TALKING E SENS
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SCHOOL OF Summer 2014 ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY TALKING SENSE www.usask.ca/sens Talking SENSe School of Environment and Sustainability University of Saskatchewan Kirk Hall, Room 323 117 Science Place Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8 Executive Director Toddi Steelman, PhD Newsletter Sharla Daviduik, MRM Administrative Officer Meagan Hinther, BSc On the cover: MSEM student Manuel Chavez‐Ortiz’s winning entry in the 2014 SENS Photo Contest, “Bird Banding.” Above: Photo of the northern lights on Ringvasøy, Norway, taken by Mari Lovise Marum, and provid‐ ed by MES student Nils Lokken. Nils spent the winter in Norway, working on data analysis for the TUNDRA project. Read more about the project on page 4. Communications Specialist Please submit comments to sens.info@usask.ca 3 Executive Director’s Message 3 Where the River Delta Flows 4 The TUNDRA Project 5 SENS Profiles 6 SENS PhD Student Receives Research Grant 7 Coping with Comprehensive Exams in Interdisciplinarity and Sustainability 8 SENS Photo Contest 2014 9 Spring Convocation 2014 9 Karsten Liber Awarded Distinguished Professorship 9 Coping with Comprehensive Exams: References 10 My Unofficial Thank You Letter to SENS 3 Executive Director’s Message As a University, we have been through a lot in the last several months. The fate of TransformUS, the University‐wide prioriti‐ zation process to cut $45 million in spend‐ ing, is in question as we move into this new academic year. Conflict can be con‐ structive. It has a way of clarifying what is important and why. In other cases, con‐ flict can be a distraction, if it is conflict for the sake of conflict. As we move into this new year, I hope we, as a University community, can focus on the positive aspects of what has emerged out of the controversy. At graduation in May, I sat on the stage and watched the parade of amazing stu‐ dents cross to receive their diplomas. We have so many talented, creative and in‐ dustrious graduates that it was hard not to feel proud. In SENS, we graduated students from all three of our programs— MSEM, MES and PhD. Our student num‐ bers continue to grow and this year we anticipate crossing the 100 person threshold. We will launch our new curriculum this fall, which will include: ENVS 806: Field Skills in Environment and Sustainability; ENVS 807: Sustainability in Theory and Practice; ENVS 808: Tools and Applica‐ tions for Sustainability Problem‐solving; and ENVS 809: PhD Seminar in Sustaina‐ bility. This re‐imagining of our curriculum includes the introduction of core concepts like sustainability, problem‐solving, multi‐ ple ways of knowing, and integration as cornerstones in the education and train‐ ing of all SENS students. Our vision is for each graduate to have a distinctive wa‐ termark of what it means to achieve a degree from SENS. Our undergraduate Certificate in Sustain‐ ability will also fully launch this fall. En‐ rollments in our introductory class, ENVS 201: Foundations of Sustainability, have already exceeded expectations. We have students from the Colleges of Arts and Science, Agriculture and Bioresources, and Engineering coming together in one classroom. Last spring, ENVS 401: Sus‐ tainability in Action, was wildly successful and resulted in numerous projects that contributed to making our campus more sustainable. If all goes well, we will grad‐ uate our first students with the Certificate in May 2015. Dr. Vladimir Kricsfalusy has officially joined SENS as our new faculty member in Sustainable Environmental Management to oversee our MSEM program. Dr. Kricsfalusy brings many years of experi‐ ence working at the intersection of bio‐ logical conservation, community‐engaged learning, experiential education and pro‐ fessional development. We are thrilled to have him join us. At SENS, we are keeping our eye on the bigger issues that drive us to excel as a School. We will surely have more Trans‐ formUS discussion in the new year, but at SENS we will continue to provide our students with excellent experiences, in‐ struction and the intellectual frameworks and tools to address the world’s most challenging environmental and sustaina‐ bility problems. I am eager to meet our new students and welcome back our con‐ tinuing students as well. It promises to be a good year. Toddi Steelman, PhD Executive Director Where the River Delta Flows Contributed by Graham Strickert, Re‐ search Associate, Global Institute for Wa‐ ter Security On July 31st, 2014, the Northern Village of Cumberland House hosted a symposi‐ um about the Saskatchewan River Delta. Participants discussed the history, past and ongoing research, and future oppor‐ tunities for this treasured wetland, the largest of its kind in North America. The symposium was organized by the champi‐ on of the Saskatchewan River Delta and Deputy Mayor of the Northern Village of Cumberland House, Gary Carriere. For the past few years, SENS faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students have been conduct‐ ing research in the delta. Around 60 peo‐ ple were in attendance for the following presentations: Keith Goulet, Métis educator and for‐ mer politician, provided a fascinating historical review of Cumberland House in English and Cree, stressing