Two U of R professors named 2014-15 Fulbright Scholars

Posted: August 28, 2014 10:25 a.m.

(L to R) Dr. Shanthi Johnson and Dr. Peter Leavitt have been selected as visiting scholars by Fulbright Canada for the 2014-2015 year.
(L to R) Dr. Shanthi Johnson and Dr. Peter Leavitt have been selected as visiting scholars by Fulbright Canada for the 2014-2015 year. Photo: U of R Photography

Two University of Regina professors have been selected as visiting scholars by Fulbright Canada for the 2014-2015 year. The University of Regina is the only Canadian institution to have had two Fulbright Scholars selected this year, receiving two of only eleven Scholar placements.

Fulbright Canada is a joint, bi-national, treaty-based organization created to encourage mutual understanding between Canada and the US through academic and cultural exchange. It is a highly prestigious program that is designed to strengthen collaborative research between the two countries, and promote excellence in scholarship and community service.

Dr. Shanthi Johnson, Professor and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies and research faculty at the Saskatchewan Population Health Research and Evaluation Unit, has been named as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of South Florida. Her research in the U.S. will focus on “Canada-US Comparative Policy Analysis in the Context of Falls Prevention and Active Aging”. Dr. Johnson is an internationally-recognized expert in the field of aging and falls prevention among older adults. She also recently received a Female Professional of the Year Award from the Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce in recognition of her contributions.

“Our population is growing older around the world, and it is incredibly important to examine aging issues from cross-cultural and multidisciplinary perspectives”, says Dr. Johnson. “This award is a recognition of the world-class research in this important field taking place at our University”.

Dr. Peter Leavitt, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Environmental Change and Society, received a year-long placement as a Visiting Research Chair at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research will focus on “A New Scientific Framework to Quantify the Direct, Coupled, and Reciprocal Effects of Climate and Humans on Aquatic Ecosystems”. Dr. Leavitt is a renowned environmental researcher and currently serves as Director of the Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution (CIEE), as well as Director of the University of Regina’s newly-opened Institute of Environmental Change and Society.

“I am delighted to be going to the University of California, Santa Barbara. This university is at the forefront of environmental research in the United States, and is host to both the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management and the US National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis”, says Dr. Leavitt. “As Director of the CIEE, I am looking forward to developing the partnership between our research centres, as well as advancing our understanding of how climate and humans interact to affect the world’s aquatic ecosystems”.

“The University of Regina has had some great success with the Fulbright Canada program in recent years, and this remarkable accomplishment by Drs Johnson and Leavitt builds on that”, says Dr. Vianne Timmons, President and Vice-Chancellor. “This is a unique opportunity for our researchers, not only to share their ideas with colleagues in the United States, but also to demonstrate that the work being done at our University has global impact and reach”.

Dr. Bruno Dupeyron, Associate Professor at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, received both Visiting Research Chair and Fulbright Scholar awards in 2013-2014.