News

• Looking back on the Sustainability Science and Society graduate program: Reflections from Katrina Krievins, a former student

  Sunday, February 26, 2017 | By Amanda Smits

  Published on November 16 2016

  By: Lydia Collas

  Fresh off the back of her hugely successful thesis defence, we caught up with Katrina Krievins to discuss her experience as a Sustainability Science and Society (SSAS) student over the last two years. Katrina was amongst the very first cohort of students to undertake the new Master’s program. As applications are now open for what will be the fourth cohort of students, we wanted to share some words of wisdom from someone with experience in the program.

  Q. Firstly, what attracted you to the program?

  A. I did my undergraduate degree in Tourism and Environment at Brock University and then went on to do a post-graduate certificate in Ecosystem Restoration at Niagara College. During my year at Niagara College I became very interested in stream restoration and knew I wanted to learn more. The SSAS program appealed to me as a means of pursuing my interest in stream restoration further. At the time I chose to apply to the program, I was also very interested in gaining work experience so the co-op stream really stood out to me and set the SSAS program apart from other masters programs in my eyes.

  Q. So you started out as a co-op student, what motivated the switch to thesis stream?

  A. There are two main reasons I made the switch to the thesis stream. First, I had an incredible opportunity to apply to the Watershed and Aquatics Training in Environmental Research (WATER) Program run through the Canadian Rivers Institute. Acceptance into this program meant that I had access to a number of really great field and online courses related to watershed sciences. Many of the field courses were held during what would have been my co-op term so by switching to the thesis stream, I was able to take as many field courses as possible. In making this decision I felt strongly that although I wouldn’t be gaining formal work experience, I would be gaining equally valuable experience from the WATER Program courses.

  Second, through discussions with my supervisor about my proposed research, it became apparent that the scope of the study I hoped to carry out was beyond that of a Major Research Paper (MRP) given the shorter timeframe given to complete a MRP. I realized that switching to the thesis stream would give me the time necessary to carry out my proposed research.

  Q. How did the SSAS courses feed into your research?

  A. Aspects of different courses certainly fed into my research but more than that, I think the overall grad student experience from the first two semesters of coursework is what really had an influence on my ability to successfully complete my research. Those first two semesters really prepare you to be able to manage your time, deal with multiple tasks and deadlines, think critically about what you’re reading, problem solve, and much more.

  Q. Did you enjoy your time doing fieldwork?

  A. The fieldwork component of my research was the part I was most looking forward to. It wasn’t without its challenges but I really enjoyed getting out to the sites I was focusing on in my research. I used my time in the field to collect data using a number of different techniques including temperature monitoring, vegetation inventories, and recording underwater video footage. All of my fieldwork was undertaken in late spring this year in southern Ontario watersheds.

  Q. Do you have a favourite moment of the program?

  A. There are so many memorable moments from my time in the program and I don’t think I could choose one as my favourite. I can say, however, that sharing this experience with the seven other students in my cohort made it a truly unforgettable experience.

  Q. How do you feel the program has set you up for the next step?

  A. I was lucky enough to start a joint position with the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve and the Eastern Georgian Bay Stewardship Council as a Conservation Program Assistant as soon as I finished my thesis. I’m finding that concepts I learned and skills I gained through the program are very applicable to my new position. In fact, the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve was the focus of one of my assignments during my very first semester!

  Katrina is very grateful to the supporters of the awards and scholarships that she received during her time as a Master’s student:

  • The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Award
  • The Dr. Raymond and Mrs. Sachi Moriyama Graduate Fellowship
  • The Ontario Paper Thorold Foundation Graduate Award

  The SSAS program at Brock engages students in exploring the concept of sustainability – a notion which is increasingly recognised as integral to the future of our planet. All the way from studying what sustainability means, students investigate how sustainability might be realised and what interventions this may require. Students have the opportunity to develop their own particular research interest either through a MRP or a thesis.

  7.

• Canadian and Swedish researchers team up to compare wildfire emergency responses

  Sunday, February 26, 2017 | By Amanda Smits

  Published on September 23 2016

  By: Julia Baird

  A consortium of researchers from Brock’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, the University of Alberta, Stockholm University and Uppsala University, Sweden, collaborate on an international comparison of wildfire emergency response.

