IES Annual Report 2013-14

Institute for Environmental Sustainability 2013-14 Annual Report

Annual Report 2013-14

improving environmental sustainability through scholarship that integrates diverse academic disciplines, student learning and community engagement

Institute for Environmental Sustainability 2013-14 Annual Report 2


TABLEOFCONTENTS

Message from the Director ..................................... 4 About the Institute .................................................... 5 Externally Sponsored Research ............................... 8 IES Research Grants .............................................. 10 Student Engagement and Research ..................... 12 Newalta Undergraduate Research Awards ...... 12 Undergraduate Research Assistants ................ 13 Student Professional Opportunities ................. 16 New Course Development ................................. 17 Enhanced Learning Opportunities ................... 18 Professional Development ..................................... 19 Community Outreach and Events .......................... 20 Publications and Presentations ............................. 24 Assistant Directors, Staff and Collaborators ........ 26


It is with great pleasure that I offer this first annual report for Mount Royal University’s Institute for Environmental Sustainability (IES). I joined MRU in January 2013 as the Inaugural Director and the Talisman Energy Chair for Environmental Sustainability. I owe significant gratitude to the many individuals who provided the ground work and effort to form the Institute. Likewise, I am grateful to Talisman Energy, Encana Corporation, Newalta and Progress Energy for the generous financial gifts that are providing the critical resources necessary to launch and sustain this endeavor. I can truly say that I am delighted with my move to MRU. The openness and enthusiasm for the institute has been overwhelming. Moreover, I have been warmly welcomed across the campus. There is clearly an appetite for teaching and scholarship in the many facets of environmental sustainability. I was committed to “hit the ground running” and I believe that my colleagues and I have quickly demonstrated the viability of this initiative at MRU. A few highlights demonstrate the activity of these frenetic first months:

We secured a grant from the Canadian Water Network (National Centre of Excellence) to lead a national team on a project to explore the landscape effects of hydraulic fracturing on surface water and watersheds;

The IES provided financial support for 16 environmental sustainability research projects representing 22 MRU faculty from 12 different departments;

In cooperation with the Office of Research, we awarded the first 5 Newalta Undergraduate Research Awards;

Thirty-one MRU students were directly employed on research projects providing them with valuable practical skills;

Over 800 people attended our public ‘Earth Day’ events, we launched a seminar series, formed a Protected Areas Research group and joined forces to convene the Under Western Skies Conference.

I am delighted to announce that Drs. Barb McNicol and Connie Van der Byl have joined the IES as Assistant Directors. Dr. Carlos Serralde is working with us on contract to help with the hydraulic fracturing research and Paris Afshordy will be assuming full-time duties as an Administrative Assistant. Administrative and financial services are cheerfully provided by Cindy Greshner and Debbie Krisa respectively. In the next few months we will be forming an advisory committee from members of the Calgary community to help guide the direction of the IES. Together, all of us will continue to build on the initiatives of our natal year. I am proud to be part of this effort to facilitate the advancement of excellence in undergraduate education at Mount Royal University.

MESSAGEFROMTHEDIRECTOR

INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY


ABOUTTHEINSTITUTEA NEW MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY INITIATIVE

The Institute for Environmental Sustainability (IES) was established in January 2013 with the support of generous gifts from Encana and Talisman Energy. Our mission is to improve environmental health and sustainability through scholarship that integrates diverse academic disciplines, student learning and community engagement.


The IES is a forum where faculty, students and other stakeholders come together to build knowledge and develop viable solutions that will contribute to the overall welfare and security of society. The Institute strengthens, coordinates and facilitates collaborative research and other scholarly, artistic and academic activities which are not undertaken within Mount Royal’s departmental structure.

A Forum for Collaboration


Across the Disciplines

Enhanced Undergraduate Opportunities

Research in the IES builds upon established expertise in applied environmental science, addressing practical goals such as improving water quality, mitigating the environmental impact of fossil fuel extraction, and restoring damaged environments. In addition, scholarship in the IES explores economic, cultural and societal issues that are often overshadowed by the “hard” science, but equally critical to achieving environmental sustainability.

The academic activities of the IES are geared to providing maximal benefits for Mount Royal students. The increase in research activity as the Institute grows will provide many additional opportunities for students to experience primary research directly supervised by IES investigators. This will occur mainly through summer research opportunities, independent study research project courses and honours research projects. Due to the nature of the work on environmental sustainability, most research students will also have the opportunity to interact with communities and organizations, and thus begin to build the interpersonal networks that are so critical to career success.


