Articles tagged with: alumni

  • Applications open for Walt Disney World Resort internship

    Friday, January 06, 2023 | By

    STORY FROM THE BROCK NEWS | FRIDAY, JANUARY 06, 2023 | by 

    Jonah Graham holds an internship completion certificate while standing between Mickey and Minnie Mouse

    Tourism and Environment alumnus Jonah Graham (BA ’19) celebrated his completion of the University of Florida/Walt Disney World Resort Internship in 2017. The program has been on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic but will be offered this spring for the first time since 2019.

    For the first time since 2019, Brock students have a chance to complete courses at the University of Florida and a paid internship at Walt Disney World Resort starting this spring — but the application deadline is coming soon.

    The University of Florida/Walt Disney World Resort Internship is open to all Brock students over the age of 18 who have 10 credits and a 75 per cent overall average, with preference given to majors in Tourism Studies.

    Students who are accepted to the program will complete two online courses delivered by the University of Florida starting in May.

    Then, in August, successful applicants will begin a third course and their paid internship at Walt Disney World Resort, which will run until December.

    In total, students earn the equivalent of 2.5 Brock credits. The internship may also qualify as a co-op work term.

    The program, which had been suspended due to public health restrictions on travel since 2020, provides an opportunity for students to see the inner workings of one of the world’s most popular tourism destinations.

    Christina Bosilo, Director of Brock International, says the partnership provides students with the opportunity to gain academic credit and valuable work and training experience.

    “The benefits of participating in a study abroad experience help to prepare graduates, professionally and personally, for future opportunities post-graduation, and this particular opportunity is limited to only a handful of post-secondary institutions within Canada,” she says. “Any Brock student with an interest in learning more about tourism, hospitality and marketing from industry experts will find this to be a valuable experience.”

    Professor David Fennell in the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies agrees, noting that one of the program’s best features is the way students can match University of Florida courses in topics such as Lodging Operations and Management or Theme Park and Attraction Management with two different internship options at Disney.

    “The Disney Internship provides students with an opportunity to work in one of the world’s most impressive companies, with both formal and informal management and leadership training as an important addition to what students need to compete for jobs in the future,” he says. “Furthermore, the opportunity to work and learn alongside students from Brock and other institutions in Canada, along with international students, provides a great platform from which to build relationships and contacts.”

    Interested students are invited to learn more about the details of the program on the Brock International website. Applications are due on Friday, Jan. 13.

    STORY REPOSTED FROM THE BROCK NEWS

    Tags: , , , , , , , ,
    Categories: News

  • David Telfer and Sharon Janzen recognized for 25 years of service to the University

    Tuesday, December 13, 2022 | By

    The Department of Geography and Tourism Studies would like to congratulate Dr. David Telfer (Geography and Tourism Studies Professor) and Sharon Janzen (GeoTour alumna) on being recognized for their 25 years of service to Brock University!

    We are so grateful for their years of dedication, friendship, and invaluable contributions to our Department and the University. Our Department certainly would not be the same without them.

    President Lesley Rigg presents Sharon Janzen, Map Library Associate/Geospatial Data Co-ordinator, with a gift in celebration of her induction into the Quarter Century Club.

    President Lesley Rigg presents David Telfer, Professor, Geography and Tourism Studies, with a gift in celebration of his induction into the Quarter Century Club.

    Exceptional employees, longstanding service honoured at Brock President’s Celebration

    FROM THE BROCK NEWS | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022 | by 

    The outstanding efforts of Brock University staff, faculty and librarians were recognized at a reception Tuesday, Dec. 13.

    Hundreds of employees gathered in Market Hall for the annual President’s Celebration, which featured the announcement of staff service award recipients and the celebration of employees who have reached 25- and 35-year milestones in their service to the University.

    Among the awards distributed by President Lesley Rigg was the Brock University Outstanding Team Service Award, which recognizes a team that has made an outstanding contribution throughout the year, beyond what is normally expected.

    Brock Central was selected as the 2022 recipient, recognized for its high-quality customer service approach to offering student and alumni information in an accurate, timely and confidential manner, while adhering to high standards of excellence.

