Research in Action: Public - University of Calgary

Issue 2: Fall 2006
Education Environment Health + Wellness Public Policy
Research in Action:
Mobilizing Knowledge
at Home + Around the World
The University of Calgary is transforming our world through collaborative
research and the mobilization of knowledge to engage, inform, influence,
contribute and...change lives.
Success through research and innovation.

education
pg 2
environment
pg 10
research creativity innovation collaboration
At the University of Calgary we discover, create, innovate, build — and through
the mobilization of knowledge we transform our world. Our researchers and
students solve problems, meet society’s needs, and answer not just the
questions of today, but anticipate the questions of tomorrow.
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada defines “knowledge mobilization” as moving
knowledge into active service for the broadest possible common good. Knowledge mobilization involves working
collaboratively to produce and share knowledge and making that knowledge accessible and useful to society.
Mobilizing knowledge to enhance the quality of life
The U of C is a leader in cross-sectoral research, partnering with academia, government, private corporations,
non-profit and voluntary organizations and philanthropic foundations. By working together, we combine the
experience, insight and focus of community-based specialists with the foundational principles of academic
research.
Our work directly and indirectly improves quality of life by providing solutions, direction and understanding, as
well as by creating a scientific foundation upon which others can build. Our integrated approach delivers
comprehensive results. Together we bring solutions to society’s most significant social and policy issues.
In Issue 1, Research in Action: Creating Wealth, we explored how the U of C is strengthening Canada and
building the global economy by creating new businesses, launching new technologies and advancing science and
medicine. In Issue 2, Research in Action: Mobilizing Knowledge, we share the stories of 16 U of C researchers
who are collaborating with research partners from all walks of life to find solutions to society’s challenges.
Learn more. www.ucalgary.ca

health + wellness
pg 18
public policy
pg 26
“At the University of Calgary we understand that the future of research and expanded
knowledge lays in greater community engagement and collaborative research relationships.
These collaborations enable us to produce highly applicable research that influences our
social and economic environments while improving living conditions and changing lives
for people around the world. Through knowledge mobilization, the University of Calgary is
committed to being the Canadian leader of Research in Action.”
Dr. Dennis R. Salahub, Vice-President Research & International, University of Calgary
Research in Action: Mobilizing Knowledge at Home + Around the World
“Is there value in creating new knowledge just for the sake of it? Absolutely. Is that
enough? No. At the University of Calgary, we are putting our research into action, by
ensuring that the considerable and creative efforts of our students, researchers and
community partners are solving problems in direct and measurable ways. Through this,
we are working to improve the quality of life in Canada and around the world.”
Dr. Harvey P. Weingarten, President & Vice-Chancellor, University of Calgary
1

The U of C’s research bug
bites five-year-olds.
You can never be too young to be curious, as University of Calgary graduate students discovered through
their research in the classroom with elementary school children.
“We asked the children what they ‘wonder’ about certain topics covered in the school curriculum, such as
weather,” says Dr. Anne McKeough, professor in the U of C’s Faculty of Education Division of Applied Psychology.
“Throughout our study the children explored their ideas and questions — and became junior researchers in
their own right as they too inquired and gathered more information on the topics they were curious about. They
began to articulate their ideas and to understand they had theories of their own.”
McKeough leads her graduate students in collaborative research focused on the cognitive development of
children. A recently completed four-year study explored inquiry and its role in children’s literacy development
and their understanding of the learning process. The research team worked alongside teachers and their
students in kindergarten and Grade 1 classes in the Golden Hills School District.
Exploration leads to increased vocabulary, confidence and knowledge building
The graduate students and teachers were equally engrossed with the research process as they identified the
role of inquiry in helping the children to develop their vocabulary, gain confidence as learners, and understand
how to build knowledge through questions and research. According to doctoral student Meadow Schroeder,
children shared ideas in class and then took them home to their parents where learning became a family affair.
Funding for the project came from the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network (CLLRNet) of the
Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE), which fosters powerful partnerships between university, government and
industry. The research findings will be integrated into the development of new teaching programs.
McKeough’s research into how children’s minds, language and literacy develop includes a study on early
science knowledge with preschoolers. The research team included colleagues across departments at the
U of C and within other Canadian institutions. They analyzed commercially available science books targeted
to small children. The team incorporated selected texts in their project within day-care centres and worked
with the children to explore inheritability — helping them to identify those characteristics they inherited from
their family. McKeough believes it is critical that children learn science as a process of discovery — not as a
memorization of established facts.
“To participate in our culture now you have to understand scientific process and thinking,” she says. “You need
to be able to generate an informed opinion and understanding if you are to take a position — for example,
to vote for elected officials based on your stance.”
McKeough speaks frequently around the world and has contributed to the development of a comprehensive
reading program called Open Court Reading, which is used throughout North America. She is currently
collaborating with colleagues in Italy on children and adolescents’ use of narrative thought to interpret their
social world.
www.sraonline.com/
http://greatteachers.ucalgary.ca
University of Calgary Research in Action 2

Research in Action: Education
Exploring wonder and
curiosity: Dr. Anne
McKeough’s research
focuses on the cognitive
development of children
and has contributed to
the development of
a comprehensive reading
program used throughout
North America.
3

