Board of Governors Appoints New Vice-President Research

Posted February 04, 2003


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 4, 2003 2003-02-06-OTHER

Board of Governors Appoints New Vice-President Research

Following an extensive national search, Dr. Steven Franklin, an expert in
environmental remote sensing, has been appointed Vice-President Research at
the University of Saskatchewan, effective July 1.

The five-year renewable appointment was announced today by U of S President
Peter MacKinnon. Franklin succeeds Acting Vice-President Research Bryan
Harvey who will resume his position as Co-ordinator of Agricultural
Research.

Franklin is currently Special Assistant to the Provost and Vice-President
(Academic) at the University of Calgary where he has been a driving force
behind a new project that involves first-year students and other
undergraduates in research activity.

"We are delighted to recruit someone of Dr. Franklin's outstanding research
talent and managerial experience to our senior leadership team," said
MacKinnon. "His first-hand experience with strategic research planning and
with new approaches to integrating research into undergraduate learning will
help build success in all our research, scholarly and artistic work."

Franklin will also be appointed a full-time professor with tenure in the U
of S department of geography.

Franklin, who received the Best Paper Award in 2000 at the 22nd Canadian
Symposium on Remote Sensing, is a distinguished researcher in environmental
applications of satellite and aerial remote sensing, technology that can
map, survey and monitor the Earth. His areas of investigation have included
forest ecology and wildlife management.

He has published more than 90 journal articles on remote sensing and
environmental management issues in Canada, the United States, and South
America. In 2001, he published a book on remote sensing and a second volume
will be published this year.

Franklin studied geography and environmental management at the University of
Waterloo, receiving his Ph.D. in 1985. He was an NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellow
and taught classes in remote sensing at Memorial University of Newfoundland
from 1985 to 1988.

In 1988, he joined the University of Calgary. As head of the geography
department from 1995 to 1998, he led the team that established a strategic
marketing plan for the U of C. As associate dean of research in the Faculty
of Social Sciences, he led the faculty in providing input to an
institution-wide research strengths document, which became the basis of the
U of C Strategic Research Plan.

Franklin has been involved in the development of four new U of C
collaborative degree programs and was responsible for an initiative called
"Enhancing the Undergraduate Learners' Experience" which aims to increase
awareness and opportunities for undergraduate research across the
curriculum, especially in first year.

During his career, Franklin has overseen the work of 29 graduate students
and three post-doctoral fellows. In 2002, he was awarded the U of C's
Faculty Distinguished Research Award.

He has contributed nationally to the advancement of his discipline through
many committees, conferences and workshops. He served as chair of the
Canadian Remote Sensing Society from 1995 to 1997, and is an Associate
Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute.

"I am very pleased to be offered this opportunity to serve the U of S in
this capacity and am looking forward to coming to Saskatoon," said Franklin.

"The fundamental activities of scholarly research and the creative process
must be supported and nurtured within the extremely diverse environment that
a research university offers, and I hope to contribute to the continued
success of the wide range of research, scholarly and artistic enterprises in
this respected and dynamic university."

More information about the Office of the Vice-President Research is
available at: http://www.usask.ca/vpresearch/

Note to Editors: A photo (color or black and white) of Dr. Franklin can be
obtained from kathryn.warden@usask.ca

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For more information, contact:

Peter MacKinnon
President, University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-6612

Kathryn Warden
U of S Research Communications
(306) 966-2506