Protecting our environment and energy systems

The Year in Research 2023

kvd1 — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 20:10:21 +0000

Celebrating the achievements of the Queen’s research community that have defined the last 12 months.

#QueensuResearch | One of the top universities in Canada, Queen’s has a long history of discovery and innovation that has shaped our knowledge and addressed some of the world’s most pressing questions.

Queen’s places 3rd worldwide in 2023 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

kvd1 — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 19:23:36 +0000

University secures its best performance to date with third consecutive top-10 finish.

#QueensuImpact | University secures its best performance to date with third consecutive top-10 finish.

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

kvd1 — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 19:28:05 +0000

Wai Yin Cheung

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. Watch the full video: https://bit.ly/3MD00Vy

Location of photograph:

Turner Glacier, Akshayuk Pass

Submission Year:

2023

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

kvd1 — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 19:20:05 +0000

micky renders

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.

Location of photograph:

Pannituuq (Pangnirtung), Nunavut

Submission Year:

2023

Crystallization Pattern of a Common Salt Mixture

kvd1 — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 19:17:10 +0000

Rachel Korchinsky

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.

Location of photograph:

Electron Microscopy Facility, Queen's University

Submission Year:

2023

Returning the Gaze

kvd1 — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 18:58:42 +0000

Siobhan Speiran

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.

Location of photograph:

Proyecto Asis, Costa Rica

Submission Year:

2023

Lithium Below, Stars Above

kvd1 — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 18:51:52 +0000

Dr. Christopher Spencer

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.

Location of photograph:

Western Australia

Submission Year:

2023

Bringing research into focus

kvd1 — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 19:12:00 +0000

The annual Art of Research photo contest will continue to showcase how the Queen's research community is advancing the United Nations' SDGs and introduce a new video category to capture research in motion.

#QueensuResearch | The annual Art of Research photo contest will continue to showcase how the Queen's research community is advancing the United Nations' SDGs and introduce a new video category to capture research in motion.

Building on an exceptional year

kvd1 — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 20:50:37 +0000

It’s been a little over a year since Nancy Ross joined Queen’s University as Vice-Principal (Research). A former Canada Research Chair and research administrator at McGill University, and Queen’s alumna (Artsci’90, MA’92), Dr. Ross is an award-winning expert in population health. As a member of Queen’s leadership team, she oversees the Vice-Principal Research portfolio and works with internal and external stakeholders to advance the university’s research mission.

Thought Leadership

2022: The year in research

kvd1 — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:49:00 +0000

We are celebrating the milestones and accomplishments of Queen’s research community over the past twelve months.

We are celebrating the milestones and accomplishments of Queen’s research community over the past twelve months | #QueensuResearch

Crystalline Acid

kvd1 — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 19:07:03 +0000

Dan Reddy

This photo taken with scanning electron microscopy depicts an extremely small yet precise volume (i.e., nanolitre-sized) of crystallized decanoic acid. We are using these spots of crystalline acid to extract and preconcentrate, or soak-up, chemicals of concern like opioids from wastewater samples. This preconcentration step improves our ability to monitor these chemicals. By doing so, we can improve how we detect these harmful compounds and protect local watersheds.

Location of photograph:

Chernoff Hall, Queen's University

Submission Year:

2022

Capturing the Art of Research – photo essay

kvd1 — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 19:23:25 +0000

With a reimagined focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the annual Queen's Art of Research photo contest reveals seven winning images.

With a reimagined focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the annual Queen's Art of Research photo contest reveals seven winning images | #QueensuResearch

Polar Bear Denning

kvd1 — Tue, 31 May 2022 14:24:56 +0000

Scott Arlidge

This photo demonstrates the collection of snow from inside a maternal polar bear den to collect environmental DNA. When the mother digs out the den, skin cells from its paws are abraded and stuck to the snow. Some preliminary research shows that we may be able to identify individual bears by analyzing these snow samples, information which can inform polar bear population management. My research is a pilot of ground-based non-invasive polar bear monitoring techniques, with a focus on Inuit inclusivity. Inuit Elders and polar bear hunters were key knowledge holders and collaborators throughout this research.

Location of photograph:

Coral Harbour, Nunavut

Submission Year:

2022

George Konana Collecting Ice

kvd1 — Tue, 31 May 2022 13:57:58 +0000

Saskia de Wildt

The Inuit practice an ongoing relationship with the land through camping, hunting, and fishing. As part of the BearWatch project, I explore how such knowledge, accumulated over many generations, and Inuit values can be ethically engaged in a community-based polar bear monitoring program. This picture is taken on one of our trips out on the land around Gjoa Haven during spring 2022. It captures George Konana collecting ice from the lake for tea. He traces ice with the right quality to give his tea a nice ‘reddish, brown’ color. At this exact moment, he cracks out a huge piece, enough for a month of tea.

Location of photograph:

Gjoa Haven, Nunavut

Submission Year:

2022

Gastropod Mummy

kvd1 — Mon, 30 May 2022 17:31:51 +0000

Ruqaiya Yousif

This is a picture of a gastropod mummy laying down her egg cases. My research is to assess the stable isotope (C and O), clumped isotope (∆47), and trace element compositions of living and Quaternary shells from the Arabian/Persian Gulf. The aim is to link these analyses with modern oceanographic data to develop a robust proxy for understanding oceanographic change in the rock record. In simple terms, I am trying to link the shell chemistry with its surrounding environment and then use this link to assess oceanographic changes in the past 125K year. At the time of this picture, we were growing gastropods under laboratory conditions and performing in vitro fertilization of oysters.

Location of photograph:

Qatar

Submission Year:

2022