For the love of art:
Reintroducing classical music
education in China.
It is said that music is the soul of society. Yet, a whole generation of musicians was lost due to China’s
Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and ’70s when music teachers were imprisoned and all instruments and
classical sheet music were destroyed.
For the past 10 years, University of Calgary professor Edmond Agopian has been instrumental in restoring
the soul of the world’s largest and most populous country by reintroducing classical music education to China’s
most talented young musicians. An increasing economic and cultural openness has allowed the Chinese
government to recognize music as enriching.
When Agopian lifted his baton as guest conductor with the pre-eminent Shanghai Opera Orchestra in the
summer of 2006, he led young musicians in their twenties and early thirties. No mature Chinese virtuosos
exist in the city of 17 million people.
With Agopian’s help, the future for Chinese instrumentalists looks positive. “It is immensely rewarding to help
expand the knowledge, understanding and skill of these talented young musicians who then return to perform
and teach in China,” says Agopian. “Some students return to assist as translators in our program and many
choose to continue their studies in North America. One such student recently graduated from U of C with
a master in violin performance.”
Bridging the musical gap
For a month each summer, selected and sponsored students aged 12 to 18 come to Canada to study at the
Mount Royal College Conservatory. They participate in private lessons, master classes and performance
through the Morningside Music Bridge program initiated by the Conservatory with the support of the Hong
Kong-based Morningside Group, in collaboration with the music conservatories of Beijing, Shanghai and
Chengdu. Agopian participates as violinist, violin and chamber music instructor and conductor.
While in Canada, the Chinese students often perform music by Chinese composers based on Chinese folk
idioms, providing an enriching cultural exchange for both students and faculty.
“Since the violin is a Western instrument, I wanted to study the instrument
abroad and learn how to play more musically. In my studies with professor
Agopian at U of C, I learned how to think about a musical work in terms
of style, historical context and form. He has taught me not only how to
play a piece but also how to teach it. It helps me resolve students’ skill
problems as well as teach them how to study music and think musically
rather than just copy.”
Yan Tao — past student in the Morningside Music Bridge program,
U of C graduate, now violin and chamber music instructor,
Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China.
University of Calgary Research in Action 4

Research in Action: Education
Reintroducing classical
music education to China’s
most talented young
musicians: Professor
Edmond Agopian teaches
and inspires young Chinese
musicians to become
teachers and performers.
At the Mount Royal College Conservatory, Agopian is music director of the Calgary Youth Orchestra.
At the U of C he is professor of violin and chamber music, chair of the performance area, conducts the
U of C orchestra and is first violin in the university’s string quartet.
Supported by the John P. L. Roberts Distinguished Professorship in Fine Arts and by the John Lefebvre
donation, Agopian is currently arranging and composing music based on Klezmer and other East European
folk music, intended to bridge the gap between classical and folk music.
http://music.ffa.ucalgary.ca
www.mtroyal.ab.ca/conservatory
5

A revealing collaboration
between the U of C and Peru —
exhibits, educates + sustains.
With The Nickle Arts Museum’s opening of Ancient Peru Unearthed: Golden Treasures of a Lost Civilization,
Canadians experienced a dramatic exhibition showcasing 1,000-year-old artifacts and treasures gathered as
part of a unique 30-year scientific excavation of Sicán in Peru’s northern La Leche river valley.
The historic exhibition marks a decade of negotiations between Peruvian and Canadian governments, driven
in part by Dr. Scott Raymond of the University of Calgary’s Department of Archaeology. The opening also marked
a significant milestone in the development of a thriving relationship between Peruvian archaeologists and
the U of C, which is contributing to the development of a strong and scholarly environment for archaeological
research in Peru.
“It’s significant that these artifacts were not gathered through looting,” says Raymond. “The exhibit provides
a rare experience for Canadians, highlighting the social, cultural, political and technological intricacies of the
Sicán society that flourished more than 1,000 years ago.”
Unearthed with precision and insight
The exhibition showcases the contents from two archaeologically excavated tombs. The Sicán was a sophisticated
civilization that predated the better-known Inca by almost four centuries. They produced high-quality glossy
blackware ceramics. The intricacy of their work with gold and silver suggests a skill level unprecedented in
Andean history. Raymond and colleagues have been negotiating to bring the exhibition to Canada since the late
1990s. Raymond has been associated with the project as part of his extensive work throughout Ecuador,
Colombia and Peru. He has helped bring South American archaeology students to study in Canada and students
from the U of C have visited the Sicán Archaeological Project and its partner the National Sicán Museum. Several
will return to participate as part of their doctoral or master’s thesis work.
The exhibition will tour Canada into 2008, following the five-month sojourn at The Nickle, which began in
September, 2006. The exhibition’s lead sponsors — Willow Park Wines and Spirits’ The Vintage Fund, together
with the Government of Alberta through the Alberta Lottery Fund, and AMJ Campbell Van Lines — have
pledged more than $500,000.
“Thanks to the commitment and involvement of the U of C in our research in
Peru, and in establishing the exhibition’s visit — Canadians will experience the
uniqueness, sophistication and beauty of handicrafts produced by this fascinating,
relatively obscure 1,000-year-old culture. The most significant aspect of the
exhibition is that it really tells us an in-depth story ‘behind the gold mask.’ Some
people may have seen previously a striking image of the Sicán gold mask with
‘winged eyes’ that had been illicitly looted from a tomb on the north coast
of Peru. But, this exhibit shows how long-term, multidisciplinary research can
put the mask in its proper context and allow it to speak about the culture that
produced it and the individual who was privileged to wear it.”
University of Calgary Research in Action 6
Izumi Shimada — professor of anthropology,
The Sicán Archeological Project, Peru.

Research in Action: Education
Ancient Peru Unearthed:
Golden Treasures of a
Lost Civilization: Thanks
to a thriving relationship
between Peruvian
archaeologists and the
U of C, combined with
the tireless efforts of
Dr. Scott Raymond,
The Nickle Arts Museum
is hosting this dramatic
exhibition showcasing
1,000-year-old artifacts
and treasures from Peru.
Organizers of this exhibition anticipate that this promotion of Peruvian culture and heritage will increase
Canadian tourism to the little-known region of Lambayeque. Local communities there are being encouraged
to support eco-tourism by backing the international profiling of Peru’s cultural resources, reducing overgrazing
and restoring the natural landscape.
U of C provides educational and practical support
The collaborative relationship between the U of C and the project continues to promote increased educational
opportunities for both Canadian and Peruvian students. To advance teaching and research in the area and to
support the National Sicán Museum, the U of C is donating a field vehicle and computer equipment together
with access to important archaeological materials through the U of C’s extensive online library, thereby
providing a link to a worldwide network of resources.
www.ancientperu.ca
http://sican.perucultural.org.pe/
7

