UAlberta Faculty of Agriculture, Life, and Environmental Sciences Vice Dean Vic Adamowicz with his Alberta Land Institute Research Director successor, UAlberta Law Associate Professor Eran Kaplinsky.
Already a teacher, scholar, and lawyer, UAlberta Law Associate Professor Eran Kaplinsky can add Research Director to his CV. On December 8, 2016, the Alberta Land Institute (ALI) announced that Prof. Kaplinsky has been appointed to lead the Institute as its new Research Director. Prof. Kaplinsky succeeds Dr. Vic Adamowicz - recently re-appointed Vice Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Life, and Environmental Sciences - who served as ALI's Research Director since its founding in 2012.
The ALI is a leading academic research institute in Alberta, with its findings routinely shared with senior provincial and municipal policymakers, as well as stakeholder groups and the media. Prof. Kaplinsky's expertise in the areas of property rights, land use planning and regulation, and municipal law will assist ALI to further expand its research portfolio. Prof. Kaplinsky will divide his time between the ALI and UAlberta Law.
Prof. Kaplinsky is no stranger to the ALI. He served as co-author - with Professor David Percy - of A Guide to Property Rights in Alberta, released by ALI in 2014, which continues to be one of the most widely-read publications examining the state of property rights in the province. In the past year, Prof. Kaplinsky also co-authored the Institute's study on compensation for oil and gas disruption on grazing leases in Alberta - a complex policy matter currently under review by the provincial government and Auditor General.
"I am honoured to join the Alberta Land Institute's leadership team," said Prof. Kaplinsky. "Having worked closely in the past with Dr. Adamowicz and ALI staff, I have been impressed by the integrity of their research process, and their ability to bring academic research into policy discussions in this province. At the same time, I am also very pleased to be able to continue with my research and teaching at UAlberta Law, including my first-year Property Law class."
"On behalf of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, I would like to congratulate Professor Kaplinsky on his appointment as Research Director of the Alberta Land Institute," said Dean Paul Paton. "Eran's appointment is a testament to his leadership and to his work as a scholar and teacher. He is a terrific ambassador for UAlberta Law. His ongoing commitment to research and public education in the field of property rights, land use planning and regulation, and municipal law is a wonderful example of how the Faculty and the University serve the broader public interest."
Prof. Kaplinsky is excited by this latest opportunity.
"Conducting research for peer-reviewed publications, and also having that work become a part of real-world policy discussion, is a great opportunity for researchers," he said. "I look forward to involving UAlberta Law faculty members and students in ALI projects as we work to build upon the Institute's strong relationships with governments and stakeholders throughout Alberta. Legal scholars can add their unique expertise and perspective to ALI's strengths in agriculture, environmental policy, and urban and rural development, and will help ALI to play an even greater role in Alberta's future land use policy discussions. It's an exciting time to join the ALI team."