Mountain Research and Initiatives
Mountain studies are part of the core identity of the University of Alberta. We are dedicated specifically to understanding mountains, mountain cultures, and mountain activities in relation to one another, and to bringing students, faculty members, and community together through the study of mountains.
Mountain Courses
Mountains 101
Mountains 101 is a 12-lesson MOOC teaching a comprehensive introduction to mountain environments, peoples and contemporary issues through interdisciplinary study.
Events
Thinking Mountains is a triennial interdisciplinary mountain studies summit that promotes dialogue about mountain places, peoples, and activities around the world. It is an international meeting place for the best scholarship on mountains from the natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities, and other communities of practice.
Latest News
Climb every mountain: Canada's newest Network of Centres of Excellence to be hosted at the University of Alberta
Canadian Mountain Network to receive $18.3M in funding over the next five years through the national Networks of Centres of Excellence program.
Glacier to table: Understanding the effects of melting glaciers on drinking water
11 December 2019
Project takes a multifaceted look at water sources in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Climb every mountain: Canada's newest Network of Centres of Excellence to be hosted at the University of Alberta
16 April 2019
Canadian Mountain Network to receive $18.3M in funding over the next five years through the national Networks of Centres of Excellence program.
Thawing ice in Canada's North revealing ancient artifacts central to Indigenous cultural identity
12 September 2019
As alpine ice patches melt, the leftover belongings of the North's first inhabitants are emerging after hundreds and even thousands of years.
International Mountain Day: an urgent call to the importance of mountains to life
26 September 2019
Through a global campaign, social media activities and events around the world, International Mountain Day is creating a large movement dedicated to making mountain issues prominent for decision-makers.
UN Mountain Partnership in Science Magazine: Now is the time to accelerate mountain policies, strategies and actions
19 September 2019
Science Magazine recently released a special issue on mountains exploring the latest research related to climate change, biodiversity, mountain peoples and alpine rivers.
Why mountain studies matter(horn)
- Mountain study is integral to policy decisions about natural resource management;
- Our knowledge of Cambrian life forms depends in large part on what we have learned from mountain environments, as does scientific advance in the area of global warming;
- Especially in Western Canada, mountain study is foundational to our understanding of how leisure and recreational activities, like alpine skiing, hiking, and mountaineering, intersect with park management principles, and with the rights and prerogatives of indigenous communities;
- World religions revere mountain regions for their proximity to the sacred.
UAlberta's unique connection to the mountains
The University of Alberta's proximity to the Rocky and Columbia Mountains gives it hands-on access to our object of study.
The University's long history in mountain study extends from the establishment of the Banff Centre in 1933 to present work on glacier biochemistry, for example, or the Mountain Cairns monograph series on Rockies' history and culture from the University of Alberta Press. The University Library, Canada's second largest, has unequalled strengths in Canadian mountain history and literature, in mountain cartography, and in glacial science.
In 2009, the University hosted the "Summit Series" of public lectures, which showcased interdisciplinary mountain studies to the wider community. Two international Thinking Mountains Conferences (in 2012, 2015, and 2018) brought together scholars, community members, and land managers from across Canada and the world.
The UAlberta Mountain Initiative seeks to elevate our existing strengths in and about mountains to a world-class level. To this end, the University of Alberta also led the development of the Canadian Mountain Network (CMN), which launched in 2019.
The CMN benefits from the expertise of many UAlberta researchers, including Stan Boutin (President & co-Research Director), Rolf Vinebrooke (Professor & Principal Investigator), David Coltman (Professor, Chair of Biological Sciences, and Investigator), and more, and the network offers research, training, and knowledge mobilization programs and funding. For more information, visit the CMN website.
Faculty & Staff
Meet our faculty and staff, and learn about their research interests and areas of expertise.