EXTERNALLYSPONSOREDRESEARCHBUILDING RESEARCH CAPACITY

Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Knowledge Integration: Landscape Impacts

This is a one-year, collaborative, interdisciplinary project with a budget of approximately $250,000 for the Canadian Water Network. It involves 18 researchers (including 5 from MRU) from across Canada (see: www.cwn-rce.ca). The purpose of the project is to understand fracking operations and related decision-making needs in the context of Canadian regional landscapes. Using documented water and landscape effects from a number of small-scale projects, the project team will focus on understanding the cumulative effects of fracking operations on surface water, watersheds and water demand in a regional context. A regional scale focus offers the best framework for understanding both the complexity of decision-making and knowledge gaps involved in the science-management and science-policy interface.

Ecological infrastructure, resilience and governance in the Calgary region: a partnership for regional sustainability

A multi-year program of research directed by co-investigators Mike Quinn and Mary-Ellen Tyler (University of Calgary). The work includes a SSHRC Partnership Development Grant and collaborative funding from an anonymous foundation and the Calgary Regional Partnership with a total budget of approximately $750,000. The purpose of this project is to co-create with our municipal partner organization a social ecological systems (SES) governance framework for integrating land use planning and water management at the regional landscape scale.


A collaborative project with the Miistakis Institute (an MRU-affiliated research institute – www.rockies.ca). The research includes a survey of Alberta beef producers, and extensive literature review on compensation programs and an analysis of economic impacts.

A $20,000 project funded by Alberta Parks to assess the structural and functional connectivity of GRPP for wildlife species both locally and in the context of the greater Calgary region. The project will involve the creation of predictive local and regional connectivity models which will be validated with wildlife data collected at GRPP using remote camera trapping. The work is being done by Mohammed Shariful Islam, a Master’s candidate in the Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary under the supervision of Mike Quinn.

Understanding the Impacts of Wildlife Depredation on Alberta Livestock

Regional and Local Connectivity Analysis of Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park


IESRESEARCHGRANTSSUPPORTING SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH AT MRU

Bumble Bee Monitoring in Calgary Green Spaces: A Community Project. Katherine Boggs (Earth Sciences). A Study on the Potential Climate Change Impact of Commuting to Mount Royal University. Israel Dunmade (Environmental Science).

C r o w d ‐ s o u r c e d M o n e t i z a t i o n o f Environmental Risk: Frontier Market Sovereign Debt. Alan Dwyer (Financial Services), Tomás Guerrero Blanco (Carlos III University, Madrid). To farm or to fish? A science journalism investigation into a Central American fishing village undergoing a paradigm shift to establish the region’s first sustainable seaweed farm. Sarah Hewitt (Biology).

Transformative Learning Experience of Participants in Cross-Cultural Management Course: Empirical Study on Students’ Conceptualization of Intercultural Business Environment. Anna Korwin-Kowalewska (International Business). International Peace Parks: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the World’s First IPPs in Canada/U.S. and Poland/Slovakia. Anna Korwin-Kowalewska (International Business). The Effects and Implications of Environmental Disasters on the Family and Communities, and Ensuring Environmental and Social Sustainability: Communicating, Coping, and Caring Among Families Impacted by the 2013 High River Alberta Floods. Caroline McDonald-Harker (Sociology) and Timothy Haney (Sociology).

Contributions to ecosystem health assessments in Calgary’s urban natural areas through technology-enabled citizen science. Lynn Moorman (Earth Sciences) and Dorothy Hill (Biology).

The IES provides research funding on a competitive basis to MRU researchers pursuing projects with an environmental sustainability focus.


Evaluation of Dendrochemistry as a Novel Spatial Delineation of Persistent Organic Pollutants. Gwen O’Sullivan (Environmental Science).

A Plan to Survey Pollinator (Primarily Bee) and Associated Floral Diversity in Calgary and Surrounding Areas Every Year for 100 Years. Robin Owen (Biology). Journalism: Water Sustainability. Janice Paskey (Journalism) and Terry Field (Journalism). From Field to Cup: Sustainable Coffee Production. Melanie Rathburn (General Education and Biology) and Roberta Lexier (General Education).

