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March 04, 2026

John Kominoski, a professor from the Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University (USA), completed his four-month fall 2025 term as a Fulbright Canada Research Chair at UVic.  In many ways, this Fulbright was a homecoming for Kominoski, who spent two years at UBC as a post-doctoral fellow from 2008-2010.

From September to December, Rana El-Sabaawi of UVic’s Department of Biology hosted Kominoski, an ecosystem ecologist who uses long-term data and social-ecological knowledge to understand disturbances and restoration in coastal ecosystems.

"I truly loved my time at UVic and felt immediately welcomed and valued,” he says. “I learned a lot about the science being conducted throughout the department and how UVic is building long-term relationships with First Nations communities. I specifically interacted with the Nanwakolas Council in Campbell River, BC, whom I was able to advise on their Coastal Experimental Watersheds (CEWs) project in the Great Bear Rainforest. We are preparing an NSERC Alliance-Society proposal to connect a cohort of university graduate students with a cohort of First Nations Guardians to co-produce research related to forest harvest practices and stream habitat impacts for salmon-running watersheds." 

Kominoski established professional connections that he plans to maintain and build upon, and he is committed to continue to provide scientific advising to the Nanwakolas Council. 

"I developed long-term friendships and professional collaborations with the Nanwakolas Council and the faculty at UVic that I will nurture for years to come, he says" 

Kominoski gave a department seminar and a public lecture at UVic, a department seminar at UBC, and a research talk at the CEWs project meeting in Campbell River.  While he enjoyed the ability to bike daily to work, Kominoski was also able to travel around Vancouver Island, hiking in the Cowichan Valley and along the beaches near Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. 

"We booked lodging at Bamfield,” he says, “and didn't realize that it would coincide with the commencement ceremony and banquet for students completing their fall semester at the station. We were welcomed to the party, and we met many interested and curious young scholars!

"This Fulbright allowed me the opportunity to reflect on what I value about myself and my country while learning about ways to strengthen relationships with our neighbors in Canada. I left feeling more deeply connected to Canada, as well as more deeply committed to improving the US."