The University of Lethbridge Board of Governors appointed or reappointed eight Board of Governors Research Chairs at its regular meeting on April 21, 2016. The Board of Governors Research Chair program acknowledges the research accomplishments of University faculty members.
“The University of Lethbridge is home to world-leading researchers across many disciplines,” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, Vice-President (Research). “These recipients represent the outstanding work that occurs every day on our campus – research that improves our communities near and far.”
Tier 1
Dr. Reginald Bibby, Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Reappointment July 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018)
Dr. Bibby is a respected sociologist whose research is focused on monitoring social trends in Canada through a series of national surveys of adults and teenagers. His areas of specialty include religion and youth.
Dr. Bryan Kolb, Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Reappointment July 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018)
Dr. Kolb is a renowned leader in neuroscience research. His research focuses on how neurons in the cerebral cortex change in response to experiences, drugs, hormones and injury, and how these changes influence behaviour.
Dr. Robert McDonald, Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Reappointment July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2021)
Through his research, Dr. McDonald seeks to understand the organization of memory in the mammalian brain. He has developed a theory of age-related cognitive decline that proposes this disorder is heterogeneous and includes multiple factors that interact to lead to dementia, mini-strokes, seizures and other conditions.
Dr. Stewart Rood, Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Reappointment July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2021)
Dr. Rood devotes much of his time to river resources management, namely researching plant physiology and the ecophysiology of river valley cottonwoods.
Tier 2
Dr. Carly Adams, Tier II Board of Governors Research Chair in Organizations & Society (July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2019)
Dr. Adams is a social and cultural historian whose research contributes to the body of literature that explores the place of sport, recreation and leisure within the social and cultural context of Canada. Dr. Adams focuses on women’s sport and its impact on society.
Dr. Rob Laird, Tier II Board of Governors Research Chair in Origins & Explorations (July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2019)
Dr. Laird is an evolutionary ecologist who uses field, lab and theory-based approaches to study a variety of problems in population, community and evolutionary ecology.
Dr. Bonnie Lee, Tier II Board of Governors Research Chair in Healthy Futures (July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2019)
Dr. Lee is a registered marriage and family therapist and has spent the past decade leading a program of research in developing a model of Congruence Couples Therapy for problem gamblers.
Dr. Pei Shao, Tier II Board of Governors Research Chair in Organizations and Society (July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2019)
Dr. Shao has an active research program covering such topics as credit markets, financial institutions, corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions.