Annually, the PRSSS offers 3 awards for students: Soil Science Student Awards, Poster Competition Awards, and the Warkentin Prize. Please see the information below for each of the awards:
The PRSSS in partnership with the Y.P. Heung Foundation awards a graduate student and an undergraduate student on the merits of:
- Academic achievement
- Research proposal (graduate students only)
- Leadership and community service
- Communication skills
- Letters of recommendation
The Les Lavkulich Graduate Student Award in Soil Science. One award of $5000. Please follow the application guidelines HERE.
The Art Bomke Undergraduate Student Award in Soil Science. One award of $3000. Please follow the application guidelines HERE.
Applications for the 2025 Awards are open. Deadline to apply is April 15th, 2025.
2025 Winners:
Les Lavkulich Graduate Award: Sarah Bird
Sarah Bird is a 4th-year PhD candidate at the University of Victoria. Her current research explores the use of collembola in the litter and soil as indicators of anthropogenic environmental change, using multiple approaches (field-based and knowledge synthesis). Her broad interests in ecology are focused in areas of conservation and restoration, especially of less "charismatic" groups. This and past research on the implementation of Critical Habitat under the Canadian Species at Risk Act is inspired by Earth’s biodiversity and the goal of conserving and restoring ecosystems for future generations. Beyond her research, she is an avid gardener and crafter who loves to try new things, spend time outdoors, paint, and take photos of neat bugs.
Art Bomke Student Award: Theo Mohamed
Theo is entering his fifth and final year of undergrad at UBC specializing in soil science and geomorphology with a minor in geographical information science (GIS) and geographical computation. He has applied his learning to explore agricultural problems through GIS, enhancing his analytical capacity through his knowledge of soils. Term projects of note include a preliminary feasibility analysis for the expansion of industrial hemp cultivation in Alberta and an exploration of differential heat stress experienced by Okanagan vineyards and orchards during the 2021 heat dome. Theo plans to apply to Engineers and Geoscientists BC as a Geoscientist in Training and hopes to contribute to Dr. Brandon Heung's ongoing research project upgrading and harmonizing Canada's digital soil resources.
Warkentin Prize: Harini Aiyer
Harini Aiyer is a Soil Science PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia, co-supervised by Dr. JT Cornelis and Dr. Luke Bainard (AAFC). Her current project focuses on the effects of cattle grazing management on microbe-mediated soil carbon sequestration in Canadian grassland ecosystems. Harini graduated with an MSc in Agriculture from Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia, Canada) in 2021. Her MSc research (done at AAFC-Charlottetown, PEI) focused on the effects of certain cover crops on associated soil fungal and bacterial communities and the carryover impact on root disease caused by soil-borne Fusarium species. Harini has always been fascinated with the hidden world of microorganisms and how they are inextricably linked with human life. Through her research, she hopes to gain more knowledge about soil microbe interactions with associated plants and animals in order to better understand how agricultural land-use practices can be modified to increase ecosystem sustainability and resilience.
2024
- Sasha Pollet - PhD candidate at UBC
- Cameron Donnelly - Bachelor's student at UBC
2023
- Jordy Kersey - PhD candidate at UBC
- Sarah Gafner-Bergeron - Bachelor's graduate from UBCO
2022
- Patrick Pow - PhD candidate at UBC
- Liam Easton - Bachelor's student at TRU
2021
- Paula Porto - MSc student at UBC
- Helga Holler-Busch - Bachelor's student at the UNBC
2019
- Patricia Hanuszak - MSc student at the University of British Columbia
- Hannah Friesen - Undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia
2018
- Carson Li - MSc student at the University of British Columbia
- Patricia Hanuszak - Undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia
Our 2025 AGM will feature a student poster competition, in which participants are asked to submit a poster. There are cash prizes to be won for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place! This event takes the place of our poster competitions.
More details can be found on the Eventbrite page, located here.
Past Recipients
2019
Patricia Hanuszak (UBC) - "Effects of a 4-Year Grassland Set-aside on Soil Aggregate Stability"
Marieta Marin-Bruzos (UBC) - "Chitinases gene abundance in cherry orchards under different land management"
Vaselios Kokkoris (UBCO) - "Are fungal inoculants effective in the field?"
2018
1st Prize: Nicolette Lax (UBC) - Effect of low tunnels and plant biomass and fruit yield of summer squash
2nd Prize: Marieta Marin-Bruzos (UBC) - Potential of cherry rhizosphere Actinomycetes as biocontrol agents against plant-parasitic nematodes
3rd Prize: Doug Terpsma (TRU) - The “Topographic Signature”: Using Fine-Scale Soil Variability and Topography for Predicting Available Soil Water in Hot, Dry Douglas-fir Ecosystems
Every year, the PRSSS accepts nominations and applications for the Warkentin Prize, in recognition of Dr. Benno P. Warkentin. The Warkentin Prize of $750 will be awarded to a student or recent graduate that has published a peer-reviewed article or thesis in the field of soil science.
Past Recipients
2020
Zimin Li - Université Catholique de Louvain - UC Louvain
2019
Vaselios Kokkoris - University of British Columbia Okanagan
2018
Gabriel Maltais-Landry - University of British Columbia
and
Jacynthe Masse University of British Columbia
2016
Katelyn Congreves - University of Guelph