From left: Dr. John W. Hepburn, Vice President Research & International at UBC, and Rowan Cockett, award winner.
Knowledge may be power – but unless it’s shared effectively, its benefits will be diminished.
At UBC, there have been myriad efforts made to communicate research and knowledge in inventive ways to an array of audiences. In 2010, UBC Library began recognizing the best of these efforts by launching the Innovative Dissemination of Research Award. This annual award, which includes an annual $2,000 cash prize, honours UBC faculty, staff and students who expand the boundaries of their research through the creative use of new tools and technologies.
Rowan Cockett, a Masters of Science student in Geophysics, is the latest recipient of the research dissemination award. His submission, entitled Visible Geology, came from a desire to improve the way geoscience research is disseminated to undergraduate students. It involves a web-based application designed to enhance the visualization of geologic structures and processes through interactive 3D diagrams.
“I was honoured to receive this award, and am extremely proud of the progress Visible Geology is making as an interactive visualization tool for the geosciences,” says Cockett, who was formally recognized at a UBC research awards reception in March 2013. “It is extremely rewarding to have my research be recognized by UBC. Since being recognized with this award, Visible Geology has received increased attention within my department, and it may be easier to continue integrating the tools I have developed with introductory geoscience classes at UBC.”
Previous winners recognized for their innovative approaches include Dr. Dirk Zeller, Ar’ash Tavakolie and Dr. Daniel Pauly of UBC’s Fisheries Centre, who won the 2012 award The Sea Around Us Project portal. This project aims to analyse the impacts of fisheries on marine ecosystems, and devise policies to mitigate and reverse harmful trends while ensuring the benefits of sustainable fisheries.
Dimas Yusuf, a UBC medical student, was the 2011 award recipient for the Transcription Factor Encyclopedia. This is an online encyclopedia that houses articles about transcription factor genes, which are critical to learning about the use of embryonic stem cells to treat human disease.
And in 2010, UBC professor Michael Brauer won the inaugural Innovative Dissemination of Research Award for the Cycling Metro Vancouver Route Planner. Brauer led a team that developed an interactive cycling route planner, a tool that allows cyclists to find routes that fit personal preferences, such as distance, elevation gain, air quality and vegetation.
Read more from UBC Library’s Community Report (2013).