Exploring Teacher’s Perceptions of Nature-Focused Programs: Outdoor Experiences at the Anne and Sandy Cross Conservation Area. Heather Ray (Phys Ed and Rec), Sonya Jakubec (Nursing), Joe Pavelka (Phys Ed and Rec). A Water Sustainability Framework for Shale Gas Development and Environmental Protection. Roger St. Fort (Environmental Science).

Found in Alberta: Environmental Themes for the Anthropocene. Mario Trono (English) and Robert Boschman (English). The Alberta oil sands: A critical exploration of sustainability metaphors in industry, government, not for profit and media dialogues. Amanda Williams (Journalism) and Janice Paskey (Journalism).


Olivia Grecu. A Comparative Analysis of three Nations’ Perspectives on the Alberta Oil Sands. The purpose of this project is to offer insight into how Canadian and international sources have in the past and are presently exploring the Alberta oil sands. Braden Maybury. Variability in CO2 Concentrations in Terrestrial Landscapes around Hot Springs. This project will investigate the variability of CO2 concentrations in different sub-environments in an area with hot springs. Kyle Plante. Hydrothermal springs and their influence on lacustrine and lake-margin environments in the Eocene Green River Formation, Wyoming. The research focuses on the interactions between organisms, their environments, and sedimentary deposits that represent the conditions in the environments, particularly in lake basins that contain hot springs. Shannon Rasmussen. Development and Evaluation of Compressed Bentonite-Sand Membranes for the Treatment of Saline Impacted Groundwater. Accidental releases of salt to the environment pose a challenging remediation problem. Matthew Sutton. North American Comparative Review of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The purpose of this study is to offer insight regarding how Canadian versus American print sources communicate about the Keystone XL Pipeline Project.

STUDENTENGAGEMENTANDRESEARCH

ENHANCING THE UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE

Newalta Undergraduate Research Awards A Funding Opportunity to Facilitate Undergraduate Research


Undergraduate Research Assistants

Victoria Anderson (Anthropology). Hired to assist with Under Western Skies organization and delivery. Megan Berry (Public Relations). The Alberta oil sands: A critical exploration of sustainability metaphors in industry, government, not for profit and media dialogues. Lisa Boyer (Environmental Science). Directed Field Studies Work Experience placement with the IES and the Miistakis Institute to investigate the economic cost of wildlife damage to agriculture in Alberta.

Emilie Bassie (Sociology). The Effects and Implications of Environmental Disasters on the Family and Communities, and Ensuring Environmental and Social Sustainability: Communicating, Coping, and Caring Among Families Impacted by the 2013 High River Alberta Floods.

Zoe Choy (Journalism). Journalism: Water Sustainability.

Alex Christison (Sociology). The Effects and Implications of Environmental Disasters on the Family and Communities, and Ensuring Environmental and Social Sustainability: Communicating, Coping, and Caring Among Families Impacted by the 2013 High River Alberta Floods. Zachary Cox (Sociology). The Effects and Implications of Environmental Disasters on the Family and Communities, and Ensuring Environmental and Social Sustainability: Communicating, Coping, and Caring Among Families Impacted by the 2013 High River Alberta Floods.

E d e m E k p e ( E n v i r o n m e n t a l Science). Hired to assist with research at the IES and the Miistakis Institute to evaluate international compensation programs for livestock depredation. Lisa Gimber (Information Design). Hired through the IES to assist the President’s Task Force on Env i ronmental Sustainability on the production of the


Jennifer Hall (Environmental Science). Lab research assistant. Avneet Kaur (Environmental Science - Master’s Student). Assisting with hydraulic fracturing waste water treatment research. Sarah Lamoureux (Information Design). Hired on a practical work term placement by the IES and the President’s Task Force on Environmental Sustainability to conduct background research for the final report. Alice Liboiron (General Science). Contributions to ecosystem health assessments in Calgary’s urban natural areas through technology-enabled citizen science. Dan Mansell (General Science) was hired jointly by the IES and the Miistakis Institute to conduct wildlife-vehicle collision research.

Kenton Marshall (Bissett School of Business). Research assistant to conduct interviews and analyze data—student environmental awareness/attitudes.

Lauren Midgley (Education). Exploring Teacher’s Perceptions of Nature-Focused Programs: Outdoor Experiences at the Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area Heath Milo (History). Hired to assist with Under Western Skies III organization and delivery.

