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LRG Highlights
This was a transitional year for the Lewis Research Group as new LRG students and postdocs became aquainted with the remaining old guard of the group. It was also a year of much success with members of the group doing exciting research and receiving prestigeous awards. Two members of the group, Raluca and Marty, attended convocation ceremonies to receive their PhD degrees, and Peter completed his Phd Final Oral with flying colours.
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Many Arrivals
2008-09 was a year for welcoming new students, postdocs and one research associate. Remaining LRG members, (Alex, Jim, Justin, Harshana, Hannah, Andria, Cecilia & Mark), welcomed Jaime Ashander, Jeanette Wheeler, Mario Pineda-Krch, Carly Strasser, Yu Jin and Marie Auger-Methe during the Fall and Winter Terms.
In addition, we were pleased to welcome back Caspar Williams to provide computer support for the group.
This year, we welcome Ulrike Schlaegel (Uli), a graduate of Bielefeld University, Germany, who will be joining the LRG in September, 2009, as a PhD Candidate. Ulrike received a head-start in becoming acquainted with members of the LRG by participating in the Models in Ecology Course taught by Mark and Marty at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, BC.
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One Completely New Arrival
Congratulations to
Andria and Matt upon the birth of their beautiful little daughter, Sadie. Andria will be on maternity leave until May, 2010, but Andria, we hope to see you and Baby Sadie at the CMB periodically during the year. |
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Visitors
Meike Wittman, a visiting student from LMU Munich, and Dr. Jon Jacobsen, a visiting professor from Harvey Mudd College, both stayed for the whole year and were active members of the LRG.
From the 'old' LRG, Caroline Bamfylde visited regularly as a student mentor and research collaborator, Raluca Eftimie and Marty Krkosek returned to attend their graduation ceremonies in October and Tomas de-Camino Beck, Chris Jerde and Frank Hilker visited to collaborate on research. And, more recently, we were delighted to have Marjorie Wonham in our midst for a whole week.
And, of course, we received many short-term visitors, 12 of whom presented a seminar talk and also met with Lewis researchers at their weekly Lewis Lab meeting.
LRG Activities
At their weekly meetings, the LRG welcomed a host of visitors, offered presentations, excelled at trivia and met for social gatherings. Thank you to Hannah whose weekly scheduling kept the group informed about upcoming activities and meetings. This upcoming year, Marie has agreed to ensure everyone is in the weekly loop.
In February, the LRG participated in a one-day retreat at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre to re-energize and think about the way we do science.
In July and August, Mark and lab alumnus Marty Krkosek taught Ecological Models by the Sea at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. Bamfield's isolated and beautiful setting complemented the three-week intensive course, which focused on connecting mathematical models to data. Students learned through lectures, paper discussions, and labs; and the course culminated with paired projects. Carly, Hannah, Jaime, Marie, and Uli all attended.
In the News
Tomas and Mark were in the news when the Lee Segel Award was presented at the 2008 annual SMB Conference.
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Visit the LRG News-Worthy webpage to
read more about sealice, polar bears and
other interesing research happening in the LRG. |
Short-term Visitors
Julien Arino, Manitoba
Michael Baake, Bielefeld
Bill Fagan, Maryland
Pak-Wing Fok, California
Institute of Technology
Peter Hinow, Minnesota
Anita Kettemann, Stuttgart
Pierre Magal, L'universit du Havre
Sandi Merchant, British Columbia
Tamara Romanuk, Dalhousie
Nikolay Strigul, Stevens Institute of Technology
José-Leonel Torres, Instituto de Ecología, AC
Hao Wang, Georgia Tech
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Bamfield Group Photo by Pavel Kratina |
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Awards & Recognitions
Congratulations to
...Peter on completing his PhD Final Oral on March 30th. We missed you for six months prior to that date, Peter, and it will be good to see a more relaxed "postdoctoral you" at the CMB until October. Good luck in your upcoming venture as a postdoctoral fellow in a new environment.
...Tomas on receiving The Lee Segel Prize for the best paper appearing in the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology in the past two years. This award was made by Springer, in partnership with
the Society for Mathematical Biology, to recognize the article, "A new method for calculating net reproductive value from graph reduction with applications to the control of invasive species." Bulletin of Mathematical Biology: (69) 1341-1354 .
...Meike and Carly & Harshana for receiving first and second place awards for their poster presentations at CAISN's third annual General Meeting in Halifax. Meike's poster was about the invasive spiny water flea Bythotrephes. Together with Mark and Norman Yan, Meike developed a model for the establishment success of Bythotrephes based on its life-cycle and how it depends on temperature. Carly & Harshana's poster introduced the first stage-structured model for Pseudodiaptomus marinus. The model was parameterized using data from previously published laboratory studies, including data on the effects of temperature on development and fecundity. Results from the model analyses will be used to guide laboratory experiments aimed at testing hypotheses about the effects of stochastic temperature variability on invasion success with relation to copepod stage.
...Raluca on winning the 2009 CAIMS/SCMAI Cecil Graham Doctoral Dissertation Award for her PhD Thesis, Modelling Animal Group Formation. This award was established by the Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society (CAIMS) to recognize and to publicize an outstanding PhD thesis in Applied Mathematics defended at a Canadian University during the calendar year prior to the year of the award.
...Peter for receiving the Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award (Department of Biological Sciences) as well as the UAlberta Applied Math Institute Student Lecture prize, which is given for the best presentation at the AMI seminar during the academic year. The evaluation is based on quality of presentation, quality of research presented, and the ability to respond to questions and discussion.
...Marty on being nominated by the Department of Biological Sciences for the 2008 Canadian Graduate Association Distinguished Dissertation Award. This is a national award that considers dissertations in any discipline in engineering, medical sciences and natural sciences completed and accepted by the Graduate School between January 1 and December 31st of the most recent calendar year.
Funding Success:
Congratulations to
...Jeanette on receiving an AIF Ingenuity MSc Student Scholarship, a NSERC/Walter Johns Graduate Fellowship and the Alexander Graham Bell CGS-M .
...Justin on receiving an IGTC Scholarship.
...Marie on receiving the the UA President's Doctoral Prize of Distinction, the NSERC CGS-D Award and a Graduate Student Scholarship from the Faculty of Science.
...Jaime on receiving a FGSR University of Alberta Master's Recruitment Scholarship and a IGTC Scholarship.
...Uli on receiving ICORE funding and a IGTC Scholarship.
...Hannah (AIF), Andria (NSERC/MITACS) , and Jim (NSERC) on the renewal of their funding awards.
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