Please join us in congratulating Assistant Professor Naomi Schwartz on receiving a 2024 UBC Killam Faculty Research Fellowship. This annual award is one of ten generously offered through the bequest from the late Dorothy J. Killam from the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Fund for Advanced Studies. These awards are intended to support “… promising faculty members, who wish to devote full time to research and study in their field during a recognized study leave”. Nominees must show a “…special distinction of intellect, with due regard for sound character and personal qualities”. Dr. Schwartz is one such scholar; focused on geospatial ecology, her lab uses remote sensing, GIS, and field research methods to explore the causes and consequences of disturbance and extreme events in forest landscapes.
Dr. Schwartz in a savanna, Preah Vihear province, Cambodia
Dr. Schwartz is receiving this fellowship funding specifically for her work on savanna vegetation Southeast Asia. Her current research project explores the relationships between climate, disturbance, the physical environment and their impact on the distribution of forest and savanna biomes in the area. This work will integrate recent insights about contemporary savannas in Southeast Asia with paleoecological data. Dr. Schwartz’s novel research addresses a long-standing debate about the environmental history of Southeast Asia over millennial time scales. It will also advance the understanding of human origins and ancient migration, as well as contribute to conservation efforts for a threatened ecosystem.
“I’m honoured to receive the Killam Faculty Research Fellowship. I’m excited about the new research directions my study leave will bring and am grateful to have the time and financial support to pursue them.”
The UBC Office of the VP, Research and Innovation will be hosting a reception on June 5, 2025 to acknowledge the achievements of all researchers receiving awards this cycle.
Congratulations to Dr. Schwartz and all other Faculty Research Award recipients!
- Read the VPRI announcement here
- Learn more about Dr. Naomi Schwartz’s work and lab here
