First Canada Research Chairs Named
Month 2, 2001 For Immediate Release
Just a year after the program was created by the Federal Government, UNBC has been awarded its first two Canada Research Chairs. The key objective of the Canada Research Chairs program is to enable Canadian universities to attract and retain leading scholars who will assist universities in developing world-class research centres. Only one other small Canadian university (Trent University in Ontario) has performed as well as UNBC in this national program.
Just a year after the program was created by the Federal Government, UNBC has been awarded its first two Canada Research Chairs. The key objective of the Canada Research Chairs program is to enable Canadian universities to attract and retain leading scholars who will assist universities in developing world-class research centres. Only one other small Canadian university (Trent University in Ontario) has performed as well as UNBC in this national program.
Last year, UNBC completed a strategic research plan and three priorities
were identified: natural resources and the environment, rural and northern
health, and community sustainability. UNBC's first Canada Research Chairs
complement that research vision:
Joselito
Arocena is a specialist in soil science and conducts research
on mineral transformation for plant productivity and environmental issues.
Dr Arocena believes that - through research - he can assess soil minerals
to determine the long-term sustainability of forests, while also measuring
environmental health and climate change. The role of fungi in triggering
the release of potassium, magnesium, and calcium from soil minerals
can help predict the long-term fertility of soils so Dr Arocena's research
will also examine the potential for inoculating tree seedlings with
fungi to enhance tree survival.
Greg
Halseth's research aims to identify the trends at work in reshaping
the economies of rural Canada. As a Canada Research Chair, Dr Halseth
will continue to examine single industry resource towns in northern
BC, where restructuring is changing all aspects of community life. Recently,
he has been studying Mackenzie and Tumbler Ridge to determine their
economic and social sustainability in the face of globalization. Improved
transportation is one important factor; it's now easy for people to
live and work in one community and spend their earnings in another.
This economic leakage has ramifications for health care, protective
services, and general quality of life.
Click
here for Greg Halseth's webpage and more CRC info.
Each of UNBC's Chairs is being funded at $100,000 per year for five
years. The University is eligible to receive funding for up to seven
Chairs total over the next few years.
The CRC is a $900 million federal program aimed at supporting outstanding
researchers. It also gives universities an opportunity to retain their
top researchers and recruit excellent researchers from around the world.
On April 25, 2001, the Honourable Brian Tobin, Minister of Industry,
announced the 76 second-round recipients of Canada Research Chairs.
Their appointments represent a $83 million investment in areas of expertise
ranging from electrical and computer engineering through dentistry to
history.
"By promoting leading-edge research and innovation in universities,
the Canada Research Chairs Program provides exciting opportunities for
Canadian researchers and attracts the best research minds in the world
to Canadian universities," said Minister Tobin. "I warmly
congratulate the University of Northern British Columbia recipients."
