BIORESOURCE ENGINEERING SEMINAR

BIORESOURCE ENGINEERING SEMINAR


Item 1: Seminar by Anteneh Meshesha
The Importance of Honeybees
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Honeybees have a significant impact on human life. Their domestication has led to the production of various products for human consumption such as honey and wax. As well, they are efficient pollinators for many fruits and vegetables which humans consume daily. Recently, honeybee populations have experienced large declines. The theories explaining this phenomenon vary but, what is certain is that, if it continues, it will have a detrimental effect on agricultural production.

Originally born in Ethiopia, Anteneh is currently in his first year of the MSc program of the department of Bioresource Engineering, working under the supervision of Dr. Adamowski. He completed his Bachelor of Science at McGill University.


Item 2: Seminar by Ariahna Jones
The Evolution of Yoga

The popularity of Yoga has increased substantially over the past decade. Yoga's visibility in the media exposes its diversity and the varied reasons people are turning to it. The physical benefits of a toned and flexible body have been emphasized in modern yoga classes, but there are benefits beyond just the physical aspect that can be realized with yoga. On a deeper level, Yoga includes practices that lead us to a new awareness by opening and unifying body, mind, and heart. Today, Yoga's social reality reflects the meeting of an ancient Indian spiritual path and American business. As the practice of Yoga expands into the mainstream, it is important to take a quick look at the history of yoga to help us appreciate its rich tradition, and how the phenomena that is sweeping the world today is rooted in an ancient practice which is much more than a fitness routine.

Ariahna Jones is an MSc candidate in the Integrated Water Resource Management Program. Originally from Washington State, she attended Western Washington University where she majored in Geography with minors in GIS and Environmental Education. Working in the outdoor industry for the past few years has fueled her passion for the protection and preservation of Earth's invaluable and finite natural resources which, in turn has led her to the program at McGill.


Item 3: Seminar by Jorge Diaz Martinez
Colombia is Passion

Colombia has been stigmatized as a dangerous country. Since five years ago, the Colombian government has implemented a campaign, Colombia is Passion, to improve the country’s reputation. This campaign has resulted in increased tourism, and all Bioresource Engineering students, teachers and staff are welcome to visit Colombia.

Jorge comes from Colombia. He is a mechanical engineer from Los Andes University in Bogotá. He has worked on the design of hydroelectric plants, aqueducts and an ethanol plant in Colombia, México and Ecuador. He is in his the first year of the Master degree, working under the supervision of Dr. Raghavan.


Item 4: Seminar by David Sims
Geology and water management

Metal mining in Canada involves significant expenditures to manage water effluent from tailings ponds. As regulations become more stringent, metal mine operations are under increasing pressure to better manage their tailings ponds and prevent contaminated water losses into the environment. One of the main issues with improperly designed tailings dams is often not the dam itself, but the bedrock on which it is built. In this presentation the various specialties of geology will be examined, and how each of them contributes to the evaluation of bedrock below tailings dams to improve water tightness.

David has a degree in geology with a minor in environmental studies/ restoration from the University of Victoria, BC (1999). He has worked as an environmental/geotechnical consultant for the mining industry and is currently doing his Master’s in Integrated Water Resource Management, with a focus on hydrogeology and groundwater modeling.


Item 5: Seminar by Kana Matsui:
Agricultural Villages in Japan

Contrary to popular belief, there is much more to Japan than advanced robot and videogame technology and the traditional Zen or “samurai” culture. Currently, a major national issue is agricultural sustainability and food security. In this presentation I will briefly explore some agricultural characteristics of Japan and some current issues. I will illustrate these with examples of recent village movements.

Kana was born in Japan but raised in the United States. She graduated with a Civil/Environmental Engineering degree from the University of Maryland and is currently in her first semester of a non-thesis Master’s degree, supervised by Professor Jan Adamowski.