��ݮ��Ƶ News - Environment

Co-op’s coming of age

Bernice Ma — Tue, 13 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Since 1958, ��ݮ��Ƶ’s co-operative education program has been launching successful careers

Many students dream of landing a job that aligns with their passions, inspires real-world impact or even motivates them to launch their own business. For thousands of ��ݮ��Ƶ students, that dream has become a reality thanks to co-operative education (co-op), which combines paid work experience with earning a degree.  

It might, therefore, seem surprising that the idea of co-op was met with skepticism when it was first proposed by the University’s first president, Dr. Joseph Gerald Hagey, who believed in its potential.  

As James Scott, former assistant to Hagey, wrote in the book Of Mud and Dreams: University of ��ݮ��Ƶ 1957 to 1967, the idea came to Hagey “somewhat to his surprise.” Still, he recognized that it could offer valuable opportunities for students and positively shape the future of education at ��ݮ��Ƶ.  

In 1957, the University expanded faculty, classrooms and infrastructure to support the co-op program, securing partnerships with manufacturing companies for work placements. The program’s alternating academic and work terms would allow students to gain real-world experience in industry and commerce through university-arranged placements.  

The first cohort of 74 engineering students began their co-op work terms in 1958, making ��ݮ��Ƶ the first Canadian university to offer co-op.  

To promote the new program, approximately 10,000 brochures were distributed to prospective students. One of those brochures reached Ron Ojanpera (BASc ’69), a high school student from Sudbury, Ontario. 

From co-op to a successful career 

Ojanpera was introduced to ��ݮ��Ƶ's engineering co-op program by a high school teacher who believed he would be interested. “I looked into the program and when it came time to apply, I submitted one application to ��ݮ��Ƶ, and that was it.” 

In 1964, Ojanpera was among the first to benefit from the program, which has since become globally recognized with more than 8,000 employers worldwide.

Ron Ojanpera (BASc ’69)

Co-op allowed him to balance school with paid work while discovering career roles that best align with his goals and skill set.

During his third year, Ojanpera made a pivotal career shift, moving from mining to engineering services, which would later form the foundation of his career. He gained valuable hands-on experience in plant operations, where he developed a deep appreciation for complex industries and customer relations. 

“The world is more complex now but the principle is the same,” he said. “Co-op prepares students to deal with those complexities, by teaching them how to work with people and apply technology to solve problems.” 

��ݮ��Ƶ has remained central to Ojanpera and his family, including his wife, daughters and niece who have all graduated from the University. Ojanpera takes pride in how his co-op experience led to a successful 50-year career in sales, business development and engineering, specifically in steam generation and air emissions control systems related to utility and heavy industrial applications. 

“The world is more complex now, but the principle is the same. Co-op prepares students to deal with those complexities.”

— Ron Ojanpera (BASc ’69) 

A new generation of co-op students finds their passion 

Elsa Patterson
Current Geomatics co-op student

Over the years, the co-op program has expanded to include all six faculties, making it accessible to students in every discipline.

Elsa Patterson, a current Geomatics co-op student, reflects on how she overcame the pressure of choosing the “right” co-op positions. Instead, she embraced the opportunity to explore various fields, build her resume and discover her passion for using data-driven approaches to foster sustainable and resilient communities. 

Through her co-op work terms in research labs, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Indigenous Services Canada, Patterson gained hands-on experience as a geographic information systems (GIS) specialist. 

“I’ve learned through co-op in a different way — realizing how much I care about my work and how invested I am in my role has truly been a game-changer,” she said. 

Co-op also helped her develop a strong work ethic, professionalism, confidence and the ability to troubleshoot — skills she feels are valuable as she advances in her career. Patterson’s final eight-month work term will focus on improving water quality in the Great Lakes and implementing preventative measures to protect the environment. 

Watch video on YouTube

Continuing ��ݮ��Ƶ’s co-op legacy 

Every co-op experience at ��ݮ��Ƶ is unique, shaped by the individual’s program, values, desired impact and goals — just as it was for alumni like Ojanpera and current students like Patterson. What remains constant is the profound impact of ��ݮ��Ƶ’s co-op program over the past 65 years.  

Today, ��ݮ��Ƶ remains a global leader in co-operative education and work-integrated learning, offering innovative programs that meet the needs of both students and industry. With a unique opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in real-world contexts, co-op students are not just prepared for the future ─ they are tackling the world’s greatest challenges with innovation, passion and purpose.

Campus

Engineering

Environment

Co-op and Experiential Education

Magazine

Adaptis helps building owners and operators meet their profitability and sustainability goals

Sam Charles — Fri, 09 May 2025 15:14:23 +0000

The real estate decision-making tool raises $4 million USD in seed funding to accelerate innovation in housing and property development

Artificial intelligence (AI) and deep tech are revolutionizing how building developers and owners design, build and maintain their properties thanks to Adaptis, a Velocity startup. The decision-making platform supports optimizing cost-benefit and carbon usage from concept to completion by integrating financial, sustainability and operational data.

