual Forum: Sustainable Agri-foods and Agri-tech in Cascadia

The Cascadia Innovation Corridor‘s next virtual forum, Sustainable Agri-foods and Agri-tech in Cascadia, will be held on Friday, November 20th.

The forum will explore COVID-19’s impact on supply chains for local producers, buyers, and our emergency food system, as well as how the growing agri-tech sector is expanding opportunities for local farmers. 
 
The session will be hosted by the Co-chairs of the Cascadia Innovation Corridor sub-committee on sustainable agriculture, Dr. Rickey Yada, Dean of UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems and Chad Kruger, Director, Western Washington College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resources Sciences.

Speakers include Parm Bains, President and CEO of Westberry Farms Ltd. and Meeru Dhalwala, Author, Chef and Co-owner, Vij’s and Rangoli Restaurants, among others.

The forum runs from 10-11:30am on November 20th. Register here.