News

Yulia Egorova is a PhD student (majoring in Biological Oceanography) at the University of British Columbia (Department of EOAS). She completed her Bachelor’s Degree at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in British Columbia, Canada, majoring in Environmental Chemistry. Prior to transferring to TRU, she was studying in Mendeleyev’s University of Chemical Technology (MUCTR) In Moscow, Russia (majoring in material engineering). Yulia also got a Diploma in Marine Biology at Oxford College of London. Yulia’s research is focusing on modelling mesopelagic zooplankton in a global ocean. In addition, she is very interested in teaching and curriculum design.

Darius Kamal, a Ph.D. student in EOAS under the supervision of Ken Hickey, has been awarded the annual Mary-Claire Ward Geoscience Award for 2023. Each year this award is given to a graduate student in Canada whose thesis embodies the objective of increasing our knowledge of Canada’s geological history through field mapping. 

Darius’ Ph.D. research aims to establish how rock deformation during tectonic collision events, which have led to the formation of western Canadian mountain ranges, impacts the distribution, preservation, and grade of sulfide-rich ore deposits. Darius’ research is focused on the region of the Selwyn basin around and between Howard’s Pass and Macmillan Pass deposits in eastern Yukon. Darius’s uses a number of geoscience methods to characterize the rock layers of the basin, integrating kinematic and microstructural analysis, Uranium-lead (U-Pb) carbonate dating of veins, whole rock and mineral geochemistry, micro- X-ray fluorometry, scanning electron microscopy, and Electron Backscatter Diffusion (EBSD) mapping. Darius’s research will not only significantly contribute to our understanding of the structural development of the Selwyn basin and the tectonic evolution of the Canadian western mountain ranges, but will also expand our knowledge of mineral system science of similar such deposits. 

The Mary-Claire Ward Geoscience Award is administered by the Geological Association of Canada (GAC), the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), the National Geological Surveys Committee, the Canadian Geological Foundation, and Watts, Griffis and McOuat Ltd.

Welcome to UBC EOAS!

Over the past week we have welcomed around 45 new graduate students to our department, bringing our total grad cohort to a massive 178 students! (84 Canadian and 94 International).

On our Graduate Student Orientation Day last Wednesday, current graduate students and faculty members had the chance to meet and chat to the new students at a lunch in the atrium (shown).

We are looking forward to getting to know you all better, and excited to have you as the newest members of our Department!

Alexis Bahl, PhD candidate in oceanography at UBC’s Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences and the Institute of Oceans and Fisheries, and three other UBC scientists have set out for an expedition to the Southern Ocean to study how salps, a type of tiny gelatinous zooplankton, can help remove carbon from the atmosphere. Along with 40+ additional scientists with different areas of focus, the UBC team boarded the Alfred Wegener Institute’s Polarstern icebreaker on October 1^st and they will come back on November 17^th. Scroll down to watch our interviews with Alexis and Dr. Evgeny Pakhomov.

Salps travel from deep in the ocean to the surface at night and return to the cold-water depths upon sunrise, forming the world’s largest migration. “This migration, it occurs when the sun sets, and then they go up to the surface and feed on phytoplankton, which are rich in carbon. So the salps, by proxy, are rich in carbon. And then when the sun rises, they move back down to the depths to decay,” said Alexis. “So they swim down and excrete, effectively transporting carbon to the sea floor where it’s stored for centuries. Because the Southern Ocean stores about 40 per cent of global carbon, it’s important to understand how much of a role this organism will have in mitigating climate change.”

Alexis is part of the macrozooplankton and micronekton team in this journey. Funded by the National Geographic Society, the team is led by EOAS UBC professor Evgeny Pakhomov and comprised of Lora Pakhomov, Alexis Bahl, and Florian Lueskow, with a particular interest in collecting the most abundant tunicate species in the Southern Ocean. Read more about their research in Vancouver Sun and Early Career Ocean Professionals. 