    In offering a few words to describe the team, Associate Vice-President of Human Resources Jennifer Guarasci said members of Brock Central “continually strive to enhance the customer service experience by demonstrating compassion, diplomacy, understanding and tact by actively listening and responding to the needs of our students.”

    Geraldine Jones, Registrar and Associate Vice-President Enrolment Services, said she feels privileged to work with a committed group of people who illustrate Brock’s values and mission.

    “They are a team of individuals who, on a daily basis in quiet and humble ways, make students’ lives better,” she said. “They are the epitome of a team because they support one another and the institution.”

    Along with the team award, individual staff service awards were announced during the online event, and employees celebrating 25- and 35-year service milestones were acknowledged for their commitment to the University.

    Rigg congratulated all service award winners and nominees, and remarked she was honoured to be celebrating with a spirited and hard-working employee community.

    “This campus has energy and enthusiasm, and it’s in large part due to the wonderful team working here and everything you do,” she said. “We are all extremely lucky to have each other to work with and to have such dedicated staff members.”

    Rigg also commented on how greatly the University benefits from the experience of longstanding staff members.

    “They are time travellers — the ones who make sure we don’t repeat the same mistakes but also repeat those things that have been great,” she said. “They are our guidance, our mentors and the ones who pave the path for our future.”

    Human Resources Distinguished Staff Service Award for Leadership 

    Kelly Lipovsky, Customer Service Co-ordinator with Facilities Management, is the 2022 recipient of the Human Resources Distinguished Staff Service Award for Leadership. The award is presented to one staff member who has a proven record of leading and working collaboratively, engaging fellow employees, furthering the development of a respectful work and learning environment and culture, and building strong relationships and partnerships that enable the University to implement its strategic plan and related initiatives effectively. Recipients receive a certificate of recognition and a $500 cash award.

    Rigg said Lipovsky was recognized in part for her charismatic leadership qualities and ability to collaborate well with colleagues from across the University.

    “Her ability to connect with others and to help bring out the best in each person on her team is truly inspiring,” said Guarasci, when reading comments from nominators.

    President’s Distinguished Staff Service Awards for Outstanding Contributions 

    The President’s Distinguished Staff Service Award for Outstanding Contributions recognizes individual ongoing staff members who have demonstrated exemplary service or made a significant contribution to the working environment at Brock at a level significantly beyond normal expectations. Recipients receive a certificate of recognition and a $500 cash award. The 2022 recipients are:

    • Drew Cullen, Manager, District Energy, Asset Management and Utilities
      Cullen was recognized for his efforts in leading the conceptualization and development of sustainability challenges across the University to encourage the campus community to adopt everyday sustainable actions.
    • Rick Manning, Groundskeeper, Facilities Grounds Services
      Manning was recognized for his positive and welcoming attitude and his ongoing dedication to providing exceptional service, including taking on additional tasks to ensure the campus is accessible and safe, especially in winter months.
    • Debbie Ouellette, Administrative Co-ordinator and Graduate Advisor, Sociology
      Ouellette was recognized for her professional, steady and student-centred approach to her work as well as her respectful, kind and supportive interactions with colleagues and students.
    • Barbara Tatarnic, Manager, Continuing Education and Outreach, Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI)
      Tatarnic was recognized for her longstanding efforts in leading CCOVI’s community engagement, outreach, and professional and continuing studies, which has helped to position CCOVI as a world-class research and education institute in the grape and wine, beverage alcohol and hospitality industries.

    Brock University Outstanding Team Service Award 

    The Brock Central Team is the 2022 recipient of the Brock University Outstanding Team Service Award, which recognizes a team of faculty and/or staff members who have made an outstanding contribution throughout the year beyond what is normally expected. The recipient teams are awarded lunch with the President and a trophy engraved with the team name to be displayed until it is passed on to the following year’s recipient(s).