  Wildfires present complex challenges across scales and contexts that no entity or person can address alone. Collaboration is thus critical for effective responses that minimize impacts on the community.

  Researchers from Canada and Sweden are teaming up to compare emergency response to the wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alberta in 2016, and Västmanland, Sweden in 2014. Their aim is to explore:

  1. how collaborative networks in headquarters and coordinating entities function in crisis situations, and
  2. why collaboration is more or less effective for solving emergency response challenges.

  Understanding how collaborative networks form and how they respond to large-scale natural disasters is a high priority research subject, with important lessons for policy and practice.

  “The scale of the Fort McMurray fire and the evacuation are unprecedented in Alberta’s history. A great deal can be learned about how formal emergency plans and policies came together with ad hoc initiatives and networks to mitigate the tremendous risk that the fire posed. Future disaster responses will benefit from this research,” notes Dr. Bob Summers from the University of Alberta.

  The Brock research team includes Dr. Ryan Plummer and Dr. Julia Baird from the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre. They’ll work with Dr. Summers to compare the Canadian data to preliminary findings from the Swedish study conducted by Dr. Örjan Bodin (Stockholm University) and Dr. Daniel Nohrstedt (Uppsala University).

  The Swedish results highlight that there are specific configurations of collaborative networks that seemingly result in more effective response to wildfires. But the Swedish wildfire is one single crisis, and to be able to draw more general conclusions, comparisons with other crises are needed.

  It is the ambition that valuable bench-marking of “best practices” will be generated through this comparative project.

  “We got access to key individuals in the crisis responder networks, which enabled unique insights into the collective crisis response. We are very enthusiastic to collaborate with the Canadian team to see what lessons can be learned across the two cases”, says Dr. Daniel Nohrstedt.

  The comparison with the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire in Alberta will provide an excellent opportunity to offer ground-breaking insights in crisis and disaster management. This research will also generate important practical lessons for emergency management practitioners in Alberta, in Canada, and globally.

  Dr. Baird emphasized the urgency of the data collection for this research project: “It is critical to connect with key individuals from the wildfire emergency response effort as soon as possible after the event to ensure their recollection of how collaboration unfolded around specific tasks and challenges is still top of mind.” She and Dr. Summers will be conducting interviews in Alberta in the coming weeks.

  This project is funded by several Swedish funders and is undertaken under the auspices of the Canadian-Swedish Agreement on Cooperation in the area of Civil Security Research concluded in 2014. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and the Canadian Defense Research and Development Canada-Centre for Security Studies administer the agreement for the purpose of facilitating joint research projects engaging scientists from the two nations.

  For more information about the research project, please contact Dr. Julia Baird ([email protected]).

• Brock experts weigh in on drought and heat

  Sunday, February 26, 2017 | By Amanda Smits

  Published on July 25 2016

  From The Brock News
  July 22, 2016

  With much of Ontario under a heat warning from Environment Canada, and widespread drought conditions, Brock University has a number of experts available to discuss the implications.

  Professor Steven Renzetti is a leading expert on the economics of water. He can speak to the ongoing drought and its potential impacts on our wallets through increased food prices and water charges. The professor can discuss the implications of a long-term drought and the impact of water scarcity.

  “We’re already seeing the effects of the drought. It’s affecting the timing and quality of crops. That will have an immediate impact, potentially, on the cost of produce in farmer’s markets and in grocery stores. Drought means it is more costly to do business so that can impact households.”

  Professor Stephen Cheung is a Canada Research Chair who runs a research lab at Brock with the capabilities of simulating temperatures ranging from -30 degrees to +50 degrees. He can talk about the impact of extreme heat on the human body, the role hydration plays in controlling body temperatures, and the best strategies for keeping cool for athletes, workers and the general public.

  “You should really be careful about heavy exercise and being out for longer than usual. Even elite athletes will be impaired in the heat so you shouldn’t be expecting the same type of endurance that you may have, no matter how fit you are.”

  Julia Baird is a research associate at Brock’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre whose research focuses on environmental governance in relation to water resources and climate change. She can discuss the resilience of farmers and the social and environmental systems in place to help endure droughts and other climate-related disturbances.