the signifi‐ cant influence of First Nation and Métis leaders in the decisions to build the set‐ tlement, the oldest in Saskatchewan. Norm Smith, professor at the University of Nebraska‐Lincoln, provided an excel‐ lent overview of his 34 years of research on the delta’s geomorphology, and how the delta is responding to different nat‐ ural and anthropogenic forces. Tim Jardine, SENS faculty, shared re‐ search results about biophysical chang‐ es occurring in the delta and how they are linked to water management. Graham Strickert, GIWS research asso‐ ciate, outlined a range of perspectives about water security in the Saskatche‐ wan River Basin and how these can in‐ fluence water management priorities. Consultants John Vandall and Ken Lo‐ zinsky discussed the status of the Herit‐ age Rivers Designation for the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatchewan. Gord Vaadeland, executive director of the Saskatchewan Chapter of the Ca‐ nadian Parks and Wildlife Society, and John Daisley, Weyerhauser, shared an idea from the Saskatchewan Regional working group of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement to establish a pro‐ tected area that would contain a por‐ tion of the Saskatchewan River Delta. At the close of the symposium, remarks from Lily McKay‐Carriere, Angus MacKen‐ zie, and Gary Carriere outlined the ongo‐ ing commitment of the community to continue working to recognize, under‐ stand, and preserve the natural and cul‐ tural heritage of the delta. Norm Smith was presented with an award by the Northern Village of Cumberland House in recognition of his years of research study‐ ing the delta. Norm has brought much‐ needed attention to it in academic circles during his career. Talking SENSe The TUNDRA Project: Governance and Management in the Circumpolar Arctic With contributions by Nils Lokken, MES student Think of the word “tundra” and you will likely evoke images of Arctic wilderness. Indeed, while the tun‐ dra, which extends over large areas of the circum‐ polar Arctic, is remote and wild when compared to more southern urban areas, rapid social and eco‐ logical changes are occurring, and experts antici‐ pate that climate change and intensified resource extraction will lead to an increasing rate of change in this biome. The nature of these changes, how‐ ever, depends on many factors, including manage‐ ment practices, governance, and socio‐economic conditions.1 The TUNDRA research project, then, seeks to compare the tundra of four countries: Norway, Canada, the United States, and Russia, using crossdisciplinary analyses to understand how “governance and socio‐economic conditions are 2 drivers of ecosystem states and services.” The project focus is on resource‐dependent communi‐ ties across the Arctic. The TUNDRA project is funded by the Norwegian Research Council. The research team is led by in‐ vestigators from the University of Tromsø (Nor‐ way), and also includes representation from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Saint Petersburg State University (Russia), University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the University of California. Douglas Clark, Centennial Chair and Assistant Pro‐ fessor in SENS, is also a part of the team. Some of the topics, within the scope of the circum‐ polar Arctic, discussed at the workshop included: lessons from industrial development in various communities, trust and participation in decision‐ making, effectiveness of environmental manage‐ ment, perceptions of nature and management, and the influence of access to wage income on resource dependence. After the workshop, many of the researchers planned to return to participating communities to present and validate results. In June, Doug and Nils presented results to the communities of Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet, and Whale Cove, Nunavut. They joined Jessica for the presentation in Church‐ ill, Manitoba. The TUNDRA project results, espe‐ cially maps representing subsistence use and im‐ portant areas, were well received in all of the communities. In Nunavut, Doug and Nils were on hand as a number of polar bears (which were the most controversial and talked about species over the course of the TUNDRA Project in Canada) were chased out of Igluligaarjuk, otherwise known as Chesterfield Inlet. 1 2 TUNDRA. “Background.” http://site.uit.no/tundra/ what‐is‐it‐ about/background/ Ac‐ cessed July 10, 2014. TUNDRA. “CROSSCUT – Drivers of Change in Cir‐ cumpolar Tundra Ecosys‐ tems.” http://site.uit.no/tundra/fi les/2013/03/tundra‐ crosscut.pdf Accessed July 10, 2014. MES student Nils Lokken, representing the Canadi‐ an component of the project, worked alongside researchers from the other three countries last winter, completing data analysis in Tromsø. Infor‐ mation collected included official statistics and published data for indirect and direct drivers of change, interview data, and subsistence use data, which represented the importance of various areas and resources. The subsistence use data collected during interviews were entered into a Geographic Information System (GIS) database and will be im‐ portant for comparing the extent of land use and the importance of various resources across the Arctic. The major challenges in analysis were to situate each country’s data within the context