Department of Earth & Space Science and Engineering Archives | Research & Innovation

The University recruits a new Canada Research Chair and gains a renewed Canada Research Chair

muellerm — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 08:00:00 +0000

91��ɫ welcomes the appointment of Christian Haas as its new Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Arctic Sea Ice Geophysics and the renewal of a CRC in the History of Modern China for Joshua Fogel.

As Tier 1 CRCs, Haas and Fogel will each receive $1.4 million over seven years. The CRC is part of a package of CRC appointments announced Oct. 12, by Gary Goodyear, minister of state (Science and Technology).

“Our government’s top priority is creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity,” said Goodyear. “By investing in talented people through programs such as the Canada Research Chairs, our government is supporting cutting-edge research in Canadian post-secondary institutions. This fosters innovation by helping researchers bring their ideas to the marketplace, where they can touch the lives of Canadians.”

In all, the government announced an investment of $121.6 million to fund the appointment of 155 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at 42 Canadian degree-granting post-secondary institutions.

“The appointment of Professor Christian Haas as Canada Research Chair in Arctic Sea Ice Geophysics and the renewal of Professor Joshua Fogel as Canada Research Chair in the History of Modern China recognizes the excellence of their research and provides them with opportunities to further develop their exceptional research programs,” said Robert Haché, vice-president research & innovation at 91��ɫ. “Through the CRC program, 91��ɫ continues to build on its research strengths and enhance opportunities for graduate training.”

Christian Haas

Haas, a professor of geophysics, in the Department of Earth & Space Science and Engineering in the Faculty of Science & Engineering, is examining the underlying reasons for the recent, rapid retreat of Arctic sea ice and the consequences for the Arctic climate system and ecosystem, for Northerners, and for better access to Arctic resources and shipping routes. His research also addresses the role of changes in winds and ice drift as well as of variations in atmospheric radiation and temperature and ocean salinity and temperature on ice thickness and areal coverage.

A thorough understanding of the reasons for the recent Arctic sea ice decline will help fuel predictions of future scenarios and identify links to possible human-induced causes for climate change.

Ice information obtained by Haas’ research utilizing airborne and ground-based field campaigns in the Arctic and Antarctic, satellite remote sensing and numerical modeling provides important information for safe and environmentally responsible resource exploration and extraction, as well as shipping and over-ice travel. His research contributes unique information on ice thickness, one of the most important sea ice properties for the design and regulation of offshore structures and ships, safe ice utilization and assessment of oil spill development.

Fogel, a professor in the Department of History in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and member of 91��ɫ’s Centre for Asian Research has been examining the dynamic cultural and political relations between China and Japan over the past two centuries.

Joshua Fogel

The history of modern China cannot be fully or properly understood, Fogel maintains, without examining the dynamic cultural, political, and economic interactions between China and Japan over the last two centuries. Fogel’s research focuses on this interaction and the importance of Japan in China’s modern development.

He is presently writing a comprehensive history of Chinese-Japanese relations from antiquity through the present as well as a more focused monograph on the history of the Japanese expatriate community in Shanghai (1862 to 1945). His work is premised on the fruitful assumption that the modern history of China is incomprehensible without a full consideration of modern Japanese history.

For more information, visit the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin to research stories on the research website.

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CFI awards 91��ɫ researchers more than $592,000 in research infrastructure

muellerm — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:00:00 +0000

The (CFI) has awarded 91��ɫ $592,631 in infrastructure funding to support the research of four 91��ɫ professors.

