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Geography

  Graduate Students 


 
Congratulations ... for recent success thesis defences
 
 Hyae-Rim Roncin
Hyae-Rim Roncin
Co-supervisors: Drs. C. Nolin & F. MacPhail
 Jamie Pepper
Jamie Pepper
Supervisor: Dr. Gail Fondahl
 Chris Turner Chris Turner
Supervisor: Dr. Gail Fondahl
 Cristian Silva
Cristian Silva
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
 
Hyae-Rim defended her MA International Studies thesis (International Development stream) on September 15, 2011. Her thesis is titled: "The Meaning of Reconciliation and Development in Post-Genocide Rwanda."
 
Jamie defended his MNRES (Geography) thesis on September 2, 2011. His thesis is titled: Perspectives for First Nations' Strategies Towards Local Marine Management in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia."

Cristian defended his MA Interdisciplinary Studies thesis on September 1, 2011. His thesis is titled: "Exhuming Guatemala's Gender-Based Violence: Justice, Truth-telling, and Rebuilding in a Post-Conflict Society."

Chris defended his MA NRES (Geography) thesis on August 3, 2011. His thesis is titled: "Overlap: Causes and Implications of Contested Indigenous Claims to Territory in the Context of the BC Treaty Process."
 

New!! 
 
Graduate Defences Online!Alexandra Pedersen's defence
 
Alexandra Pedersen successfully defended her MA International Studies (International Development) thesis on Friday, April 15, 2011. Her thesis is titled: "Amplifying Voices of Development: Insights from Indigenous Maya Leaders in El Quiche, Guatemala." Click here for Part I of the video of Alexandra's 20 min. presentation and the questions/answer component of the defence. For Part II click here
 
 Nate and Catherine
Nathan Einbinder successfully defended his MA NRES (Geography) thesis on Tuesday, August 3, 2010. The thesis is titled: "Dams, Displacement and Perceptions of Development: A Case Study from Rio Negro, Guatemala."  Click here to access the introductions, 20 minute presentation & the first questions and answers.


   
Current Graduate Students 
These graduate students are working toward various graduate degrees& are supervised by faculty members in the Geography Program. Watch for graduate student updates on the What's New page.
 
* NRES = Natural Resources and Environmental Studies
* IDIS = Interdisciplinary Studies
* INTS = International Studies 
 

Matt Beedle, PhD NRES (Geography) candidate
BSc (Earth Science) Montana State University; MA (Geography) University of Colorado
 
Co-Supervisors:  Drs. Brian Menounos & Roger Wheate
Topic: Glacier change and relations to climate variability in northern British Columbia

Website: http://web.unbc.ca/~beedlem
Matt's research is featured in the June/July '09 issue of Northword magazine.
 
 
Matthew Beedle
Jessica Blewett, MA NRES (Geography) student, January 2011 - present
BA Geography (minor in Women's Studies) '10, UNBC
 
Supervisor: Dr. Neil Hanlon
Topic: Mapping Barriers to Access in the Built Environment for Persons with Physical Limitations
 
 
Jessica Blewett 
Claudette Bois, PhD NRES (Geography) candidate, September 2008 - present
BSc, Botanical Sciences, McGill (2000)
MSc, Renewable Resources, McGill (2004)

On leave, May 2011-May 2012
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
Topic: Resource extraction impacts on indigenous-land spiritual values in rural Guatemala and northern BC

Click HERE for more details
 
Claudette Bois

Nick Ehlers, MA NRES (Geography) student, September 2010 - present
BSc (Biology, opt. Marine Biology) Oregon State University
 
Supervisor: Dr. Zoë Meletis
Topic: Investigate local concerns, questions, and degrees of satisfaction with regards to tourism-related use of motorboats in the lagoon and canal system linked to Tortuguero National Park and Tortuguero Village, Costa Rica.
 
Email: ehlersn@unbc.ca
“Just show up and listen.”
 