of the circumpolar Arctic, and to standardize data to facilitate comparison between countries, while ensuring that the information and opinions docu‐ mented were represented and compared accurate‐ ly with what was heard in other countries involved with TUNDRA. In early May 2014, Doug and Nils, along with MSEM alumna Jessica Lankshear and MES alumna Kari Amick, travelled to Sommarøy, near Tromsø. There, they joined others from the TUNDRA team. With data collection complete, this workshop pro‐ vided an important opportunity for the group to come together to discuss results, to ask the bigger questions, to make comparisons among the data, and to plan potential future collaborations. From left: Nils Lokken, Jessica Lankshear, Doug Clark, and Kari Amick attended the TUNDRA team workshop this May in Sommarøy, Norway. 5 Student Profile: Anson Main, PhD Program Research interests: Broadly: landscape ecology; wetlands; plant ecology; environmental planning; landscape analysis; and, degraded or contami‐ nated landscapes. More specifically, I am inter‐ ested in the ecological and landscape variables that are influencing fate and persistence of pesti‐ cides across prairie Canada. Place of birth: Brandon, MB. Most significant achievement: It is difficult for me to pinpoint one specific thing, but most re‐ cently having my first‐ever peer‐reviewed paper accepted was pretty exciting! Previously, I’d have mentioned some of my architectural work con‐ structed in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Chi‐ na. But realistically, every year I survive the an‐ nual field season is significant, considering how often I have been stuck in the muck, fallen into wetlands or collected samples during torrential downpours on the prairies. Favourite music: I can’t even answer this ques‐ tion as my YouTube playlist is so eclectic that even I laugh sometimes when the next song comes on. It really is mood dependent. Influences: I have been fortunate to have a few great influences on my current research and ca‐ reer path: Ian McHarg (landscape architect who wrote Design with Nature); Rachel Carson; my former mentor Prof. Ed Fife (U of T – landscape ecologist/architect); E.O. Wilson and others. What impact do you hope your research will have? I am hopeful that my research will con‐ tribute to a bigger picture understanding of how neonicotinoid insecticides persist in prairie wet‐ lands, but also what ecological factors make cer‐ tain wetlands more or less susceptible to con‐ tamination. As I align myself more with applied research, I’m hoping my results will help to de‐ velop future mitigation strategies for con‐ servation of these important ecosystems. How do you define sustainability? This is a ques‐ tion I constantly wrestle with and I have no defin‐ itive answer. I tend to think society addresses the pillars of sustainability (economic, social and environmental) individually instead of as a whole, which is problematic. Even I think of sustainabil‐ ity more in terms of “ecological sustainability” since the natural environment can directly or indirectly influence our social and economic con‐ cerns. In other words, we need to carefully plan and manage our natural resources in the short term to ensure those same resources are availa‐ ble over the long term. Too often I say that glob‐ al sustainability will be difficult to achieve if soci‐ ety continues to mistake “wants” and “needs” as synonyms for one another. Anson is studying the persistence of neonicotinoid insecticides in prairie wetlands. Neonicotinoids are among the most widely used insecticides in the world, and are of concern be‐ cause they are very soluble in water and are toxic to non‐target organ‐ isms, such as aquatic insects. Faculty Profile: Fran Walley, PhD Fran played a key role in SENS’ development as a member of the School’s Advisory Committee in 2007‐2008. She formally joined the faculty in 2013. Research interests: My research focuses on one of the foundations of sustainability – the soil! (Please excuse my soil‐centric view!) Spe‐ cifically, I focus on soil organic nitrogen (SON) and N‐ and C‐cycling and examine the contri‐ bution of SON pools to bioavailable N, for agri‐ cultural (soil quality and fertility) and environ‐ mental (contribution to environmental losses, including greenhouse gases) sustainability. We use synchrotron‐based N and C X‐ray absorp‐ tion near‐edge structure to examine SON and relate molecular composition to N bioavailabil‐ ity and ecological functions within agricultural ecosystems. Understanding the molecular nature of SON allows us to better understand potential bioavailability of N in a changing climate. Place of birth: Winnipeg, MB. Most significant achievement: This is a tough one. From a personal perspective, being a mom to James and Ian ranks at the top – hands down. Professionally, my heart swells when student evaluations come back with positive comments. “This was a great course” always feels like a great achievement. Favourite music: Depends on my mood – Bill Withers, Van Morrison, Radiohead, old 70s rock (very loud only), and a whole bunch of indie stuff that comes my way via my offspring (I like it – but have no idea who it is). Influences: Colleagues and students – the uni‐ versity is just such a fantastic place. I am amazed daily by the work others are