Student Awards

The PRSSS, in partnership with the Y.P. Heung Foundation, awards a PhD student, a master's 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. Application guidelines to come.

This award recognizes the research impact and community contributions of Doctoral students in soil science. The award is named for Dr. Leslie (Les) Lavkulich and his contributions to research and graduate student mentorship spanning his entire career. Les Lavkulich, a Professor Emeritus, grew up on a farm in Alberta. He joined the then Faculty of Agriculture at UBC in 1966 after completing his BSc and MSc at the University of Alberta and his PhD at Cornell University. His research portfolio highlights the interdisciplinary implications of soil science, having supported the establishment of both the foundation for the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and the Fisheries Centre (now Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries). His research has spanned a wide range of disciplines, from soil genesis and environmental chemistry to mine reclamation and contaminant remediation, from sustainable ecological systems to land-water interactions. He is passionate about the communication of science for informed policy development. Significantly, Dr. Lavkulich was a founding director of the Pacific Regional Society of Soil Science, and we are thrilled to acknowledge his impact through this award.

The Shannon Berch and Chuck Bulmer Master Student Award in Soil Science

One award of $5000. Application guidelines to come.

This award recognizes the research impact and community contributions of master's students in soil science. Dr. Shannon Berch and Dr. Chuck Bulmer are both exceptional examples of soil science practitioners who have made significant contributions to graduate student mentorship as well as the broader soil science community.  Both have been long-time mentors at the annual PRSSS soil identification course and have contributed to the organization through many avenues. Dr. Shannon Berch is a retired Research Scientist with the Government of British Columbia and adjunct professor at both UBC and Royal Roads University.  Her research has focused on the study of soil fungi and particularly mycorrhizal fungi from a variety of perspectives, including the health of nursery seedlings, impacts of forestry practices, management of commercially harvested wild mushrooms, and the use of molecular tools to identify and detect the presence of fungal species on mycorrhizal roots. Dr. Chuck Bulmer is a retired Soil Scientist who worked with the Government of British Columbia.  His research explored soil disturbance, the success of rehabilitation efforts, and implications for site productivity. He also engaged in digital soil datasets, employing high-resolution air photographs to support soil conservation and monitoring in addition to resource planning and operations. This award is co-named to highlight the breadth of soil science research across the province and the collaborative, transdisciplinary nature of soil research. As committee members to numerous graduate students and mentors to students at all stages of their academic careers, we are thrilled to name this award for Shannon and Chuck.

The Art Bomke Undergraduate Student Award in Soil Science

One award of $3000. Application guidelines to come.

This award recognizes the curiosity of and contributions by undergraduate students entering the field of soil science.  It is named for Dr. Art Bomke, Professor Emeritus at UBC.  A favourite among students, Dr. Bomke is a two-time recipient of the UBC Killam Teaching Prize award (1999 and 2010), a rare honour.  His commitment to education has been clear through his introduction of a core series of courses for students studying agriculture and related fields at UBC, his support of student-led initiatives to resurrect UBC farm and preserve it for ongoing research and educational purposes, and his role in developing the Orchard Garden, an outdoor classroom for hands-on learning about small-scale urban farming and sustainable practices.  Passionate about community and a strong proponent of small-scale agriculture, he continues to volunteer with community garden organizations throughout Vancouver. As a founding director of the PRSSS, we are honoured to name this award for Art’s contributions, both as a scientist and an educator.

Applications for the 2026 Awards will open soon. Deadline to apply is March 21, 2026. 

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.