Empowering First Nations
women leaders to examine,
develop and connect.
First Nations women are often asked to do it all. Within their communities they are teachers, sisters, cousins,
librarians, midwives and friends. These overlapping responsibilities can make it hard to be an effective leader.
Indigenous Women in Leadership, a unique Canadian program led by University of Calgary professor of
sociology Dr. Cora Voyageur, is providing these women with an opportunity to address these challenges and
to build leadership expertise.
For three years, First Nations women leaders have gathered at The Banff Centre to enhance their skills in
strategic planning, delegation, conflict resolution and life balance. They explore the issues, challenges and
inequities faced by women leaders as they strive to fulfil the responsibilities of their jobs, meet the needs of
their family and answer the demands of their community.
Voyageur, from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in northern Alberta, uses her research findings to direct
the program’s content.
“Women have always been informal leaders in their communities,” says Voyageur. “After the Indian Act was
changed, we saw the first woman chief elected in 1952. The female chiefs are viewed as experts on social
issues, but during the study they acknowledged some gaps in leadership skills and challenges with the blurring
of lines between their numerous roles and relationships. The program content responds with appropriate training,
tools and the opportunity to build a network of colleagues from which to leverage support.”
Female fire
Voyageur conducted the first study of female chiefs in Canada. Of 104 women chiefs, representing 17 per cent
of aboriginal leaders, Voyageur studied 64 women and their experiences. The findings of the five-year project
will be published this fall in her book, Women Chiefs in Canada, which is funded by the Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
Most of the women she interviewed had post-secondary education. They typically came from politically involved
families and many worked within band administration before pursuing a leadership role.
University of Calgary Research in Action 8
“Our program at The Banff Centre attracts aboriginal women from
across Canada from all walks of life. Some hold leadership positions
in the reserve community while others work in urban centres. They
are chiefs, band counsellors, teachers, administrators, social services
facilitators and police officers. As leaders, they are involved at all
levels in the day-to-day running of their communities. This program
informs, empowers, validates and propels them to expand their work,
commitment and influence.”
Dr. Cora Voyageur — professor of sociology, U of C.

Research in Action: Education
Empowering First Nations
women to be strong leaders:
The application of Dr. Cora
Voyageur’s research is
helping female aboriginal
leaders to enhance their
skills in strategic planning,
delegation, conflict
resolution and life balance.
Voyageur is currently collaborating on a study of women and domestic violence. She is a member of the
research team of Alberta’s Aboriginal Capacity and Development Research Environment (ACADRE), which
launched Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health.
Pimatisiwin makes training, knowledge, research, and the experience of researchers, health professionals
and aboriginal communities available in a variety of formats. It provides a forum for academics, health
professionals and communities to publish research in a cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural setting, referenced
and accessed worldwide.
www.soci.ucalgary.ca
www.acadre.ualberta.ca
9

Canada’s Arctic sovereignty on thin ice.
What’s going on in Canada’s Arctic has global impact. Climate change has led to a thinning of the ice cover
and the implications are diverse and far-reaching — affecting the environment, people, safety, international
commerce and Canadian sovereignty.
“We ignore this at our peril,” says Dr. Rob Huebert, associate professor in the Department of Political Science
at the University of Calgary and associate director of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies (CMSS).
“There are worldwide implications to the changes occuring in the Arctic.”
Huebert’s research confirms climate change in the Arctic is a serious challenge to Canada’s Arctic sovereignty
and security. He shares his findings with the Department of National Defence, as well as with a broad audience
through articles, papers and speaking engagements. Recently, he represented the CMSS and the U of C as
a keynote speaker at the Northern Security Policy symposium in Ottawa.
If thinning of the ice cover in the Northwest Passage continues, international commercial shipping will become
more viable. With increased international shipping comes an escalating challenge to maintain Canadian
sovereignty over the passage as the costs of surveillance and enforcement would significantly increase.
That the Inuit are already feeling the impact of climate change in Canada’s Arctic is well documented. As the
region heats up, changes in animal migration and hunting patterns are becoming apparent. The polar bear
population in the Hudson Bay area has become smaller. This is attributed to the melting of the ice cover,
which makes it more difficult for the bears to hunt seals. Inuit are finding their traditional way of life eroded
by the changes occurring in their environment; traditional hunting and trapping will be further affected by the
passage of large vessels if the Northwest Passage opens up. But other potential impacts, less well known,
also have serious implications for Canada.
Organized crime, already known to have some foothold in Canada’s north, may increase. Terrorists may
view a more accessible north as a viable route for illegal entry into North America. Increased shipping, while
bringing potential economic benefit to the region, also brings risk of pollutants and other environmental
problems to local ecosystems.
The Arctic as ‘laboratory’ demonstrates worldwide implications
“We cannot view what’s happening in Canada’s Arctic as an isolated experience,” says Huebert. “Our world will
alter, triggered by global climate change. There are environmental implications, obviously, as well as political,
cultural, health, safety and economic repercussions. Canadians should recognize global climate change as a huge
issue that affects us all and must be addressed by our governments, enforcement agencies, scientists and our
business leaders.”
www.poli.ucalgary.ca
www.cmss.uclalgary.ca
www.carc.org
www.arctic.ucalgary.ca
University of Calgary Research in Action 10

Research in Action: Environment
Exposing the implications
of Arctic climate change to
Canada’s sovereignty and
security: Dr. Rob Huebert’s
research confirms the impact
of Arctic climate change
poses serious challenges
to Canada’s security
and sovereignty.
11

