John Smol has joined the ranks of some of the world’s most adventurous, and well-decorated, scientists. The Queen’s professor and former Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change is now a member of an elite group of explorers, oceanographers, geographers, and anthropologists bestowed with the Vega Medal. Sometimes referred to as equivalent to a "Nobel Prize in Geography," the Vega Medal is awarded by the Swedish Society of Anthropology and Geography (SSAG) every two to three years to an outstanding geographer or anthropologist with international renown. Dr. Smol collected his prize on April 21 from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, the society’s chief patron. When announcing this year’s recipient, SSAG described Dr. Smol as "unquestionably one of the most prolific scientists in paleolimnology, and certainly the most prolific regarding northern lake systems."

"This is a proud moment for Queen’s and for Canada," says Nancy Ross, says Vice-Principal (Research). "With a career spanning forty years, Dr. Smol continues to advance research that is changing the way we understand human impact on the environment. The Vega is an outstanding recognition of his tireless commitment to research and protecting the planet."

A prolific career

Dr. Smol (Biology) is recognized as one of the foremost experts in the study of long-term global environmental changes to lakes and rivers. He has contributed to our understanding of the impacts of pressing environmental issues, such as lake eutrophication, acidification, contaminant transport, fisheries management, and climate change with a special focus on the Arctic. As a paleolimnologist, Dr. Smol reconstructs the history of lakes and rivers by analyzing their sediment to track the effects of climate change, human impacts, and natural processes. His work not only helped put the discipline on the map with major scientific breakthroughs, but provided a new understanding of humans’ interactions with the environment that would go on to influence policy work and regulations, such as with acid rain. As the founder and co-director of Queen’s Paleoecological Environmental Assessment & Research Lab (PEARL) he also trained numerous students and researchers who have gone on to blaze their own paths in science, policy development, and industry.

"John has been immensely productive, and his research has covered many of the big environmental issues, such as acidification, eutrophication, and climate change," says Dr. Richard Bindler, Umeå University (Sweden) who nominated Dr. Smol. "He has also mentored individual scientists, from students to early career scientists, but also beyond that with his incredible support to the paleolimnology community as a whole. His contributions to environmental research extend far beyond the boundaries of his own research."

Over his 40-year career Dr. Smol has been awarded more than 70 awards with international renown. For example, he has won the Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal for Science and Engineering which celebrates Canada’s most outstanding scientists and awards a grant of up to $1M. Other career highlights include being named a Fellow of the Royal Society (UK) whose members include Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking. As well as receiving the Polar Medal in 2019 from Canada’s Governor General for "extraordinary services in the polar regions and Canada’s north." Dr. Smol has also been acknowledged by Canadian Geographic as one of nine “Canadians changing our world” in 2013 and Nature’s Canada’s Top Mid-Career Scientific Mentor in 2010. His prolific contributions to advancing his field include more than 670 journal publications and chapters, 20 books, 1100 conference engagements, and 150 invited keynotes and plenary lectures. Dr. Smol founded and served as Editor of the Journal of Paleolimnology and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Reviews as well as Series Editor for the Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research Series.

"I was absolutely delighted and totally surprised by the notification that I had won the Vega Medal, having no idea that I was nominated," says Dr. Smol. "It is totally humbling to see the list of past winners, which includes many of my heroes from childhood, such as polar explorers Ernest Shackleton (1910) and Roald Amundsen (1913), and anthropologists such as Louis Leakey (1963). I am very pleased to see that paleolimnology, which was once seen as a very esoteric scientific field, now has this recognition. In my case, this is because I have always had a remarkably dedicated group of graduate students and other colleagues."

History of the Vega Medal

Established in 1878, SSAG has organized expeditions and sponsored research that has helped us to better understand our world and its environment. Welcoming researchers from geography and anthropology-related disciplines, SSAG continues to support research that promotes the development of these fields while stewarding connections between their scientists and the public. The Vega Medal was created in 1881 to mark the anniversary of Adolf Erik Nordenskiold’s Vega expedition as it returned to Stockholm after navigating the Northeast Passage. Since then, there have been 78 recipients of the medal ranging from famous oceanographers to paleontologists, and climate scientists. Other medal holders with a connection to Canada include Sir John Murray, considered the father of modern oceanography, awarded in 1912 and John Ross Mackay, leader in Canadian permafrost studies, awarded in 1986.