doing. What impact do you hope your research will have? Humankind opened Pandora’s box with the development of the Haber‐Bosch process. Heralded as one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, producing ammonia from atmospheric N has allowed us to grow crops and produce protein far beyond the limits im‐ posed by Mother Nature. Feeding 9 billion by 2050 could not be considered without the manufacture of inorganic N. But as my col‐ league at the U of M, Prof. Don Flaten, says, “Surplus Inorganic N is SIN!” I agree – reining in the N‐cycle is one of the biggest challenges we are facing. Humankind blew the N‐cycle open in the 20th century – we need to close it in the 21st. I’m hopeful my research program, and the students I work with, can help inform agricultural management decisions to enhance the efficiency of N use, and help put an end to SIN. How do you define sustainability? I like classic definitions that emphasize processes that aim to meet the needs of our generation while preserving the environment for future genera‐ tions. More recently, however, I have been struggling with the implied em‐ phasis on humankind. I’m no longer convinced that our focus ought to be on humankind alone, or that this necessarily should be our starting point in sustainability conversations. I think we already may have taken too big a piece of the pie and future generations may need to pay a debt we owe to other species. It keeps me awake at night. Talking SENSe Alumni Profile: Jean Kayira, Class of 2013 SENS PhD Student Chris Gabrielli Receives Research Grant Alumna Jean Kayira was one of the first students to enter SENS’ PhD program. She is now a core faculty member in the Environmental Studies Department at Antioch University New England in Keene, New Hampshire. SENS only had ten students the year Jean Kayira started her PhD program at the School. Even so, the hallmarks of the School were already in place: “I was attracted to SENS because of the interdisciplinary nature of the PhD program. My main area of expertise is environmental education, but I wanted to gain a deeper understanding on how I can work with other disciplines. When I saw that the SENS PhD program was interdisciplinary, I thought it was a perfect fit. I’m glad I chose SENS be‐ cause not only did I experience inter‐ disciplinarity in theories and methodo‐ logical concerns, I was also exposed to a variety of unique environmental learning and research experiences.” Jean’s PhD dissertation, entitled “Re‐ Learning our Roots: Youth Participatory Research, Indigenous Knowledge, and Sustainability through Agriculture” allowed her to return to her home country of Malawi to conduct her field research. Jean’s definition of sustaina‐ bility is embedded in the sub‐Saharan African worldview of Ubuntu (or uMunthu in the Chewa language of Malawi). uMunthu entails humaneness, care, understanding, and empathy. For Jean, sustainability is about interde‐ pendence, interconnectedness, and co‐ existence with nature. “uMunthu is grounded in the interconnectedness and interdependence of humans and the more‐than human; and views hu‐ mans as part of nature,” she says. “I enjoy learning (and teaching) about the environment, which I view as consisting of both the human and the more‐than‐ human.” Her passion for environmental educa‐ tion has now taken Jean to New Eng‐ land, where she is a core faculty mem‐ ber in the Environmental Studies De‐ partment at Antioch University New England, in Keene, New Hampshire. In addition to teaching environmental education courses at the graduate level, she advises students, and co‐ advises the Keene Community Garden Connections, a project focused on building local food capacity and securi‐ ty (see www.antiochne.edu/cgc/). Not surprisingly, teaching features prominently in Jean’s most memorable moment from her time at SENS. “When I got the teaching fellowship, I had to teach an undergraduate course on my own! While I had co‐taught another class with my supervisor be‐ fore, this was different because I had to do it on my own. Needless to say I was excited and nervous at the same time. I learned a lot during that time so that when I got a second chance to teach another course, I was better prepared. The experience I gained teaching those courses reinforced my love of teaching and has been very helpful in my current position.” Now that she is a year into her career post‐SENS, Jean has this advice to pass onto current SENS students. “Try to publish as much as you can while you’re still a student. It becomes very hard to do so once you finish and have a full‐time job.” She adds, “When you’re at that low point and don’t feel like looking at your work (or thinking about it) anymore, hang in there! Yes, it's an uphill battle but it does come to an end. Believe in yourself and your passion for your work. You’ve come a long way. You can sure do it!” This optimism can also be found in Jean’s view of the future for those seeking careers in environment and sustainability. “This is a growing sector, and there is more work to be done,” she says. And Jean will be one of the teachers preparing students to do just that. Chris Gabrielli, PhD student in SENS, super‐ vised by Professor Jeff McDonnell, recently won the prestigious American Geophysical Union Horton Research Grant. The award for $10,000 USD recognizes the best PhD proposal in hydrology worldwide. Chris, who is based at the Global Institute for Water Security, will be flown to San Fran‐ cisco in December to receive the award during the AGU Fall Meeting. PhD Student Chris Gabrielli has received the American Geophysical Union Horton Research Grant, awarded for the best PhD proposal in hydrology worldwide. Chris holds M.S. and B.S. degrees in Wood Science and Engineering from Oregon State University and Virginia Tech, respectively. His research interests focus on the contri‐ bution of bedrock groundwater in the catchment scale rainfall‐runoff response. He is working at the crossroads of catch‐ ment hydrology, hydrogeology, and groundwater hydrology, identifying how underlying catchment geology and catch‐ ment structure control the spatial and tem‐ poral patterns of bedrock groundwater dynamics in headwaters. Chris is interested in understanding how these dynamics influ‐ ence and contribute to the timing, quality and quantity of water delivered to the stream channel, both during storm events and under baseflow conditions. 7 Coping With Comprehensive Exams in Interdisciplinarity and Sustainability: Experiences of a SENS PhD Candidate Contributed by Jania Chilima, MES. Jania is in‐ deed a SENS PhD candidate. Her research con‐ siders water resources from a risk communica‐ tion and management perspective. Undertaking my comprehensive exams as an interdisciplinary and sustainability scholar, I quickly learned that I would have to integrate many inextricably combined areas of study. Just as important, I would have to learn very broad topics, in some of which I have no training, but which contribute to the sustainability discourse. To any PhD student in sustainability and inter‐ disciplinarity, combining and comprehending a wide array of information is inevitable, and of utmost importance. Doing so ensures sane, successful completion of the all‐important SENS comprehensive exam, and amplifies skills need‐ ed for further intellectual pursuits: theorizing, organizing and interpreting data, mindful obser‐ vation, summarizing, critiquing etc. To the untrained eye, studying interdisciplinary and sustainability can seem chaotic. Moreover, as a scholar, at times you may feel like “you are not an expert in anything,” a myth that has been debunked by many modern thinkers, who be‐ lieve transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary in‐ quiries are natural paths toward building new knowledge for a much needed understanding of “wicked problems.” Here are my strategies for coping with sustainability and interdisciplinary comprehensive exam questions, and the process I followed for a sane, successful outcome. A. Organizing the explosion of literature: Digital literature is more convenient than hard copy; however, managing it is more challenging. The recent explosion of interdisciplinary journals makes it even more difficult to know where au‐ thoritative works are found. Keeping an open mind about new journal titles and types, which may contain this information, is critical to the establishment of the relevant literature. The modern knowledge creation enterprise has di‐ luted the authority of many publications, and some key works may be in open‐access journals or in recently established journals, such as the International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology or the Journal of Envi‐ ronmental Science and Studies, for example. You must become a ‘guru’ in at least one citation management tool at this point. Many exist, so pick one you like. Ask for suggestions from your advisory committee, to ensure the committee is comfortable with what you choose. A compre‐ hensive list of such tools is found at http://dirtdirectory.org/. Now, you can apply your intellectual capacity to answer those comp questions! B. Reading new knowledge areas and philoso‐ phies: In interdisciplinary and sustainability you have to read a lot (a LOT!) to form intelli‐ gent opinions which can be argued and articu‐ lated with examples from a theory or paradigm. Supporting your argument with concrete evi‐ dence goes without saying. However, taking your own direction with theories, methods of inquiry, epistemologies, frameworks, typologies and decision matrices to formulate new post‐ normal philosophies (dare I say creativity is important?) is common practice in interdiscipli‐ nary studies, and more so in sustainability. Admittedly, students will be required to answer different questions depending on their research foci. However, as we all have to tackle sustain‐ ability in an interdisciplinary setting, I feel this creativity is in all SENS PhD students. It is how we contribute to knowledge and push the boundaries of interdisciplinarity. I felt I had to grasp two concepts for my comp exam ques‐ tions: 1. Philosophies in the post‐normal era: You probably have noticed interesting constructs and philosophies in sustainability articles. These are post‐normal scientific paradigms. Some commonly recognized include the NEXUS (such as the food‐water‐energy NEXUS), ecolog‐ ical economics, and socio‐(eco) hydrology. These paradigms make it possible to see that interdisciplinarity and, in particular, sustainabil‐ ity, are centrally positioned to provide new insights not usually possible within a discipline. I