7th annual research & innovation week celebrates major funding announcement

(february 10, 2012, thunder bay, on)

research excellence is at the forefront this week, as part of the 7^th annual research & innovation week at lakehead university.

"our researchers are leading the way in so many areas," says president brian stevenson, citing examples such as the sustainable development of natural resources in the boreal forest, cutting-edge dna research, and enhanced palliative care support for people at the end of their lives.

today's opening ceremonies marked the start of an exciting week of activities, where outstanding research will be showcased on both the thunder bay and orillia campuses.

nserc representative andré isabelle reveals that dr. prepas's forward iii grant was unanimously approved by nserc for its cutting-edge approach to sustainability

one of lakehead's very own, dr. ellie prepas, was honoured at this morning's kick-off event, where it was announced that she is the recipient of a prestigious grant of nearly $1.4 million from the natural sciences and engineering research council of canada (nserc). andré isabelle, nserc's director of energy, environment and resources research partnerships, was on hand to present the collaborative research and development grant for the forward iii project.

dr. prepas is a 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 natural resources management professor and a canada research chair in sustainable water management and the boreal forest. her work focuses on the development of best practices for the forestry and resource industries to ensure intensive resource extraction activities do not negatively impact the environment.

president stevenson congratulates dr. prepas for helping 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 advance its ambitious research goals.

"with innovative projects like dr. prepas's forward research, lakehead is accelerating its drive to become one of canada's top 25 research-intensive universities," he says. "we are aggressively challenging the ivory tower model of universities by fostering economic development, encouraging technology transfer and promoting community engagement."

for dr. rui wang, lakehead's vice-president research, economic development & innovation, this grant demonstrates the importance of building partnerships.

"dr. prepas's emphasis on environmental sustainability and her collaboration with industry partners sets the standard for responsible forest management and resource extraction practices and illustrates lakehead's strategic and collaborative approach to issues that matter to both the university and our community," dr. wang says.

the 7th annual research & innovation week runs until february 16. some of this year's events include interactive displays at intercity shopping centre, lectures, a graduate student conference (posters and oral presentations), an aboriginal research day and a celebration of 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 's distinguished researcher. all research & innovation week events are free.

for a detailed schedule of events on both campuses, please visit www.hsbcwebinars.com.

quotes

"this research will help develop science-based management practices and tools that improve the environmental performance of two extremely important industries. dr.prepas and her team are highly experienced in studying the impacts of forestry and oil sands operations, and have a comprehensive understanding of the issues."
suzanne fortier, president of nserc

"my work has already yielded critical insights into the effects of natural (fire) and industrial (forest harvesting) disturbance on watersheds in the boreal plain (alberta) and boreal shield (northwestern ontario). forward iii research will apply and build on this knowledge by taking a critical look at oil sands reclaimed sites and the impacts of landscape-scale disturbances and recovery trajectories through reclamation of soils, vegetation, streams, and bioindicators. this research provides a unique opportunity to transfer the knowledge gained through research to communities and decision makers in all sectors of natural resource extraction to enable them to make informed landscape management decisions."
dr. ellie prepas, 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜

"suncor energy is a strong supporter of the research proposed by dr. prepas and her colleagues. as the first company in the oil sands industry to have successfully reclaimed a tailings pond to a solid surface, we believe forward iii will provide an essential contribution to support further reclamation work on this pond and others. our involvement in this proposed research supports our commitment to continuous environmental improvements in the way we develop our great canadian oil sands resource."
dr. xiaoying fan, biologist, water resources group, suncor energy inc.

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media: for further information about the 7^th annual research & innovation week, or to schedule an interview, please contact tracey skehan, communications officer at 807-343-8372 or commun@lakeheadu.ca.

about lakehead
lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. over 8,700 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in orillia, and thunder bay, ontario, which is home to the west campus of the northern ontario school of medicine. 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. in orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets leadership in energy and environmental design (leed®) standards.