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School of the Environment 2013-14 Annual Report.Pdf 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Like us on Facebook: U of T School of the Environment Follow us on Twitter: @UofTEnvironment 2013 Annual Report Contents School of the Environment 33 Willcocks St., #1016V, Earth Sciences Building (ES) Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 3E8 1 Message from the Director tel: 416-978-3475; fax: 416-978-3884 [email protected] Research http://www.environment.utoronto.ca 2 Toronto Cycling Think & Do Tank 3 Metals in Toronto roadside gardens Adminstrative Faculty Metal dynamics & ecotoxicity in Ross Lake near Flin Flon mine Director and Graduate Director 4 Studying Canadian environmental policy on climate change and sustainable Kimberly Strong transportation (and Professor, Department of Physics) ES 1020; tel: 416-978-6526 5 Monitoring contaminants in fish in the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence River [email protected] Areas of Concern Academic Associate Director Research Day: Annual event showcases research of the School’s faculty and students Douglas Macdonald, Senior Lecturer, Environment 7 Graduate Students’ Research: ES 1049B; 416-978-1558 Environmental Studies & Environment and Health Collaborative Programs [email protected] Coordinator, Environment and Health Undergraduate Programs Collaborative Graduate Program 10 Message from the Academic Associate Director Clare Wiseman, Assistant Professor, Environment ES 2097; 416-978-2972, [email protected] Changes to undergraduate core program offerings: New Environmental Science major created with University engagement 11 Undergraduate Programs and Courses Other Appointed Faculty Christian Abizaid, Assistant Professor, 14 Students on a Summer Abroad: Geography/Environment Undergraduates study ecology and conservation in Australia and Ecuador Karen Ing, Senior Lecturer, Environment 15 Students study urban sustainability: W. Scott Prudham, Professor, Geography/Environment Stephen Scharper, Associate Professor, Undergraduate course provides group research experience on topical issues Anthropology UT Mississauga/Environment Independent research projects and professional experience 14 Undergraduate Students’ Awards: Adjunct Professors New scholarships in memory of Rodney White and Skip Willis Jane Ambachtsheer, Partner, Mercer Brad Bass, Nutrient Initiative Program Officer, Environment Canada Graduate Programs Satyendar Bhavsar, Research Scientist, 15 Collaborative Graduate Programs: Ontario Ministry of the Environment Environmental Studies & Environment and Health Collaborative Programs Paul Helm, Senior Research Scientist, 16 Graduate Faculty and Graduate Courses Ontario Ministry of the Environment Susan McGeachie, Market Leader, Ernst & Young LLP 17 Graduate Students’ Awards Paul Muldoon, Vice Chair, Environmental Review Tribunal Professional Development Administrative Staff 18 Online Distance Education Programs Director’s & Communications Assistant 19 Professional courses and events: Mona El-Haddad Presented in collaboration with leading businesses and organizations ES 1016V; tel: 416-978-6526; [email protected] Business Officer Outreach Activities Laurane Harding 21 Jane Goodall Institute: Partnership provides learning opportunities for students ES 1016V; tel: 416-978-2584; [email protected] 22 Environment Seminar Series Undergraduate Student Advisor and 23 Memorial Lectures Placement Coordinator Environmental Career Day: David Powell An annual spring event for university and community college students ES 1049A; tel: 416-946-8100; [email protected] 24 Environment and Health Seminar Series Graduate Student Advisor and Program Assistant Pavel Pripa 25 Post Doctoral Fellow Joanne Moyer: ES 1021; tel: 416-978-3475; [email protected] University of Manitoba alumna studies faith-based organizations in Canada Manager, Program & Partnership Development Visiting Professor from Beijing: Donna Workman Yujun Li studies Canadian environmental policy and Toronto waste management ES 1022; tel: 416-978-7077; [email protected] Information Technology Coordinator Profiles Aniss Zakaria 26 Faculty ES 1047B; tel: 416-550-3153; [email protected] Bill Vanderburg retires: Assistant, Program & Partnership Development Engineer passionate about preventing environmental problems Samara Carter 30 Other Instructors & Sessional Lecturers ES 1016V; tel: 416-946-5403; [email protected] Printed February, 2014. Mona El-Haddad, Editor. Message from the Director BY KIMBERLY STRONG, Inaugural Director, School of the Environment. Environmental issues are everywhere, ranging from the local to the global scale – issues of sustainability, energy, climate change, mitigation and adaptation, extreme weather, biodiversity, land use, air quality, conservation, water, resource use, health, and more. The need for solutions has