Water, water everywhere...
and now, a drop to drink.
Helping communities in Central America better manage, protect and conserve their water supplies has been
a 13-year focus for the University of Calgary’s David Bethune, a research associate with the Department of
Geology and Geophysics.
“We are working in some of Central America’s most marginalized and impoverished areas,” says Bethune.
The impact of his applied research projects can be as basic as helping communities properly drill wells and
manage their drainage, pollution and sanitation. “For example, we find out where in a watershed the water is
coming from for a community — water, well or spring — and assist the community to manage that land area
to sustain water quantity and quality,” he says.
Bethune is the project manager and Canadian coordinator of the Central American Water Resource Management
Network (CARA), funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through the University
Partnerships and Cooperation Program. It is an international collaboration between the U of C, the University of
Waterloo and the national universities of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras.
Central America’s watersheds are slowly being polluted and over-exploited in highly-populated areas. Water
supplies throughout the region are contaminated and depleted due to the use of agrochemicals, poor industrial
standards, deforestation and urban development. There is little control, protection or government legislation in
place to protect valuable groundwater sources.
The flow of insight and relief
CARA Master of Science programs in water resource management have been established at the five Central
American universities with a focus in hydrogeology (the study of groundwater). Under the direction of local team
leaders, the U of C and Central American graduate students work together in a municipality or small community
for their hands-on thesis projects.
Over the years, more than 100 graduate students from Canada and Central America have been involved in CARA
projects and almost 80 Central American professionals have completed one of the CARA MSc programs;
short courses offered through the Central American universities have trained an additional 1,760 local water
sector professionals. CARA’s work extends beyond Central America. Water management projects have also been
implemented in Panama, Colombia and Mexico.
In the late 1990s, for example, villagers of Tlamacazapa in central Mexico (pop. 10,000) were suffering ill
health and children were frequently born with birth defects. In 1999, graduate students detected arsenic and
lead in the groundwater supply. CARA work is ongoing in the region to locate alternate water sources and help
the community build awareness and the skills necessary to provide a healthy water supply.
Dr. Cathryn Ryan, a hydrogeologist from U of C’s Department of Geology and Geophysics, and Dr. Laurence
Bentley, assistant dean, Faculty of Science, work with Bethune. An upcoming CARA master program is now being
planned for Bolivia.
www.caragua.org
University of Calgary Research in Action 12

Research in Action: Environment
Improving water supply
management, protection
and conservation in
Central America:
U of C research associate
David Bethune leads a
collaborative international
initiative to enhance Central
American water resources.
13

Avalanche research findings
are out to save lives in
Canada’s winter playground.
Understanding why, how and when avalanches are likely to occur is critical to keeping people safe in
Canada’s mountains. Communicating safety tips and risk updates to skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers
is essential to saving lives.
Dr. Bruce Jamieson, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Research Chair in Snow
Avalanche Risk Control, and associate professor at the University of Calgary Schulich School of Engineering,
has invested 24 years into avalanche research, forecasting, hazard assessment, avalanche control and sector
education and communication. His findings and knowledge reach professional backcountry guides, avalanche
forecasters and the general public through ski industry associations, avalanche bulletins, training materials,
academic papers and worldwide presentations. He has published three books on backcountry avalanche safety
that are used as student manuals for the Canadian Avalanche Centre’s avalanche skills training courses for
winter recreationists. His work has the potential to lower the number of avalanche-related deaths in Canada.
Learning, teaching and empowering
In 2003, Canada had twice the typical number of yearly deaths due to avalanches. In response, Jamieson’s team
advanced those areas of research designed to support safer decisions by the public. The team produced a training
CD detailing ‘Pops and Drops’ to help recreationists recognize unstable snow. The CD is used in the Canadian
Avalanche Centre’s two-day avalanche skills training and the more-advanced four-day backcountry programs.
Jamieson has also completed an analysis of Canada’s avalanche bulletins to determine if they might be
improved through changes to the configuration of the areas they report on or adjustments to their distribution
cycles. And he is part of a team that is currently launching the Avaluator, a decision support card to be used by
the public in conjunction with avalanche bulletins to help determine the risk of avalanche in specific areas. “The
multidisciplinary team that developed the Avaluator included social scientists,” says Jamieson. “Reaching the
public with increased avalanche risk information is essential — but understanding backcountry users’ decisionmaking
about proceeding into an area, or not, is critical as we work to increase safety and help save lives.”
Jamieson is entering the third year of a five-year applied research project with combined funding of $1.3 million
from NSERC, 55 companies involved in Canada’s skiing sector and the Canadian Avalanche Centre; the project
also receives extensive in-kind support. The research team led by Jamieson includes U of C graduate students
and colleagues in British Columbia, the U.S. and Europe.
www.ucalgary.ca/asarc/
www.avalanche.ca
“Based at the University of Calgary, Dr. Jamieson leads the largest field
program of snow avalanche research in the world. Knowledge transfer is
exemplary; research results are shared through spring and fall sessions
with practitioners, directly improving our understanding and capacity to
predict avalanches. Jamieson and his team produce world-class research
that will save lives and position Canada to achieve its potential as the
world’s premiere winter tourism destination.”
University of Calgary Research in Action 14
Clair Israelson — executive director, Canadian Avalanche Centre.

Research in Action: Environment
Increasing public safety
through avalanche research
and education: Dr. Bruce
Jamieson’s avalanche
research is helping
backcountry users to
better assess avalanche
risk and make safer
decisions.
15