In its latest seed funding round, Adaptis has secured $4 million USD ($5.5 million CDN) from Building Ventures, including MetaProp, 2048 Ventures, Powerhouse Ventures and Blue Vision Capital.

“Through each seed investment stage, Adaptis has been able to build upon our momentum through upgrading our platform and scaling across different geographies,” says Sheida Shahi (PhD ‘21), CEO of Adaptis. “We’re continuing to build out our product and sales teams to best position us for our next phase of growth.”

The platform spearheaded by Shahi and co-founder Aida Mollaei (PhD ‘24) empowers owners, architects and engineers to lower building costs, generate more design options, reduce project timelines and optimize on-going operational costs.

Originally envisioned to support one building at a time, customers encouraged Adaptis to offer the same support for multiple buildings.

“It has been an exciting journey so far, and what we’ve discovered along the way is that our original concept still resonates,” Shahi says. “Customers still want what we first brought to market, so now we are looking at ways to make it even better.”

Adaptis could play an important role in addressing the ongoing housing crisis facing communities across Canada and the United States. By integrating hundreds of compliance parameters into a single AI-driven platform, including those related to building permits and assessments, the platform can shorten timelines to weeks from months and help developers break ground faster.

Shahi and Mollaei originally developed Adaptis as graduate students at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ. They intended to build a platform that automated the circularity of buildings during their whole lifecycle. To turn their sustainable technology into a viable business, they needed to make it economically beneficial for the client.

“Linking profitability and sustainability is not just a strategic advantage in the construction and real estate development sector — it’s becoming a requirement for long-term success,” Shahi says. “Especially amid rising regulatory pressure, consumer demand for greener buildings and escalating construction costs, our platform provides decision-makers with vital real-time information they need right at their fingertips.”

As a data-driven platform, Adaptis provides in-depth actionable, retrofit and decarbonization strategies that seamlessly integrate into capital planning workflows.

Adaptis has seen their revenue double since 2023, expanding into eight regions including British Columbia, Washington State and New York. The platform has more than 350 buildings in active operation, with another 400 more set to onboard next quarter.

Just as impressively, the platform has diverted more than 6,000 tons of waste and avoided 108,000 Co2 emissions while saving building owners an average of 20 per cent in capital expenditures.

With Ontario targeting to build 1.5 million homes by 2031, and many other jurisdictions across North America with similar targets, tools like Adaptis have the potential to streamline building processes and support expediting homebuilding to meet those demands.

“When we look to the future, we are excited about the work ahead in coordinating the science, technology and scalable infrastructure required to continue supporting our customers to succeed.”

Technological Futures

Protecting wildlife, one road at a time

Chantal Vallis — Fri, 09 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Environment student, Katja Kubasta, reflects on her experience safeguarding species at risk during her KEEN Global Citizen Internship at The Long Point Biosphere Region Foundation

Bordering Lake Erie and extending across Norfolk County, Long Point Region hosts many internationally recognized protected natural areas and is a refuge for many species at risk.

The region’s conservation efforts have deep roots, with initiatives dating back to 1866. Today, those efforts are continued through organizations like the non-profit Long Point Biosphere Region Foundation. It’s where Katja Kubasta, a Faculty of Environment student, found a meaningful donor funded work opportunity through the KEEN Global Citizen Internship.

Kubasta grew up with a passion for the environment and a love for the outdoors. “I went camping a lot as a kid,” she says. “My parents always kept sustainability top of mind at our house. That’s been a really big influence and why I decided to join my program. Also, in high school, there was the ecology and evolution unit, and I just wanted to learn more.”

That early passion led her to the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability (SERS), where she’s now wrapping up her final term. The interdisciplinary program blends ecological science with the problem-solving skills needed to tackle the social, economic, and policy challenges that often accompany environmental issues – a mix that suited Kubasta’s curiosity. "I've always leaned more toward the ecology side of things, but I like how it lets me look at the bigger picture.”

Through ��ݮ��Ƶ's co-op program, Kubasta has explored that broader perspective across a wide range of roles, such as working on environmental assessments for Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, to conducting hands-on oyster research in the Netherlands.

At Long Point, she brought that same passion to a new sector – non-profit environmental conservation. Her primary role was surveying reptile road mortality in and around the biosphere, identifying areas where mitigation strategies could help protect vulnerable species. The timing of her internship also meant she got to support field research during the region’s nesting season; a unique opportunity to observe and catalogue wildlife behavior in real time.

“Reptiles are really important for wetlands and the ecosystem services they provide,” she says. “While we observed many mortalities on the roads, we also had quite a few live reptiles and amphibians that we observed and saved from being hit! These animals put the effect of mortalities into perspective and help us understand the end goals of our project, as we continue to push for stronger mitigation strategies for wildlife on roads.”

Kubasta conducted a total of 586 standardized surveys using an application called FieldMaps, part of the ESRI ArcGIS program. During these surveys, she recorded 216 wildlife observations of which 89% were dead on the road and only 11% were alive.

During her 4-month placement, Kubasta developed a deeper appreciation for the people and passion that sustain environmental non-profits. She was struck by how much behind-the-scenes work is carried out by dedicated volunteers and staff who genuinely care about their communities and local ecosystems. It also broadened her perspective on career paths.

