WEST 2017

Click the following link to download WEST 2017 Conference Agenda.

2017 WEST Conference Agenda

The conference venue is the Performance Theatre at the AMS student Nest of UBC Vancouver (map of UBC). This year’s brief conference lineup is presented below.

Sunday June 11th

UBC Campus Tour

The tour of UBC will focus on human relationships with water through visits to the Botanical Gardens, Nitobe Garden, Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability and Museum of Anthropology.  The event is free with registration, but limited space is available, so please sign-up, after you have registered for the conference.

Monday June 12th

Opening Remarks and Keynote Speaker

Our keynote address will be given by Jeff Carmichael, Metro Vancouver’s Division Manager for Utility Research and Innovation, who will discuss the topic “Holistic Planning: The Future of Water and Wastewater Management”

Educational Program

Monday’s educational program will be composed of a number of presentations from graduate students and young professionals.  This year, we also welcome Water MAGIC, an international research group focused on solving water treatment issues associated with cold climates.  Presentations will be given inside the UBC AMS floating auditorium.

Wine and Cheese Networking Event and Poster Session

Conference attendees will have the opportunity to network amongst themselves, industry professionals, and UBC staff and faculty that work in the water and environment fields. This event will be held at Gallery 2.0 restaurant inside the AMS building. With views of the mountains, Pacific Spirit Park, and the harbour, this venue is a must see for all. Research posters will also be on display during this event, giving students and young professionals the opportunity to discuss their research with a diverse audience.  You may still submit a Poster Abstract until all spots have been filled.

Tuesday June 13th

Educational Program

Tuesday’s educational program will follow the same format as Monday’s program.

Industry Panel

The topic for our panelists will be: “Governance, Development and Management of Water in Small and Rural Communities.”  This year’s panel discussion goes along with our theme “How Water Shapes our World,”emphasizing the opportunities and challenges smaller communities face in comparison to urban centres.  This year’s panelists include:

Barj Dhahan – Business Leader and President of Canada India Foundation

Dawn Mills – UBC Adjunct Professor and Expert in Canadian First Nation Rights as it relates to Federal and Provincial Resource Management

Madjid Mohseni – UBC Professor and Scientific Director with RES’EAU WaterNET
Sarah Breen – Recent SFU PhD Graduate and Researcher on Regional Development Patterns and the Relationship Between Infrastructure and Rural Resilience

Closing Dinner & Awards

The conference’s closing dinner will be  held at Nuba in Kitsilano , located at Macdonald and Broadway, only a 15 minute bus ride from UBC Point Grey campus.

The following awards will be presented:

  • People’s Choice Award ($300):  Most popular presentation or poster as voted by conference attendees
  • Poster Prize ($200):  Top poster as selected by WEST Judges
  • CAWQ Phillip H. Jones Award ($300 first place, $200 second place): Top 2 presentations as selected by CAWQ and WEST judges