Jessica Paquette (Anthropology). Contributions to ecosystem health assessments in Calgary’s urban natural areas through technology-enabled citizen science. Shannon Rasmussen (Environmental Science). Evaluation of Dendrochemistry as a Novel Environmental Monitoring Tool: The Temporal and Spatial Delineation of Persistent Organic Pollutants. Jennifer Retzer (English). Hired to assist with Under Western Skies III organization and delivery. Imogene Roulson (Sociology). The Effects and Implications of Environmental Disasters on the Family and Communities, and Ensuring Environmental and Social Sustainability: Communicating, Coping, and Caring Among Families Impacted by the 2013 High River Alberta Floods.


Kaylea Schwengler (Sociology). The Effects and Implications of Environmental Disasters on the Family and Communities, and Ensuring Environmental and Social Sustainability: Communicating, Coping, and Caring Among Families Impacted by the 2013 High River Alberta Floods. Amara Snively (Environmental Science). Directed Field Studies Work Experience placement with the IES to work on water footprint analysis & wildlife depredation. Nadia Tejada (Psychology). The impact of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on nervous system development in the pond snail, Helisoma trivolvis.

Corinne Thiessen (Communications). Crowd‐sourced Monet izat ion of Environmental Risk: Frontier Market Sovereign Debt. Sabina Trimble (History). Hired to assist with Under Western Skies III organization and delivery. Arleta Tyzo (Environmental Science). Research on the treatment of hydraulic fracturing produced water.

Dr. Md. Mesbah Uddin, Post-Doctoral Fellow under the supervision of Robin Owen (Biology) to study pollinators and explore opportunities for collaboration in Bangladesh. Sylvia Ulatowski (Sociology). The Effects and Implications of Environmental Disasters on the Family and Communities, and Ensuring Environmental and Social Sustainability: Communicating, Coping, and Caring Among Families Impacted by the 2013 High River Alberta Floods. Vanessa Vandergaag (Psychology). Exploring Teacher’s Perceptions of Nature-Focused Programs: Outdoor Experiences at the Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area Kathryn Wells (Sociology). The Effects and Implications of Environmental Disasters on the Family and Communities, and Ensuring Environmental and Social Sustainability: Communicating, Coping, and Caring Among Families Impacted by the 2013 High River Alberta Floods.


PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENTOPPORTUNITESFORSTUDENTS

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Institute for Energy, Environment and Economy - Students Association (ISEEESA) - now known as FUSE - is a student-based organization founded at the University of Calgary. This is a dynamic organization that provides students with professional development and networking opportunities. The IES sponsored an information session for MRU students that resulted in excellent engagement. We have also sponsored two tables at each of the last two ISEEESA Networking dinners and brought 12 students and 12 faculty members to the event. Mike Quinn serves on the Advisory Board for FUSE.

Solar West Workshop Canadian Solar Industries Association. IES sponsored the attendance of 6 MRU students and 2 faculty under the supervision of Patti Derbyshire (Bissett School of Business) and Helen Evans Warren (Interior Design). Hydraulic Fracturing- An Environmental Perspective Forum. Petroleum Technology Association of Canada. The IES was the “Investing in Our Future” sponsor for this 1-day workshop held at the Petroleum Club. The sponsorship included registrations for 6 MRU students and 6 faculty.


Cairngorms National Park, Scotland. The IES received a $5000 grant from the Office of International Education (Internationalization Incentive Fund) to assess the feasibility of developing a field school in the Scottish Highlands. A reconnaissance trip was conducted in May 2014 by Michael Quinn, Celeste MacConnachie (General Education) and Kathy Rettie (Adjunct pending). The final report recommends the development of two upper level General Education courses (one in Numeracy and Scientific Literacy and the other in Community and Society) with the intent of seeking necessary approvals and offering the courses in the 2015 spring session. The courses will focus on the na tu r a l and soc ia l face ts o f sustainability. This initiative will also include a relationship between MRU and the University of St. Andrews.

NEWCOURSEDEVELOPMENTSUSTAINABILITY CURRICULUM

An Interdisciplinary Field School in Scotland


ENHANCEDLEARNINGOPPORTUNITIES

Cumulative Effects Model

The Inquiry

LiDAR Imagery

ALCES (A Landscape Cumulative Effects Simulator) Online. The IES has purchased a site license to make this state-of-the art data and program available to students and faculty for both classroom and research work. A free workshop will be convened for MRU faculty in the fall of 2014.

Inquiry Exhibition. The IES will sponsor a travelling retrospective exhibition on the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline hearings held forty years ago. The exhibition will be hosted as part of Under Western Skies and will include an opportunity for MRU students to participate in seminars that will be tailored to meet the needs of course instructors.