“I’m definitely considering non-profits a bit more seriously now. A big thing in our program is looking beyond just the traditional environmental science or government jobs. There are so many ways to be impactful.”

Now in her 4B term, Kubasta plans to take a year off before graduate school to pursue new adventures. She’s applying for jobs with conservation organizations and is travelling to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands. Meanwhile, the important surveying work she oversaw this past year will continue under the direction of two new Global Citizen interns funded by corporate donor and partner, KEEN. They began this work in April.

“These students are the future leaders of our society in respect to mitigating environmental issues and promoting sound ethics, and the more they learn about it on the ground is just fantastic” says Brian Craig (BES ’73), member on the board of directors at The Long Point Biosphere Region Foundation.

Not only is Craig enthusiastic about the potential for future student involvement, but he also notes the collaboration with the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ extends beyond student placements. With regular meetings with Environment professors like Dr. Derek Armitage and Dr. Chantel Markle, they are able to align Environment 2035 research priorities and connect faculty expertise with community needs.

“It’s how the road mortality surveying project first came about. The internship allowed us to carry out this important work that we wouldn’t have had the money to do otherwise,” he says. “It shows how meaningful connections between universities and community organizations can drive real progress for species at risk.”

Global Citizen Internship program donors enable committed, talented, and passionate Environment undergraduate and graduate students to apply their knowledge in a work setting at Canadian registered charities and non-profit organizations with local and global reach.

Learn more about the Long Point Biosphere Region Foundation and its collaboration with the Faculty of Environment.

Environment

Co-op and Experiential Education

Sustainable Futures

Connecting ��ݮ��Ƶ’s best students with Canada’s best companies

Sam Charles — Thu, 08 May 2025 01:09:34 +0000

True North Fund partners with ��ݮ��Ƶ to develop a Canadian talent pipeline to help strengthen the country’s top 100 tech firms

Chris Albinson, co-founder and managing partner of Canadian venture capital fund True North Fund and co-founder of C100, says Canada is at a critical juncture in its continuing evolution as a global innovator. He says the country and its tech leaders need to work harder to retain the best and the brightest.

“We really need to build the narrative of 'Canada or bust!' The time for 'Cali or bust' that we hear from students has come to a close,” says ��ݮ��Ƶ-based Albinson. “For the first time we have a critical mass of global leaders based in Canada. We need to connect them to our best students. Considering the geopolitical environment we’re in, now is the time.”

Prompted by conversations at last spring’s convocation with University President and Vice-Chancellor Vivek Goel and Faculty of Engineering Dean Mary Wells, Albinson says they started exploring more ways to connect ��ݮ��Ƶ’s best students with Canada’s top private companies. That work has culminated in a partnership between True North and the University.

“As much as we’re proud to see our students thriving around the world, we also have a responsibility to show them they can build ambitious, meaningful careers right here in Canada,” Wells says. “Partnerships like this one with True North connect our students to top-tier co-op opportunities and help them see the possibilities that exist at home. I want them to see themselves not just working in Canada but also helping to build it for the future.”

Team True North is modelled after Canada’s “Own the Podium” Olympic strategy which focuses on providing resources to athletes with the highest potential for success. By merging True North’s roster of tech companies with ��ݮ��Ƶ’s co-op network, it creates a pipeline for growth and innovation in Canada.

Using an objective global standard data, True North identifies the top performing tech companies in Canada. The True North branding will provide students with the knowledge and confidence that they will have a meaningful and fulfilling co-op or full time experience at a global leader, right here in Canada.

At the bottom of each job description for these companies, it will read: “This company is part of Team True North, a comprehensive group of Canadian tech firms with performance and growth rates that match the top 1 per cent of companies worldwide.”

Some students might be surprised to learn that companies such as Arctic Wolf, Clearpath Robotics, 1Password, eSentire, Miovision Technologies and Faire are not only based in Canada but local to the ��ݮ��Ƶ region.

From the beginning, the world’s top high-tech companies have come to the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ to recruit its students. They are frequently drawn to ��ݮ��Ƶ by its track-record of developing leaders and innovators across sectors. For students, especially those seeking co-op experience, they are keen to join these large companies for the prestige and bragging rights.

The University has more than 8,000 employer partners across more than 70 countries including major tech companies such as Microsoft and Google. Despite data that shows every dollar invested by a business in a ��ݮ��Ƶ co-op student creates a greater economic gain, small and medium-sized companies may worry there might not be a critical mass of co-op applicants to draw talent from.

“We’ve heard that all high performing Canadian firms know about ��ݮ��Ƶ, but aren’t sure there are opportunities for them to recruit the University’s top students when competing against the world’s biggest companies,” Albinson says. “The same is true on the other side of the equation, that many students simply don’t realize the global leading opportunities right here in Canada, and we want to change that.”

Of Canada’s top 100 highest performing private companies, two-third are already working with ��ݮ��Ƶ co-op students. Albinson wants to close the gap with the remaining third of companies who he believes are missing an opportunity. “If we want these companies to compete globally, we need to connect them to ��ݮ��Ƶ’s talent pipeline, and vice versa, we need ��ݮ��Ƶ’s students to know and seek out these global Canadian companies.”

Companies like Faire, an online wholesale marketplace for retailers and brands, are already benefiting from its relationship with the University. With offices in San Francisco, Salt Lake City and ��ݮ��Ƶ, it employs more than 200 staff, many with University of ��ݮ��Ƶ connections.

“Our region is fortunate to be the epicentre of innovation in Canada,” Albinson says. “Our new partnership with the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ will help connect Canada’s best students with Canada’s best companies.”

Co-op and Experiential Education

Entrepreneurship

Global Futures

Economic Futures

Technological Futures

From action movies to urban planning

Brian Caldwell — Tue, 06 May 2025 18:21:42 +0000

Researchers develop automated system to generate 3D computer models of buildings, cities

A research team led by ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering has developed a faster, cheaper way to create large-scale, three-dimensional (3D) computer models of urban areas, technology that could impact fields including urban planning, architectural design and filmmaking.

The system can generate 3D models of entire cities using only 2D aerial photographs, automating a time-consuming manual process that previously required specially trained 3D artists and computer graphics programs.

“Think about all the time and labour involved in manually creating a digital 3D model of New York City for a new Spiderman movie,” said Kyle Gao, a PhD student in systems design engineering.

“With our system, it can be done using a few hundred aerial images – satellite images from Google Earth, for example – to train the model for a couple of hours in an automated process.”

Engineering doctoral student Kyle Gao (l) is supervised by Dr. Jonathan Li.

The technology is built upon a method known as Gaussian Splatting, which uses millions of tiny ellipsoids, each with their own colour and lighting detail, to automatically create 3D digital assets out of 2D aerial photographs.

“In the same way the human body is made up of tiny atoms, large-scale 3D objects are built from small 3D geometric ellipsoids,” said Gao. “Or you can imagine blobs of ink getting ‘splatted’ onto a 2D image.”

The technology is particularly well-suited to the production of computer-generated images and computer-generated graphics, including fast, photographic-quality images of urban environments.

Gao said an urban planner could use it to create 3D digital models of a neighbourhood to help study a development proposal or generate impressive fly-through video of the area to give residents at a public meeting an immersive look at the plan.

Researchers developed technology to create 3D computer models using only 2D aerial photographs.

Architects could use the technology to visualize and obtain measurements of buildings near a new project without leaving their desks or create a 3D model of an existing building as the starting point for design work.

The multidisciplinary research team, which included members from the engineering and environment faculties at the University ��ݮ��Ƶ, and Jimei University in China, is now considering commercialization possibilities and exploring the addition of data analysis capabilities to the system using geospatial artificial intelligence (AI).

“We are examining areas including traffic analysis, solar potential and electricity cost analysis, air quality analysis and weather forecasting,” Gao said. “We’re eager to find out what this can and can’t do.”

Gao is supervised by Dr. Jonathan Li, a cross-appointed professor of systems design engineering, and geography and environmental management, and the director of the Geospatial Intelligence and Mapping (GIM) Lab at ��ݮ��Ƶ.

A paper on the research, Enhanced 3D Scene Reconstruction and Point Cloud Densification using Gaussian Splatting and Google Earth Imagery, appeared in IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

Engineering

Environment

Research

Planting the seeds for innovation and curiosity

Sam Charles — Tue, 06 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000

More than 100,000 children and youth from across the region are discovering the wonders of science and technology through the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ

Ask a 10-year-old in ��ݮ��Ƶ region about the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ and they may tell you about the time they played with Nao or Talos, the humanoid robots housed in ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering’s RoboHub.

Every week, elementary school-aged students from across the region, visit campus as part of the Kids on Campus and "Mentor" lab programs to learn about a variety of topics including AI and technology literacy. Their visits can include stops at the RoboHub, Institute for Quantum Computing, Crash Labs (MME) and WatiMake Lab. Not only do these programs become a foundation for the students’ future success, but they play a role in maintaining the region’s strengths in developing talent and technology.

In the past five years, Engineering Outreach has offered more than 3,000 programs and reached nearly 100,000 youth.

“Our region benefits from having one of Canada’s most innovative universities here in our backyard,” says Sophie Nasato, senior manager Engineering Outreach. “There is nothing like seeing the spark that ignites in the eyes of so many of the young people who visit our campus when they program a robot or learn how technology impacts their world.”

The impact of the University goes far beyond the sharing of knowledge, innovative research or launching of start-ups. Through outreach programs led by each of its faculties, ��ݮ��Ƶ engages and motivates children and youth in its community to be curious and explore. From STEM programs to the arts and sports, the University seeks to inspire its broader community.

There are many factors that draw students and researchers to ��ݮ��Ƶ. Its reputation for being cutting-edge and its co-op program are two of the biggest, but its connection to community is another.

Fourth-year Mathematical Physics (co-op) and Astrophysics minor student, Lauren Brown first experienced ��ݮ��Ƶ outreach as an eight-year-old attending ESQ summer camp. “Outreach played a major role in my decision to ultimately attend ��ݮ��Ƶ,” she says. “While I enjoyed my schooling, I strongly benefited from learning about topics outside of the standard curriculum, surrounded by like-minded individuals.”

Brown attended ESQ summer camps and Go Eng Girl programming for five years. She says she also benefited from Engineering Outreach classroom workshops. “It was a full-circle moment when I started attending schools in the region to teach students about the same topics I had been interested in back then. I decided to work with Outreach because I wanted to give back to the community that helped me grow into the learner I am today.”

��ݮ��Ƶ was established in the 1950s with the goal of helping tackle some of the world’s most daunting challenges. Today, ��ݮ��Ƶ continues to share with the world innovative solutions to global challenges while working in collaboration locally to ensure they are addressed in its own surrounding communities.

These challenges include preparing a workforce that is agile and ready for whatever tomorrow brings. That work doesn’t simply begin when first-year students step onto campus. For many youth in the ��ݮ��Ƶ region, it starts in elementary school with a trip to campus, a classroom workshop with ��ݮ��Ƶ students, or by attending a summer camp.

“I still remember seeing my fingerprint for the first time and participating in energy and water filtration activities in grades four or five when ��ݮ��Ƶ scientists visited my class,” says Tasbiha Saif Ansari, a third-year student in the Science and Business program at ��ݮ��Ƶ. Today, Ansari volunteers with the outreach team at the Faculty of Science.

Often in collaboration with community partners and schools, ��ݮ��Ƶ provides outreach programming that includes camps, the Earth Science Museum, clubs, workshops, conferences and community events. This programming is designed for all youth, with an emphasis on those historically under-represented in STEM and under-served populations.

Simone Sankhe is finishing up her first year as a Math and Business major — a joint program between ��ݮ��Ƶ and Wilfrid Laurier. “Attending ESQ at a young age made STEM feel exciting and accessible, and it definitely helped spark the passion that led me to where I am today.”

Not only did Sankhe participate in ESQ camps and Leader in Training programming at ��ݮ��Ƶ, but she was a high school leader in 2023/24, and part-time outreach instructor for the past two years. “It's honestly incredibly rewarding. I love working with Engineering Outreach because we're able to work with so many kids from different backgrounds and it's always so impressive to see how much they already know, and how their interest in STEM is growing."

Helping young Canadians discover STEM

“We’re trying to give every young person in our area, whether they are 7 or 17, the chance to immerse themselves in science and technology,” says Nasato. “The interest and demand from the community continues to grow, and we are grateful to our many donors and partners for supporting the expansion of these offerings.”

The programs are supported by ��ݮ��Ƶ and many generous individual donors and organizations. As lead sponsors, Actua and Let’s Talk Science play an important role in expanding many of the programs to ensure under-served populations have an opportunity to participate. Actua provides funding for many of ��ݮ��Ƶ’s engineering outreach programs while Let’s Talk Science supports science outreach.

While most engineering programs are funded by sponsors and donors, both Faculties largely rely on volunteers, co-op students and staff. Between the Let’s Talk Science program, campus lab days and the Earth Science Museum, the Faculty of Science annually connects with close to 10,000 students ranging from grades 1 to 12.

The campus lab workshops, that take place in April and May, draw grade 11 and 12 classes from across the region and as far as Toronto and Windsor.

“All of our programming is about removing barriers, and letting young people explore and discover,” says Heather Neufeld, manager Science Outreach. “Our overall goal is to help feed people’s curiosity and sense of wonder when it comes to science and learning.”

It is often a full-circle moment for outreach staff and volunteers when they work with young students. “I love when students ask ‘big’ questions because these often lead to fruitful discussions and provide an opportunity for students to ask scientific questions outside of the typical school structure, and without the added pressure of grades,” Brown says. “When students think critically and are interested enough in the material to ask scientific questions, it reminds me of my own experiences at that age, and it is amazing to be a part of that experience for them.”

Everyone involved from participants to instructors benefits from outreach according to Neufeld. “Not only are we inspiring young minds to explore and discover STEM topics, but outreach is also a great opportunity for our student volunteers to connect with the public, share their passion, and explain complicated topics in a way we can all understand.”

Inspired by its long-standing connections with the community, the University continues to foster these connections with the goal of having a positive impact locally and globally. Outreach plays a lasting role in encouraging young and old to be curious and explore what’s possible.

Here is a selection of University of ��ݮ��Ƶ outreach programming:

ESQ Summer Camps led by the Faculty of Engineering with support from the Faculty of Science includes a variety of hands-on activities that explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and feature STEM mentors and tours of exciting spaces on ��ݮ��Ƶ’s campus. Campers will experiment with new technology, develop valuable skills, and connect with friends. Camps are offered in four grade ranges: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7 and 8-9. Find out more about other programs hosted by Engineering Outreach.

You can keep up with the variety of opportunities offered by Science Outreach by signing up for their mailing list. Public lectures, community events and opportunities for both students and schools are shared monthly.

The Student Art Innovation Lab is a mobile Faculty of Arts outreach program that hosts workshops and exhibitions.

