Faculty News – January 2010
Appointments
The Geography Department welcomes four new part-time instructors to the Nanaimo campus:
Matt Bowes is teaching GEOG 290 - Regions of Canada.
Jeff Moore is teachng a double section of GEOG 211 - Atmospheric Environments and a section of GEOG 228 - Spatial Analysis. Jeff has an interdisciplinary background in Resource Management, Geography, and Outdoor Recreation. He is currently a PhD candidate in Forest Sciences at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, and is completing his dissertation on the use of 3D computer visualizations for public involvement in forest mangement planning. Jeff's research interests include techniques for linking user values, spatial recreation data, and biophsyical data for land-use planning, environmental valuation, and the role of public participation in forest management planning.
Brian Roberts is teaching a section of GEOG 101 - Environmental Geography. Brian is a registered Professional Agrologist and Geoscientist with an M.Sc. in Earth Sciences from SFU. Since moving to Vancouver Island, he has worked with the Ministry of Forests in Nanaimo as a Research Geomorphologist and Hydrologist and as an independent Environmental Consultant. Currently, he consults for Talam Earth and Environment Ltd. and works as an instructor at VIU. Brian also promotes local sustainable energy development and education as a founding member and President of the Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op and the Executive Director of Cowichan Energy Alternatives Society. Students interested in becoming involved in bio-fuels and other alternative energy research are encouraged to contact Brian.
Dr. Todd Redding is teaching GEOG 374 - Hydrology. Todd is the Watershed Management Extension Specialist for the coastal region of British Columbia. He has a wide range of forestry-related hydrology and soil science experience in montane and boreal environments, and has worked as a research technician with the BC Ministry of Forests in Kamloops, assisting on projects in hydrology, soils, and geomorphology. Todd has an M.Sc. in forest soils from Simon Fraser University, and a PhD in forest hydrology from the University of Alberta, and is a registered Professional Agrologist.
Activities
Dr. Alan Gilchrist's research for the last three years has focussed on the Vancouver Island Water Resources Vulnerability Mapping Project; the project is due to be completed in 2010. The project's aim is to produce maps of the intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater to contamination by chemical hazards, and to help the Vancouver Island Regional Districts take groundwater vulnerability into account when planning land use and development. The initial pilot study analyzed the Regional Districts of Nanaimo (RDN) and the Cowichan Valley (CVRD) and was completed in Spring 2009. The maps are already being used by the RDN for the Official Community Plan review of Area A. Mapping for the rest of Vancouver Island is ongoing. This project has provided employment for several graduates of the Geography and Advanced Diploma in GIS Programs at VIU. Alan has a research leave in Spring 2010 to complete the project.
Dr. Don Alexander presented two papers at conferences last spring and summer. The first was delivered at the annual meeting of the Environmental Studies Association of Canada, part of the LEARNEDS conference, held at the University of British Columbia in early June. The second was delivered in mid-July in Winnipeg at the annual meeting of the Canadian Institute of Planners. Don also had an article and a book review that appeared in recent editions of Planning West. He is working on a book manuscript and a journal article, and is assisting with a variety of initiatives on campus.
Dr. Jeff Lewis has installed two additional automated local weather stations as part of a network of weather stations installed at schools across sourthern Vanouver Island. Funded by NSERC's Promo Science program, in partnership with several school districts on Vancouver Island and A Channel TV, the Uvic School-Based Weather Station Network is designed to peak interest in atmospheric sciences among local students and the general public. Information about the network and weather reports for each of the weather stations is available at nanaimoweather.ca. Jeff also continues to engage in public outreach campaigns on viable solutions to climate change. On October 6, Jeff participated in a panel presentation on "Climate Change: Facts, Fiction and Conversation" held at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre.
Dr. Pamela Shaw received her Ph.D. from the University of Victoria in the fall. Last year she completed a textbook published by Oxford University Press entitled A Field Guide to Communication. The textbook is based on curricula that Pamela prepared for GEOG 322 - Geographic Communication. Dr. Shaw has just recently been appointed an Adjunct Professor of Geography at UVIC.
Dr. Michael Tripp is continuing his many duties as Chair of the Geography Department.
Dr. Hannah Wilson continued her research last summer on post-disturbance regeneration in Stanley Park following the December 2006 windstorm. She delivered twin boys in early March and is taking maternity leave through Spring 2011.
Publications
Alexander, D. 2008 ‘Review of City Making in Paradise: Nine Decisions That Saved Vancouver by Mike Harcourt, Ken Cameron, with Sean Rossiter’ Planning West 50 (1).
Alexander, D. 2007 ‘South Wellington Community Process: An Experiment in Service Learning’ Planning West 50 (1), 10.
Alexander, D. and *Natrasony, S. 2007 ‘The Rise of Modernism and the Decline of Place: The Case of Surrey City Centre, Canada’ Proceedings of the Environmental Design Research Association 38, 96-100.
*Tomalty, R., Alexander, D., and *Anielski, M. 2007 'The Ontario Urban Sustainability Report 2007: Measuring the Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability of Ontario’s Municipalities' (Toronto: Pembina Institute).
Alexander, D. 2007 'First Annual Film Fest: A Rousing Success' Planning West 49 (1), 20.
*Gienko, G., Govorov, M., Maguire, B., *Khmelevsky, Y., and *Gienko A. 2007 ‘A virtual professional community to support effective use of remotely sensed imagery’ The South Pacific Journal of Natural Science 25 (1), 47-52.
*Beconytë, G., Govorov, G., *Ningal, T.F., *Parseliunas, E. and *Urbanas, S. 2008 ‘Geographic Information E-Training Initiatives for National Spatial Data Infrastructures, Technological and Economic Development of Economy’ Baltic Journal on Sustainability 14 (1), 11–28.
Govorov, М.О., *Koshkarev, А.V., *Serapenas, B.B., and *Tikunov, V.S. 2008 ‘Cartographic Visualization’ in Geo-Informatics ed V.S. Tikunov (Moscow, Academia) 246-298.
Liggett, J. and Gilchrist, A. In press. Technical Summary of Intrinsic Vulnerability Mapping Methods in the Regional Districts of Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 6168, 62 pages.
Lewis, J.P., *Weaver, A.J., and *Eby, M.E. 2007 ‘Snowball versus slushball Earth: Dynamic versus nondynamic sea ice?’ Journal of Geophysical Research 112.
*Jollineau, M.J., Wilson, H.G., *Howarth, P. Heterogeneity characteristics of an inland wetland environment through spatio-spectral analysis, Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing.
* not a member of the department