After receiving the Vega Medal from the King, Dr. Smol was then honoured the same day at the Vega Symposium where he gave the opening keynote on "Lakes in the Anthropocene: Using the past to better prepare for the future." To learn more about Dr. Smol’s research, visit the PEARL website.

The future is closer than we think when it comes to cities. By 2050, more than 70 per cent of the world’s population will live in an urban area. This population boom will transform the city as we know it, compounding the current challenges facing urban development in realizing a livable and prosperous city. The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) has launched a new program, Humanity’s Urban Future, to understand what it will take to build successful cities. Using six locations from around the world as test-cases, researchers will look to the urban past to imagine its future – aiming to transform urban policy and planning, regulation, and infrastructure, inspire collective deliberation, and learn about the process to actualize better urban environments for all.

Queen’s researcher and Canada Research Chair in Youth and African Urban Futures Grace Adeniyi-Ogunyankin (Geography and Planning; Gender Studies) has been named a Fellow of CIFAR’s new program. She will join researchers from Mexico, United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Austria, India, and Canada’s York University in studying how metropolitan centres have changed over time and space with the goal to engage policy makers, political advisors, and civic actors for future social impact. CIFAR Fellows are internationally recognized for conducting innovative studies that lead to high-impact advances in their research fields. The Queen’s Gazette sat down with Dr. Adeniyi-Ogunyankin to learn more about this new program and her thoughts on the future of the city.

Could you tell us more about CIFAR’s Humanity’s Urban Future program and your involvement with the project?

The central question driving the program is, “what is a good city of the future?” Our endeavor to answer this question seriously takes the connection between the urban past and future into consideration while examining many important factors, including infrastructure (both material and institutional), political divisions, questions of scale, climate change, and other potential crises. The program will use six cities as test-cases: Calcutta, Kinshasa, Mexico City, Naples, Shanghai, and Toronto. I’ll be part of the team conducting research in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

You currently hold the Canada Research Chair in Youth and African Urban Futures and are now a CIFAR Fellow. How are these programs helping to advance your research?

These programs have led to unprecedented opportunities for collaborative work and interdisciplinary conversations. As a result, my research scope now has more depth than initially imagined. I’m experimenting with different methods and integrating various theoretical frameworks as I think through the role that the intersections of neoliberal urban change, technology, global consumer culture, and labour play in (re)configuring youth identity and providing opportunities for youth to orientate themselves towards the future.

You explained that the Humanity’s Urban Future program seeks to study what makes a “good city of the future.” How do you anticipate cities will need to adapt and will the definition of a “good city” vary regionally?

Right now, I’m in Lagos, Nigeria – and just behind where I am staying, I can see construction taking place. They’ve filled up parts of the Lagos Lagoon for estate development. And of course, these developments are taking place with a particular vision of the future in mind. It’s definitely not a future that has a wealthy ecosystem and privileges a dynamic co-existence with nature/non-humans. I strongly believe that the question is not so much how will cities need to adapt to the future, but more along the lines of will we adapt/change to ensure there is a viable future?

And yes, I definitely think the definition of a good city will vary – because context always matters and “good” will have various definitions. Nevertheless, I would like to think that there could be some sort of commonality – that is, for example, a “good city” would be one that rejects extractive capitalism and (neo)colonial norms.

What do you hope the outcomes of the CIFAR program will be?

My understanding is that the program will involve more than just academics. For example, in Kinshasa, we will collaborate with local scholars, local planners, NGOs, and other stakeholders. Thus, in terms of outcomes, beyond publications and training of early career scholars, the hope is that the projects we work on, in each test-case city, will lead to policy recommendations and infrastructural changes. We aim to provide insight on best practices for other locales beyond the cities involved in the Humanity’s Urban Future program.

To learn more about the Humanity’s Urban Future program, see the CIFAR website and visit Dr. Adeniyi-Ogunyankin’s website for more information on her research.

At one time or another, we’ve all been asked for our "elevator pitch." The task challenges you to think about how you would share with a stranger the most important aspects about yourself within the brief duration of an imaginary 30-second elevator ride. The Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT) offers a similar exercise with the added benefit of a little more time.