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) Mapping of Campus. Through the generosity of Verus Geomatics Ltd., the IES was able to arrange for detailed three dimensional mapping to be completed on the MRU campus. The data and output products are being made available to students for learning and research work.


PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENTSUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION

The IES is exploring the potential to launch a series of environmental sustainability courses aimed primarily at the petroleum sector. These courses could be combined to constitute professional development certificates. The program would be delivered by the Faculty of Continuing Education at MRU. A literature review and gap analysis was completed by The PKZ Group Inc. The report found that there are limited opportunities for strategic level training for mid and senior level managers in the oil and gas sector. And while there are a variety of courses for environmental subject-matter experts, there are few courses that deal with the social aspects of SD, particularly the new wave of innovation and shared value. Perhaps most important, there appears to be no current package or program of courses that covers the subject of sustainable development in the holistic manner it deserves. The IES will be working with the Faculty of Continuing Education to determine the next steps in developing this program of courses.


COMMUNITYOUTREACH&EVENTSENGAGING THE COMMUNITY

IES Research Forums All MRU faculty were invited to research workshops to help set the research agenda for the institute. Half-day workshops were convened in August of 2013 and 2014. Over 80 faculty members participated and helped to develop themes where there seemed to be a combination of demand and common interest, including: sustainable infrastructure, water & sustainability, industry and sustainability and protected areas.

Earth Day Presentation 1

Roberta Bondar The inuagural public ‘Earth Day’ presentation was held on April 9th, 2013. Canada’s first woman astronaut, Dr. Roberta Bondar, presented ‘The Edge of Earth’ to an enthusiastic crowd of over 450. The presentation was illustrated by Dr. Bondar’s stunning photography from many of Canada’s most beautiful places. The event focused on the importance of ‘earth observation’ for a sustainable future.


Earth Day Presentation 2

Alan AtKisson presented the second annual ‘Earth Day’ event. Alan is one of the world’s leading thinkers and practitioners in environmental sustainability. Alan’s educational and entertaining presentation was called “Sustainability: The Musical”. Over 250 people were in attendance to hear Alan sing his way through some of the most important sustainability issues facing humankind. Alan also delivered a full-day workshop to politicians, planners and managers in the Calgary Regional Partnership. “Pyramid” is a tool to help sustainability practitioners move through a strategic priority-setting process. The layers of the Pyramid are: Indicators, Systems, Innovations and Strategies. The result of the workshop was the largest Pyramid ever created by one of these groups - over 2 metres tall. The outcomes are being used in the implementation of the Calgary Metropolitan Plan.

IES Research Seminars

A goal of the IES is to create a sustainability seminar series at MRU. The 2013 seminars included: Barb McNicol (Earth Sciences). Ecosystem Services: Identifying and Sustaining Environmental Supply in National Parks. Friday, November 1st, 2013. Protected Areas Research Group. Friday, November 1st, 2013. Katie Morrison (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society). The South Saskatchewan Regional Plan and You. Wednesday, November 27th, 2013. Kasia Szewczyk & Melanie Rathburn (General Education). Sustainable Coffee - 2 Case Studies Haiti and Honduras. Thursday, April 24th, 2014.April 24th, 2014.


Canadian Energy & Environment Roundtable

Under Western Skies III

The IES was one of the sponsors for this event organized by Tamara Loiselle (Tamarack Strategies) held June 20, 2014 at MRU. The event convened government and industry decision-makers together with Aboriginal community leaders and interested citizens in a forum for communication and collaboration to address Canada’s most pressing energy and environment issues.

The IES is a major sponsor of the 2014 conference being held in September 2014. This third gathering in the series includes fifty-five interdisciplinary panels, seven keynote/plenary addresses, two receptions, a staged dramatic reading of a new play, four poster sessions, an interactive exhibition on the Berger Inquiry, and a new film on the environment.

The IES is mandated to participate in a national-level conference on environmental sustainability and a partnership with UWS was a natural ‘fit’. The IES provided organizational assistance, financial support and will be sponsoring the closing reception honouring Dr. David Schindler. The IES was successful in securing a SSHRC grant with the Miistakis Institute to conduct a citizen science conference hosted in conjunction with UWS3 – Exploring Public Participation in Scientific Research Under Western Skies. For more information see: www.skies.mtroyal.ca and www.rockies.ca/citizenscience. Under Western Skies IV is being planned for Fall 2016.


