News

Numerous scientists and others held a rally on July 10th on Parliament Hill to raise public awareness and show their concern related to recent changes enacted and proposed by the federal government. Numerous students and faculty from the University of Waterloo participated in the event. It included a procession from the Ottawa Convention Centre, followed by a rally at Parliament Hill. Many attendees wore white lab coats or dressed in black. The march and rally plans were for a mock funeral for the 'death of evidence'. 

An unique exhibit showcasing the ecological importance of Canada's diverse and complex aquatic ecosystems is being hosted at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory from June 1 to September 4, 2012. Canada's Waterscapes: Yours to Enjoy, Explore and Protect is the newest travelling exhibition from the Canadian Museum of Nature and its partners. This interactive exhibit showcases the ecological importance of Canada's waters and wetlands and the need to protect them.

Dr. Janusz Pawliszyn, Department of Chemistry, was recently honoured by the Canadian Society for Chemistry with the 2012 E.W.R. Steacie Award. The award is presented annually to a scientist who has made a distinguished contribution to chemistry while working in Canada.

The Government of Canada has decided to close the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA). This closure is contained within legislation that is currently before the House of Commons. 
The ELA is a long-running freshwater research facility located in northwestern Ontario. During its over 40 years of activity, research conducted at ELA has included a wide range of topics, often studied at a large scale, including studies of algal blooms, climate change, mercury pollution, hydroelectric reservoir development, endocrine-disrupting chemicals and nano-silver particles. 

Congratulations to Dr. Keith Hipel, University Professor, Department of Systems Design Engineering, as he has recently been recognized for the contributions of his interdisciplinary research in water resources systems engineering by three different groups of academics.

The University of Waterloo and University of São Paulo signed a research agreement that will promote collaboration between the two institutions in the areas of water science, engineering, technology and management. The University of São Paulo is Latin America's leading comprehensive university and has extensive research and teaching experience in water-related disciplines.

The expressions of qualifications for research in the area of managed wildfire risk to municipal waterworks systems in Alberta has a deadline of April 25, 2012. The expressions of qualifications would be from university-based research teams interested in submitting a proposal to conduct a three-year, multidisciplinary research project starting in July 2012. The project will directly support development of integrated decision-support systems to manage forested catchments subject to wildfires to mitigate risks to downstream municipal drinking-water systems.

Dr. Jonathan Price, Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, is the Principle Investigator on a recently awarded NSERC CRD with a total value of $6.7 M. The research project aims to reclaim peatlands in the Athabasca region of northern Alberta which have been removed for oil sands mining. The NSERC portion - $2.65 M - is the largest-ever grant awarded under the CRD program.

Dr. Brian Dixon, Professor, Department of Biology, was recently awarded a Canada Research Chair in Fish and Environmental Immunology. This CRC award will provide $1.4 M in funding to Dr. Dixon over seven years.