  “Indications are that these disturbances are just going to become more common and more severe over time with climate change. There are ways you can prepare for these things so you are better able to withstand or endure.”

  Story from The Brock News

• Walking in naturalized landfill areas improves mood, connection to nature

  Sunday, February 26, 2017 | By Amanda Smits

  Published on June 29 2016

  From The Brock News
  June 29, 2016

  Need a pick-me-up? Just head out to the nearest landfill – one that’s been converted to a park, that is.

  New Brock University research shows strolling through green space that was once a landfill has positive impacts on mood and physical health and encourages a feeling of connectedness to nature.

  “No one has really ever looked, experimentally, at the extent to which these naturalized landfills are beneficial for mood and overall well-being and yet, we’re restoring these landfills all over the country and the world,” says Shawn Geniole, graduate student and lead author of the study published June 27 in the journal Ecopsychology.

  The research team divided 31 participants into two groups. At different times during a one-week period, those in the first group strode through the Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site in St. Catharines while participants in the other group did the same in an adjacent business and commercial zone, which the team called an “urban” area.

  Participants returned one week later – at the same time and day – to walk the opposite route, so that all participants eventually experienced both the nature and urban routes.

  Before each walk, participants underwent a battery of tests that measured their mood, alertness, attention level, and amount of cortisol and testosterone in their saliva.

  Researchers administered the same tests after each walk, with two additional questionnaires. One rated participants’ relationship with the natural environment and the other asked them about what they noticed – air quality, number of trees and building, etc. – in both areas.

  By analyzing the before-and-after test results of each walk and then comparing these with results from the other walk, the researchers came up with a number of findings, including:

  • both walks increased alertness and attention
  • stress levels, as measured by cortisol levels, decreased after both the urban and the nature walks to the same degree
  • participants’ mood improved with the naturalized landfill walk but not with the urban walk
  • overall, the naturalized landfill walk increased participants’ connectedness to nature more than the urban walk
  • participants reporting high connectedness to nature showed almost equal benefits to nature, but for those saying they do not feel connected to nature, their mood decreased during the urban walk and increased during the naturalized landfill walk

  “The main finding is that, although you get positive benefits from both walks, mood improvement was really specific to walking in nature,” says Professor of Psychology Cheryl McCormick, the research team’s leader.

  “So, you can get some stress reduction and attention control increase in both walks, but the real psychological and health benefits – an improvement in mood – came from the naturalized landfill walk.”

  Geniole says he hopes the team’s research findings will translate into land use policies and measures that increase not only the number of revitalized landfill sites but green spaces in general in cities and towns.

  “There’s a crazy amount of unused space in urban areas around the world called ‘brownfields’ where factories or landfills used to be,” he says.

  “Converting these brownfields into nature areas presents people the opportunity to improve their quality of life without having to drive six hours up north to get away,” he says. “It’s a mini-escape. What we’re showing is some pretty big benefits in boosting mood.”

  Geniole adds that the value of houses near these green spaces also goes up.

  The Brock study – “Restoring land and mind: The benefits of an outdoor walk on mood are enhanced in a naturalized landfill area relative to its neighbouring urban area” – comes at a time of rapid urbanization worldwide.

  The study quotes various research findings that:

  • more than half of the earth’s population live in urban areas compared to 30 per cent in 1950
  • people spend, on average, 93 per cent of their lives indoors, with nature-related recreational activities dropping by about 25 per cent since the early 1990s
  • brownfields occupy anywhere from five to 25 per cent of major cities in North America
  • there’s an estimated five million acres of brownfields worldwide and half a million acres in the United States alone
  • people living in cities are more likely to develop mood disorders than those living in the countryside
  • the likelihood of developing schizophrenia increases with the degree of exposure to an urban environment

  “Those are the people who need nature most, the ones who are least connected with it,” says McCormick. “They might be most susceptible to the harmful effects of urbanization.”

  Story from The Brock News.

• Vibrant green spaces needed in downtown St. Catharines: Brock research

  Sunday, February 26, 2017 | By Amanda Smits

  Published on June 29 2016

  From The Brock News
  June 29, 2016

  The City of St. Catharines is off to a good start with recent downtown revitalization efforts, but more needs to be done to attract residents and enable those who work downtown to relax, according to new Brock University research.