Ecology Lab at the Faculty of Environment provides enrichment programs and workshops that include both field and lab activities designed for the students.

The Faculty of Mathematics offers a variety of outreach and enrichment programs to promote mathematics and computer science.

The Faculty of Health has been opening its doors for more than 50 years to host Kinesiology Lab Days. The program introduces high school students to kinesiology — the science of human movement.

��ݮ��Ƶ’s Athletics and Recreation department offers summer youth camps where campers can explore new skills, try out exciting activities and grow into confident Warriors.

Technological Futures

Restoring oil wells back to nature with moss

Pamela Smyth — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:18:44 +0000

Researchers use moss in new method capable of restoring peatlands damaged by oil and gas exploration

In what could represent a milestone in ecological restoration, researchers have implemented a method capable of restoring peatlands at tens of thousands of oil and gas exploration sites in Western Canada.

Researchers from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ led the project that involves lowering the surface of these decommissioned sites, known as well pads, and transplanting native moss onto them to effectively recreate peatlands. This is the first time researchers have applied the method to scale on an entire well pad. The study found that the technique results in sufficient water for the growth of peatland moss across large portions of the study site.

Historically, restoration efforts involved planting trees or grasses to establish upland forests or grasslands. This new method returns a well pad to its condition before drilling occurred and supports the ongoing development of peatland restoration techniques. The discovery can help the oil and gas industry and its regulators better mitigate the long-term impact of resource extraction on Canadian peatland ecosystems.

“These results are the first to suggest that the re-establishment of peatland vegetation on full-scale lowered well pads is possible through peatlands, which can negatively affect the ecosystem in surrounding areas,” said Murdoch McKinnon, PhD candidate in the Faculty of Environment. “Well pads bury all of the native peatland vegetation under clay or sand, negatively impacting the ability of the peatland to sequester carbon and also reducing the availability of habitat for wildlife.”

The well pad, located near the town of Slave Lake, Alberta, immediately after researchers introduced the moss, but before it started to establish. (University of ��ݮ��Ƶ)

The researchers plan to continue monitoring ecosystem development on the tested well pads to confirm that the transplanted mosses will be self-sustaining over the coming decades. Partners at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology’s Centre for Boreal Research are now applying some of the study’s recommendations at sites across northern Alberta.

“Preserving peatlands is critical because of the role they play storing and supplying water in the landscape,” said Dr. Richard Petrone, a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at ��ݮ��Ƶ. “They are also our best choice for nature-based climate change solutions because of the vast amounts of carbon that they store.”

In the future, researchers will focus on increasing the amount of water that flows from surrounding natural peatlands into well pads to further optimize soil moisture. This will be an essential step given the sensitivity of the native mosses to drying out and might therefore improve regrowth.

Mount Royal University, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and Athabasca University also contributed to this work. The study, Hydrologic assessment of mineral substrate suitability for true moss initiation in a boreal peatland undergoing restoration, appears in Ecological Engineering.

(Photo credit for banner image: University of ��ݮ��Ƶ)

Environment

Research

Sustainable Futures

A decade of empowering Canadians to become flood resilient

Chantal Vallis — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Looking back at the work, legacy, and final chapter of the community-engaged research initiative, Partners for Action

Flooding is the most frequent natural disaster in Canada with 2 in 10 Canadian homes at risk.

The impacts of flooding stretch from coast to coast, but most people don’t know they are at risk or what to do, and all sectors need to be part of the solution. It’s this gap that propelled Partners for Action (P4A) to be established in 2015 by founding partners The Co-operators Group Ltd. and Farm Mutual Re. with the Faculty of Environment.

"We created P4A to create the conditions for flood resilient communities: that Canadians understand the risk, that this understanding is used by policy makers and communities to make sound decisions, and that people have insurance and other options even after adaptations are in place,” says Shawna Peddle, Associate Vice President, Citizenship at Co-operators, and P4A’s first director. “We are proud of the impact P4A has had on all three fronts, and on influencing the conversation at a national level."

As P4A winds down, we reflect on its decade of impact and legacy.

Advances in Canadian flood resiliency

P4A has made some historic achievements. One is FloodSmart Canada, a bilingual portal promoting inclusive flood risk preparedness. It was the first resource of its kind, and, for a long time, the site was the only place where the public could access flood maps. This was foundational work in Canadian hazard awareness, uniting key players seeking solutions to protect people and properties, and building on work by Jason Thistlethwaite, P4A’s associate director, which has improved how flood information leads to property and community-level action.

As the work progressed, so did the focus to include equity-informed risk mapping. Working with the Canadian Red Cross and Co-operators, P4A aimed to determine who is made most vulnerable to flooding and map the drivers of this vulnerability for developing inclusive policies. This work resulted in a Social Vulnerability Index that identifies areas within communities that likely need support before, during, and after hazardous events.

More recently, P4A developed the novel database of multi-hazard Climate Resilient Retrofits for adaptation so that people can search and filter by the area of a home they are renovating, and by which hazards they want to protect against. The database not only details actions to take, but which actions go well or conflict with one another.

