FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ADDS EXPERTISE TO UNBC
November 12, 2004 for immediate release
A climate change expert from a world-renowned applied mathematics research institute is taking up a new post at UNBC as a federally funded Canada Research Chair in Climate Prediction and Predictability. The appointment was part of an announcement made today in Vancouver by Prime Minister Paul Martin.
In January, Youmin (promounced Yeoman) Tang will leave New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and come to UNBC. His research uses sophisticated numerical models and mathematical tools to predict climate and to put confidence limits on the predictions – a significant new approach among researchers investigating natural phenomena such as El Nino. More accurate seasonal climate prediction is of great value to many sectors of the Canadian economy, including agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism, and power generation.
“Over the past several decades, average temperatures have been rising faster in the North than in the mid-latitudes,” says Max Blouw, Vice-President Research at UNBC. “This has allowed UNBC to build toward a centre for climate change research, especially for those researchers who are interested in being where the action is in this field. A number of faculty members are already engaged in research on this topic. Dr Tang’s appointment will augment the pool of expertise that is being developed, and we are hoping to make other appointments in climate studies at similarly high levels of research accomplishment. The federal government’s commitment to the Canada Research Chairs program is providing an enhanced opportunity for universities such as UNBC to develop world-class expertise in select disciplines.”
Dr Tang will be the third Canada Research Chair at UNBC, joining Greg Halseth (rural and small town studies) and Lito Arocena (soil science). The University is hoping to attract another five Canada Research Chairs in the near future. In 2000, the Government of Canada allocated $900 million to establish 2,000 research professorships—the Canada Research Chairs—in universities across the country.
A climate change expert from a world-renowned applied mathematics research institute is taking up a new post at UNBC as a federally funded Canada Research Chair in Climate Prediction and Predictability. The appointment was part of an announcement made today in Vancouver by Prime Minister Paul Martin.
In January, Youmin (promounced Yeoman) Tang will leave New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and come to UNBC. His research uses sophisticated numerical models and mathematical tools to predict climate and to put confidence limits on the predictions – a significant new approach among researchers investigating natural phenomena such as El Nino. More accurate seasonal climate prediction is of great value to many sectors of the Canadian economy, including agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism, and power generation.
“Over the past several decades, average temperatures have been rising faster in the North than in the mid-latitudes,” says Max Blouw, Vice-President Research at UNBC. “This has allowed UNBC to build toward a centre for climate change research, especially for those researchers who are interested in being where the action is in this field. A number of faculty members are already engaged in research on this topic. Dr Tang’s appointment will augment the pool of expertise that is being developed, and we are hoping to make other appointments in climate studies at similarly high levels of research accomplishment. The federal government’s commitment to the Canada Research Chairs program is providing an enhanced opportunity for universities such as UNBC to develop world-class expertise in select disciplines.”
Dr Tang will be the third Canada Research Chair at UNBC, joining Greg Halseth (rural and small town studies) and Lito Arocena (soil science). The University is hoping to attract another five Canada Research Chairs in the near future. In 2000, the Government of Canada allocated $900 million to establish 2,000 research professorships—the Canada Research Chairs—in universities across the country.