The IES joined forces with the University of Calgary and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito to host a workshop-style summit in the Galapagos Islands in July 2014. The outcome of the Summit was a strategic research agenda and international network of researchers that can be used to support energy mix decision making in locations around the world. The focus on the Summit was to integrate knowledge from diverse disciplines, cultures and ecological systems to focus on energy mix and sustainability. The goal was to find solutions to energy challenges in ‘fragile’ social ecological development contexts. Many such contexts are of international significance and are classified as World Heritage sites, including the Galapagos Islands. Mike Quinn convened an interdisciplinary panel on energy mix.

ENERGY&SUSTAINABTILITYWORLD SUMMIT

Sustainable Energy Mix for Fragile Environments


PUBLICATIONS&PRESENTATIONS

Baird, J., K. Belcher and M.S. Quinn. 2014. Context and capacity: the potential for performance-based agricultural water quality policy. Canadian Water Resources Journal (special issue: “Applications of Water Policy and Economics in Canada). Broberg, L. and M.S. Quinn. 2013. Transboundary Environmental Education: A Graduate Program Case Study. In: M.S. Quinn, L. Broberg and W. Freimund, eds. Parks, Peace, and Partnership: Global Initiatives in Transboundary Conservation. University of Calgary Press, Calgary, AB, Gibson, K.W., M.S. Quinn and A. Moehrenschlager. 2014. Continuity through change: Sustainability, resilience and the vocabulary of paradox. Resilience and Development: Mobilising for Transformation, 4-8 May 2014, Montpellier, France, Paper presentation. Mendoza Sammet, A. and M.S. Quinn. 2013. On the Edge: Factors Influencing Conservation and Management in Two Border Mexican Parks. In: M.S. Quinn, L. Broberg and W. Freimund, eds. Parks, Peace, and Parnership: Global Initiatives in Transboundary Conservation. University of Calgary Press, Calgary, AB, pp. 95-134. Paul, K., M.S. Quinn, M.P. Huijser, J. Graham and L. Broberg. 2014. An evaluation of a citizen science data collection program for recording wildlife observations along a highway. Journal of Environmental Management 139:180-187. Poujol, P.P., M.S. Quinn and M.E. Tyler. 2014. Linking critical patterns of green water flows to ecological connectivity: The case of a rapidly urbanizing area of Western Canada. Resilience and Development: Mobilising for Transformation, 4-8 May 2014, Montpellier, France, Poster presentation. Quinn, M.S. 2014. Reconnaissance to Develop an Upper-Level General Education Offering in Environmental Sustainability with a Field School Component in the Scottish Highlands. Final Grant Report for the Office of International Education, Internationalization Incentive Fund (IIF). Mount Royal University, Calgary. Quinn, M.S. 2013. Change and environmental sustainability. Presentation for DesgNite (Department of Interior Design), 7 November 2013. Quinn, M.S. 2013. Introduction. In: M.S. Quinn, L. Broberg and W. Freimund, eds. Parks, Peace, and Partnership: Global Initiatives in Transboundary Conservation. University of Calgary Press, Calgary, AB, pp. xiii-xxxiii. Quinn, M.S. 2013. Considerations for Uncertainty at a Watershed Scale. Bow River Basin Council Quarterly Educational Forum. Invited Paper Presentation, 11 Dec 2013, Calgary, AB. Quinn, M.S. 2013. Collaboration Across Borders: International Best Practices. In 2nd Conference of the Carpathian Network of Protected Areas, Tatranska Janorina, Slovakia. Carpathian Network of Protected Areas, Vienna, Austria. Paper Presentation.


