Dr. Finlay’s project to focus on developing solutions for harmful human and climate change impacts on prairie waters
The University of Regina (UofR) has received $8.6 million in federal funding to support two new Tier 1 Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) and their accompanying Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) infrastructure projects. This funding serves to advance research in water protection and environmental sustainability. Dr. Christopher Yost, vice-president of research, UofR, praised the recipients Dr. Kerri Finlay and Dr. Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng in a conversation with the Carillon, calling them “premier researchers who are engaged with research that impacts locally, nationally, and internationally.”
Dr. Yost emphasized that the funding represents a sustainable, long-term investment in their research programs and an acknowledgment of the years of hard work of the recipients. He says, “It is a recognition of the excellence of research that’s happening at the university and that we have two researchers who succeeded in a highly competitive process, because they are recognized at a national and international level about the impact that the research programs are doing.”
Dr. Kerry finlay to receive $1.4M
Dr. Kerri Finlay is a professor in the department of biology and co-director of the Institute for Environmental Change and Society (IECS). She has been awarded the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Water in a Changing Environment valued at $1.4 million. “The CRC and associated research funding is allowing me to continue this long-term dataset to address questions about temporal changes in lake water quality with changing climate and land use,” said Dr. Finlay in an email response to the Carillon.
She added that this funding provides a substantial and stable resource for the research on threats to freshwater resources in the prairies. Finlay explains that, “this means that we can take on projects on a longer time frame. Immediate and urgent questions include examining the impact of new provincial policy to increase wetland drainage on water quality, while longer-term questions we can address include how multiple stressors (wetland drainage, increased irrigation, industry development, alongside climate change) are impacting our waterbodies.” Dr. Finlay’s seven-year long CRC funded project will focus on understanding how human activity and climate change affect prairie waters and develop solutions to protect them.
When asked about what led her to specialize in the field of limnology, the study of inland waters, she reminisced about her journey. “After [the] second year of my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, I was lucky to find a summer research position that had me sampling lakes in Algonquin park. It was during this summer that I realized that my love of being on and in the water wasn’t something that everyone shared!” She believes this experience was instrumental in learning about the world beneath the surface of water which fueled her desire to learn more.
“I was definitely originally drawn to the UofR by the decades of freshwater research that has taken place here. I came to the UofR in 2006 as a postdoctoral fellow to work with Dr. Peter Leavitt who now has over 30 years of data from a chain of lakes in the Qu’Appelle valley,” she added.
Approach professors and seek out opportunities to participate. There will be many times when an experiment won’t go the way you want it to. But you’ll learn something.” – Dr. Christopher Yost, vice-president of research, UofR
Dr. Ng’s research about solid waste management
While Dr. Finlay’s research focuses on protecting water, Dr.Ng, professor of environmental systems engineering, UofR, is tackling a different environmental challenge of solid waste management.
“We are all excited for the opportunity provided by the Canadian government. My seven year Canada Research Chair project focuses on environmental sustainability. Specifically, my project aims to improve the design of a sustainable solid waste management system in Canada,” says Ng.
He explained that Canadians generate more waste per capita than most industrialized nations and that less recycling is being done. He emphasised that given the population growth and rapid urbanization, proactive efforts must be made to revolutionize how solid waste is managed. “The CRC funding and other fundings allow us to establish a Waste Management System Design (WMSD) Lab at University of Regina. Many of our friends, staff, and alumni joined our inaugural Open Day on Oct. 27, it was fun!,” he added.
Dr. Ng’s work is an ambitious one that focuses on developing smarter, data-driven waste management systems. He pointed out that the current waste management system is not yet optimized and that it is not all rosy in achieving the desired optimal outcome. “It is difficult to improve our waste system if important waste data is not available to researchers. A part of our project at UofR is to use advanced computing and analytics to forecast waste generation rates and make practical recommendations to policy makers and regulators.”
When asked about his specific interest in waste management, Ng noted that he is “interested in waste projects that have direct positive impacts on marginalized stakeholders in our societies.”
“COVID-19 and the associated lockdowns in early 2020 have negatively impacted our Waste Management System (WMS), particularly for residents living in northern and remote communities or in the global south, who have limited access to waste management programs and are more vulnerable to the associated health risks. We are pioneering modeling studies on COVID waste management. We collaborated with the city of Regina and secured an NSERC Alliance grant in 2020,” he continued.
Advice for students
As the Carillon wrapped up the conversation with Yost, Ng, and Finlay, they offered practical advice for students and aspiring researchers. The key takeaway was to seize opportunities and make the most when these opportunities present themselves. Dr. Christopher Yost advised, “Approach professors and seek out opportunities to participate. There will be many times when an experiment won’t go the way you want it to. But you’ll learn something. So it’s not a failed experiment.”
He further elaborated that the ability to persist and apply learned knowledge is of great importance. “Learn, take with the data you get from that experiment and apply it to the next experiment in ways that will help improve the chances of having a successful outcome. And then, you know, every experiment will be a discovery.”
Dr. Finlay’s advice to students was to trust their gut. “Sometimes we overthink things, or try to convince ourselves that a career path, opportunity, or research question is worth pursuing. But I believe that we all have a gut instinct that can tell us pretty quickly whether something is right or wrong for us individually. My career path was filled with difficult decisions, but I never regretted trusting my gut to make the right decision for me,” she said.
Dr. Ng concluded by offering the students his four guiding principles. “Be curious and open-minded, prioritize well-being and avoid burnout, don’t be afraid to talk to your supervisor and supervisory committee, and recognize that everyone is unique and should find a project management method that works best for them,” he said.