  On Wednesday, Brock’s Niagara Community Observatory released the report Downtown Revitalization in St. Catharines: Building the Vibrant Public Space, which includes the results of data collected by Professor of Geography Michael Ripmeester through polling 300 city residents on what they thought of recent downtown redevelopment efforts.

  These include the construction of the 5,000-seat Meridian Centre, the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre and Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.

  About 80 per cent of those surveyed believe the Performing Arts Centre, the Meridian Centre and the Walker school are beneficial to the downtown.

  However, only 7.63 per cent of survey respondents reported attending live arts events and 6.5 per cent live sporting events on a regular basis.

  Of those who held positive views of St. Catharines’ recent development projects, “95 per cent also noted that other things would be more likely to bring them downtown,” says the report.

  “They suggested that the downtown needs more welcoming spots in which to stroll, sit or commune with other downtown visitors,” says Ripmeester.

  Survey respondents offered a number of ideas of how to make the downtown core greener and more relaxing and interesting.

  “It seems clear that participants believe that the presence of individuals, families and seniors doing everyday social activities could provide the vibrancy that would attract them to downtown,” Ripmeester says.

  “They want to see places where people are comfortable and engaged in pleasurable, low-cost or free leisure activities.”

  The report concludes with a list of six recommendations for the downtown core, including:

  • Install more benches for “people watching”
  • Invest in a water feature in the city hall/market square area that could be a skating rink in the winter
  • Add landscaping, artwork and creative lighting
  • Arrange for free family outdoor entertainment during the spring and summer
  • Convert James St. between Church and King streets as a pedestrian walkway

  Story from The Brock News.

• Brock researchers receive $2.4 million in funds from federal science granting agency NSERC

  Sunday, February 26, 2017 | By Amanda Smits

  Published on June 29 2016

  From The Brock News
  June 28, 2016

  Northern Canada is the “canary in a coal mine” of climate change. Increasing temperatures and fluctuating precipitation are more pronounced than other parts of the country and are literally changing the scenery over a short amount of time.

  Brock University hydrologist Kevin Turner has been investigating these landscape trends during his nine years of research in a lake-rich area of the Yukon called Old Crow Flats, the traditional territory of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation.

  Some of the area’s lakes have become smaller and shallower because of increased evaporation in drier times. On the other hand, when there is heavier-than-normal precipitation, rain and snowmelt raises lake levels, forming new channels that drain the lake to lower-lying areas.

  More shrub vegetation is growing across Old Crow Flats and many other arctic regions. And, the shorelines of Old Crow Flats’ rivers are eroding because warmer temperatures have weakened the permafrost, causing the bank material to tumble into the waters.

  With his Discovery Grant and Northern Research Supplement he received from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Turner will study how climate change-induced landscape changes in Old Crow Flats are affecting the area’s water balance and chemistry.

  The assistant professor in the Department of Geography is particularly interested in the movement of carbon, a chemical element that is an important component of greenhouse gasses.

  For example, humans’ massive burning of oil, coal and other fossil fuels has greatly increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is warming the earth’s temperature. “It is important to identify the movement of carbon from other sources, including degrading permafrost,” he says.

  “As carbon-rich material is unlocked from the frozen shorelines and exported into the river system, the dissolved carbon can either remain within the waterways or become mobile in the atmosphere, which may perpetuate climate change,” says Turner.

  “So it is important for us to map the location and rate of changes to the landscape and how downstream conditions respond,” he says. “Findings will improve predictions of how the hydrology and carbon balances of northern lake-rich landscapes will respond to future climate change.”

  Turner is one of more than a dozen researchers receiving funding under the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)’s 2016 competition for the discovery research programs.

  The federal granting agency announced the results of the 2016 Discovery Grants, scholarships and fellowships competitions for universities across the country June 23.

  Brock received a total of $2.4 million in funding.

  Included within that are Discovery Grant and Discovery Development Grant awards totaling $1.98 million.

  In addition, two researchers – Cheryl McCormick and Kevin Turner – received supplementary grants totaling $191,900. McCormick’s Discovery Accelerator Supplement grant is given to researchers “who have a superior research program that is highly rated in terms of originality and innovation, and who show strong potential to become international leaders within their field,” says the NSERC site.

