This December we bid farewell to long standing UBC Geography staff and community member Rick Ketler. Serving as our Research Project Manager for the geography physical labs, Rick has been the department’s sought-after “jack of all trades” engineering technician since 2007. Supporting the faculty working in the physical geography stream, Rick’s talent as a creative problem solver and mechanical inventor has placed his time in high demand. An invaluable asset both in the field and the laboratory, Rick has supported a wide variety of climate monitoring projects and built technology for geofluvial research.
“Rick has been the driving force behind countless research initiatives, guiding them with unwavering dedication. Rick is an institution builder. We have one of the best labs in North America thanks to his efforts.”
Rick and fellow lab technician Katrin observing water flow in Hassan lab flume
With a background in physics, Rick’s career at UBC began in 1989 working closely with Dr. Andrew Black in the Department of Agricultural Sciences (now known as Land and Food Systems). Rick was tasked with designing and building tower structures for field work taking atmospheric gas measurements. The implementation of these greenhouse gas measuring stations took him to many remote places across the provinces of British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Rick thinks back fondly on those early years in the field, the long summer days filled with bugs, staying in remote towns, eating in divey restaurants, and working with fantastic people.
Mountain Pine Beetle Tower, Mackenzie, BC
“When I was working for Andy Black, I was tasked with erecting three 100-foot research towers in the remote wilderness. I would say that might be the highlight of my career. It was an enormous challenge with a lot of logistics and the work was really rewarding,” reflects Rick.
An avid outdoor adventurer and rock climber, Rick found his hobbies lent themselves well to his job, working at great heights, rigging things and being in the woods. His more recent field work has kept him closer to home, largely working on sites in Vancouver, Richmond and Delta. One highlight being a large-scale project in Burns Bog for Dr. Sara Knox, setting up field research stations to monitor greenhouse gases.
Urban Climate Research Tower, Vancouver
Young Fir Tower, Campbell River, BC
In 2013 Rick joined the Geography labs to manage their various research projects. Working with a close team of technicians and graduate students, there was never a dull day.
“I’ve found a lot freedom in the workplace here to find creative solutions to exciting problems. And I really enjoy seeing other people’s approaches to problem solving, coming up with ideas you wouldn’t. That’s been the best part of working alongside my team and with these talented graduate students. You’re learning all the time,” says Rick.
The balance of inventing and problem solving, alongside mentoring students in those skills, has kept Rick passionate about his work for over three decades. A self-proclaimed “jack of all trades”, it’s the constant skill building and variety of challenges at work Rick enjoys most.
“I’m not really an expert in one particular thing, rather I’m knowledgeable in a lot of things. I enjoy bringing a lot of pieces together into a single project. We work with small teams on our projects and need to be able to cover a lot of ground with a few people. Everything from electronics to plumbing, mechanical design and fabrication to climbing and rigging. It keeps you on your toes,” smiles Rick.
“I’m not really an expert in one particular thing, rather I’m knowledgeable in a lot of things. I enjoy bringing a lot of pieces together into a single project. We work with small teams on our projects and need to be able to cover a lot of ground with a few people. Everything from electronics to plumbing, mechanical design and fabrication to climbing and rigging. It keeps you on your toes,” smiles Rick.
Rick and UBC President Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon at 35 Year Club Celebration
After 35 years at the University of British Columbia, working across departments and landscapes, it’s hard to imagine what will be keeping Rick busy for the years to come. As a homeowner and professional “DIY guy”, Rick feels keeping up with the garden, roof and car will be enough to think about for now. Not to mention having more time for his outdoor pursuits on the slopes and the mountain bike trails. We extend our warm congratulations to Rick on his well-earned retirement. He will be deeply missed, though his legacy will live on in the research projects he was foundational in supporting.