Quinn, M.S. 2014. Collaboration across borders: International best practices in transboundary protected areas. Guest Lecture MRU Geog 3447, 27 February 2014. Quinn, M.S. 2014. Landscape connectivity for ecological flows. Guest Lecture MRU Biol 3108, 26 February 2014. Quinn, M.S. 2014. Understanding flooding from a watershed scale. Presentation to Hillhusrt-Sunnyside Community Association, 9 April 2014. Quinn, M.S., S.M. Alexander, S.A. Kennett, B. Stelfox, M.E. Tyler, M. Ross, N. Vlavianos, D. Duke. [in press]. The ecological and political landscapes of Alberta’s hydrocarbon economy. In: L. Adkin and B. Miller, eds. First World Petro-Politics: The Political Ecology of Alberta. University of Toronto press, Toronto. Quinn, M.S., L. Broberg and W. Freimund, eds. 2013. Parks, Peace, and Partnership: Global Initiatives in Transboundary Conservation. University of Calgary Press, Calgary, AB. Quinn, M.S., P. Pina Poujol, M.E. Tyler and G. Chernoff. 2014. Modeling a rapidly urbanizing regional landscape to assess connectivity of natural integrity for ecological flows. Spaces and Flows 4:71-83. Quinn, M.S. and M.E. Tyler. 2014. Identifying regional scale social ecological feedbacks for adaptive governance practice. Resilience and Development: Mobilising for Transformation, 4-8 May 2014, Montpellier, France, Paper presentation. (M. Quinn also Session Chair and Moderator). Quinn, M.S., & M.E. Tyler. 2013. Identifying social-ecological couplings for regional sustainability: The Calgary region of western Canada. Sustainable Development and Planning, 27-29 May 2013, Kos, Greece. Paper Presentation. Quinn, M.S., M.E. Tyler, P. Pina Poujol & G. Chernoff. 2013. Modeling a rapidly urbanizing regional landscape to assess connectivity of natural integrity for ecological flows. Spaces and Flows Conference, 22-23 November 2013, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam. Paper Presentation Sevick, B., Quinn, M.S., & Boyle, J. 2013. IA young practitioners. Presented at Impact Assessment: The Next Generation: 33rd Annual Conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment, Calgary, AB. Panel Presentation. Ray, Heather, Sonja Jakubec and Michael Quinn. 2014. The Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area (ASCCA) School Programs: An Analysis of Teacher Evaluation Survey Data 2009-2013. Mount Royal University, Calgary. Stronen, A., E. Navid, M.S. Quinn, P. Paquet H.M. Bryan & C. Darimont. 2014. Population genetic structure of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in a marine archipelago suggests island-mainland differentiation consistent with dietary niche. BMC Ecology, 14:11 doi:10.1186/1472-6785-14-11. Tyler, M.E. and M.S. Quinn. 2013. Identifying social-ecological couplings for regional sustainability in a rapidly urbanizing water-limited area of western Canada. In: C.A. Brebbia, ed. Sustainable Development and Planning VI. WIT Press, Southampton, U.K., pp. 175-191.


ASSISTANTDIRECTORS,STAFF&COLLABORATORS

THE INSTITUTE TEAM

Assistant Directors Barbara McNicol (Earth Sciences). Barb is an Associate Professor and past Chair of Earth Sciences. Her research and teaching interests are in socio-environmental geography with a focus on behavioral aspects of geography such as decision-making and the evaluation of sustainable human actions. Barb is taking the lead in establishing a Protected Areas Research Group for the IES.

Connie Van der Byl (Bissett School of Business). Connie is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Theory. Her research interests focus on energy organizations and their response to environmental issues. She is currently investigating the role of collaboration in achieving environmental performance, the evolution of entrepreneurial firms in sustainable industries and corporate strategic responses associated with hydraulic fracturing.

Staff P a r a s t e s h ( P a r i s )

Afshordy. Paris joined the IES team as a summer research assistant and will be transitioning to a full-time administrative assistant in the fall of 2014.

Dr. Carlos Serralde. Carlos is the latest addition to the IES staff. He is working with us on contract to support the research program on hydraulic fracturing impacts.

The Institute for Environmental Sustainability would not be able to function without the wonderful assistance of Cindy Greshner . Cindy provides administrative support (along with similar duties for the Department of Environmental Science and the Associate Dean, Science and Technology). We are also grateful to Debbi Krisa and Sarah Campbell for financial management assistance through the Office of Research Services.


Faculty Associates: Katherine Boggs (Earth Sciences)

Robert Boschman (English) Israel Dunmade (Environmental Science) Alan Dwyer (Bissett School of Business)

Tim Haney (Sociology) Roberta Lexier (General Education)

Caroline McDonald_Harker (Sociology) Lynn Moorman (Earth Sciences)

Gwen O’Sullivan (Environmental Science) Janice Paskey (Journalism)

Melanie Rathburn (General Education) Roger St Fort (Environmental Science)

Mario Trono (English) Amanda Williams (Journalism)


www.mtroyal.ca/ies [email protected]

IES Annual Report 2013-14

Documents

Transcript of IES Annual Report 2013-14