Capturing the cause of climate change.
Global warming is arguably one of the world’s most pressing — and controversial — issues of the day.
And safe management of the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global climate change is a vital issue
for Alberta and Canada’s future prosperity.
The capture and storage of CO 2 is the focus of innovative research by one of North America’s leading energy
and environment experts — Dr. David Keith, of the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering and
the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE).
Named the inaugural Environmental Scientist of the Year by Canadian Geographic in 2006, Keith leads a
project to study the risks and benefits of sequestration of carbon dioxide in rock formations. Historically,
pumping CO 2 underground has been viewed in Canada primarily as an opportunity for advanced oil recovery.
“Climate change is our most pressing environmental challenge,” says Keith. “The world will eventually regulate
emissions in a serious way. As the U.S. inches ever closer to strong national regulations, there will be pressure
on Alberta as a very rich, very high emissions province to act quickly. CO 2 capture and storage can play a vital
role in allowing Alberta to meet the climate challenge with reasonable costs.”
Power plants with CO 2 capture are being developed in California, Norway, Scotland and Saskatchewan, and
several large commercial projects are already underway. Investment in CO 2 capture and storage technologies
is growing fast and will likely exceed $1 billion a year by 2010. Several international energy consortia have
approached Keith and his colleagues for direction as the research team explores the potential of accelerating
the absorption of carbon dioxide in saline aquifers by “stirring in” additional brine from nearby sources.
U of C launches innovative energy and environment program
In addition to leading ground-breaking research, the U of C is committed to developing future talent for the
energy and environment sector. In the spring of 2007, ISEEE will launch a new Energy and Environmental
Systems program under Keith’s direction. Unique in Canada, the graduate curriculum will prepare students to
tackle real-world energy and environmental problems. Students will combine a working knowledge of the
engineering of energy technologies and systems with the science underlying environmental problems from
energy use. They will explore the economics of energy and resource use and the social, legal and regulatory
environments that shape the energy system.
Keith is affiliated with similar programs at Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, which have helped shape the Energy and Environmental Systems program content at
the U of C.
www.iseee.ca
University of Calgary Research in Action 16
ISEEE – Ensuring leadership in energy and environment The Institute for Sustainable
Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE) is a dynamic and unique model, created in
2003 through the University of Calgary’s academic plan. ISEEE delivers on a strategic
priority in this plan — that the U of C be recognized internationally as “Leading
Innovation in Energy and Environment.” ISEEE integrates multidisciplinary, missionfocused
research, education and innovation to ensure we have competitive energy
supplies, a clean environment and a strong economy. ISEEE works to advance
four core initiatives of vital importance to Alberta and Canada: Advanced Recovery
and Upgrading (of hydrocarbons); Sustainable Development Technologies/Alternative
Energy; Carbon Management; and Water Management.

Research in Action: Environment
Confronting Alberta’s most
pressing environmental
challenge: Dr. David Keith’s
leading-edge research
into the risks and benefits
of the underground
sequestration of carbon
dioxide will help Alberta
manage its greenhouse
gas emissions. Climate
change is impacting our
globe from the Arctic
to the equator.
17

It’s all in the bones.
As a consulting forensic anthropologist, Dr. Anne Katzenberg uses her study of bones for everything from
identifying skeletal remains to help bringing closure to distressed families who have lost a relative, to
unlocking the secrets of past civilizations.
Through her human osteology research, Katzenberg, professor in the Department of Archaeology at the
University of Calgary, learns everything she can from what’s left of people from the past — usually bones,
teeth and occasionally with mummies, hair and soft tissue that can be reconstructed.
The Alberta Medical Examiner calls in Katzenberg several times a year to identify sex, age and height of skeletal
remains, and through her measurements of the skull and face, ethnicity.
“My work is of value when the remains are in an advanced state of decomposition, when fingerprints and dental
records are not available,” says Katzenberg. “Through my analysis, I can help rule out certain individuals who
are missing faster than DNA results can be obtained to confirm identity.”
Katzenberg also shares her expertise through workshops with search and rescue groups where she describes
evidence that may be found in the field and how to protect its integrity. She teaches how to differentiate human
bones from animal bones and fosters an understanding of how these skills can be applied.
Past people tell their stories
Through her research, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC),
Katzenberg looks at how past civilizations lived and adapted to change, including diseases, warfare, climate
change and degradation of the environment. She specializes in analyzing the protein that is preserved in
prehistoric bones to determine what people ate. She can tell if people ate domesticated plants and animals
or whether they were hunter-gatherers. The research helps identify community and cultural behaviours and
social organizations.
Currently Katzenberg is collaborating with an international multidisciplinary team investigating cultural dynamics
among the Middle Holocene hunter-gatherers of the Lake Baikal region of Siberia, Russia.
www.baikal.arts.ualberta.ca
http://www.fp.ucalgary.ca/bioanth/
“In contrast to forensic anthropologists portrayed on TV shows
like CSI, only a few of my cases have been crimes. More often
they are old burials that have eroded to the surface and
suicides carried out in remote places. Most of my work takes
place in the morgue, not at ‘the scene’. So, there is less of
the ‘crime scene’ and more of the investigation of ‘who is this
person?’”
Dr. Anne Katzenberg, Department of Archaeology, U of C.
University of Calgary Research in Action 18

Research in Action: Health + Wellness
Unlocking secrets:
Dr. Anne Katzenberg
studies bones to unlock the
secrets of past civilizations
around the world. Locally,
she uses her expertise
to help the Alberta Medical
Examiner identify skeletal
remains.
19

Increasing the odds of recovery
from problem gambling.
Problem gambling destroys families and lives — and it has increased significantly in Alberta since the
introduction of video lottery terminals in 1993. Yet only 10 per cent of those with a gambling problem seek
treatment.
Part of the problem is that programs for problem gamblers were initially modelled on those for alcohol and drug
addicts. Now, thanks to the work of University of Calgary psychology professor and addictions expert Dr. David
Hodgins, new treatment programs are being developed to help gamblers reduce or eliminate their habit.
“Problem gambling has devastating consequences for a small but significant proportion of the population.
Gamblers are at high risk for stress-related illnesses and psychiatric disorders. They often have problems at
work, in their relationships and are at increased risk for suicide,” says Hodgins. “Offering non-traditional
methods of support has the potential to drastically increase the number of people who recover.”
Problem gamblers change their behaviour using innovative self-directed program
Hodgins’ research is the first in the world to explore and respond to problem gambling. He first studied recovered
gamblers to gain insight into the strategies they used to overcome addiction. He then recruited problem gamblers
to participate in his research study, which included a prototype of a self-directed workbook with varying levels of
motivational support. The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research funded the project, which followed
individuals for two years. Results were encouraging — 30 per cent of participants stopped gambling completely
and most others in the study significantly reduced their habit.
The self-directed workbook and support program developed by Hodgins is now available through AADAC, the
Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission.
Hodgins has presented his research findings and recovery program in both Brazil and New Zealand, where it
may soon be implemented. Oregon has adopted the program as a statewide treatment option and the U.S.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration considers the program a promising treatment
for problem gambling.
www.addiction.ucalgary.ca
www.abgaminginstitute.ualberta.ca
www.aadac.com
University of Calgary Research in Action 20
“Gambling is a behaviour which can lead to addiction. To support
recovery, we need to offer a range of strategies and tools to help
people make effective change in their behaviours. Dr. Hodgins'
workbook and motivational intervention is an excellent example
of the benefits of a cost-effective, step-wise approach to helping
problem gamblers and their families.”
Dr. Nady el-Guebaly, director, Addictions Program,
Calgary Health Region; chair, Alberta Gaming
Research Institute.