never been greater. With its focus on and Science Factuly of Arts interdisciplinary studies, the School of the Environment has a real opportunity to make a difference. By bringing together scholars So what have we been doing lately? On the undergraduate front, from many disciplines, students interested in the environment, and we rolled out the new major in Environmental Science this fall, the wider community beyond the University, we are well placed to and our revamped major in Environmental Studies is going contribute to understanding and improving the complex relationships strong. We submitted a proposal for a new minor in Environmental between humans and the environment in which we live. Science that is consistent with the new major. We are actively I am delighted to have become an active participant in the School working to expand international opportunities for our students, in my new role as Director, which began in July 2013. As you may with Karen Ing taking the lead on this. She visited a number of know, the School was established in July 2012, emerging from the universities in Singapore and Hong Kong in November 2013, and previous Centre for Environment after an extensive consultation we are now rolling out “structured pathways” to enable students to process within the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS). The School more easily identify opportunities for study abroad. This past year, was initially led by Interim Director Don Jackson, and I’d like to our students participated in field courses in the Andes, the Amazon, thank him for his leadership during the transition from the Centre the Galápagos Islands, and Australia. Our graduate collaborative to the School. Don was at the helm during a period of uncertainty, programs in Environmental Studies and Environment & Health and very ably steered the Centre, and subsequently the School, provide students from different departments with a broad perspective through this process. Don did such a great job that he was recruited that complements their discipline-based degrees, and we are starting to become the Chair of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary to think about developing new stand-alone graduate programs. We Biology. We wish him every success in his new position. are very pleased to have two searches for joint faculty positions Since the summer, I have been getting to know the School, its underway, one in Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Science with people, and its programs. I’d like to thank all the faculty, staff, and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and one in students who welcomed me, particularly Doug MacDonald, who Experimental Climate Physics with the Department of Physics. kindly agreed to serve as Academic Associate Director this year. Our Professional Development Program continues to thrive, and The School’s mandate is to enhance and expand environmental has offered a range of in-class and distance courses this past year, teaching and research within FAS. It aims to involve multiple with a big line-up organized for 2014. Our Distance Education units in offering environmental programs as shared endeavours program is celebrating its 10th birthday this year, which is a major and to support research and scholarship that builds on existing milestone. One recent event, organized with our Environmental disciplinary strengths. It provides an intellectual home for students Finance Advisory Committee, was a Thought Leadership Panel in environmental programs, including academic advising and with leaders in the field of environmental finance and management. enhanced research opportunities,with a focus on rebuilding shared At this event, we awarded the inaugural Skip Willis Undergraduate undergraduate teaching programs; developing graduate programs; Scholarship to Laura Heintzman, a 3rd Year Environmental Studies maintaining sustainability-related co-curricular opportunities; and Major and Psychology Major. The award is in honour of Errick offering high-quality professional development opportunities. “Skip” Willis, who was an internationally recognized expert in I envision the School as a dynamic unit that serves as a nexus climate change and valued member of our Environmental Finance for faculty, bringing together scholars from a wide range of Advisory Committee. This coming year, we will award the first disciplines, strengthening existing links, and creating new ways Rodney White Environmental Studies Scholarship, set up in of collaborating and interacting with colleagues; as a magnet for memory of Professor Rodney White, an internationally renowned students interested in the environment, offering them the best courses scholar, who, as Director of the former Institute for Environmental and programs in this field; and as a portal for
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