  “Brock’s researchers did extremely well in this year’s NSERC competition,” says Associate Vice-President Research (Natural and Health Sciences) Joffre Mercier. “We are very proud of the outstanding work our researchers are doing at Brock.”

  Mercier notes the success rate for researchers already holding a grant is 70 per cent.

  Brock University’s results for the 2016-2021 NSERC Discovery Grants competition are:

  • Bogaert, Tony (Health Sciences): Variations in male sexual orientation: The role of maternal responsivity to male-specific proteins
  • Castle, Alan (Biological Science): Mechanisms of host-parasite interactions between bacteriophages and Erwinia amylovora
  • Head, Martin (Earth Sciences): Plio–Pleistocene paleoceanography of the northern and western Pacific
  • MacNeil, Adam (Health Sciences): MAPK regulation of the epigenome during mast cell differentiation
  • McCormick, Cheryl (Psychology, ESRC): Adolescence: A sensitive period for shaping the adult social brain (also: Discovery Accelerator Supplement grant)
  • Mercier, Joffre (Biological Science): Effects of invertebrate neuropeptides and biogenic amines on synapses and behaviour
  • Metallinos, Costa (Chemistry): Proline hydantoin derivatives as dual purpose chiral auxiliary and chiral catalyst precursors
  • Mondloch, Cathy (Psychology): Expert face recognition: The influence of experience
  • Peters, Sandra (Kinesiology): Regulation of mammalian skeletal muscle lipid metabolism: the role of perilipin proteins
  • Ross, Brian (Computer Science): Genetic programming techniques for modelling and design
  • Schmidt, Mariek (Earth Sciences): Unraveling the igneous and overprinting alteration histories of volcanic terrains on Earth and Mars
  • Turner, Kevin (Geography, ESRC): Investigating the influence of climate-induced landscape changes on water and carbon balances in permafrost landscapes (also: Northern Research Supplement grant for his research: Investigating the influence of climate-induced land cover change and permafrost slumping on water and carbon balance in Old Crow Flats, Yukon, Canada)

  NSERC’s Discovery Grants program supports long-term research programs that assist in “promoting and maintaining a diversified base of high-quality research capability in the natural sciences and engineering in Canadian universities; fostering research excellence; and providing a stimulating environment for research training,” says the agency’s website.

  Another NSERC grant – Research Tools and Instruments – was awarded to Jeffrey Atkinson (Chemistry) to purchase a “Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) instrument for protein–membrane interactions.”

  NSERC also announced its awards for graduate student researchers, which totaled $262,500:

  NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship – Doctoral
  

  • Bryan Giordano (Biological Sciences): “Epidemiology and transmission dynamics of West Nile in Ontario, Canada”
  • Christine Salahub (Psychology): “Examining the mechanisms between individual differences and visual perception”

  Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral
  

  • Kari Lustig (Psychology): “The role of hormones in emotion processing following sleep loss”

  Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s
  

  • Sarah Bax (Mathematics & Statistics): “Soliton interaction properties”
  • Lyndon Duff (Biological Sciences): “Modeling the evolution of sociality in the eastern carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica”
  • Angel Phanthanourak (Applied Health Sciences): “The effects of postural threat on cortical inhibition during an anticipatory postural adjustment”

  “NSERC funding provides our graduate students with much needed financial support to continue with projects that are pushing the boundaries of research in exciting directions,” says Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies Mike Plyley.

  “The scholarships are true recognition to graduate students that the scope and calibre of their work hold great promise in contributing to discovery and innovation in Canada.”

  Story from The Brock News.

• Congratulations to ESRC’s Shawn Geniole on receiving the Jack M. Miller Excellence in Research Award

  Sunday, February 26, 2017 | By Amanda Smits

  Published on June 29 2016

  From The Brock News
  June 27, 2016

  This is the fifth in a five-part series profiling graduate student recipients of the 2016 Jack Miller Excellence in Research Awards. Today’s story features the winners (master’s and doctoral) from the Faculty of Social Sciences.

  SHAWN GENIOLE – PHD, PSYCHOLOGY; SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR CHERYL MCCORMICK

  Shawn Geniole studies the ways in which people form first impressions of others, the extent to which these judgments are accurate, and how these impressions influence decision-making during social interactions.