    Quarter Century Club  

    Ten employees were inducted into the Quarter Century Club, joining 277 others who have worked at Brock for 25 years:

    • Sheila Bennett, Professor, Educational Studies
    • Lilly Biamonte, Senior Business Systems Analyst, Enterprise Solutions
    • Marian Bredin, Professor, Communications, Popular Culture and Film
    • Anthony Bogaert, Professor, Health Sciences
    • Roman Cierny, Network Supervisor, IT Infrastructure
    • Sharon Janzen, Map Library Associate/Geospatial Data Co-ordinator, Map, Data and GIS Library
    • Marie Reimer, Special Projects and Operations Co-ordinator, Ancillary Services
    • Caroline Romero, Administrative Assistant, Earth Sciences
    • Anamitra Shome, Associate Professor, Accounting
    • David Telfer, Professor, Geography and Tourism Studies

    35 years of long-standing service  

    Seven people were recognized for 35 years of service at Brock:

    • Ian Adamson, Associate Professor, Accounting
    • Rick Currie, Electrician, Facilities Electrical
    • Robert Dimand, Professor, Economics
    • Dorothy Levay, Instructor/ Manager, Academic Support, Mathematics and Statistics
    • Rob Witte, Locksmith, Facilities Carpentry
    • Kimberley Pelchat, Manager, Instructional Resource Centre, Education
    • Edith Williams, Special Collections and Archives Assistant, Archives and Special Collections

    STORY REPOSTED FROM THE BROCK NEWS

    Tags: , , , , , , ,
    Categories: News

  • Brock community mourns passing of Val Fleming

    Thursday, November 24, 2022 | By

    FROM THE BROCK NEWS | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2022 | by 

    Val and Art Fleming. (Photo supplied by Grimsby Lincoln News/Niagara this Week)

    The Brock community is saddened by the loss of Val Fleming (BA Geography ’72; LLD ’10), a long-time supporter of the University who passed away Wednesday, Nov. 16 at the age of 94.  

    Fleming received a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Brock in 1972 and provided vision and leadership to the University by serving three terms on the Board of Trustees from 1998 to 2006. She was a member of the Capital Projects and Facilities, Development and Community Relations and Nominating committees. 

    Fleming and her late husband Art have supported numerous University initiatives, programs and spaces through the Fleming Foundation. The couple’s generosity began with an original gift to help build Taro Hall, which has since been redeveloped as the Goodman School of Business.  

    In the early 2000s, the Fleming Foundation provided support to build a new student and community health and fitness centre, now called the Walker Sports Complex. The gift was recognized by naming a lobby in Academic South the ‘Art and Val Fleming Commons.’ 

    The foundation’s most recent gift to the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts reflected the Flemings’ interest in supporting the humanities at Brock.  

    In 2010, the University presented Fleming with an honorary degree in recognition of her contributions to the Brock and Niagara communities. 

    A celebration of life will be held Sunday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. at the Beamsville Church of Christ at 4900 John Street, Beamsville. Brock’s flags will be lowered to half-mast on the day of the celebration of life in remembrance of Fleming and her service to the University.  

    REPOSTED FROM THE BROCK NEWS

    Tags: , , ,
    Categories: News

  • In-person, online events planned to mark GIS Day

    Monday, November 14, 2022 | By

    FROM THE BROCK NEWS | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022 | by 

    Four women sit around a table as they work on putting together a jigzaw puzzle of a world map

    Several on-campus and online initiatives are planned this week in celebration of GIS Day on Wednesday, Nov. 16, including free access to map-themed games in the Map, Data and GIS Library. Sharon Janzen (left), Map Library Associate and Geospatial Data Co-ordinator, tackles a puzzle alongside Brock University students Jillian Salwach, fourth-year Geography student; Jenna Sargent, third-year Concurrent Education History student; and Kendra Klassen, fourth-year Physical Geography student.

    Geographic information systems (GIS) are everywhere, with many people not understanding the extent of their use. 

    In recognition of Geography Awareness Week Monday, Nov. 14 to Friday, Nov. 18 and GIS Day on Wednesday, Nov. 16, Brock University’s Map, Data and GIS Library (MDGL) has planned several initiatives in partnership with the Tourism and Geography Society (TAGS) student group to engage the Brock community and bring awareness to the beneficial geographic tool.  