Developed by the University of Queensland, the 3MT gives master’s and doctoral students 180 seconds to present their research to a panel of non-specialist judges. Working with just one presentation slide, researchers must determine how best to translate and share their work using compelling and captivating storytelling. Participants in the Queen’s competition also vie for a top cash prize of $1,000.

Brought to Canada in 2012, 3MT has grown in popularity with researchers as a unique opportunity to promote their work and think about their research with new perspectives. Universities host individual competitions with winners then representing their institutions at the regional level. Queen’s has been selected to host this year’s Ontario competition beginning May 17. Those winners then go on to compete at the national and international levels with opportunities to win additional prize money and share their research with even wider audiences.

To prepare participants, the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (SGSPA) offers workshops and practice sessions to help researchers fine tune the content of their presentations and the way that they deliver them. The 2023 Queen’s 3MT competition recently wrapped up after three heats culminating in a finale on March 22. The final round of the regional competition at Queen’s this year featured researchers from the departments of Physics, Engineering Physics, and Astronomy; Nursing; Computing; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Art History; Chemistry; Kinesiology and Health Studies; Pathology and Molecular Medicine; and Neuroscience.

Queen's finale

The $1,000 top prize was awarded to El Zahraa Majed, PhD candidate in Kinesiology and Health Studies. Her research project "How to Belong? Physical Activity as a Vehicle for Integration," talks about the isolation of immigrants joining new societies, and how it affects their physical and mental health. Majed’s research looks to physical activity to be the bridge between integration and belonging for immigrants relocating to Canada. "Practice makes perfect, I really think that what makes you very comfortable speaking to a large audience depends on how much you have practiced," says Majed. "I practiced in front of my lab mates, friends, family, and to myself as well, constantly, before the competition."

First runner-up was Martha Whitfield, PhD student in the School of Nursing, taking home $500 in prize money. Her project "Practicing on the Verge: Treatment of the Opioid use Disorder in Primary Care," focuses on the development of patient-centered skills that allow nurses to best treat individuals suffering from opioid use. These skills are becoming increasingly necessary due to the speed at which new street drugs are being produced, which clinical guidelines cannot keep up with.

Audience members also voted on their favourite with Annelies Verellen, master’s student in Art History, winning the People’s Choice. Her presentation "Painting is a Woman: The Allegory of Painting in Women’s Self-Portraiture," explores the idea of female self-portraiture through the concept of pictura. Pictura emphasizes the woman in self-portraiture as actively at work, showcasing her intelligence, beauty, and admirability.

Judging this event were a group of successful Queen’s alumni, including Allison Turner, Stacy G. Kelly, and Brandon Tozzo. Turner (MASc’10, Sc’08) is the Co-Founder and Director of product development at PnuVax Incorporated, a biomanufacturing company. Kelly (Artsci’93) is the Executive Director of the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area, which facilitates relationships between donors and community organizations. Tozzo (PhD’12) is the City Councilor for Kingscourt-Rideau in Kingston and a political studies professor at Trent University.

Preparing your presentation

For those thinking about competing next year, Majed offers some valuable advice. "I think the biggest challenge was to simplify what I have done in my research so that the audience can understand my work well and feel my material is relatable to them, without simplifying it too much in a way that would make it feel not important," explains Majed. "I took feedback on my script from different individuals from a variety of backgrounds. The SGSPA also have great resources and workshops that really helped me and my peers to improve our scripts and make it to the finals."

For more info on this year’s 3MT winners and the upcoming Ontario competition, visit the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.

From under the stars to on top of the world, the annual Art of Research photo contest brings to life the unseen moments of the research process. Now in its 7^th year, the contest has captured the behind the scenes of the everyday research experience at Queen’s and the roles that faculty, staff, students, and alumni play in advancing groundbreaking work.

The 2023 contest continued to place a spotlight on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the importance of our social impact mission guided by the Queen’s Strategy. A new prize category this year asked the Queen's community to capture their research in motion. In videos of 30 seconds or less, researchers captured the beauty of their research in action from microscopic views to wide aerial expanses.

In total, six category prizes were awarded to researchers across disciplines. Discover the winners below, and to view more contest winners and top submissions from previous years, explore the Art of Research Photo Gallery.