Research in Action: Health + Wellness
Helping problem gamblers
help themselves:
The first researcher in the
world to explore and promote
self-recovery from problem
gambling, Dr. David Hodgins
has developed a self-directed
workbook and support
program for problem
gamblers.
21

Empowering people
who have schizophrenia.
A group of Calgarians with schizophrenia was given a rare chance to dramatically voice their feelings of
loss of control in dealing with housing and medical service providers as part of a University of Calgary
research project. The group is sharing their insights, experiences and hopes through a dramatic reading
they co-wrote as part of an 18-month project led by Dr. Barbara Schneider of the U of C’s Faculty of
Communication and Culture.
Team members performed the dramatic reading during Calgary’s Homeless Awareness Week, and will
perform at the Calgary Health Region’s Conference on Health and Homelessness and at the Edmonton
Schizophrenia Conference. In addition to the performance piece, team members used photographs to express
what home means to them and produced an emotionally compelling poster entitled Searching for Sanctuary:
What Home Means to Me.
The challenge of give and take
Schneider’s research revealed tension between care and control in the relationship between people with
psychiatric disabilities and housing and medical service providers. The individuals want, need and appreciate
the care they receive from family, mental health professionals, government agencies and other service
providers. Yet, to receive care, they feel they must submit themselves to a number of intrusive surveillance
and coercive controls over many aspects of their lives. If not, they run the risk that care, services and housing
will be withheld.
The performance script is one of several results of the research project, which explored housing problems
experienced by people struggling with psychiatric disabilities, and was funded by the Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The study team included nine members of the Peer Support
Unsung Heroes Program at the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta, Calgary Chapter.
“Through this study, the participants gained a sense of themselves as competent individuals who could make
a meaningful contribution to society,” says Schneider. “They now have a voice to share their feelings, personal
stories and challenges with accessing and retaining housing. They expect to have a significant impact through
presentations of the script, influencing service providers and legislators.”
As co-researchers under Schneider’s guidance, the group selected the research topic, and conducted interviews
and focus groups with others who have schizophrenia and have experienced homelessness or housing instability.
The Mustard Seed Ministry and the Calgary Association of Self Help helped recruit additional participants. Tom
Everrett, a graduate student in the Faculty of Communication and Culture, has produced a documentary film
of the project, Hearing Our Voices: A Participatory Research Project on Schizophrenia and Homelessness.
Schneider speaks frequently about the research findings and writes papers and articles. She has begun a
second phase of the project and is conducting interviews with housing agencies to explore how housing
services are provided.
http://callhome.ucalgary.ca
www.schizophrenia.ab.ca
University of Calgary Research in Action 22

Research in Action: Health + Wellness
Empowering people through
participatory research:
Dr. Barbara Schneider
collaborated with people
with schizophrenia to
understand housing
instability experienced by
people struggling with
psychiatric disabilities.
Participants are now working
to influence service providers
and legislators through
performance.
23

Fit by design:
Applied urban planning research
gets us walking and talking.
Dr. Bev Sandalack believes you would be healthier and happier if you lived in a well-designed, dense, vibrant
inner city community. The urban designer and planner in the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental
Design is an advocate of urban design that encourages walking and community interaction. She urges Calgary
to grow ‘up’ through dense urban development, rather than ‘out’ into low density, single-family suburbs.
“We’re looking at the practices of how cities develop, and socially and ecologically it makes more sense to
have a more compact form. The public health implications alone are significant. The evidence suggests that
just the day-to-day increase in activity in a denser urban environment positively impacts public health issues
such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity,” says Sandalack.
Working with colleagues from the U of C’s faculties of Medicine and Kinesiology, Sandalack is continuing to
research the relationship between urban form and public health.
Advancing living and working environments
Sandalack and her team apply their research findings to innovative projects at the Faculty of Environmental
Design’s downtown Urban Lab. Working closely with town and city councils, community associations,
neighbourhood committees and other civic groups, the environmental design students and graduates tackle
real-world urban development issues, community planning and design projects — for paying clients.
The Urban Lab team, together with members of the Faculty of Social Work, is working with the Mustard Seed
Ministry, the Victoria Crossing BRZ and the City of Calgary on a proposed improvement of the Mustard Seed site.
The Mustard Seed offers meals, programming and a place to sleep for the homeless and others in need. The
objective of this complex project is to use enhanced urban design to better integrate this social service into
the rapidly-developing Beltline neighbourhood.
Five years of research by Sandalack and her team is newly captured in The Calgary Project: urban form/urban life.
The book, funded by Enmax, the U of C and others, details several research projects. The evolution of Calgary’s
urban form and its qualities was critically evaluated, while another study analyzed Calgary neighbourhoods with a
focus on the characteristics of residential streets, with the intent of proposing directions for a sustainable future.
www.ucalgary.ca/evds
University of Calgary Research in Action 24
Urban Lab Directed by Dr. Bev Sandalack, the Urban Lab research centre
provides graduate students with internships and experience on real-world
design projects. Research conducted there adds to the knowledge base
of the new urban design program at the U of C, which Sandalack coordinates.
The work of the Urban Lab is published in articles and books such as
Landscapes/Paysages — the professional journal of landscape architecture
in Canada — and in Places, an internationally-circulated journal of The
Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA). The Urban Lab has received
numerous awards including the EDRA Place Planning Award, the National Honour
Award, the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects Professional Awards
Program and the Lion Award, Calgary Heritage Authority.