    “GIS is critical to our society and it’s important to recognize its significance in our everyday lives,” says Sharon Janzen, Map Library Associate and Geospatial Data Co-ordinator with the MDGL. “We use GIS to map directions and find hotels close to our destination. Satellite imagery helps us track storm paths of hurricanes and tornadoes and analyze changes in landscapes over time. GIS is also used in city planning, for example, to visualize the distribution of sports facilities, and in communicating public engagement, for example, by plotting online voting results by district. The uses are endless.” 

    To kick off the week, TAGS is hosting a scavenger hunt that will have participants searching for five locations across campus. Two of the spots will include geocaching, which involves participants using their mobile device as a GPS to find containers called ‘geocaches.’ Participants can enter a contest to win a prize by taking a photo of each of the five locations, sharing them via Instagram stories and tagging @brocktags by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16. More details are available on Instagram.  

    On Wednesday, Nov. 16 for GIS Day, the Brock community is invited to the MDGL in Mackenzie Chown Complex C306 for a pizza lunch from 1 to 2 p.m. Pizza slices, pop and chips will be sold for $2 each (cash only). At 2 p.m., complimentary cake will be served featuring a map created by Master of Sustainability student Baharak Razaghirad, titled “The Distribution of Trees within the Town of Lincoln.” Geography and GIS-related games will be available, such as map-themed board games and jigsaw puzzles and a geography-related word scramble called ‘Where in Niagara?’ 

    Also taking place is a free weeklong GIS Days virtual conference hosted by Western University Libraries packed with events open to Brock students and employees. Two representatives from the Brock community will be leading presentations as part of the conference.  

    Brock alumna Jessica Linzel (BA ’18, MA ’20), Director of Community Engagement for The Brown Homestead and past Esri Canada GIS Scholarship recipient, will give a seven-minute lightning talk Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 11 a.m. about using StoryMaps to present complex ideas about history in a more accessible way. Linzel created a series of web maps that outline the boundaries of The Brown Homestead and show how the land evolved from its Indigenous origins and then Loyalist settlements to several generations of Brown family and new owners who partitioned and sold or purchased land. 

    Janzen will be leading a one-hour tutorial Thursday, Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. that will introduce participants to ArcGIS Online, a web-based dynamic mapping software. She will use the story of Laura Secord’s famous walk from Queenston to Thorold as a topic for participants to create a map. No experience is necessary, but curiosity is an asset. A valid login for the website is required (public or organizational accounts welcome). Visit the ArcGIS website to sign up for a public account. 

    Registration is required to access the presentations; however, there is no registration fee or deadline. The interactive program can be used to search by presenter, presentation title or location. 

    Questions about events planned for GIS Day can be directed to Janzen at sjanzen@brocku.ca.

    STORY REPOSTED FROM THE BROCK NEWS

    Tags: , , , , , , , ,
    Categories: News

  • Brock geographer makes global connections during Fulbright Canada residency

    Friday, July 15, 2022 | By

    FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2022 | by  |  REPOSTED FROM THE BROCK NEWS

    A man in green cap poses beside the open window of a blue helicopter. Seated inside are two female students wearing headsets.

    Associate Professor Kevin Turner (right) stands outside a helicopter with Earth Sciences undergraduate student Marley Tessier (centre) and master’s student Michelle Pearce (left) during a fieldwork excursion to collect data samples in the northern Yukon earlier this summer.

    Almost two years after his Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Arctic Studies at the University of Washington was first announced, Kevin Turner is winding down his duties.

    The award normally involves a six-month residency, but the global pandemic prevented the Associate Professor in Brock University’s Departments of Geography and Tourism Studies and Earth Sciences from travelling to Seattle as expected.

    Instead, he virtually taught a fourth-year course in Arctic Landscape Change and Detection, conducted workshops for teachers and engaged in events hosted by the World Affairs Council, including a fireside chat with Chief Tizya-Tramm of the Vuntut Gwitchin Government through winter 2021.

    Earlier this spring, he was finally able to load his truck with his bikes and some field equipment and head west for his required in-person residency at the University of Washington.

    In spite of a hectic three-month schedule, Turner says the trip has created opportunities to meet up and collaborate with colleagues, sometimes in unexpected ways.