Nick Ehlers
 
Brooke Eschuk (nee Frykas), MA NRES (Geography) candidate, January 2008 - present
BA Geography '07
 
Supervisor: Dr. Neil Hanlon
Topic: Access to organised sports, public green space for unstructured play, & family income in Prince George, BC
 
Click HERE for more details
 
Brooke Eschuk 
Leana Garraway, MA Interdisciplinary Studies student, September 2010 - present
BA Anthropology, UNBC
 
Supervisor: Dr. Neil Hanlon
Thesis topic: Knowledge to Action: First Nations Engagement with Research for Community Empowerment

Email: garraway@unbc.ca

Leana Garraway 
Melanie Grubb, MSc NRES candidate, September 2006 - present
BSc Geography '06, UNBC 
 
Supervisor: Dr. Brian Menounos
Topic: Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Sedimentation in Proglacial Kitsumkalum Lake, Terrace, BC
 
 
Melanie Grubb 
Erica Henderson, MA Interdisciplinary Studies student, September 2011 - present
BA General '11, UNBC

Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
Working Title: Kingdom of Impunity": Analyzing the maintaining factors of impunity in Guatemala
 
 
Erica Henderson 
Jocelyn Joe-Strack, MSc NRES student, May 2009 - present
BSc (Biochemistry) '06, University of Victoria
 
Supervisor: Dr. Ellen Petticrew
Topic:  Use of LH-PCR as a DNA fingerprint technique to monitor sediment-associated microbial communities from various land uses
 
Jocelyn Joe-Strack
Alexander Koiter, PhD NRES student, September 2010 - present
M.Sc. (Soil Science) University of Manitoba
B.Sc. (Environmental Science) University of Guelph

Co-Supervisors: Dr. Phil Owens and Dr. Ellen Petticrew
Topic: Development of Sediment Fingerprinting Techniques For Use in Canadian Watersheds

Email: akoiter@gmail.com

Alexander Koiter 
Eric Kopetski, MA (Geography) candidate, September 2009 - present
BA (Geography) University of  Victoria
 
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
Topic: The potential of agro-forestry to increase resilience in forest dependent communities affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle

Email: kopets0@unbc.ca 
 
Photo: Eric, middle, receiving the Best Student Paper Award at the 2010 WDCAG conference

Eric Kopetski 
Phillip Krauskopf,  MSc NRES candidate
BSc  Geography '06 UNBC
 
Supervisor: Dr. Ellen Petticrew
Topic:  Landscape scale analysis of riparian zone sensitivity to forest harvest disturbance

 
Phil Krauskopf 
Titi Kunkel, PhD NRES (Geography) candidate
September 2008 to present
B.Sc. (Computer Sciences) University of Lagos; MBA (Business Admin) Thames Valley University; MNRES, UNBC
 
Co-Supervisors:  Drs. Bob Ellis & Ellen Petticrew
Working Topic: Assessing the compatibility of Aboriginal values and geothermal resource development

Email: kunkel@unbc.ca 
 
Titi Kunkel 
JP Laplante, MA NRES (Geography) candidate September 2009 - present
BSc  Biological Sciences, University of Guelph
 
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
Tentative Title: Maya consultas and socially responsible investing: A case study examining perspectives on the indigenous right to free, prior and informed consent
 
 
JP Laplante 
Courtney (Wood) LeBourdais, MA NRES (Geography) candidate, September 2008 - present
BA English '08 (Psych & Human Geog double minor), UNBC
 
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
Topic: Marriage Migration in Northern BC: How do foreign brides establish place & identity
 
Click HERE for more details and click HERE for Courtney's summer 2009 fieldwork update
 
Courtney LeBourdais 
Joe LeBourdais, MA NRES (Geography) candidate, September 2007 - present
BA Geography '07 (First Nations Studies minor), UNBC 
 
Supervisor: Dr. Neil Hanlon
Topic: Community development & implications on access to health care and health service, Peace River Regional District, BC

Click HERE for Joe's summer 2009 fieldwork update 
Joe LeBourdais
 
Alex Martin, PhD NRES (Geography) candidate
BA (Geography), M.A. (Rural Dev.) Brandon University
 
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
Topic: Community-company relationships in forest-dependent communities
 
 
Alex Martin 
Malyssa Maurer, MSc NRES (Geography) student, January 2010 - present
BSc Geography '09, UNBC

Supervisor: Dr. Brian Menounos
Topic: Terrestrial and Lacustrine Evidence of Holocene Glacier Fluctuations in Southernmost Patagonia 
 
Malyssa Maurer 
Theo Mlynowski, MSc NRES(Geography) student, September 2010 - present
BSc (Geography), UNBC

Supervisor: Dr. Brian Menounos
Topic: Relating glacier activity to sedimentation yield in the proglacial Peyto Lake

email: mlynows@unbc.ca 
 
Theo Mlynowski 
Lorraine Naziel, MA IDIS student, September 2008 - present
BA Geography '08, (First Nations Studies & Political Science minors), UNBC
Diploma in Public Sector Managenment, UVic
 
On leave, May 2011-May 2012
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
Topic:  Witsuwit’en Women: Empowering the Heart, Mind, Body and Spirit through Community Development
 