felt that understanding a few of these would give me more guidance on how to integrate my fields of study (water resources management, human health, and risk assessment) while ap‐ plying a theoretical underpinning of a commu‐ nity‐based participatory approach to indicate interdisciplinarity, as well as arguing how wa‐ ter, as a common pool resource, can be man‐ aged sustainably. Boundless literature directed me to see how such fields have been studied by other scholars. Having a grasp of post‐normal scientific philosophies provided a foundation for building arguments for the comp exam. For a successful exam, it’s vital to demonstrate a grasp of such contemporary ways of thinking. I believe, as interdisciplinary scholars, this is where we stand out in our intellectual pursuits — we are creating post‐normal scientific para‐ digms by integrating what are commonly seen as separate disciplines into one area of study to further knowledge (as reflected in our disserta‐ tions). Those not experienced with reading broadly and looking for synergies can be frus‐ trated when faced with boundless concepts and literature, but as interdisciplinary and sustaina‐ bility scholars, we sail smoothly. 2. Frameworks; typologies; decision matrices: Frameworks and decision matrices have played important roles in quantifying and qualifying outputs and outcomes. Typologies have helped conceptualize and operationalize new thoughts. As an interdisciplinary student, you may be re‐ quired to construct or use one of these to demonstrate understanding of a phenomenon. A mental exercise for practice is to draw your understanding of concepts in a decision tree, a conceptual model, or as a typology, based on relationships with other parts of your research. For my comp exam, I relied on frameworks to show connectedness of ideas that could demon‐ strate relationships among phenomena I was analyzing. For further guidance to support my analysis, I asked myself if a framework was ade‐ quate to show relationships, and where to add disciplinary knowledge to improve upon it. For example, I used a framework from Elinor Ostrom’s 2009 work A General Framework for Analyzing Sustainability of Social‐Ecological Sys‐ tems to argue my case of water management sustainability. C. Writing plausible connections and supporting arguments with a variety of evidence. Knowing how wide to cast the net for literature to explain a concept sufficiently, or to find an example analogous enough, can be tricky for a new scholar. I followed the information for au‐ thors sections, found in most journals, which urge authors to use as much relevant literature as possible to provide evidence. Standard prac‐ tice is: support for a single sentence should not exceed three references, unless a direct explana‐ tion follows which relies on prior references. As the comp exam is a critical literature review and an expression of maturity in a scholastic area, this guidance was quite applicable. Supporting one piece of writing with a variety of evidence is another way sustainability differs from other disciplines. I think of this as “weigh‐ ing the evidence,” first choosing that which pro‐ motes clarity and objectivity in my argument, and then adding other evidence to further sup‐ port my claim. This can build a narrative by add‐ ing depth to the argument, but don’t “wander around” too much! I hope these few “take home” points from my comp exam experience can provide some guid‐ ance for those who have not yet reached this stage in their journey towards a doctorate in sustainability and interdisciplinary studies. See page 9 of this newsletter for some useful resources related to this article. Talking SENSe SENS Photo Contest 2014 y SENS held its third annual photo contest in Spring 2014 – students submitted more than seventy photographs across four categories. The win‐ ning entries, as chosen by the SENS community, were: Research and Student Life: “Bird Banding,” by Manuel Chavez‐Ortiz. I really like this photograph because it can be seen as a metaphor of how fragile nature can be and the influence we have to change it. Sustainable Community: “Paws & Boots,” by Branimir Gjetvaj. “Paws & boots” at Wolverine PFRA community pasture near Lanigan, Sas‐ katchewan. The Community Pasture Program, administered by Canada's federal government, was designed to assist small‐ and medium‐ sized mixed farm operations. Each fall, PFRA pasture managers work with hired riders to sort out cattle for delivery to patrons at the end of the grazing season. These cowboys are crucial in maintaining proper management of the pastures, for the benefit of pasture users as well as plants and animals that rely on a healthy prairie ecosystem. In October of 2013, I visited the Wolverine PFRA pasture to document the cow‐ boy life, part of our cultural heritage and tradition that has a crucial role in sustainable management of our grasslands. The Natural Environment: “South Saskatchewan River,” by Manuel Chavez‐Ortiz. A flight of birds in a beautiful sunset; no wonder they call Saskatchewan the land of living skies! The Urban Environment: “Saskatoon Skyline,” by Branimir Gjetvaj. Saskatoon skyline reflecting in South Saskatchewan River at dusk. This is a panorama composite image created from 3 separate frames. I took this picture to mark the World Rivers Day last year. The overall contest winner was “Bird Banding” by Manuel Chavez‐Ortiz. The winning entries, from top left: “South Saskatchewan River,” “Bird Banding,” “University Bridge,” “Saskatoon Skyline,” and “Paws & Boots.” 9 Spring Convocation 2014 SENS was pleased to honour nine graduates at Spring Convocation on June 4, 2014. Receiving degrees were: Allison Henderson, Doctor of Philosophy: Social and Ecological Dimensions of Prairie Conservation: Linking Ranchers, Rangeland Health and Abundance for Three Grassland Songbird Species at Risk. Supervisor: Maureen Reed MES graduate Yekaterina Dobrovolskaya on campus after her graduation cere‐ mony. Saima Abbasi, Master of Environment and Sustainability: Adap‐ tation to Drought in Saskatchewan Rural Communities: A Case Study of Kindersley and Maidstone. Advisor: Suren Kulshreshtha Kari Amick, Master of Environment and Sustainability: Perspec‐ tives on Prions: Mapping the Social Landscape Around Chronic Wasting Disease on the Canadian Prairies. Advisor: Doug Clark Dylan Beach, Master of Environment and Sustainability: Lessons on Scenario Planning for Wildlife Management in the Southwest Yukon. Advisor: Doug Clark Yekaterina Dobrovolskaya, Master of Environment and Sustaina‐ bility: Improving Water Storage of Reclamation Soil Covers by Fractionation of Coarse‐Textured Soil. Advisor: Bing Si Viktoriya Zamchevska, Master of Environment and Sustainability: Strengthening Sustainability Assessment in Town Planning in Rural Saskatchewan. Advisor: Jill Gunn Evan Bassett, Master of Sustainable Environmental Management: An Examination of the Canada‐Saskatchewan Farm Stewardship Program in the Redberry Lake Watershed. Advisor: Ken Belcher Jessica Lankshear, Master of Sustainable Environmental Manage‐ ment: Investigating Human‐Black Bear Interactions in Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve. Advisor: Doug Clark Elizaveta Petelina, Master of Sustainable Environmental Manage‐ ment: Restoration of Native Plant Cover after Uranium Mining: A Case Study from Northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Advisor: Vladimir Kricsfalusy Congratulations to the newest SENS alumni! SENS Faculty Karsten Liber Awarded Distinguished Professorship From the May 9, 2014 issue of On Campus News Two senior researchers – one from the School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and the other from the Johnson‐Shoyama Graduate School (JSGS) of Public Policy – have been awarded distinguished profes‐ sorships at the University of Saskatchewan. Peter Phillips from JSGS has a significant reputation for leading research in the area of global agri‐food policy systems, including development of large multidisciplinary agri‐food science research networks. Karsten Liber of SENS, who is also director of the Toxicology Centre, received the professorship in recogni‐ tion of his work in the area of metal bioavailability and toxicity in aquatic ecosystems. The Distinguished Professorship Program was created to honour and celebrate outstanding achievement in research, scholarly or artistic work by U of S faculty or emeriti. Phillips’ and Liber’s appointments as distin‐ guished professors are effective July 1. Karsten Liber was the School’s Executive Director from 2008‐2011. Coping with Comprehensive Exams: References Jania has compiled these information sources which may be of interest to readers, especially those who have yet to tackle their comp exams! Aslin, H. J., & Blackstock, K. L. (2010). ‘Now I am not an expert in anything’: Challenges in understanding transdisciplinary inquiry across the social and bio‐ physical sciences. In V.A Brown., J.A Harris. & J.Y. Russell. (Eds.), Wicked problems through transdisciplinary imagination. (pp. 117‐129pp). London, UK Earthscan. Blackstock, K. L., & Carter, C. E. (2007). Operationalising sustainability science for a sustainability directive? Reflecting on three pilot projects. Geographical Journal, 173(4), 343‐357. doi: 10.1111/j.1475‐4959.2007.00258.x Blackstock, K. L., Kelly, G. J., & Horsey, B. L. (2007). Developing and applying a framework to evaluate participatory research for sustainability. Ecological Economics, 60(4), 726‐742. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2006.05.014 Ostrom, E. (2009). A General Framework for Analyzing Sustainability of Social‐Ecological Systems. Science, 325(5939), 419‐422. doi: 10.1126/science.1172133 Thornton, J., A. , Harding, W. R., Dent, M., Hart, R. C., Lin, H., Rast, C. L., . . . Slawski, T. M. (2013). Eutrophication as a ‘wicked’ problem. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management, 18(4), 298‐316. doi: 10.1111/lre.12044 Turnpenny, J., Jones, M., & Lorenzoni, I. (2010). Where now for post‐normal science? A critical review of its development, definitions, and uses. Science, Technology & Human Values, 0162243910385789. Talking SENSe My Unofficial Thank You Letter to SENS Submitted by: Evan Andrews, MES student (Editor’s note: We asked Evan to write an article about his Cumber‐ land House research. This is what he submitted, honest!) Opportunities and good people are not always obvious and they are often hard to find, unless you are a School of Environment and Sustainability student. This is my unofficial thank you to SENS. It’s unofficial because I want to leave decision space to change my mind. This first year was busy. Drs. Westbrook and Noble told me it just might be the busiest few months I have had in my life so far. And I thought, “Sure thing.” Turns out they were right. New students are bombarded with information all the time and everywhere, all facili‐ tated cleverly by faculty: making jokes with Dr. Kricsfalusy about the scientific names of plants (by the way, this is an effective way to memorize them), banding my first bird with Dr. Morrissey (I thought I was going to kill that bird in my hand, but I, too, was in good hands), being completely open and sharing stories with Dr. Barrett (and crying), accidentally falling asleep in my office while trying to complete my proposal (it started to smell in there. Sorry, office mates, that was me), and learning about data analysis and management (I promise Dr. Strickert’s ice breakers and innovative teaching modalities will be your best friends by the end of such a long year). In a way, students are thrown off the deep end, but with many good people (especially Irene, Sharla, Charlotte and Tracey) to watch them jump and catch them if they are going to hit the side of the pool (the aquatics analogy will make more sense as you continue reading). I am really thankful to SENS for allowing its students to pursue excellence in other areas of life. For me, it was water polo and it was a very busy year. I refereed three national championship finals and many tournaments, was around good people who expected a lot of me, had very challeng‐ ing moments, felt supported along the way not only by great water polo people but also by great SENS people, and was selected to represent Can‐ ada as a referee at the Junior Pan American Games. As I prepare for the final games at the Junior Pan Ams, I cannot help but think that my experiences in SENS have contributed to my success at this event … so far. SENS has helped me hone my critical thinking skills and my ability to make good/fair decisions under pressure. While water polo is an international game, it is somewhat regional with variations in style informed by cultural histories, interactions with other teams, and reactions to short‐ and long‐term tensions. These conditions are compressed into four quarters of eight minutes and create a pressure‐cooker of psychologi‐ cal and physical conflict. The referees in water polo have one of the toughest jobs in any sport, due to the confluence of sophistication and physi‐ cality that underpin it. My experiences with the type of thinking encouraged at SENS have helped with my ability to work through these conditions, be accountable for my decisions, and learn from mistakes. And, there were and will be mistakes. Moving forward knowledgeably after I have put myself out there to varying degrees of success is perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned so far from my supervisor, Dr. Steelman, and I have put this lesson to good use several times since the games have started. Whether it is refereeing an entire game after I accidentally ripped a half a foot long hole in the crotch of my white pants in front of a table of minor officials, several interna‐ tional delegates, two national teams and many of their friends and family members, or making huge calls in the final minutes of close games, I had to move forward with newly learned lessons in my tool box. Maybe SENS has helped less with my ability to deal with two countries’ teams and their fans yelling at me in four different languages and hating me throughout the game (and quite possibly after). There is no love for the referee. Good thing the folks at SENS are pretty respectful. While I am at the games, and as I continue to prepare for my field season in Cumberland House, when I will be interviewing folks about their per‐ ceptions of water quantity and the dam relicensing process, I cannot help but think that my experiences at this event will help me prepare for ex‐ periences yet to be had during my field season. I am prepared to experience emotions and tensions, to be patient, to be respectful, to make good and fair decisions, and to be an aware listener (this could be the job description of a water polo referee). I am prepared to be completely unpre‐ pared. For now, my research surrounds the role of diverse perspectives on what is the right amount of water in the Saskatchewan River Delta in determin‐ ing the dam operations and relicensing. It also looks at how public participation can lead to moving these perspectives into decision‐making arenas. During my month and a few weeks in Cumberland House and my time analyzing data, I will be searching for a common interest solution and I am so grateful for the folks in these communities and at SENS for allowing me to do so. SENS and water polo, who knew? It is a connection that may be lost on some. In both contexts I will be pursuing a common interest solution that may very well be a moving target, located somewhere in a pool of shifting and ever‐changing inequalities, interactions, and relational interests. So, thank you, SENS … for now … for preparing me to take advantage of great opportunities and for helping me meet some of the greatest people I have ever met. Off to ref USA versus Mexico, to get yelled at in English and Spanish, and to be thankful I am allowed to enjoy every minute of it.
