Dana Johnson and Daniel Forrest receive the Vanier Scholarship
Two CHANS Lab PhD students, Dana Johnson and Daniel Forrest, were each awarded the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship via SSHRC and NSERC, respectively. The award supports their studies for three years. Congratulations, Dana and Dan! Dana Johnson (left) and Daniel Forrest (right) Read UBC’s announcement post here: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/about-us/news/researchers-receive-more-1m-funding And Vanier’s full list of awardees […]
Daniel Forrest receives the Killam Doctoral Scholarship
CHANS Lab PhD student, Daniel Forrest, received the Killam Doctoral Scholarship, intended to support PhD studies and research travel for two years. The award will support Daniel’s conference travel in 2024. Hear Dan describe a portion of his doctoral research in the video created by UBC Studios above.
Benessaiah & Chan, Why reconnect to nature in times of crisis?
Benessaiah, K. and K.M. Chan (2023). “Why reconnect to nature in times of crisis? Ecosystem contributions to the resilience and well-being of people going back to the land in Greece.” People and Nature 5(6): 2026-2047. Doi: 10.1002/pan3.10546
Jo Fitzgibbons and co. find Vancouver neighborhoods most in need of restorative nature least likely to have it; coverage by CBC and more
CHANS Lab PhD candidate, Jo Fitzgibbons, and team found that the most socially vulnerable areas of Vancouver are least likely to have access to restorative nature. Jo joined Dr. Tahia Devisscher, Taelynn Lam, Ingrid Jarvis, Derek Li, and Dr. Matt Mitchell in an article out in Ambio to propose a new “local restorative nature” index, […]
Rumi Naito defends her PhD
Congratulations to Rumi for an excellent PhD defence! “Messaging for wildlife conservation: leveraging attitudes, intentions, and actions for transformative change” With co-supervisor Jiaying Zhao, Rumi’s supervisory committee included Robin Naidoo, Jeff Sayer, and Intu Boedhihartono. Her external examiner was Kathryn Williams of the University of Melbourne, and her UBC examiners were Dave Hardisty and Daniel Weary. Bravo, Rumi!
CHANS Lab researchers depict how machine learning can suffer data leakage
In a new paper in Nature Ecology & Evolution, Andy Stock, Ed Gregr, and Kai Chan demonstrate how many routine applications of machine learning can inadvertently “leak data”, undermining accurate predictions.
Sánchez et al., Climate change and rainbow trout habitat
Sánchez, C., E.J. Gregr, E.A. Parkinson and K.M.A. Chan (2023). “The benefits of climate change mitigation to retaining rainbow trout habitat in British Columbia, Canada.” Regional Environmental Change 23(3): 108. 10.1007/s10113-023-02097-0
Stock et al., Problems with machine learning in ecology
Stock, A., E.J. Gregr and K.M.A. Chan (2023). “Data leakage jeopardizes ecological applications of machine learning.” Nature Ecology & Evolution 7(11): 1743–1745. Doi: 10.1038/s41559-023-02162-1
Aaron’s bat research covered by CBC
Especially following the discovery of the fungus that causes White Nose Syndrome, Aaron Aguirre’s bat research has received welcome attention from the media. Check out this <2-minute segment on CBC.
Lea Anderson defends her MA thesis
Congratulations to Lea for her outstanding MA thesis defence! Her examiner was Terre Satterfield, and her supervisory committee included Mollie Chapman and Barbara Muraca. Lea’s thesis, “Seeking transformative lifestyles: a role for social media influencers in creating sustainable futures” is now available.