University of Regina officially opens Institute of Environmental Change and Society

Posted: May 13, 2014 4:10 p.m.

The University of Regina is home to a new world class research facility. The $13-million Institute of Environmental Change and Society (IECS) has officially opened in the Research and Innovation Centre. The 6,500 square foot research centre will be home to Canada Research Chairs and allied scholars studying the interactions between human society and the environment, particularly with respect to water quality, availability, use and protection.

IECS provides world-class infrastructure and research expertise to faculty, students and staff from regional, national and international agencies. The facility includes all equipment required to conduct cutting-edge research with an environmental focus, including diverse field equipment, superb analytical capabilities, advanced computation, and next-generation chemical analyses.

“This Institute is a model for the future, and brings together world-renowned expertise to help conduct ground-breaking environmental research,” said Advanced Education Minister Rob Norris, who, along with Environment Minister Ken Cheveldayoff and MLA Laura Ross, was on hand for the opening. “These world-class facilities allow students to work with world-leading experts to help develop their skills and to become leaders in Canada’s scientific community. The University of Regina is on a roll, and this is more good news for this great institution.”

IECS will also provide national leadership in the natural sciences. One of its first initiatives will be to host the Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution (CIEE). This is the first time that CIEE has been hosted in western Canada. CIEE is a consortium of 30 Canadian universities with the mission of expanding and accelerating scientific discovery on the natural environment and its contributions to the national well being.

“Our central goal is to understand how we affect the environment and how it affects us,” said Dr. Peter Leavitt, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change and Society and director of the lab. “Water and water quality are of enormous social importance in Saskatchewan and the world. This new institute builds on 20 years of national leadership in aquatic sciences at University of Regina and will allow us to remain at the forefront of world-class environmental research.”

For more information about IECS, visit: www.iecs-uregina.ca. For more information about CIEE, visit: www.ciee-icee.com.

To listen to the official opening ceremony for the new lab and take an audio tour of the facility, go to University Matters (May 29 and June 5, 2014.)