Lael Parrott, director of Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience and Ecosystem Services (BRAES)
BRAES a leader in eco research and environmental policy at UBC Okanagan
The Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience and Ecosystem Services (BRAES) has risen from the former Institute for Species at Risk and Habitat Studies (SARAHS) at UBC’s Okanagan campus.
“The name change not only more accurately reflects the institute’s research mandate, but also better positions the Okanagan campus as a centre of excellence for research in ecology, natural resource management, and the environment,” says Lael Parrott, director of the Okanagan Institute for BRAES.
BRAES comprises more than 20 faculty members and about 70 graduate and undergraduate students from various faculties, including programs in biology, mathematics and statistics, earth and environmental sciences, physical geography, economics and creative studies. In collaboration with more than 50 partner organizations, including government ministries and non-government organizations, the goal of BRAES is to increase scientific understanding of ecological systems from genetics to landscape scales and to inform management and planning decisions that promote environmental sustainability.
Researchers with BRAES were granted $3.2 million in research funding in 2012-2013, and had more than 90 peer-reviewed scientific papers published. The institute facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration, and members of the research team work in a variety of environments and locations around the globe, using a wide range of field, laboratory and quantitative methods. BRAES is committed to promoting research partnerships and carrying out research that will directly inform environmental policy and management decisions.
More information: braes.ok.ubc.ca.
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