Below are news items from the UBC IRES community.
Graduate applications now open! | Resources, Environment and Sustainability
Applications for the Resources, Environment and Sustainability (RES) program are now being accepted. Apply by December 31, 2018 to join one of the top ten global centres for the study of Environment and Sustainability.
November 1, 2018: IRES Faculty Seminar with Amanda Giang
Join IRES on Thursday, Nov. 1 for Amanda Giang's presentation on "Policy Evaluation Problems: Evaluating the effectiveness of a global mercury treaty"
October 18, 2018: IRES Faculty Seminar with Robin Harder
Join IRES on Thursday, Oct. 18 for Robin Harder's talk on "Five often overlooked aspects of closing nutrient cycles from human excreta to food and farming systems."
David Boyd’s message for the Environmental Rights Initiative in Brazil
IRES Professor David R. Boyd, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, delivers a video message for the Environmental Rights Initiative in Brazil.
A National Plastics Pollution Strategy for Canada
Join us on Wednesday, October 17 for a lively panel discussion, hosted by Professor David Boyd, on a national plastics pollution strategy for Canada.
Reflections from Mayor Gregor Robertson, City of Vancouver
Join us for an informal conversation reflecting on Gregor Robertson’s decade as Mayor of Vancouver. This event is hosted by Professor David Boyd (SPPGA and IRES) and is part of SPPGA’s Policy in Practice series.
The More Who Die, the Less We Care: Confronting the Deadly Arithmetic of Compassion, with Paul Slovic
Join us for this talk and Q&A on Friday, September 28th with special guest, Paul Slovic, on how publics respond or not to humanitarian crises.
IRES welcomes Interim Director Navin Ramankutty
Please welcome Navin Ramankutty, Interim Director for IRES until July 2019.
How to conserve half the planet without going hungry
New research by Zia Mehrabi, Erle C. Ellis and Navin Ramankutty explores the "Half-Earth" project and how it would affect our food supplies.
Hannah Wittman promoted to Full Professor
Congratulations to Dr. Hannah Wittman on her promotion to Full Professor, effective July 1, 2018.
David Boyd appointed UN expert on human rights and the environment
This August, IRES Professor David Boyd takes on the role of Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment for the UN Human Rights Council. In this Q+A, he discusses priorities for his three-year mandate, and where Canada fits into the international context.
Mark Johnson Promoted to Full Professor
Congratulations to Dr. Mark Johnson on his promotion to Full Professor, effective July 1, 2018.
What can other cities learn about water shortages from “Day Zero”?
In this op-ed in The Conversation, Lucy Rodina and Kieran Findlater discuss water shortages in Cape Town and the importance of creating water-resilient cities.
Congratulations to the 2017/2018 Freda Pagani Award Winners
Liz Williams and Kieran Findlater are the 2017/2018 recipients of the Freda Pagani Award for Outstanding Master’s Thesis and the Freda Pagani Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Congratulations to the 2017/18 Les Lavkulich Award Winners
Megan Callahan and Lucy Rodina are the 2017/2018 recipients of the Les Lavkulich Graduate Student Fellowship and the Les Lavkulich Outstanding Leadership and Service award
Recycling may be confusing but volunteers help get it right
RES PhD Candidate Ivana Zelenika explains the effectiveness of different recycling and waste sorting methods, and the impact trained volunteers can have on reducing contamination in waste streams
Why the G7 must take bold action on plastic pollution
IRES Professor David Boyd discusses the ubiquitous nature of plastic waste and the urgent need for a global solution in an op-ed for the Ottawa Citizen.
Congratulations to our May 2018 RMES/RES graduates!
Congratulations to Nicole Wilson, Mollie Chapman, Justin Ritchie, Arielle Swett!
Congratulations to our May 2018 RMES/RES graduates!
Congratulations to Michaela Neuberger, Michael Lathuillière, Ada Smith, and Kalifi Ferretti-Gallon!
New environmental assessment law is an opportunity to put public trust back into the process
In this Q&A, Jackie Lerner and Kai Chan offer insights on how to improve environmental assessment reviews.
Volunteer opportunity with IRES
IRES is seeking enthusiastic and outgoing volunteers to engage and interact with international students attending its Vancouver Summer Program (VSP) courses.
Damage from flooding doesn’t have to be inevitable
Op-ed by Alexa Tanner and Scott McKenzie in The Conversation.
Hummingbirds ‘sing’ with their tail feathers to impress the females
Emily Mistick discusses her research on Costa's hummingbirds and their unique dive trajectory during courtship with CBC Radio.
UBC G+PS Supervisor Appreciation Week, May 7-13
Coming up in May, G+PS will be presenting the second annual Supervisor Appreciation Week! From May 7-13, UBC graduate students are invited to tell the world about their great supervisors through social media and an online submission form. Graduate students can offer kudos using #GreatSupervisor #UBC on Twitter and Facebook. Don’t forget to tag @IRES_UBC in your […]
Evan Bowness named finalist in SSHRC 2018 Storytellers Challenge
Evan Bowness, an RES doctoral student, is among the 25 finalists of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)’s 2018 Storytellers challenge. SSHRC’s annual contest challenges postsecondary students from across the country to tell the story—in three minutes or 300 words—of how SSHRC-funded research is making a difference in the lives of Canadians. The Top 25 Storytellers represent […]
Toward zero waste events: Reducing contamination in waste streams with volunteer assistance
Jiaying Zhao (IRES Professor) and Ivana Zelenika (PhD Candidate) have recently published a paper in the Waste Management journal. Toward zero waste events: Reducing contamination in waste streams with volunteer assistance Jiaying Zhao Assistant Professor, IRES Assistant Professor, Psychology Canada Research Chair (t2, Behavioral Sustainability) Behavioral change, Policy and Decision-making, Resource scarcity,Sustainability Bio What is […]
IRES Alumnus Megan Peloso has new position as B.C. Communications Lead with the Freshwater Alliance
We’d like to congratulate IRES and EDGES Alumnus Megan Peloso (MA) on her new position as B.C. Communications Lead with the Freshwater Alliance, where she develops creative engagement tools to advance freshwater health across BC. Megan is based out of Smithers in the Northwest region of British Columbia. Megan earned an MA at IRES in […]
Two publications with Mark Johnson (IRES Faculty) and Michael Lathuillière (PhD Candidate)
Photo Credit: oatsy40 from flickr/Creative Commons
Gunilla Öberg (IRES Faculty) published in Environmental Science and Policy! Read it here.
Gunilla Öberg, an IRES professor has been published in the Environmental Science and Policy journal! The paper is called: On the limitation of evidence-based policy: Regulatory narratives and land application of biosolids/sewage sludge in BC, Canada and Sweden The paper is free for 50 days via link below. Anyone can access this before May 9th […]
We are seeking a Program Coordinator to run our IRES Vancouver Summer Program May – June 2018
Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability May – June 2018 DEADLINE: April 13th 2018 IRES will be offering two packages (1.The Grand Challenge of Climate Change; 2. Energy Innovation and Climate Solutions) for their June Vancouver Summer Program. We are looking for an enthusiastic, culturally fluent program coordinator who will oversee the delivery of the […]
Zia Mehrabi (IRES Postdoc) has correspondence published in Nature!
Zia Mehrabi, an IRES Postdoc has a correspondence published in Nature! To view the correspondence click here: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02566-1 Zia Mehrabi Bio Zia Mehrabi is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at IRES, with adjunct positions in The Liu institute for Global Studies & The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems. He obtained an undergraduate degree in […]
Congratulations to Dean of Science Excellence in Service Award recipient Gillian Harris (IRES Manager)!
Congratulations to Gillian Harris for winning the Dean of Science, Excellence in Service Award! Gillian is a truly integral and irreplaceable member of the IRES community, and so deserving of this recognition. The award is for recognizing staff, students and faculty whose service contributions have had a significant positive impact in achieving UBC Science’s mission. […]
Two new IRES Faculty Associates: Nadja Kunz and Sumeet Gulati!
IRES would like to welcome Nadja Kunz and Sumeet Gulati as new IRES Faculty Associate members! Nadja Kunz Assistant Professor, Liu Institute for Global Issues and Norman B. Keevil Mining Engineering Nadja Kunz Nadja Kunz is an Assistant Professor at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and Norman B Keevil Mining Engineering […]
Outstanding Student Paper Award Winner at the AGU-Michael Lathuillière (IRES PhD Candidate)
The winners of the Outstanding Student Paper Awards for the AGU (Advancing Earth and Space Science) Fall Meeting 2017 have been announced, and Michael Lathuillière (IRES PhD Candidate) was one of the recipients! His presentation was on the: Evapotranspiration measurements in rainfed and irrigated cropland illustrate trade-offs in land and water management in Southern Amazonia’s agricultural […]
Dr. Rashid Sumaila (IRES Faculty Associate) endowed prize upon being named the 2017 Volvo Environment Prize laureate
A $4,000 prize has been endowed by Dr. Rashid Sumaila, an IRES Faculty Associate, upon being named the 2017 Volvo Environment Prize laureate. This prize is offered to the Master’s or PhD student whose peer-reviewed publications to date are expected to have the most significant impact on the field of environmental sustainability. Preference is given […]