Keri Ferguson

Faculty members Evan Bowness and Robert Buchkowski are Western’s newest Canada Research Chairs (CRCs). Announced earlier this week in Ottawa, Bowness and Buchkowski  have been awarded Tier 2 CRCs, which recognize emerging researchers who show potential to lead in their fields. Bowness, CRC in Sustainability and Equity, is a professor in the department of geography and environment in the Faculty of Social Science. Buchkowski, CRC in Climate Change Ecology, is a biology professor in the Faculty of Science. The CRC program is designed to attract and retain some of the world’s most accomplished and promising minds in engineering, natural sciences, health sciences, humanities and social sciences. The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, said the federal government is investing more than $153 million to support 179 new and renewed CRCs at 38 research institutions across Canada. “With these investments, we are empowering the brightest minds to push the boundaries of discovery, tackle complex global challenges and create real solutions that will improve lives and the world we live in,” Champagne said.    

Evan Bowness Tier 2 CRC in Sustainability and Equity

In collaboration with an interdisciplinary network of researchers, Bowness works with communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, supporting community-led adaptation efforts and critically examining the limits and possibilities of sustainability ‘solutions.’ His research group, the Towards Equitable Sustainability Transitions (TEST) Lab, explores critical social science questions in sustainability scholarship while remaining accountable to community partners. “As progress toward equity and sustainability faces growing threats worldwide, this investment comes at a critical time,” Bowness said. “With support from the CRC program, my research group and network of collaborators will deepen our work with frontline communities and build an interdisciplinary research program that grapples with the social complexities of pursuing sustainable futures.”    

Robert Buchkowski Tier 2 CRC in Climate Change Ecology

Buchkowski’s research focuses on understanding the ways living organisms, especially microorganisms and animals, affect how ecosystems respond to change, with a goal to improve soil carbon sequestration and nutrient availability in ecosystems being managed for forestry, agriculture or other uses. Buchkowski leads the Nutrient Movement and Modelling Lab at Western. “It was wonderful hearing our lab received support from the CRC program,” Buchkowski said. “This funding will help us work faster to understand the response of Canadian soils, especially the living things within them, to changes in climate and land use. Ultimately, we hope to help improve our management of terrestrial ecosystems in Canada and the soils on which they are built.”

Four CRCs at Western renewed

Four current CRCs at Western were renewed: Corey Baron –Tier 2 CRC in Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Emma Duerden –Tier 2 CRC in Neuroscience & Learning Disorders Natasha Mhatre –Tier 2 CRC in Invertebrate Neurobiology Xianbin Wang –Tier 1 CRC in Trusted Communications and Computing