    In May, he travelled to Fairbanks, Alaska, for a meeting of NASA’s Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) Science Team. As a research affiliate of that program, he advises on airborne data acquisition and suggests key flyover locations from his main research site in Old Crow.

    “Being an affiliate of NASA ABoVE, I can help guide where they fly in northern Yukon and then utilize the data they collect within my research program, as can many others,” says Turner. “We also learn the latest on some of the cool things that colleagues are doing with the data to assess landscape conditions across the north, as well as share our own findings.”

    He attended a meeting of the International Circumpolar Remote Sensing Symposium in Fairbanks, which attracted top scholars from around the world, and was also involved in fieldwork being done by colleagues from University of Alaska, Fairbanks and the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab.

    “I was able to use some equipment I brought with me because I didn’t want it sitting in the truck at the airport while I travelled,” Turner says. “When I took it out for a little bit of show and tell, they invited me to visit one of their research sites to try it out.”

    Upon his return to Seattle, the University of Washington hosted Turner, Tram Nguyen, the 2021-22 Fulbright Canada Chair in Arctic Studies, and others for a roundtable discussion in late May on “Holistic Approaches to Health and Wellbeing in Arctic Communities and Beyond.”

    In June, Turner flew north again for fieldwork in Old Crow, Yukon. The strict parameters of his VISA required him to travel on specific dates — which can be hard to commit to when research excursions are delayed by Arctic weather.

    Turner counted on Brock Earth Sciences graduate student Michelle Pearce (BSc ’20) and undergraduate student Marley Tessier to help him meet the logistical challenges of the research trip and collaborated with colleagues from Polar Knowledge Canada and Parks Canada, along with local Indigenous community members, including photographer and drone pilot, Caleb Charlie, to collect data. Turner also credits helicopter pilot Ruth Hardy with being able to work wonders in small time frames.

    In addition to gathering water samples and aerial survey photography, Turner also used a LiDAR sensor — “a Ghostbuster-looking sensor that shoots out 300,000 pulses of light per second” — to collect data for fine-grained 3D imaging of the landscape.

    His use of the LiDAR device was of particular interest to a documentary film crew from France and Germany working on a four-part series on climate change, who accompanied the researchers and interviewed Turner in the midst of the data collection.

    Turner has now returned to Seattle for the rest of July to crunch some data and collaborate with colleagues at the University of Washington.

    Though it hasn’t been without its challenges, he says that he has enjoyed the “shake-up” of the Seattle residency and the Fulbright Chair overall. And he looks forward to soon welcoming his family for a quick holiday in a nearby mountain cabin.

    “If I didn’t have the support of my family, this would be impossible,” he says. “My wife, Jen, is amazing, and my two boys have really stepped up to fill in the gaps of getting things done around the house in my absence. Their ability to carry on with me somewhere else for an extended period has made this smooth, but I really miss them.”

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
    Categories: News

  • Brock to celebrate GIS Days with week of online events

    Friday, November 12, 2021 | By

    FROM THE BROCK NEWS  |  FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 | by 

    Brock University community members will be leading several events as part of the 2021 GIS Days, a weeklong conference of online events.

    Brock will join institutions from around the world in celebrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Days by participating in a free weeklong virtual conference that is packed with events open to the University community.

    GIS Days 2021 features more than 50 online presentations, tutorials and demonstrations taking place Monday, Nov. 15 to Friday, Nov. 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.

    Several representatives from the Brock community — an alumna, a master’s student, a lecturer and a librarian — will each be presenting a seven-minute ‘lightning talk’ on projects they’ve worked on using GIS tools such as geovisualization, geospatial technologies and story mapping.

    Isaac Williams, GIS and Data Services Librarian with the Brock University Library, who will present Story Mapping Queer Dallas on Monday at 9:30 a.m, said the breadth of disciplines that can use GIS is part of what makes the technology so compelling.

    “I think a lot of people associate GIS with geology or earth sciences, but you can use it in any field that involves something you want to locate,” they said. “There is a lot of interesting work being done across disciplines. I have done some work with GIS in humanities contexts, for example, mapping existing geographies, but also historical geographies such as the ones found in ancient Roman literature.”

