Earlier this month, two Saskatchewan Polytechnic applied research projects and a student
project were honoured at the 15th annual RCE Saskatchewan Awards for Achievement in Education for Sustainable Development—an event that celebrates champions in sustainability from across the province.
RCE Saskatchewan is the Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development. The
United Nations-acknowledged Center promotes the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals (UN SDGs), and highlights local work being done to educate, encourage and engage others in
local action that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs.
All three Sask Polytech projects were recognized in the post-secondary initiatives
and course-based projects by post-secondary students category. Demonstrating the wide
definition of sustainability acknowledged by the UN SDGs, projects ranged in subject
matter from environmental stewardship to mental health resource access and modernizing
mapping technology.
The Emma Lake Water Assessment and Environmental Stewardship applied research project is being conducted by Sask Polytech faculty, researchers and a student intern in
association with community partner District of Lakeland No. 521. The district’s environmental
advisory committee has been conducting environmental sampling at Emma Lake since 2008
in response to degrading water quality. In 2022, Sask Polytech student intern Sukhman
Sandhu was engaged to prepare a summary report and educate the public on water quality
in a recreational lake setting. As part of Sask Polytech’s Sustainability-Led Integrated Centres of Excellence (SLICE), Natural Resource Technology research chair David Halstead and research associate
Leila Benmerrouche supervised the project, working with Wayne Hyde from the environmental
advisory committee, District of Lakeland No. 521.
The Rescuing Hand-sound-based Bathymetry Maps project is a student project by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) student Sam Wolkosky,
who worked under the supervision of instructor Ryan Galbraith. The project, which
was supported by a Sask Polytech Sustainability Initiative Fund (SIF) grant, aims
to modernize hand-sound-based bathymetry maps that are currently only available in
PDF versions. These paper maps will be turned into georeferenced bathymetry maps with
detailed depth contours using ArcGIS Pro software, allowing for more sophisticated
calculations to be done, such as volume and area estimates, which can provide valuable
information for the Government of Saskatchewan Fisheries Management in determining
sample sizes and finding ideal sampling locations.
The Farmer Rancher Mental Health (FARMh) applied research project, led by researcher Dr. Michelle Pavloff, research chair (rural health) with the Centre for Health Research, Innovation and Scholarship (CHRIS), is a patient-oriented applied research project funded by Sask Polytech, the Saskatchewan
Center for Patient Oriented Research and the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation. Currently
in its second phase, the project collected data in phase one that was then used to
launch the SaskAgMatters Network, which is bridging the gap between agriculture producers
and mental wellness supports. Current project work includes creating a toolbox of
resources to support producers addressing the unique stressors that exist in farming
and ranching.
“Saskatchewan has been and can continue to be a global leader in sustainable development,
and all these recipients are positive, focused, creative, and deserving of recognition,”
says Dr. Roger Petry, RCE co-coordinator. “Each has a wonderful story to tell, and
our annual awards ceremony is an opportunity for them to shine.”
“Congratulations to our Sask Polytech RCE award recipients,” says Dr. Susan Blum,
Sask Polytech associate vice president of Applied Research and Innovation. “Each one
of your projects is contributing to a more sustainable future right here in Saskatchewan.
We are proud of the work you are doing.”
The RCE Saskatchewan Awards for Achievement in Education for Sustainable Development
took place in Prince Albert on May 3, 2023. For more information, visit: 2023 Award Recipients – RCE Saskatchewan (saskrce.ca).
To learn more about Sask Polytech applied research and student research, visit saskpolytech.ca/research.
Saskatchewan Polytechnic is signatory to the SDG Accord. Sustainable Development Goal alignment is one of the ways Sask Polytech is leading the rise of polytechnic education.
Published May 2023.
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