“As Canada continues to experience more severe weather, P4A has been at the forefront of collaborative research that communities need,” says Jean-Pierre Gagnon, President & CEO at Farm Mutual Re. “Sites like Climate Resilient Retrofits are valuable for our current reality, so people and policymakers know how to protect homes from floods, heat and fire."

While these are but a few of the highlights from a decade of research and action, it is worth noting that, like any story, this journey has not always been easy, nor is the work complete.

“It is very tough to straddle that line between giving enough information so that people can take action, and overwhelming people by getting ‘too in the weeds,’” says Sharmalene Mendis-Millard, director of P4A. “Also, making change is context specific. Not everyone is impacted equally or has the same time or access to resources to adapt and prepare.”

The lasting legacy of Partners for Action (P4A)

Solving these challenges takes more than a decade—it requires long-term commitment, collaboration, and innovation. Climate resilience, flood mitigation, and community adaptation are ongoing efforts that evolve with new data, shifting policies, and changing environmental conditions. The work of P4A has laid a strong foundation, but the need for knowledge-sharing, research, and action will only continue to grow in the years ahead.

Moving forward, ��ݮ��Ƶ researchers across faculties will focus on growing networks and pursuing strategies designed to reduce the impacts of extreme weather and climate change. Strategic relocation from flood and fire prone areas is one such project that began under the banner of P4A and will continue under the leadership of Brent Doberstein, professor in the Faculty of Environment and member of the ��ݮ��Ƶ Climate Institute and Water Institute, thanks to a New Frontiers in Research-International $2.45 million grant.

As a leader in whole-of-society resiliency, P4A played an instrumental role in catalyzing innovative, collaborative research and convening key players across Canada. P4A's legacy lives on through the students who gained practical, applied experience and in the relationships built across sectors, disciplines, and levels of government.

“This work has really been about harnessing the resources of academia to benefit Canadian communities and learning from people to make our research and our work better,” says Mendis-Millard.

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Sustainability vs. Growth? Why not both

Chantal Vallis — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In her work on water-food-energy resource management, Dr. Leah Jones-Crank explores the possibilities of pursuing economic development and conservation in local and global communities

Are economic development and environmental conservation at odds? From a conceptual viewpoint, perhaps, but according to Dr. Leah Jones-Crank in the Faculty of Environment they don’t have to be.

Using stakeholder engagement, Dr. Jones-Crank's approach to research brings community knowledge holders together with academics on issues related to water-food-energy resources and governance to understand the complexity, challenges, and values inherent in those complex systems.

“By working directly with stakeholders at every stage of a project, I am able to uncover unique, local-level values, strategies, and obstacles critical to understanding how local food-water-energy systems work,” says Dr. Jones-Crank. “With this more nuanced understanding, we can co-create solutions that respond to multiple needs.”

Long Point Biosphere Conservation Region, the location of Dr. Jones-Crank's current project, is a perfect example of a community where potentially competing environmental and economic interests – conservation and farming – are thriving through cooperation.

Long Point was designated a biosphere by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1986 due to its unique ecosystems and high levels of biodiversity. Economic activity in and around the ecologically sensitive biosphere includes tourism and farming.

Dr. Jones-Crank recently toured farms in Norfolk County, home to the biosphere, learning how farmers have made their operations both more profitable and ecologically sustainable.

“The work of Alternative Land-use Services (ALuS) Norfolk demonstrates these synergies, as they financially support farmers to use marginal land that is unsuitable for farming for ecosystem service projects, such as buffer zones and restored wetlands,” she explains.

“You can’t just study a policy document and think you understand how governance works,” she notes. “If we don’t talk to the people actually making these systems function, we won’t understand what really needs to change.

This deeply collaborative approach carries into the classroom. In her translational ecology course, students co-design research projects with non-academic stakeholders from the start — shaping their questions around the needs and insights of the community.

“It’s not about doing the research and then translating it later,” she explains. “It’s about building a project together so that translation isn’t needed.”

Merging local approaches and global experiences

This spring, Dr. Jones-Crank is co-teaching a field course on urban sustainability in Singapore. Open to students across the Faculty of Environment, the course offers hands-on opportunities to engage with community members and experts alike on topics of conservation, urban heat, and food and water sustainability.

“In Singapore, we will be going on tours of vertical farms, meeting with scholars at Singapore Management University and the National University of Singapore to explore urban heat research and learning about the unique history of water management at the Singapore Sustainable Gallery.”

A mobile weather station developed by Singapore Management University to measure urban heat.

An indoor, vertical farm producing leafy greens demonstrates sustainable urban practices.

When asked why international experiences are so essential to a student’s learning journey Dr. Jones-Crank explains that “environmental problems are not defined by geopolitical and cultural boundaries, so we cannot solve them in siloes. By helping our students build intercultural skills, we are setting them up for successful collaborations in their future careers.”

By fostering deep, community-based learning at both local and global levels, Dr. Jones-Crank’s work embodies the values at the heart of the Faculty’s Environment 2035 strategic vision, and feeds into the University's aspirations outlined in ��ݮ��Ƶ at 100. By teaching our students how to communicate and collaborate with diverse groups, connect their work to real world challenges, and make positive contributions to the local and global communities in which they live, work and study, we will realize this strategic vision.

