LFS Today Sept 16, 2021

LFS in the News

Alexandra Protopopova was featured in several articles providing suggestions for pet owners as the pandemic situation continues to evolve and people return to office work. On planning ahead, Alexandra shared: “You want to imagine your ‘back to normal’ life and then work backwards from that. This could mean leaving your dog at home when you go shopping or on errands with the ultimate goal of gradually increasing the periods of separation.” Vancouver is Awesome, Burnaby Now, New Westminster Record, News1130. 

Jeff Rushen commented on tapping into the cognitive abilities of cows to help automate the process of potty training them: “We’ve never really exploited the cognitive abilities of cows. If we can use their ability to help keep barns clean, it’s not just good for the environment, it reduces the workload of the farmers.” Science Magazine

UBC Farm Webinar: Regrowing Agriculture – Today

Thursday, September 16
11am – 12:30pm

Humans have been cultivating food for thousands of years. Today the agricultural industry is a result of layers of power structures and political systems. In this episode we will be exploring how to move forward in a way that celebrates diversity, champions sustainability, uplifts workers and producers, and maintains a healthy environment for all creatures on the planet. Join our panelists for our series finale as they discuss their own work with young and entrant farmers, the impacts of climate change on our agricultural systems, decolonizing our approach to research and so much more.

Register here

Teaching Theory Thursday

“Clarify the purpose of classwork and assessments. What might seem clear to you could be mystifying to your students. Throughout the term, tell them why they’re doing any given task so students see the connections between activities and core objectives for themselves.”

– Darby & Lang, 2019, Small Teaching Online, p. 24

Brought to you from the Learning Centre

UBC Homecoming

September 17-19

As part of the UBC Homecoming celebration, join LFS alumni for some fun and informative events:

• September 17: “Adventures in Craft Beer”, a virtual guided craft beer tasting experience with featured speakers including owner of Faculty Brewing, Mauricio Lozano (MFS’09)
• September 18: “Culinary Adventures with The Lazy Gourmet’s Susan Mendelson, BSW’78” for a step-by-step masterclass in preparing a gourmet meal

Register for these events and more at https://homecoming.ubc.ca/

IRES Seminar Series – Starts today

12:30pm to 1:30pm (every Thursday)
AERL Theatre (room 120), 2202 Main Mall (maximum capacity 70 people)

Crop Species Diversity Changes in Mexico: 1980 – 2016
Presenter: Erika Luna
This study describes the temporal and spatial changes of crop species diversity from 1980 to 2016 at the regional level with state and municipal level data. Changes in diversity are explained using simple linear models, except for the southern region, where we found a breakpoint in the 1990s. Our results indicate that while richness has increased in every region, evenness has been maintained.

Environmental Justice and the Enforcement of Air Pollution Laws in Canada
Presenter: Claire Ewing
This study considers the nexus of air pollution, environmental law enforcement, and environmental justice. Prior to this study, each of these dimensions have been studied either in pairs or in isolation in Canada, but no study has examined the three together. 

Link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/66942094892?pwd=VHNmRGJEemxBTjhBNlovS25sV1lpQT09
Meeting ID: 669 4209 4892
Passcode: 819677

IOF Seminar – Sept. 17

The adaptive capacity of ocean species to respond to climate change

Friday, September 17
11am – 12pm

As oceans warm, generate more storms and become more acidified, ocean species can respond in a set of fundamental ways: move, acclimate, adapt, or die. How well can ocean species adapt to climate, and what mechanisms are likely to help or hinder it? We will explore ways adaptation speeds up and slows down. On one hand, wide-spread phenotypic variation for heat resistance in corals can help rapid future adaptation. On the other hand, tradeoffs between heat resistance and other critical traits such as growth, mediated by symbiont density, might slow down the evolution of high heat resistance. Other mechanisms that affect adaptation such as super-genes in cod and crabs and minnows also change the trajectory of adaptive capacity in ocean species.

Speaker: Dr. Stephen Palumbi, Professor, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University

RSVP here

CPS Call for Preliminary Proposals and Research Priorities

The Center for Produce Safety announced its annual call for preliminary research proposals. Pre-Proposals and required documents should be received by CPS at the following email address:  proposals@centerforproducesafety.org no later than 12:00noon (Pacific Standard Time) on Wednesday, November 10, 2021.
 
Pre-Proposal Resources

• CPS Grant Opportunities webpage provides guidance documents, required forms, and industry collaborators (as they become available). Updates will be posted on this page.
• 2022 Research Priorities (click here)
• A few common questions and suggestions:
  • Maximum length of pre-proposal is three single-spaced pages. Includes all required information.  Check guidelines for font requirements.
  • Indirect Cost Recovery IDC for funded proposals: 8% of personnel costs (salaries + benefits).
  • Please check the CPS website for previously funded research (click here).
  • Letters of support – while not required, they are encouraged. In particular, industry support that will help with the implementation of the project is considered a valuable resource to the project. Please ask for guidance regarding letters of support.

Research Priorities Webinar, Thursday, September 23, 2021, 9:00 – 10:30 AM Pacific: CPS Technical Committee members will share industry food safety challenges and the reasons for this year’s research priorities. Scientists considering a proposal submission are strongly encouraged to register and attend this event. Register here