Category: Research in Motion

Frozen in Time: Unveiling the Mysteries of Turner Glacier through Glaciological Research in Akshayuk Pass

Researcher: Wai Yin Cheung – PhD Student, Geography and Planning

Location: Turner Glacier, Akshayuk Pass

Glaciological research on Turner Glacier in Akshayuk Pass involves studying the physical properties and behavior of the glacier, as well as the surrounding environment, to better understand the dynamics of this glacial system.

This includes measuring yearly snowfall, melt, and ice thinning to understand ice volume change and sea level contributions over the past 50+ years. By collecting and analyzing data over time, Queen's ICELab glaciologists can identify patterns and changes in glacial behavior, which can inform our understanding of climate change and its impact on northern environments.

The research on Turner Glacier is part of a larger effort to study glacial systems around the world and develop strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change.

Category: Good Health and Wellbeing

Corneal Fingerprint

Researcher: Cassandra Brand – Graduate Student, Translational Medicine

Location: Botterell Hall, Queen's University

The cornea is one of the most densely innervated tissues in the human body.

The high presence of sensory nerve endings makes the cornea extremely sensitive to pain and changes at the eye’s surface. This is particularly important in regulating tear production, a function which is impaired in dry eye disease.

By analyzing changes in nerve patterns and ion channel expression, we aim to further clarify the role of corneal nerves in spontaneous pain and tear production in dry eye disease.

This image shows the structural βIII-tubulin component of mouse corneal nerves at their unique convergence point.

Category: Climate Action

Lithium Below, Stars Above

Researcher: Dr. Christopher Spencer – Faculty, Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

Location: Western Australia

Lithium is an element that is key to our energy transition away from fossil fuels and plays an important role in the battery technologies for space exploration.

This photo was taken during an expedition to Western Australia exploring for lithium deposits that have the potential to reshape the global economy and resolve the global climate crisis.

Category: Innovation for Global Impact

Crystallization Pattern of a Common Salt Mixture

Researcher: Rachel Korchinsky – Graduate Student, Chemistry

Location: Electron Microscopy Facility, Queen's University

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are rechargeable energy carriers that power electronic devices such as phones, cars, and hybrid/electric vehicles. The demand for lithium used to manufacture LIBs is expected to grow 30-fold by 2040. Industry primarily extracts lithium from rock ore and brine; however, the methods used are time-intensive and costly. Therefore, we are investigating alternative extraction methods that would reduce the energy consumption, waste production, and time intensity. The image, obtained by microscopy, is of salts that crystallized after evaporation of a lithium-containing brine.

Category: Partnerships for Inclusivity

Inuit Nunangat: Where Two Worlds Collide (From the Art and Waste in Pannituuq [Pangnirtung] Project)

Researcher: micky renders – PhD Student, School of Environmental Studies

Location: Pannituuq (Pangnirtung), Nunavut

Inuit Nunangat is a site where differing epistemologies and cosmologies collide. The Arctic waste crisis stems from a culture of wasting that is capitalist and not Inuit. 

With the delicate Arctic ecosystem degrading due to climate change, escalating resource extraction, the opening of the Northwest Passage, and the expansion of NORAD, unprecedented volumes of waste and contaminants are causing unknowable changes in life, land, sea, and ice. At the intersection of art, politics and activism, the Art and Wastes in Pangnirtung Project challenges assumptions about Inuit and exposes the pervasive nature of settler colonization as the root cause of wastes.

Category: Creative and Sustainable Communities

Returning the Gaze

Researcher: Siobhan Speiran – PhD Student, School of Environmental Studies

Location: Proyecto Asis, Costa Rica

This was taken by Rubén Vargas at the wildlife sanctuary Proyecto Asis in Costa Rica, who captures the most beautiful images of the resident animals. I am standing in front of the capuchin enclosure observing the behaviours of Lulo, Lucy, Soplita, Pablita, and Cappuccino, while guided tours are taking place nearby. It is illegal to own wild animals in Costa Rica; these capuchins have been rescued from their past lives as companion animals or entertainers. While unable to be reintroduced to the wild, they receive life-long care and advocacy in the sanctuary community.

My research looks at the intersections of animal welfare and conservation in Costa Rican sanctuaries, which are popular sites of sustainable, captive wildlife tourism. Here, the monkey returns my gaze in this photo, blurring the distinction between researcher and subject; I study him while he studies me.

To learn more about this year’s winners and explore past winners and top submissions, visit the Art of Research Photo Gallery on the Research@Queen’s website.