  To date, Geniole’s research publications have been cited 137 times in scholarly works. He is publishing in leading specialty journals for a variety of disciplines and received the prestigious Young Investigator Award from the International Society of Research on Aggression.

  “While Geniole’s research interests in aggression are centred in social psychology, his approach is transdisciplinary,” says his supervisor, Professor Cheryl McCormick.

  “Shawn incorporates perspectives and approaches from behavioural neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, evolutionary psychology, anthropology and economics,” McCormick explains. “His overarching hypothesis is that in men, one’s aggressive potential is conveyed to others by specific static clues in the face that serve to regulate social interactions and minimize overt aggression and associated physical costs.”

  Genoile pushes boundaries in his approach to research and in his use of a variety of experimental designs and tools.

  As an example, McCormick points to a study that involved YouTube.

  “Shawn came up with the clever idea to use YouTube to gather screenshots of men clean-shaven and bearded. These screen shots allowed him to test several hypotheses, notably that, if snap judgments of threat/aggression are an evolved adaptation, then such judgments should rely on static facial cues that are not masked by facial hair, as would be the case for ancestors before the advent of shaving.

  “He was able to show the face metric remains perceptible in bearded men, and that observers’ judgments of aggressiveness of the bearded versions of men’s faces were highly correlated with observers’ judgments of aggressiveness in clean-shaven versions.”

  About the Jack M. Miller Excellence in Research Awards

  The awards were established as the Excellence in Research Awards by the late Jack Miller when he served as Vice-President Research and Dean of Graduate Studies, from 1999 to 2004.

  As a tribute to Miller, the Faculty of Graduate Studies renamed the awards in his honour in 2013 and, at the same time, increased the number of awards available and the value of each award.

  Since then, as many as 11 graduates students, in research-based programs, are selected annually from within the six academic faculties to receive between $1,000 to $1,500 to support their research and scholarship.

  Story from The Brock News.

• Grad combines love of the beach with sustainability research

  Sunday, February 26, 2017 | By Amanda Smits

  Published on June 08 2016

  From The Brock News
  June 8, 2016

  Southampton Beach was a wonderland of sand, fun and sun for a young Brodie Hague.

  Each summer, Hague’s family left their Hamilton home to spend two weeks at a cottage along the tranquil waterfront setting of Lake Huron.

  The master’s student in Brock’s Sustainability Science and Society (SSAS) program still looks forward to taking a summer break along the four-kilometre shoreline.

  More recently, he found a way to combine his love for his longtime summer playground with his passion for geography and the environment.

  Hague based his master’s research thesis on the use of remote sensing to map and monitor the dune vegetation at Southampton.

  On Tuesday, June 7, Hague was among the program’s first class of graduates at Spring Convocation. The other students to graduate are Erin Duffy, Sarah Holmes, Christine Janzen, Samantha Morris and Samantha Stea.

  The program was launched in 2014 as one of only a few master’s degrees specifically designed to address contemporary challenges through the transdisciplinary lens of sustainability science.

  “Our first graduating class is a measure of the program’s success,” says Professor Marilyne Jollineau, who is the Interim Director of the program and also Hague’s thesis supervisor. “Our students are approaching a wide range of environmental and sustainability issues by breaking down traditional barriers between disciplines. The work of our new graduates will have a far-reaching impact with research topics that include, for example, climate change, environmental communications, corporate social responsibility, renewable energy and sustainability education.”

  When Hague came into the program, after completing a concurrent degree in Education and Geography at Brock, he was already thinking about focusing his research on the dunes.

  “It was probably in the mid 1990s that I remember the first signs of grassroots efforts by the community to create awareness and take action to protect the dunes,” he says. “I remember coming back one summer to see fencing being built through the dune system and designated play areas being developed along with signage and information about the restoration and protection measures.”

  Southampton is the home to the Chantry Dune system, one of five major dune systems along the eastern shores of Lake Huron. The dune complex, explains Brodie, provides habitat for a diverse range of vegetation species, some of which are native, rare and threatened. The coastal dune ecosystem has an important role in preventing erosion of the beach shoreline.

  The sustainability of these fragile ecosystems, says Hague, face serious threat from recreational use, shoreline development and natural disturbances such as fluctuating lake levels.