Ali Kazimi, professor in Department of Film in the Faculty of Fine Arts, will receive $143,186 in funding for industry standard infrastructure of a Stereoscopic 3D Lab @ 91��ɫ. The funding will allow Kazimi to augment and build upon the core of the stereoscopic research based production and post-production facility that has emerged out of the 3D FLIC (Film Innovation Consortium) project. S3DL @ 91��ɫ will become the first dedicated facility of its type in Canada, enabling the study of stereoscopic 3D story-telling practices, their production and distribution, combined with insights and best practices gleaned from stringent psycho-physical tests and experimentation. S3DL will meld art and science in the best tradition of inter-disciplinary research, enabling one to push the boundaries of the knowledge generated by the other and vice versa in a deliberate, complementary and interactive way. Kazimi will work with researchers Laurie Wilcox and Rob Allison from 91��ɫ’s Centre for Vision Research on this project.

, professor in the Department of Earth & Space Science and Engineering, in the Faculty of Science & Engineering, will receive $135,671 in funding for the creation of a new laboratory to support the development of next-generation space technology. This new technology will be used to measure the composition of the atmosphere from space. The development of this advanced technology for atmospheric remote sounding will enhance Canada’s contribution to the global monitoring capacity for the climate and atmospheric communities. These contributions are necessary for Canada to maintain its access to global data sets and to provide input for the analysis and modeling of climate change and air quality – critical knowledge for a sustainable future.

, professor in the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science & Engineering, will receive $158,237 in funding to establish a world-class laboratory to study local and large-scale brain circuits that underlie “attentional control” of behavior – processes that determine what individuals attend to and how efficient individuals are in concentrating on the most relevant sensory information in our environment. Womelsdorf’s research examines how alterations in these brain circuits lead to dysfunctions of attentional control in major neuro-psychiatric disorders (including major depression, schizophrenia, and addiction). His research focuses on the key cognitive functions and on areas of the brain that underlie severe dysfunctions of attentional control in order to help improve diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Muhammed Yousaf, professor in the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, will receive $155,537 in funding to develop infrastructure and state-of-the-art methodologies to cultivate new surface chemistries, tailor materials for fundamental studies of cell behaviour and develop next-generation biomolecular microarrays. The funds will establish a new advanced biomolecular materials laboratory at 91��ɫ to study how man-made materials interact with biological systems. The generation of these smart and responsive materials will provide a platform for new diagnostic screening assays of human disease and for studies of stem cell differentiation towards regenerative medical applications.

“I am delighted that the Canada Foundation for Innovation has recognized four of 91��ɫ’s leading researchers through these awards,” said Robert Haché, 91��ɫ’s vice-president research & innovation. “CFI’s investment in state-of-the-art infrastructure further enhances 91��ɫ’s vibrant research culture and enables our researchers to continue to build on and expand their innovative research programs.”

91��ɫ’s projects were part of a in CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund, which provides Canadian researchers with the necessary tools to carry out a range of frontier research. The funding supports 210 research projects across the country.

Minister of State Gary Goodyear announced the funding on Tuesday.

“Our government recognizes that investing in science and technology leads to a stronger, more innovative economy,” he said. “We understand that Canada’s research enterprise is critical to economic growth and job creation.”

“Given the right infrastructure, this talented group of innovators will create solutions that benefit Canadians and Canadians communities,” said Gilles Patry, president and CEO of the CFI.

A complete list of recipients is available on the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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91��ɫ space scientists reflect on the last flight of Atlantis, the end of NASA’s space shuttle program and what the future holds

fmaquito — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:00:00 +0000

91��ɫ’s Department of Earth & Space Science and Engineering in the Faculty of Science & Engineering has a long history with NASA’s shuttle program. A new video highlights significant milestones in this history and includes reflections from a number of the University’s space scientists.

Here are Professor Emeritus of Space Science Gordon Shepherd, Professor of Space Science Ian McDade and Project Scientist Brian Solheim speaking about the space shuttle program, what it has meant for their research and the future.

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The space shuttle Atlantis landed this morning at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis lifted off July 8 on the final flight of the shuttle program, STS-135, a 13-day mission to the International Space Station. Atlantis carried a crew of four and the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module containing supplies and spare parts for the space station.

The STS-135 astronauts flying the final mission are: commander Chris Ferguson, pilot Doug Hurley and mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim.

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