Research in Action: Health + Wellness
Improving public health
through urban planning:
An advocate of creating
well-designed dense
urban neighbourhoods that
encourage an active lifestyle,
Dr. Bev Sandalack’s research
explores the relationship
between urban form and
public health.
25

Boosting our children’s potential
with second language learning.
It’s accepted wisdom that having a second or third language can improve chances for career success,
particularly in today’s global marketplace. But parents often worry that learning a second language will
harm their child’s first-language learning.
Quite the contrary, says University of Calgary professor of linguistics, Dr. John Archibald. “Second language
learning is a wonderful gift to our children. It offers a range of benefits — cognitive, social, esthetic and economic.”
Archibald and the interdisciplinary team at the university’s Language Research Centre explore how people learn
a second language. They look at the storage of language in the brain, and by using infrared eye-tracking devices,
they study how people use language. They’ve found that learning a second language actually enhances learning
in all areas.
Archibald is also working with a Strategic Research Clusters grant (Language in Real Time) to bring academics
and stakeholders from across Canada together to drive linguistic research that will have real-world applications.
Areas of future focus include palliative care — where doctors and patients often encounter language barriers
— and the armed forces where troops need to build linguistic skills quickly to effectively do their jobs in nations
around the world.
Mindful benefits
During a two-year study, Archibald’s team confirmed that learning a second language does not hurt children’s
first-language skills. Second-language learning boosts mental prowess and enhances all areas of learning.
Special needs students can learn a second language but may require some extra help in the classroom,
similar to the support they receive for other subjects. And English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students
appear predisposed to successfully learn a third language.
At the lab and with the community
Archibald’s commissioned research supports Alberta Education’s decision to enhance and mandate secondlanguage
learning at all provincial schools in 2007. The Government of Alberta recognizes the importance of
second languages in preparing Albertans for participation in the global economy. In today’s information-based
multilingual world, an individual who is proficient in two or more languages has greater career opportunities.
University of Calgary Research in Action 26
The Language Research Centre is a joint initiative of the faculties
of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education. It is dedicated
to multidisciplinary advanced research into all aspects of how
languages are learned, including psycholinguistics — the
interrelationship of language and culture — as well as the role of
technology in language learning. It provides a central point of
contact on “second-language learning” between the university,
the community and government. Funding for the centre and its
various projects comes from a variety of sources, including the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
(SSHRC) and various federal and provincial government agencies.

Research in Action: Public Policy
Enhancing kids’ cognitive
and social abilities
through second language
acquisition: Dr. John
Archibald’s research
confirms learning a second
language boosts mental
prowess and supports
Alberta Education’s decision
to enhance and mandate
second-language learning
at all provincial schools
in 2007.
The Language Research Centre has also extended its outreach by establishing a professional development
program for community-based language teachers, which has run for two years with funding from the
Southern Alberta Heritage Language Association.
During the past five years, the linguistics research program at the U of C has received more than $2 million
in funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Canada
Foundation for Innovation, Alberta Education, Edmonton Public Schools and the Infrastructure Renewal
Envelope of the Government of Alberta.
www.fp.ucalgary.ca/ling
www.ucalgary.ca/lrc
27

U of C researcher gives
Chinese-Canadian seniors
a voice in their health care.
For older Chinese-Canadians, getting proper medical care can seem like an insurmountable hurdle. Not
being able to receive services in their first language is a huge problem and many are discouraged by long
waiting lists — both perceived and real.
Many Chinese seniors do not drive, and struggle to use public transportation in Canada’s often-harsh climate.
Immigrants are often reluctant to use more resources from a country that has already provided them with a
new home. And culturally, many feel the services available are not a fit to their beliefs and preferred ways of
receiving health care.
Research by Dr. Daniel Lai, professor and Alberta Heritage Health Scholar in the Faculty of Social Work at the
University of Calgary, is helping develop new and improved health care services that target the distinct needs
of older Chinese-Canadians.
“I am happy to see service providers make use of my research findings to create innovative services for clients.
This is the ultimate goal: to make a better quality of life for these seniors and their caregivers,” says Lai.
Lai’s research explores how cultural attitudes affect health status and access to health care services.
Collaborating with colleagues at three universities, he focused on immigrant and ethno-cultural minority seniors
and their caregivers through a study in seven Canadian cities.
A world apart
Both the seniors and family caregivers in Lai’s studies cited various real and perceived barriers to accessing
health care services. Drawing on Lai’s findings, Calgary Family Services (CFS) designed the Innovative
Caregiving Program. They trained Chinese-Canadians, in their first language, to become in-home caregivers.
Many of those hired were new immigrants and unemployed; they now help older Chinese-Canadians to live
independently by providing personal care, home-making and meal preparation. CFS has since expanded the
program to respond to the needs of other distinct populations identified by Lai, including South Asians and
Vietnamese.
The face of Calgary
In 2001, 197,410 residents of Calgary's total population of 943,310 were
foreign-born. The number of those who immigrated to Canada before 1991
was 128,555, with 68,855 arriving between 1991 and 2001.
Of the 165,000 visible-minority residents of Calgary in 2001 (up from
127,555 in 1996), the largest population was Chinese at 51,855, followed
by South Asians at 36,855. In 2001, more than 40,000 of the visual-minority
populations stated their mother tongue as Chinese or Mandarin.
University of Calgary Research in Action 28
Statistics Canada

Research in Action: Public Policy
Improving the quality of life
for immigrant seniors and
their caregivers: Health
care providers are using
Dr. Daniel Lai’s cross-
Canada research to improve
access to services by
immigrant and ethno-cultural
minority seniors.
As the pre-eminent Canadian researcher in this area, Lai is frequently quoted as an expert, participates in
federal round table discussions, aids in policy development and speaks to social service groups throughout
Canada. His projects have generated diverse, complementary research and Lai continues to expand his
inquiry into the role and challenges of caregivers to immigrant and ethno-cultural seniors.
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) provided $500,000 in funding to
the three-year project. The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) funded another of
Lai’s projects, which examined the challenges and needs of Chinese-Calgarian family caregivers for seniors.
AHFMR has funded Lai as an Alberta Heritage Health Scholar since 2003.
http://fsw.ucalgary.ca/csp/
29