    Sharon Janzen, Brock’s Map Library Associate and Geospatial Data Co-ordinator, will be leading a one-hour tutorial Friday at 2 p.m. that introduces participants to ArcGIS Online, a web-based mapping software.

    She says GIS Days is an opportunity to experience the variety of GIS usage across educational institutions and the public sector, and encourages the Brock community to register for some of the free events.

    “Whether an attendee comes with little knowledge of GIS or they have been using GIS their whole career, the conference will be sure to not disappoint,” she said. “From the geography of Pokémon Go and the movement of muskox, to Esri technology and Open Source QGIS, sign up for what’s sure to be the GIS highlight of the year.”

    Registration is required to access events; however, there is no registration deadline. Registration can take place minutes before a presentation begins.

    Learn more about GIS Days events, including this year’s schedule, by visiting the event web page. The interactive program can be used to search by presenter, presentation title or location.

    Brock University GIS Days events

    Story Mapping Queer Dallas
    Monday, Nov. 15 at 9:30 a.m. — Seven-minute lightning talk
    Presented by Isaac Williams, GIS and Data Services Librarian, Brock University Library

    Queer Dallas StoryMap is a project highlighting queer history in Dallas, Texas. The American South is home to a rich history of past and present queer life, organizing, survival and joy. The project’s goal was to make this history more visible to Southerners and people who live elsewhere. The presentation will discuss resources used in the creation of the project, decisions made in the visualization process and ways the project was shared.

    Researching Military Service using Geovisualization in Eleventh to Twelfth Century Normandy
    Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. — Seven-minute lightning talk
    Presented by Christopher Hewitt, Lecturer, Geography and Tourism Studies, Brock University

    In the 11th and 12th centuries, the Duchy of Normandy was an important source for military adventurers. While much has been written about soldiers who fought on these campaigns, little has been written about where they originated. This study demonstrates the value of geographic-based analysis through the use of historical geographic information systems (HGIS) techniques, including mapping locations as well as performing nearest neighbour analysis and kernel density mapping. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings and the options for and benefits of applying HGIS analysis to other historical events.

    Using GIS to Re-imagine Historical Niagara
    Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. — Seven-minute lightning talk
    Presented by Brock alumna Jessica Linzel (BA ’18, MA ’20), Historical Researcher

    Linzel will explain how she incorporated historical GIS into her History master’s thesis. She used ArcGIS Pro to create a web map, which she then used to investigate Niagara’s economic development in the post-Revolutionary ‘Loyalist’ era. By mapping historical data from account books and ledgers and analyzing it alongside geographical features in the Niagara region, GIS technologies allowed her to bring a fresh perspective to a familiar topic.

    Using Geospatial Technologies: A Case Study of the Town of Lincoln, Ontario
    Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. — Seven-minute lightning talk
    Presented by Baharak Razaghirad, Brock University Master of Sustainability student

    Urban trees provide important benefits to communities, especially in the context of climate change. This presentation will discuss using geospacial technologies to assess urban tree canopies as a timely and accurate alternative to costly, ground-based assessments.  Razaghirad will discuss two approaches used to quantify the urban tree canopy for the Town of Lincoln —  remote sensing and a random sampling method.

    Introduction to ArcGIS Online
    Friday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. — One-hour tutorial
    Presented by Sharon Janzen, Map Library Associate and Geospatial Data Co-ordinator, Brock University

    During this hands-on experience, participants will explore ArcGIS Online, a popular web-based dynamic mapping software that is accessible on Windows and Mac platforms. No experience is necessary for this introductory tutorial, but curiosity is an asset. A valid login for the website is required (public or organizational accounts welcome). Visit the ArcGIS website to sign up for a public account.

    STORY FROM THE BROCK NEWS

    Tags: , , , , , ,
    Categories: News

  • MA in Geography student receives 2020 Graduate Student Research Award

    Friday, February 19, 2021 | By

    The Department of Geography and Tourism Studies is pleased to congratulate Geography Master of Arts student, Rebekah Casey (BA Tourism and Environment ’19), who was recently awarded a Faculty of Social Sciences Master of Arts Student Research Award for her research, tentatively titled “There’s No Place Like (Rural) Home: Why People Choose Rural Despite Decline.” Congratulations also to Rebekah’s MA supervisor, Dr. Christopher Fullerton.

    Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
    Categories: News

  • New research uses leading-edge methods to track a retrogressive thaw slump in Old Crow Flats, Yukon

    Friday, January 08, 2021 | By

    Remote sensing graphics from research paper showing research location in Old Crow Flats, Yukon

    A new paper authored by Geography and Tourism Studies Associate Professor, Dr. Kevin Turner, and Geography alumni Michelle Pearce and Daniel Hughes titled “Detailed Characterization and Monitoring of a Retrogressive Thaw Slump from Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems and Identifying Associated Influence on Carbon and Nitrogen Export” has been published in Remote Sensing. This paper is open-access and available to download here.

    Abstract:
    Ice-rich permafrost landscapes are sensitive to ongoing changes in climate. Permafrost retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs) represent one of the more abrupt and prolonged disturbances, which occur along Arctic river and lake shorelines. These features impact local travel and infrastructure, and there are many questions regarding associated impacts on biogeochemical cycling. Predicting the duration and magnitude of impacts requires that we enhance our knowledge of RTS geomorphological drivers and rates of change. Here we demonstrate the utility of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) for documenting the volumetric change, associated drivers and potential impacts of the largest active RTS along the Old Crow River in Old Crow Flats, Yukon, Canada. RPAS surveys revealed that 29,174 m3 of sediment was exported during the initial evacuation in June 2016 and an additional 18,845 m3 continued to be exported until June 2019. More sediment export occurred during the warmer 2017 summer that experienced less cumulative rainfall than summer 2018. However, several rain events during 2017 were of higher intensity than during 2018. Overall mean soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) within sampled thaw slump sediment was 1.36% and 0.11%, respectively. A combination of multispectral, thermal and irradiance (derived from the RPAS digital surface model) data provided detailed classification of thaw slump floor terrain types including raised dry clay lobes, shaded and relatively stable, and low-lying evacuation-prone sediments. Notably, the path of evacuation-prone sediments extended to a series of ice wedges in the northern headwall, where total irradiance was highest. Using thaw slump floor mean SOC and TN values in conjunction with sediment bulk density and thaw slump fill volume, we estimated that 713 t SOC and 58 t TN were exported to the Old Crow River during the three-year study. Findings showcase the utility of high-resolution RPAS datasets for refining our knowledge of thaw slump geomorphology and associated impacts.

    Citation:
    Turner K.W., Pearce M.D., and Hughes D.D. (2021). Detailed Characterization and Monitoring of a Retrogressive Thaw Slump from Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems and Identifying Associated Influence on Carbon and Nitrogen Export. Remote Sensing, 13(2):171. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13020171

    Tags: , , , , , ,
    Categories: News

  • Star of The Alan Nursall Experience shares Brock experience

    Wednesday, December 18, 2019 | By

    FROM THE BROCK NEWS | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2019 | by

    Alan Nursall received the 2019 Distinguished Graduate Award for the Faculty of Social Sciences earlier this year.

    When Alan Nursall returned to Brock University 40 years after graduating to receive the 2019 Distinguished Graduate Award for the Faculty of Social Sciences, campus wasn’t quite the same as it was when he’d left.

    “Brock in 2019 is a completely different place, and I mean that in a good way,” says Nursall (BA ’79). “The campus has grown so much and seems so much more imposing than it did in the 70s. But that’s a good thing — its growth is a sign of its success.”

    Even with all of the changes, Nursall’s feeling when he comes to Brock is always the same. “Every time I return, up to and including this year, I get a warm feeling recalling the friends and fun from those four years.”

    Since Nursall completed his Geography studies at Brock, he has become a widely known science educator, with a face easily recognizable from his popular segment, The Alan Nursall Experience, on the Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet.

    He joined the staff of Science North when it opened in 1984 and worked as the science director for its companion facility, Dynamic Earth, from 1999 to 2007.

    He then went on to open NEXT Exhibits + Creative Communication, a firm specializing in creating exhibits and experiences for museums and science centres, working with the likes of the Smithsonian Institution and the Canadian Space Agency to make science accessible, engaging and fun.