Environment

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Sustainable Futures

A look behind Hong Kong’s successful transit system

Chantal Vallis — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Planning alumni Rex Auyeung (BES '77) takes us behind the scenes of one of the most efficient and sustainable transit corporations in the world

As cities around the world struggle to expand their public-transit systems to accommodate their growing population, one city is uniquely rising to the challenge proving that profit, sustainability and good urban planning go hand-in-hand.

Hong Kong is home to what is widely regarded as one of the most efficient public transit systems in the world and at the helm is planning alumni Rex Auyeung (BES '77). He has served as Chairman of the majority government-owned public transport operator, Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Corporation Limited, which is at the same time, listed on the Hong Kong’s stock exchange with a market capitalization of HK$164 billion. In addition to being a mass transit service provider, the Corporation also steers the city’s sustainable growth and development. He takes us behind the scenes to share their unique approach to transit and future priorities.

Behind the scenes of developing transit and communities

“One of the success factors of MTR today is the unique business model called Rail plus Property,” says Auyeung. “It’s so unique that we have many countries around the world coming to Hong Kong to study this.”

The Rail plus Property model integrates railway expansion with property investment. By using property development revenue to fund the construction and operation of the railway system, this approach establishes a self-sustaining model for transit infrastructure development. It has become a key driver of Hong Kong’s urban expansion, leading to the development of new communities that are increasingly connected, technologically advanced, and sustainable.

“This model has been going on for the past 45 years,” Auyeung says. “It’s through this model we develop the community. Because we set up a new railway line, residential and commercial areas, schools and malls follow.”

With transportation at the core of urban development, it’s no wonder that more than half the population rides public transit, and it’s become the affordable, sustainable option. Currently, the weekday patronage of MTR has reached over 5.6 million. A total of 1.9 billion passengers rode on the network in 2024.

Now, and in the future, sustainability is top of mind

Looking to the future, sustainability is top of mind as Auyeung wraps up his tenure. Subway systems are one of the highest users of electricity and he shares that finding alternatives and reducing the operation’s environmental impact is a regular topic at the board level. They discuss how the corporation can continue to improve and meet their ambitious goals over the next five, ten and fifteen years.

“The Hong Kong Government has a 2050 carbon neutrality strategy. We are aiming to cut our emissions in half by 2030,” he says. “I continue to look for what we call fit-for-future strategies. We are always on the alert for how we can leverage new tools, ideas and technologies that can improve our service, raise our efficiency and support our ESG goals.”

In practice MTR has integrated low-carbon measures and adopted energy efficiency measures in its businesses to manage environmental footprint. The green design and initiatives of MTR Hin Keng Station make it the first railway station in the world to receive an “Excellent” rating under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) In-Use certification. Environmentally conscious features will also be incorporated in its future new stations. Meanwhile, to support renewable and new energy, solar PV systems have been installed at selected stations, depots and its shopping malls. Notably, its Pat Heung Depot equipped with over 2,100 flexible solar PV panels is the largest flexible solar panel system in a single building in Hong Kong. Besides, this transit operator is also progressively introducing electricity buses to make its feeder bus services greener.

“My board told me ‘2030 is not so far away,’” he laughs. “I told them ‘I know, but we have to.’ There are a lot of debates around if ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategies are worth it, but from my perspective we have to do something. We have a responsibility to the world. Of course, the dollars we spend today we may not see anything back during my time. But I hope the generations in the future will see the benefits of exercising an ESG strategy.”

Back to basics – and to ��ݮ��Ƶ

“When I graduated, I got into the insurance world. For many years I did something completely different than what I studied at ��ݮ��Ƶ. But today I am in a position to pick up my knowledge and now be Chairman of one of the major public transit operators in Hong Kong. It all comes around.”

“I find it interesting that even though it’s been 45 years from what I learned and what I am doing today, the basics are still there. The concept of protecting the environment and creating a sustainable future still sticks in my mind. They are all topics that I learned about at ��ݮ��Ƶ.”

But that’s not the only ��ݮ��Ƶ memory top of mind. Alongside academics, Auyeung recounts fond memories of his friends, working with professors like Dr. Saul Herzog, and watching basketball games. “It may have been a long time ago, but I still remember my ��ݮ��Ƶ ID number,” he jokes. Now as alumni, those memories continue to be added to.

“When I came to Hong Kong in 1993, I knew nobody. It was the alumni program that helped me. It was through this network that I was introduced to the business community in Hong Kong. It’s why I want to stay involved.”

“To me the alumni network plays a unique role because it links the generations together,” he says. “I think the network is very important – to help each other and share experiences.”

Building for the future, together

Sustainability, innovation, and community are at the heart of Hong Kong’s transit success. Under Auyeung’s leadership, MTR is proving that forward-thinking urban development isn’t just about moving people—it’s about building stronger, more connected communities. As he looks ahead, his commitment to mentorship and knowledge-sharing ensures that future leaders will continue shaping cities that thrive for generations to come.

Environment

Community

Sustainable Futures