The University of Northern British Columbia has joined the TRIUMF family.
The board of directors for TRIUMF, Canada's national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics, has approved UNBC as as an associate member of the consortium of 16 universities that owns and operates the facility.
"We are proud to add B.C.'s fourth research university to the TRIUMF family," board chair Paul Young said in a statement issued Thursday. "It says something important about UNBC - and about TRIUMF.
"This laboratory serves the entire nation and pulls together Canadian strengths for international excellence and impact."
The university can now participate in discussions about setting the direction of the laboratory as well as enhanced partnerships for new research infrastructure that strengthens efforts on the UNBC campus.
With the coming of the new regional Cancer Centre to Prince George, additional research into generation, transport, and novel application of medical isotopes in smaller-scale urban and rural communities is in the works.
"We are delighted to strengthen our connections with TRIUMF and look forward to a new level of research excellence with national and international impact," said UNBC vice president of research Gail Fondahl.
UNBC has been involved in TRIUMF since the university began operations nearly 20 years ago.
Faculty and students have participated in a number of nuclear physics experiments at TRIUMF that examine the origins of chemical elements in the furnaces of distant stars.
UNBC faculty are also part of a team being formed with TRIUMF, the University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba, and Japan for a new research facility using ultracold neutrons that will pursue a new understanding of the fundamental properties of nature and its basic particles.