Raveen Kaur Sidhu, a Senior studying Microbiology and Oceanography at the University of British Columbia, was awarded the prestigious Brooke Owens Fellowship and will intern with Space Capital this summer. The Brooke Owens Fellowship is a nationally-acclaimed nonprofit program recognizing exceptional undergraduate women and gender minorities with space and aviation internships, senior mentorship, and a lifelong professional network. Raveen was one of 47 students selected internationally this year and one of three Canadians selected over the fellowship’s six years of existence.

“I had my first impression of space when I was about seven years old and my mom took my brother and me to watch the Hubble IMAX movie. We saw all those unreally beautiful galaxies that felt like coming at us,” said Raveen. As she grew older, she fell in love with space and had several related research and outreach experiences, such as looking at a dark matter detector and its algorithms at SNOLAB and presenting at conferences on STEM outreach, particularly, in space, “because I hope that there are more structured programs for students in the future.”

When talking about what she thought made her stand out from almost 1,000 applicants worldwide, Raveen said that it was owing to her outreach and leadership experience. One of the most impactful experiences for her was the time when she led a STEM outreach program about a space-themed escape room for youth at the University of Manitoba. She has also joined the International Astronautical Space Congress and attended several conferences in the past. “I think I was able to show that I have the curiosity for space, a skillset for space outreach, and the passion to give back to my local community,” said Raveen.

The combination of Microbiology and Oceanography has helped her pursue a career in aerospace, said Raveen. “It gave me a great lens of framework to understand how life can persist in extreme environments, which is relevant to space research despite not being directly related.” She was also thankful to the professors in both departments who offered advice to her on how to get involved in research and to stand out as an applicant. Additionally, both majors have helped her acquire technical skills, such as programming, which is useful for data analysis in aerospace studies, and science communication skills.

Raveen said that she was very excited about interning with Space Capital, which was one of her dream internships for its emphasis on multidisciplinary backgrounds and its focus on space technology investments. Raveen said it was her microbiology and oceanography background that informed the Space Capital team on starting a project on applications and investment of oceanographic satellite s, which is right at the intersection of her degree.

The Brooke Owens Fellowship celebrates its ongoing mission and legacy of disrupting the historical gender imbalance in the aerospace industry. When talking about feelings of being part of women in science, Raveen said she was blessed with a great representation of women in science in the EOAS department. “I have always been inspired by the women scientists in our department. When I got a little uncertain about what I’m doing, they always empowered me and helped me improve my skills in scientific research and science communication. We have so many great scientific role models in the department, who are approachable, patient and supportive.”

Raveen also provided her advice to students who want to get involved in the space industry. “Even if you think your program and skillsets are not matched enough to the space industry, remember it is the passionate, curious person who is willing to learn that is powerful. Get involved – join the Rocket club, join the satellite club, take a look at conferences even if you're not presenting, and talk to people, who would love to point you to opportunities to get involved in space.”

EOAS has been committed to and playing an active role in bringing our research, teaching, operations and public outreach in solidarity with the UBC Declaration on the Climate Emergency. As part of the great team of faculty and staff from UBC Science and Arts, we are pleased to offer the now approved Certificate in Climate Studies and Action, and a series of Climate Action Labs (ENVR 201-402) that address pressing climate issues, which are open for registration to all students across UBC.

“The students will go through a series of workshops at the beginning of the class to prepare them for the work that they’ll be doing,” says Dr. Tara Ivanochko (EOAS Associate Professor of Teaching; academic director of UBC’s Sustainability Hub). “In the second half of the class, they’ll develop proposals to address the challenge that a community partner has given them. Some of the proposals will be selected to move on to the climate capstone course that follows.”

Read the full UBC Science article: New courses at UBC tackle real world problems
Learn more about the Certificate in Climate Studies and Action
Do you know we have a place on the EOAS website dedicated to Climate Crisis, including our actions, research, climate-related courses, undergraduate projects, etc? Visit here: Climate Crisis