  Hague’s project focused on using satellite remote sensing technology to map and monitor changes to the Chantry Dune system over a seven-year period, from 2005 to 2012. To carry out his project, Hague received financial support from the Department of Geography to purchase two high spatial resolution satellite images from 2005 and 2012, respectively.

  “The first part of the project focused on the health of the dune vegetation and to determine the patterns of change in the vegetation from 2005 to 2012,” he explains.

  Hague used a numerical indicator called the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to analyze measurements and to assign values to the health of the dune vegetation throughout the time period.

  Hague also created a land-use/land-cover map that can assist local stakeholders and authorities in ongoing dune management practices.

  Hague’s study has good news for dune protectors.

  “The study determined that little had changed over the past seven years and, in fact, there was an increase in both the extent and health of vegetation. That may be partly explained by the low water levels in Lake Huron during the time period.”

  “Personally, the project has been a chance for me to give back in a way. The beach and town of Southampton has been a special part of my life for as long as I can remember. I hope my research will help to ensure that many others can continue to enjoy such a wonderful playground without harming the health of the dune ecosystem.”

  Story from The Brock News.

• Spring Convocation to feature first grads from new PhD and Master’s program

  Sunday, February 26, 2017 | By Amanda Smits

  Published on June 08 2016

  From The Brock News
  June 7, 2016

  During Spring Convocation ceremonies, June 7 to 10, Brock University will celebrate Master’s and PhD students for their academic and research excellence.

  A total of 411 graduate degrees — 16 PhD, 395 Master’s — will be conferred.

  Justin Maltese, a MSc student in Computer Science, will receive the prestigious Governor General’s Gold Medal for achieving the highest academic standing at the graduate level. Maltese, of Hamilton, attained a 98.5 average.

  Spring Convocation will mark the first graduates from the PhD program in Interdisciplinary Humanities and from the Master’s program in Sustainability Science and Society.

  Both programs have been at the forefront of the University’s directions to build transdisciplinary studies and research activities.

  Brock established the Interdisciplinary Humanities doctoral program in 2011. The program brings together faculty and students from different disciplines across the University to collaborate on research questions from a variety of perspectives.

  The graduate program in Sustainability Science and Society (SSAS) was launched in 2014. The program provides students an opportunity to study the social, economic, political, and biophysical challenges and to consider new ways of thinking about environmental sustainability.

  “It’s always a landmark event for newer programs to celebrate the convocation of their first students,” says Mike Plyley, Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. “These students are like flagbearers. They signify a program’s wider impact as its students move forward to contribute their knowledge, creativity and skills in their field or through other academic and research pursuits.”

  This convocation also holds special significance for Plyley as he completes his term as Dean on June 30.

  “Convocation days are one of the best days on the job for a Dean,” Plyley says. “I’ve had the privilege to congratulate thousands of graduate students over the past five years. Watching our students cross the stage to accept their master’s or doctoral degrees provides you with a strong indication of the force of their potential in a world that will look to them to make society stronger and better. For a Dean, those are the times when you say to yourself that it just doesn’t get any better than this.”

  2016 Convocation awards to Brock graduate students

  Governor General’s Gold Medal:

  Justin Maltese, Computer Science

  Jack M. Miller Excellence in Research Awards

  The FGS announces a list of Miller award recipients each year. At the time of graduation, students are given special recognition for the achievement. The following is a list of Miller award recipients who will be acknowledged at Spring Convocation.