Checking the public pulse
to see if new technologies will fly.
It’s one thing to discover how to genetically modify foods or conduct research on stem cells. It’s an entirely
different matter whether today’s highly-informed and opinionated public will ever let you use such controversial
technologies.
Dr. Edna Einsiedel, of the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Communication and Culture, studies the social
issues around emerging technologies in the fields of genomics and biotechnology. Her work explores how
society’s response to controversial technologies influences strategy and policy development.
Einsiedel has found that technologies are influenced by public opinion just as technology shapes society. In
controversial areas such as genetically modified (GM) foods, public response is the most influential factor
in their acceptance or rejection. The opinions of users, opponents, supporter groups and the regulatory system
directly influence how a technology will be commercialized.
Her work will have direct impact on how new technologies are brought to market and how Canadian products
are received in markets at home and abroad.
“How do we bring democracy into technology decision-making? Regulators are expanding the groups they consult
with and, through this research, we are creating a broader understanding of what it takes for a technology to
succeed or the reasons for its failure,” says Einsiedel.
For four years, with $3.3 million in funding from Genome Canada, Einsiedel led a team of collaborators from
other universities on Phase One of a study on Genomics, Commercialization, and Society. This project was
one of only three social science projects funded in the first competition.
The team investigated consumer responses to information about GM food, intellectual property issues,
regulatory approaches, media and public participation in policy development.
Enhancing engagement
Einsiedel’s findings are helping to drive changes in public consultation approaches. She influences government
ministries regulating biotechnology through policy papers and presentations.
Global impact of different stance
Dr. Einsiedel’s team works closely with researchers in the U.S.
and Europe to understand how diverse societies react to and
develop policies on similar scientific advancements.
In today’s global economy, responses to the commercialization
of controversial technologies can directly affect market reception
and export viability for Canadian producers.
University of Calgary Research in Action 30

Research in Action: Public Policy
Exploring the role of
democracy in technology
related decision-making:
Dr. Edna Einsiedel studies
controversial emerging
technologies — such
as genetically modified foods
and stem cell research —
where public opinion is
the most influential factor
in their acceptance
or rejection.
A second study, with an additional $2.9 million of funding, began in April 2006. The research includes
public consultation in late-2006 on plant molecular farming as an example of a different regulatory
approach, with the public and stakeholders being consulted earlier, more often, and using a variety of
engagement options.
Plant molecular farming involves genetic engineering of plants to produce pharmaceutical and industrial
products.
www.comcul.ucalgary.ca
www.genomealberta.ca
www.genomecanada.ca
31

Driving to distraction:
Cellphones and drivers don’t mix.
Next time you dial your cellphone while driving, be warned — your response time to a traffic hazard will be
a quarter-second slower than usual. Dialing a cellphone draws a driver’s attention away from the road,
while in-car cellphone conversations result in similar, ongoing distractions.
This finding from research at the University of Calgary may lead to Canadian legislation to prohibit cellphone
use when drivers are at the wheel.
U of C associate professor of psychology Dr. Jeff Caird and his team conducted a number of driving simulation
studies over the past two years on driver distraction, including research on cellphones and wireless devices.
Drivers were evaluated as they carried out talking on the cellphone while managing different traffic situations.
The research team also statistically analyzed similar worldwide studies.
The findings? “Drivers are detrimentally affected by using their cellphones while driving,” says Caird.
Digital distractions
In separate studies, Caird and his graduate students explored the use of other wireless devices while
driving, including MP3 players and DVD players. Drivers were found to be distracted as they selected music
on a hand-held player and while watching and listening to movies within the car. The studies showed that
drivers were less able to respond to hazardous events while engaged in these distractions.
In Canada, the use of wireless devices that are part of the vehicle when purchased are regulated by Transport
Canada. The use of devices brought into the vehicle, including hand-held music players and cellphones, falls
under provincial jurisdiction. Currently, Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province to prohibit hand-held
cellphone use while driving.
www.psych.ucalgary.ca
AUTO21 Network of Centres of Excellence
The AUTO21 Network of Centres of Excellence, a federal automotive research
and development program, supports Dr. Caird’s research.
In addition to generating innovative technologies and related knowledge, AUTO21
funding supports nearly 400 “highly-qualified people” or university student
researchers across Canada. Caird supervises two students who were nationally
recognized in the AUTO21 2005 HQP poster competition.
Cale White, an MSc candidate, and Susan Chisholm, a recent MSc graduate,
placed third in the competition for their studies into the potential driver distractions
of DVD and MP3 player use. The results of this research will potentially help to
reduce road injuries and fatalities.
University of Calgary Research in Action 32
www.auto21.ca

Research in Action: Public Policy
Dialing and talking while
driving — a high risk
distraction for drivers:
Dr. Jeff Caird and his team
explored the implications
of numerous sources of
distraction while driving
and the results demonstrate
we’re putting our safety
at risk.
33

Enriching human understanding
through research and collaboration.
The University of Calgary continues to put Research into Action. Through innovative collaborations with
private, public and voluntary organizations, our researchers are mobilizing, sharing and leveraging knowledge
— creating increased human understanding in Alberta, Canada and around the world.
The impact of our expertise, research, and knowledge generation extends far beyond our campus and research
facilities to improve living conditions and change lives for people around the world. As we attract further
research investment and partnership from government, corporate colleagues and astute philanthropists, we will
continue to move forward in our leading-edge work. With the most advanced researchers in the world, we
propel further into the knowledge age and develop the best and brightest graduates.
Celebrate the dynamic spirit of innovation
The U of C is a leader in collaborative research relationships and partnerships with academia, government,
private corporations, non-profit and voluntary sector organizations and philanthropic foundations. We conduct
leading-edge research that increases humanity’s shared knowledge body and maximizes the impact of
research knowledge. At the U of C, we celebrate the dynamic spirit of research innovation, collaboration and
knowledge mobilization that enables new knowledge and ideas to thrive.
Learn more. www.ucalgary.ca