    In 2014, Nursall was appointed President and CEO of TELUS World of Science – Edmonton, a science centre operated by the Edmonton Space & Science Foundation, where he continues his work blending learning with entertainment.

    “I ended up spending 35 years working science centres, an incredibly satisfying career that I never dreamed of in school,” says Nursall. “But my post-secondary education sure made it possible.”

    Though he is back in Edmonton now, Nursall was a long way from his Alberta home when he came to Brock in 1975. With a few good friends and a program that excited and challenged him, he found his footing by the end of his first year.

    “I still remember the first time someone called me Cowboy because I was from Alberta,” says Nursall. “I was born and raised in suburban Edmonton, but the nickname stuck, and for most of my four years at Brock, I was called Cowboy by pretty much everybody.”

    Nursall says the nickname still makes him smile, and still comes to mind from time to time, as it did a few years ago when he had the opportunity to take a zero-G flight, flying 15 parabolas and thus having 15 weightless episodes.

    “As part of the flight, you were asked to adopt a nickname,” Nursall says. “I requested the nickname Cowboy, and that name tag from the zero-G flight now sits prominently in my den, a reminder of the flight, but also of my time at Brock.”

    Nursall credits his fourth year in the Geography program as having the strongest impact on his trajectory as a science educator. He notes three key factors: his great professors, some challenging research projects and the fact that his was the first class to be assigned a weekly internship.

    “My internship was at the Atmospheric Environment Service headquarters in Toronto, where I took on a project under the guidance of climatologist Dave Phillips, the originator of the weather trivia calendar and now famous across the country as the Senior Climatologist for Environment Canada,” says Nursall. “Working with Dave, I undertook a research project that turned into a summer job and then turned into a graduate degree.”

    “The internship program really shaped my life, creating connections and opportunity that I never would have imagined possible. I have deep respect and affection for the professors in the Geography department who were always looking for ways to expand our horizons beyond the textbooks and classrooms.”

    Alun Hughes (left) and Alan Nursall face off on the soccer pitch in 1978 on the right.

    When Nursall attended Fall Homecoming to receive his award, he received another gift as well — a copy of History Made in Niagara, the book of Professor Alun Hughes’ writings published posthumously last spring. Nursall says the gift was a highlight of his visit.

    “Alun was a good friend and mentor,” says Nursall, who still has a photo of the two men playing in a student-faculty soccer game around the fall of 1978.

    Nursall emphasizes that he didn’t know what career he would pursue while he was at Brock, but instead he sought out opportunities that challenged and interested him. He would encourage students to embrace their experiences here.

    “Your education doesn’t prescribe your career — it prepares you for it, and for life in general,” Nursall says. “Your education doesn’t fill your brain with information, it helps you become a better thinker. And that is what drives success. That is what expands your world.”

    Tags: , , ,
    Categories: News

  • Geography alumnus publishes paper in Tourism Planning and Development

    Friday, July 26, 2019 | By

    Read Dr. Pius Siakwah’s (Brock MA GEOG ’12) new paper titled “Tourism Governance and Attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa” online in Tourism Planning and Development.

    Abstract: Inclusiveness that improves tourism governance is significant for development if benefits from tourism are distributed equitably. Declaration of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism and adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have seemingly brought tourism to the forefront of development even where the SDGs have limited tourism focus. This paper examines how tourism governance is poorly applied in Africa. It interrogates the challenges of integrating tourism governance, mining, and conservation within the SDGs framework in Africa. Sustainable tourism governance frameworks have not comprehensively inculcated trust, justice, social capital, power, and participation. Using mining and conservation in South Africa and Zimbabwe respectively, it analyses how mining affects sustainability, as actors in tourism are unable to conserve and protect tourism sites. Achieving the SDGs requires collaboration between international actors, governments, the private sector, and locals in an inclusive governance based on justice, inclusion trust and equitable power relations.

    Full reference: Pius Siakwah, Regis Musavengane & Llewellyn Leonard (2019) Tourism Governance and Attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa,Tourism Planning & Development, DOI: 10.1080/21568316.2019.1600160

    Tags: , , ,
    Categories: News

1 2 3