  Spring 2016 Convocation

  Dimitrios Alexandropoulos, Chemistry

  William John Gittings, Applied Health Sciences

  Malisa Kurtz, Interdisciplinary Humanities

  Stefon Jan Ross van Noordt, Psychology

  Zahid Mohammad Rahman, Management

  Phillip Wallace, Applied Health Sciences

  Distinguished Graduate Student Award

  Dimitrios Alexandropoulos, Chemistry

  Michael Ayerh K Ayertey, Geography

  Matilda Baptist, Biotechnology

  Allan Campopiano, Psychology

  Corey Jonathan Carlton, Business Economics

  Kevin Daniel Caslin, Physics

  Andrew Cheesman, Physics

  Alison Edge, Biotechnology

  Whitney Evans, Political Science

  Renee Marie Henriette Girard, History

  Christopher Scott Grawey, Critical Sociology

  Steven Greenwood, English

  Wade Alexander Hunt, Philosophy

  Naomi Johnson, Applied Disabilities Studies

  Malisa Kurtz, Interdisciplinary Humanities

  Jeff Lakeit, Comparative Literatures and Arts

  Justin Peter Maltese, Computer Science

  Molly McMeekin, Classics

  Kaitlin Louisa McNeill, Applied Disability Studies

  Max Cale Merilovich, Biological Sciences

  Joel Midgley-Volpato, Mathematics and Statistics

  Samantha Lynne Julianne Morris, Sustainability: Science and Society

  Li Mou, Business Administration

  Ewelina Kinga Niemczyk, Educational Studies

  Matthew Peter Casimir Nikitczuk, Earth Sciences

  Kiel Graham Ormerod, Biological Sciences

  Panagiota Perlepe, Chemistry

  Irene Podolak, Applied Health Sciences

  Stephanie Simoes, Philosophy

  Zipparah Eileen Stephenson, Social Justice and Equity Studies

  Kimberley Caitlin Tsujimoto, Child and Youth Studies

  Rebecca Lynn Vos, Applied Linguistics

  Jennifer R. Weiler, Education

  Narnia Christine Worth, Psychology

  Haiyue Xu, Management

  Michelle Zahradnik, Applied Health Sciences

  Spirit of Brock awards

  Continue reading this story on The Brock News.

   

• Brock researchers and long-term care residents collaborate on scientific research

  Sunday, February 26, 2017 | By Amanda Smits

  Published on April 25 2016

  From The Brock News
  April 22, 2016

  As Canada’s population ages, people are looking for ways to improve the quality of life for their loved ones. One approach, which is becoming increasingly popular, is to get people connected — or reconnected — with nature.

  A group of researchers from Brock’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) is exploring the link between nature and health through a partnership with The Woodlands of Sunset, a regionally owned long-term care home in Welland.

  This initiative, “Wetlands of Sunset: Connecting Memories with Nature,” aims to show the importance of the location of long-term care facilities for the well being of their residents. What makes this an excellent case study for the research is that it is surrounded by wetlands and forests that are also owned by Niagara Region.

  Two members involved in this initiative, Marcie Jacklin, an avid birder and librarian at Brock, and Kerrie Pickering, a nurse and researcher, were recently awarded an ESRC seed grant to begin a pilot research project.

  Combining their knowledge on birds and health, they are currently working on a transdisciplinary study to explore if engagement in citizen science, specifically bird watching, has an impact on the well-being of long term care residents. They hope to see if engaging the residents as citizen scientists improves their well-being and to populate the Cornell University eBird database for the area surrounding Woodlands, which at present, has no data.

  Earlier this month, they installed two bird-feeding stations that residents can view from inside the building.

  “This project has been a win-win for me,” says Jacklin. “Working with everyone has been wonderful; the staff is so supportive at all levels and residents have really embraced the project, even those who aren’t official participants in the study.”

  “The potential benefits of this project will extend beyond this one long term care facility,” says Pickering. “This study has the potential to provide valuable insights for researchers, other long term care facilities, and the general population.”

  The researchers say benefits of the research project include:

  • Helping residents understand what citizen science is and showing them that they are still a valuable member of society.
  • Helping homes expand the types of activities they can offer to their residents.
  • Giving residents and staff the opportunity to be exposed to nature and see birds.
  • Populating the eBird database to better understand what kind of birds are in the area and their migration routes.
  • Getting the broader community involved in citizen science.
  • Transferring knowledge learned in this case study to other LTCs in Niagara and beyond.

  Jacklin says she is seeing how the project is making a difference at The Woodlands of Sunset.

  “When I walk down the hall at Woodlands and say I’m with the bird project everyone wants to stop and chat about it,” she says. “So far it seems like the benefits of this project are going far beyond what we had initially expected.”

  Jacklin and Pickering are looking for donations of binoculars, baby monitors, grape jelly (for orioles) and posters or books of common birds of Ontario and Eastern Canada.

  For more information or to donate, contact [email protected].

  From The Brock News.