Message from the Dean
The academic year of 2022-2023 saw the return to in-person activities for most of the Faculty of Science. We have learned a great deal from the pandemic and how to cope with health regulations, mask mandates, and social distancing. The social benefits of learning are significant and the return to an in-person workplace or classroom was most welcome by faculty, staff and, of course, our students.
Each year we have many examples of outstanding scholarly activities and the past year was no exception. Student success in the Faculty of Science took on many forms and I am always impressed with their achievements at the University of Winnipeg. For example, in August, Dr. Andrew Frey (Physics) organized the annual Winnipeg Institute of Theoretical Physics (WITP) Summer Student Symposium 2022. This successful one-day symposium attracted fifteen graduate and undergraduate student speakers from the University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba and Brandon University, who presented their research both virtually and in-person. Abstracts of the presentations can be viewed online: https://www2.physics.umanitoba.ca/u/witp/summer/symposium22.html.
The 17th Annual Randy Kobes Undergraduate Poster Symposium took place in September and the hard work of Andrea Wiebe, Jenna Russell, Dr. Melanie Martin (Physics) and Dr. Nora Casson (Geography) must be acknowledged for their outstanding work to improve our students’ experience every year with great ideas such as “Tips and Tricks.” I am proud to say that last year we had twenty-seven students presenting their work via Zoom, and prizes were awarded for the best posters in four categories: (1) Social Sciences; (2) Biological Sciences; (3) Experimental Physical Sciences; and (4) Mathematical and Theoretical Physical Sciences. To view the work of our students, please visit: https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/randy-kobes-symposium/index.html#
Students and professors in the Faculty of Science actively participated in a number of scholarly activities and programs during the spring and summer months. Pathways to Graduate Studies (P2GS) offers research opportunities for Indigenous students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. In 2022, we had eight students working with professors from the Faculty of Science and the Gupta Faculty of Kinesiology and Applied Health. Our Indigenous Summer Scholars Program (ISSP) engages Indigenous students in a variety of scholarly projects that can be collaborative and community-based. In 2022, our ISSP experienced growth with eleven students (five in Science) doing a variety of projects from growth analysis of Lake Trout to assessing radiation doses. The UW Chapter of the Canadian Region of the Indigenous Science and Engineering Students (.caISES), which is partnered with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), received recognition for their outstanding work at the University of Winnipeg. The .caISES students won the Chapter Development Award and Dr. Melanie Martin (Physics) was recognized as the Advisor of the Year.
In terms of research and scholarship, there were a number of highlights in the last year from the Faculty of Science that are worth mentioning. In April, Dr. Ed Cloutis (Geography) was one of four Canadian university researchers to share funding ($493,081) from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to advance scientific knowledge of the Sun–Earth system, the solar system and the universe through participation in international science missions. The University of Winnipeg also received more than $270,000 in Government of Canada funding through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for The Laboratory of Osteoarchaeology, located in the Department of Anthropology (Dr. Yadira Chinique de Armas with co-applicant Dr. Mirjana Roksandic) and the Centre for Molecular Structure Determination (Dr. Jamie Ritch with co-applicants Drs. Chris Wiebe and Athar Ata, Department of Chemistry).
Funding from the 2022 Natural Sciences and Engineering Council was significant with six University of Winnipeg researchers receiving $815,000 in Discovery Grants and $60,000 in Discovery Development Grants. Dr. Jean-Pierre Desforges (Environmental Studies and Sciences) was awarded a Northern Research Supplements Grant. Early Career Researcher – Discovery Launch Supplements were awarded to Drs. Sanoji Wijenayake and Stephanie Bugden. Drs. Russell Mammei and Evan McDonough received Subatomic Physics Grants which totaled $475,000.
Dr. Sanoji Wijenayake (Biology) was the recipient of a 2022 Manitoba Medical Service Foundation Operating Grant for her research, “Maternal Milk is more than food: Milk contains bioactive components that shape offspring neurodevelopment Bioactive Compounds in maternal milk.” Dr. Anuraag Shrivastav (Biology) received a two-year proof of concept grant from Research Manitoba for Evaluation of Novel NMT-IHC Tests as Predictive and Prognostic Tests for Breast Cancer. Drs. Chris Henry (ACS) and Chris Bidinosti (Physics) and their partners (R-Tech Industries, Northstar Robotics, EMILI) received a two-year Innovation Proof-of-Concept (IPoC) Grant ($150,000) from Research Manitoba for their project, “Agriculture re-envisioned – breaking through the proximal data bottleneck.”
Dr. Ryan Bullock (Environmental Studies and Sciences) successfully renewed his Tier II Canada Research Chair in Human-Environment Interactions for five years. Dr. Bullock's research “examines new models for cross-cultural collaboration and their linkages to the adaptive capacity, innovation, and learning needed to navigate environmental and social change.”
In February, the University of Winnipeg celebrated International Day of Women and Girls in Science by sharing stories of five women in our Faculty: Cassidy Lamirande (.caISES), Gracie Grift (.caISES), Dr. Sara Good (Biology), Monalisa Abas (Biology), and Dr. Sanoji Wijenayake (Biology). In March, Dr. Anna Stokke (Mathematics and Statistics) launched her Chalk and Talk Podcast which features conversations on a range of topics for anyone interest in mathematics, teaching and learning in general. These podcasts are very informative and I would encourage any educator (at any level) to tune in.
The month of March also brought with it two very prominent visitors to the Department of Physics. On March 17, Dr. Nigel Smith, Executive Director and CEO of the TRI-University Meson Facility (TRIUMF) gave a presentation on the current and future research activities taking place. In March, TRIUMF also announced that the University of Winnipeg is now one of seven institutions to join the University member network for this facility. On March 23, the Department of Physics hosted Dr. Sylvestre James (Jim) Gates (Clark Leadership Chair in Science, Distinguished University Professor and Regents Professor) from the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland. Dr. Gates gave a public lecture, “From Sci-Fi & Marvel to String Theory & Back Again” that was well attended. Special thanks must be given to Dr. Evan McDonough and the Winnipeg Institute for Theoretical Physics for hosting - it's not every day that we have such a prominent scientist visit our school.
The success of our programs in the Faculty of Science is due in no small part to the leadership of Department Chairs. I feel extremely lucky to be able to work with this talented group of individuals who make big sacrifices in terms of time and energy to do their job. Where would departments in the Faculty of Science be without the administrative support of its DAs? This past year has been an adjustment for everyone and their return to department offices at the beginning of fall term was very much appreciated by faculty and students. In the background were our technicians who faced many challenges with remote learning and the return to in-person teaching labs. If things went well in our teaching laboratories last year, it was in part because of their expertise.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the people with whom I work in the Dean’s Office. Jenna Russell’s organizational work and seamless support for our outreach programs consistently made administrative life easier for everyone. Rebecca Stephenson, Program Officer, Budget and Staffing Priorities, provided critical support which allowed Science Departments to plan their staffing and budget needs effectively. The Associate Dean of Science, Dr. Tabitha Wood, provided important leadership on numerous committees, especially the Senate Students Appeals Committee, Safety and Biosafety. Tabitha's mentorship of students and passion for outreach activities such as Science Rendezvous are exceptional.
The University of Winnipeg is a dynamic community. Each year, our faculty, staff and students inspire me and I look forward to the coming year as I expect it to be every bit as challenging as it will be rewarding.
Dr. Douglas Goltz
Dean of Science