Researchers receive more than $1 million in federal funding
Six faculty members received grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council to support their research on topics that are of interest to northern British Columbia and advance the scientific knowledge in their chosen fields of study.
Examining the long-term ecological impacts of glyphosate-based herbicides
Ecosystem Science and Management Assistant Professor Dr. Lisa Wood two Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grants to study the long-term ecological impacts of glyphosate-based herbicide use on forests in northern B.C. She received a Discovery Grant for the research project and a Research Tools and Instruments Grant to purchase three new state-of-the-art growth chambers for controlled experimentation.
Inspecting insect biodiversity
Ecosystem Science and Management Professor Dr. Dezene Huber received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada Discovery Grant worth $165,000 to examine the impact disturbances, including the mountain pine beetle, wildfires and climate change, are having on the biodiversity of the insects and spiders that call the forest home.
Improving comfort by reducing vibrations in wood buildings
Engineering Assistant Professor Dr. Jianhui Zhou received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant worth $127,500 to study effective floor vibration design methods and efficient acoustic treatment solutions as part of the systematic design of mass timber floor systems.
Birds must balance caring for offspring with self-maintenance
Ecosystem Science and Management Professor Dr. Russ Dawson received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Discovery Grant for $200,000 to look at how avian parents allocate resources to maximize lifetime reproductive output, and how environmental constraints influence these strategies.
Environmental change and parasite-host interactions
Ecosystem Science and Management Assistant Professor Dr. Heather Bryan received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant worth $152,500 to study how changes to the environment affect the interplay between parasites and their hosts.
Industrial Research Chair examines water security in Nechako Watershed
The NSERC/Rio Tinto Industrial Research Chair on Climate Change and Water Security partnership is one year old. Led by Environmental Science Professor Dr. Stephen Déry, the project aims to better understand how climate change and human activity are impacting water security in the watershed, which stretches from the Coast mountains to the Nechako River’s mouth in Prince George where it flows into the Fraser River.
Banting Postdoctoral Fellow examines the history of mapmaking in Siberia
Dr. Nadezhda (Nadia) Mamontova received a prestigious Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue her research into Glafira Vasilevich's mapmaking project with the Evenki people in Siberia. Working with UNBC Geography Professor Dr. Gail Fondahl, Mamontova is exploring the methods Vasilevich used to collect the maps, examining her motivations and tracing the legacy of the place names she used.