51ÁÔÆæ

LIFT Centre

, we welcomed representatives from the Government of Alberta to North Campus where Minister Sawhney formally announced $100 million in capital funding over three years to support the development of the LIFT Centre. This is exciting news for our entire community, and we are grateful to the Government of Alberta for this generous investment in our shared vision of advancing Alberta as a global leader in STEM and life sciences research and education. The LIFT Centre will bring together students and faculty members from across the colleges and standalone faculties in shared learning and research lab spaces. The multi-phase project is in its early stages, with a focus on planning and design over the next year. In Phase 1, the space will undergo major utilities retrofitting and updating to support controlled environments and advanced safety features such as protection against electrical failures and flooding that are needed for a high-service laboratory complex. I invite you to visit the project web page for more information and updates on the LIFT Centre. 

Program updates

Additionally, I’m proud to share that two new programs — the College of Natural and Applied Sciences’ course-based master’s (CBM) in sustainability and the College of Health Sciences’ bachelor of health sciences — have taken an important step forward, receiving unanimous approval from the GFC Programs Committee. These programs are excellent examples in practice of one of the college mandates to increase impact through interdisciplinary educational programming at the 51ÁÔÆæ. I also want to thank and acknowledge the founding faculties for the CBM that include ALES, Engineering, and Science as well as faculties from the College of Health Sciences and College of Social Sciences and Humanities and the efforts of Lobo Cruz, associate dean (education), on coordinating the work

Portfolio updates

Earlier this month, research portfolio leads Jon Vienot and Goetz Dapp led coordination of a 51ÁÔÆæ delegation to the 2025 Hannover Messe, one of the world's largest trade shows with 4,000 exhibitors and 127,000 visitors. This delegation also included members of ALES, Engineering, and Science and was coordinated with the VPRI office. The delegation demonstrated the U of A's contribution to Alberta and the international leadership role of our researchers and the institution by showcasing our excellence in hydrogen transition, quantum research, advanced manufacturing and research security. The U of A booth was a hub for industry meetings, academic exchange with our international partners and new academic connections, inner-Canadian networking and potential new students. We also had great interaction with our U15 colleagues. 

Ceilidh Morrissette, CNAS Indigenous initiatives strategic officer, has been working with faculty deans and vice deans focusing on Indigenous student data, Indigenous-engaged research and faculty accountabilities to Braiding Past, Present and Future: 51ÁÔÆæ Indigenous Strategic Plan. She is also developing an interdisciplinary workshop on the first steps to understanding Indigenous-engaged and/or Indigenous-led research in consultation with Elders, knowledge keepers and the VPRI. Tara McGee, associate dean (access, community and belonging), continues to provide help and advice on academic job descriptions in the college and work on hiring practices with her institutional colleagues to incorporate access, community and belonging into recruitment and hiring processes. 

We are in the thick of course scheduling and timetabling. Jim Bohun and the Office of Education team are working directly with the Registrar's Office and Engineering, Science and ALES on the timetable to try to meet everyone's needs in the classroom assignments. These complex adjustments are possible because the CNAS course schedule is managed by specialist staff who have a systemic view of the timetable and work in close partnership with departments.