December 16, 2010
U of S researcher in native-newcomer relations wins top national award
Posted December 16, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Dec. 16, 2010
2010-12-06-OTHER
University of Saskatchewan history professor Jim Miller has been awarded the Gold Medal for Achievement in Research by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the federal research funding agency’s highest honour.
Miller receives the award for his decades of study on the evolving relationships between Aboriginal Peoples and the peoples that later settled in Canada.
“Professor Miller’s work provides a clear and unflinching look at how events of our shared history damaged the relationships between Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people in Canada,” said U of S President Peter MacKinnon.
“This knowledge has become part of the foundation for reconciliation among our communities as we build a future together. We are proud to count such an extraordinary scholar among our faculty.”
The SSHRC Gold Medal is awarded to an individual whose leadership, dedication, and originality of thought have significantly advanced understanding in their field of research, enriched Canadian society, and contributed to the country's cultural and intellectual life. Miller is the eighth recipient of the award since its inception in 2003.
“These winners are excellent examples of the impact that research in the social sciences and humanities has on society, and of its importance to Canada’s success,” said Chad Gaffield, President of SSHRC.
Miller, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Native-Newcomer Relations, has taught at the U of S since 1970. He is Canada’s leading expert on historical and contemporary issues related to native-newcomer relations, and his expertise is often sought by the media. For example, he provided commentary for the live coverage of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s 2008 apology, on behalf of the Canadian government, to First Nations people for the trauma of the residential schools.
Miller’s current work centres on reconciliation for residential school survivors and urging governments to make good on the official apology with further action. One area in particular is the need to provide better education opportunities for young aboriginal people, an area that has suffered from chronic underfunding.
Miller is a respected consultant on treaty and residential school issues whose counsel is sought by governments and aboriginal groups alike. He has worked closely with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) for Saskatchewan as an advisor and in developing the OTC’s education program ‘Teaching Treaties in the Classroom,’ a curriculum guide designed to help teachers explore the topic of treaties with their students. He has also worked with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and serves as a member of the Research Advisory Committee for the newly established Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Miller has written several groundbreaking books, including Skyscrapers Hide the Heavens: A History of Indian-White Relations in Canada, widely recognized as the first comprehensive account of the subject in Canada and now in its third edition. His book Shingwauk’s Vision: A History of Native Residential Schools was the first comprehensive history of residential schools in Canada and has earned Miller numerous awards and honours, among them the J.W. Dafoe Prize, the Association for Canadian Studies Writing Award and the Saskatchewan Writing Awards Non-Fiction Book of the Year.
Miller has been recognized for his contributions on numerous occasions. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and in 1997 won the U of S Distinguished Researcher Award.
Recipients of the SSHRC Gold Medal are nominated by their peers and selected by a multidisciplinary committee comprised of leading university researchers from Canada and abroad. Winners receive a gold medal and $100,000 towards research and scholarly activities.
For more information on the SSHRC Gold Medal, visit http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/results-resultats/prizes-prix/gold-or-eng.aspx
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For more information, contact:
Michael Robin
Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1425
michael.robin@usask.ca
December 13, 2010
U of S receives $1 M from Western Grains Research Foundation
Posted December 13, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Dec. 13, 2010
2010-12-04-AG
The University of Saskatchewan (U of S) received a $1 million investment from Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) for the College of Agriculture and Bioresources’ Phytotron Renewal Project.
The phytotron is an indispensable tool in plant and soil science research and teaching in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. The controlled environment plant growth facility enables three full cycles of plant production in one year. Individual chamber environments can be controlled for temperature, light and humidity to determine how soils, plants, water, wind and pests interact under a variety of conditions.
WGRF is a non-profit, farmer-funded, farmer-directed organization committed to helping Western Canadian producers by funding important crop research. WGRF strives to make sure that dollars invested in crop research generate an economic return for all Western Canadian producers.
“We at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources are deeply grateful for the confidence and support expressed by prairie producers, through their Western Grains Research Foundation,” says Dean Mary Buhr, College of Agriculture and Bioresources. “WGRF’s donation is a fabulous example of the mutual benefits arising from researchers and teachers partnering with the agricultural community. This significant gift helps the college continue to provide western grain producers with the innovative crops and practices they demand, so they can produce goods to improve peoples’ lives.”
“WGRF understands the important role the phytotron plays in the development of new varieties. Pulses, wheat, oats, barley, flax, canary seed, all of the breeding programs at Crop Development Centre rely heavily on the phytotron to advance their programs and develop improved varieties that grow well in farmers’ fields and increase profitability for producers in Western Canada,” notes WGRF Board Chairman Dr. Keith Degenhardt. “The decision by WGRF to invest in the renewal of the phytotron is one that will benefit all crop producers and provide a great return on investment for years to come.”
Once renewed, the phytotron will allow scientists to expand their research capacity and students to conduct research that will enrich their education experience. The upgraded phytotron will play a key role in crop development and plant science research across Western Canada crop production systems. This work will provide farmers with new and innovative plant varieties, better variety recommendations, more secure production and a greater return on their investments through higher quality, better yielding and hardier crops.
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For more information, contact:
Kira Paluck
Communications Co-ordinator
College of Agriculture and Bioresources
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-6873
kira.paluck@usask.ca
Mike Espeseth
Communications Manager
Western Grains Research Foundation
(306) 975-0365
communications@westerngrains.com
December 03, 2010
U of S researchers awarded $2 million to develop cleaner oilsands technology
Posted December 03, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 3, 2010
Oilsands companies may soon get greener, thanks to a federal and provincial investment of more than $2 million announced today for a promising new technology being developed by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan Toxicology Centre.
The investment is being made through Western Economic Diversification Canada and Enterprise Saskatchewan, through the Canada-Saskatchewan Western Economic Partnership Agreement (WEPA), with an in-kind contribution by the U of S.
Led by environmental toxicologist John Giesy, the team is working with the International Petroleum & Environmental Recovery Company (IPERC) to further develop IPERC’s technology, San-Tek 2000. The technology separates bitumen from oilsands and minimizes water and energy use in the extraction process. This technology promises to reduce both economic and environmental costs of oilsands development.
San-Tek 2000 has already proved effective in a lab setting. The U of S-led team plans to bring the technology up to pilot plant stage to determine if it can be scaled up to serve the needs of full industrial production.
Under the agreement, the federal and provincial governments are each investing $1,017,850. The University of Saskatchewan is contributing $274,000 in-kind. This three-year project will create five jobs.
A full media release and backgrounder is available at the Western Economic Development website at www.wd-deo.gc.ca.
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For more information, contact:
Jerra Byrne
Office of the Minister
Western Economic Diversification Canada
jerra.byrne@wd.gc.ca
Joanne Johnson
Communications Director
Enterprise Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Tel: (306) 798-0503
Michael Robin
Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Tel: (306) 966-1425
