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Environmental Sciences Graduate Students

TRISHA BRETT M.Sc. Student, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES tricia@metatechcanada.com FACULTY SUPERVISOR Jeff Curtis, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Sc. Okanagan University College RESEARCH: the presence of endocrine disruptors, specifically estrogens, within three Okanagan Sewage treatment plant effluents and how their effluent practices effect the concentrations of the compounds in the receiving waters
TRAVIS DICKSON Ph.D. Candidate, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES travis_t79@hotmail.com TRAVIS'S WEBSITE FACULTY SUPERVISOR Ian Walker, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Sc. University of Idaho M.Sc. University of Idaho RESEARCH: Reconstructing ecological and environmental change by interpreting fossil records. Travis uses in-vitro experiments and ecological modelling techniques (multivariate analysis) to identify correlations between present-day aquatic midge assemblages and their natural ecological/environmental habitats. These investigations provide species-specific ecological data which can be used for inferring environmental change based their fossil remains found in lake sediments. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: Modern ecosystems are a product of the trials and tribulations of ancient ecosystems: understanding past variability of earths systems gives us a benchmark for evaluating today’s environmental change and provides a framework for management practices.
MESFIN FENTABIL Ph.D. Student, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES mesfin.fentabil@ubc.ca FACULTY SUPERVISOR Craig Nichol, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Ed. Alemaya University, Ethiopia M.Sc. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel RESEARCH: Investigate how agricultural management practices (such as irrigation, fertilization, organic amendment, cover crop, tillage) and climatic conditions affect Greenhouse gases (CO2, N2O, CH4, H2O) emission from vineyards and orchards located at two distinctly different climates in BC, Okanagan Valley & Abbotsford. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: Mesfin hopes to recommend best management practices that farmers could use to earn carbon credit by reducing greenhouses emission that cause global warming. In addition, the data acquired in this study can be used as inputs for quantitative models that forecast useful information to farmers, environmental regulators and policy makers.
ADAM GOODWIN M.Sc. Student, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES adam.b.goodwin@ubc.ca FACULTY SUPERVISOR Adam Wei, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Sc. University of Washington RESEARCH: determining the biological effects that riparian destruction has on aquatic communities
MARC JONES Ph.D. Candidate, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES wmjones547@hotmail.com FACULTY SUPERVISOR Jeff Curtis, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.A. University of California, Berkeley M.Sc. University of Montana RESEARCH: Evaluating the effects of livestock grazing and hydrology on wetland plant communities and breeding waterfowl in the southern interior of British Columbia.
SHAWN KUCHTA M.Sc. Student, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES shkuchta@yahoo.ca FACULTY SUPERVISOR Craig Nichol, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Sc. Okanagan University College RESEARCH: looks at the effects of fertilizer N and inter-row crop management on water and nitrate loss from the root zone of perennial red raspberry stands; explores the linkages between the flux of water and nitrate from the root zone of a perennial raspberry stand and groundwater nitrate concentration in the Abbotsford Aquifer; provides technical support to many projects at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre focusing primarily on increasing the efficiency and sustainability of agriculture in the areas of soil, nutrient and water management
JESSI NEUHAUSER M.Sc. Student, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES jessiclarke@hotmail.com FACULTY SUPERVISOR Jeff Curtis, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Sc. University of Alberta RESEARCH: using chemical tracers to determine the seasonal structure of European Starling populations in the Okanagan Valley; developing an intergrated avian pest management plan; working with agriculturual producers to reduce agricultural losses associated with the European Starling
NATASHA NEUMANN Ph.D. Candidate, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Natasha.Neumann@ubc.ca FACULTY SUPERVISORS Jeff Curtis and Adam Wei, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Sc. University of Victoria M.Sc. University of Saskatchewan RESEARCH: surface water - groundwater interactions and the impacts on aquatic ecosystems
NICOLE PYETT M.Sc. Student, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES npyett@yahoo.ca FACULTY SUPERVISOR Craig Nichol, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Sc. (Honours Freshwater Science) University of British Columbia RESEARCH: verification of Central Okanagan regional water balance modeling through the use of physical and thermal methods to capture groundwater contributions to Okanagan Lake
GILES SHEARING M.Sc. Candidate, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES gilesshearing@hotmail.com FACULTY SUPERVISOR Bernard Bauer, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Committee: Dr. Mark Lorang, University of Montana		B.Sc. Royal Roads University RESEARCH: How hydroelectric dams impact sediment transport processes and the resulting changes to salmon spawning habitat. Giles's research focuses on the Middle Shuswap River in the Northeast Okanagan near the Village of Lumby. Wilsey Dam, a 6MW hydroelectric facility, has caused sediment to aggrade the 3 km backwaters for more than 40 years. A comprehensive assessment of the river will allow for construction of a sediment transport model that will inform how the dam owner manages accumulating sediment in the future while preserving habitat for spawning salmon. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: With approximately 800,000 small dams worldwide, this research will provide insight into ways sediment can be managed so as to maintain a fluvial sediment equilibrium that preserves ecological values.
JACQUELINE SORENSEN M.Sc. Student, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES jsorensen@tru.ca FACULTY SUPERVISOR Jeff Curtis, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Sc. Thompson Rivers University RESEARCH: effects of clear-cut logging on headwaters streams, stream invertebrates, and stream organic matter; provides information to forest managers on the implications of current logging practices that remove 100% of forest canopy on fishless, headwater streams
ALLISON TREMAIN M.Sc. Student, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES allison.tremain@gmail.com FACULTY SUPERVISOR David F. Scott, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Sc. University of British Columbia RESEARCH: project titled Afforestation and Reforestation Programmes in Southwestern Uganda: Predicting Catchment Water Yield using the IOSWAT Model will combine in-situ field measurements of soil moisture under different land use covers, calibration and validation of the IOSWAT Model for local Ugandan conditions, and simulating future land use scenarios (increase in pine plantations) to predict catchment water yield
ALEJANDRO VELASQUEZ M.Sc. Student, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES alejo.geologo@hotmail.com FACULTY SUPERVISOR John Greenough, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Sc. (Honours in Geology) National University of Colombia RESEARCH: analyzing the geochemistry of placer gold deposits by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) as exploration tool
CHANTAL VENTURI M.Sc. Student, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES venturi_c@hotmail.com FACULTY SUPERVISOR John Greenough, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENC		B.Sc. (Honours in Geology) University of Toronto RESEARCH: petrology, geochemistry and mineral chemistry of layered mafic intrusions.
CARRIE WHITE M.Sc. Student, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES cawhite@mta.ca FACULTY SUPERVISOR Ian Walker, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		B.Sc. (Honours) Mount Allison University RESEARCH: the reconstruction of past limnological environments through the use of diatom assemblages as ecological indicators, examining the effect of lake management practices in reference to natural lake state.
MINGFANG ZHANG Ph.D. Student, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES fontaine0422@yahoo.com.cn FACULTY SUPERVISOR Adam Wei, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES		M.Sc. Renmin University of China RESEARCH: impacts of forest disturbances such as logging, wildfire, and mountain pine beetle infestation on hydrology in large watersheds

Last reviewed 3/21/2012 10:50:13 AM