Click HERE for more details and click HERE for Lorraine's summer 2009 fieldwork update

Lorraine Naziel
 
Som B. Pun, MNRES (Geography) student, January 2011 - present
Proficiency Teaching Certificate (I.Ed) Tribhuvan University, Nepal '88; Diploma–Forestry, Northwest Community College '99; BSc Forestry (minor, Env. Planning), UNBC '04;
Registered Professional Forester (RPF), ABCFP '07

Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
Working title:  The Opportunities and Limitations of First Nations’ Forest Tenures in British Columbia: The Key Issues, Challenges and Future Recommendations for Community Management of Forests in Tl’azt’en Nation
 
 
Som B. Pun 
Trevor Shaw, MA International Studies student, (International Development Stream)
BA Economics/Political Science '09, UNBC
Certificate in Management - General Management Specialization '00, SFU
Certificate in Management - Marketing Specialization '01, SFU
 
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
Topic: Indigenous Development in Latin America
 

Trevor Shaw 
Giulliana Tamblyn, MA International Studies student, (International Development Stream)
September 2011 - present
BA Economics, National University of Piura, Peru (1996)

Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
Topic: Is Resource Extraction A Curse Or A Bonanza For Local Communities? Mining Case Study: Peru And Canada

Email: tamblyn@unbc.ca
Giulliana Tamblyn 
Christina Tennant, MSc NRES (Geography) candidate, September 2007 - present
BSc Geography ’06, UNBC
 
Supervisor: Dr. Brian Menounos
Topic: Volumetric change of glaciers of the Columbia Icefield using oblique photographs
 
Christine Tennant
 
Chris Turner, PhD NRES (Geography/POLS) student, September 2011 - present
MA NRES (Geography) '11 UNBC
 
Co-supervisors: Drs. Gail Fondahl and Michael Murphy
 
Tentative Title: Seeking Certainty: Strategies for Reconciling Overlapping and Contested Aboriginal Claims to Territory in Treaty Negotiations and Land Management in British Columbia
 
 
Chris Turner 
Leah Vanden Busch, MSc NRES (Environmental Science) student, September 2010 – present
BSc (Biology) ’08, University of Wisconsin
 
Co-supervisors: Drs. Ellen Petticrew and John Rex
Topic: Hyporheic nutrient exchanges in salmon bearing interior streams

 
Leah Venden Busch 
Lynn Wilson, MA INTS - on leave for 2007-2011
 
Co-Supervisors: Drs. Catherine Nolin & Fiona MacPhail
Topic: Grassroots organizations and the empowerment of indigenous women in post-conflict Guatemala
 
Click HERE for more details 
 
Lynn Wilson 

 
Former Graduate Students & Theses
 
2011

Hyae-Rim Roncin, hyaerim@gmail.com
MA International Studies (International Development) '11
Co-supervisors: Drs. Catherine Nolin & Fiona MacPhail
 
Hyae-Rim Roncin 
Jamie Pepper 
Cristian Silva, silvac@unbc.ca
MA IDIS '11
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
 
 
 
Cristian Silva 
Chris Turner 
Courtney Jermyn,
MSc NRES (Geography) '11
Supervisor: Dr. Brian Menounos
 
 
Courtney Jermyn 
Jiwon Slotwinski,
MSc Community Health Sciences '11
Supervisor: Dr. Neil Hanlon
 
 
Jiwon Slotwinski 
Christine Creyke,
MA NRES (Geography) ‘11,
BA Geography '06, UNBC
 
 
Christine Creyke 
 
Alexandra Pedersen,
peders8@unbc.ca
MA International Studies (International Development) '11, BA International Development ’09, U Guelph
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
 
Thesis: Amplifying Voices of Development: Insights from Indigenous Maya Leaders of El Quiché, Guatemala (Defence Video: Part I and Part II)
 
President, UNBC's International Development Society (IDS), 2010-2011
 
Alexandra Pedersen's defence 
Kara Przeczek,
MSc NRES (Geography) '11, BSc Ecology '05 (hons.), Earth Sciences (minor),
University of Calgary
Co-Supervisors: Drs. Brian Menounos & Stephen Dery
 
 
Kara Przeczek 
2010

Sam Albers,
MSc NRES (Biology) '10, BSc (Biology) University of  Victoria
Supervisor: Dr. Ellen Petticrew
 
 
Sam Albers 
Nathan Einbinder, nathaneinbinder@gmail.com
MA NRES (Geography) '10, BSc Environmental Studies '02 Evergreen State College
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
 
 
Defence Video: Click here
 
 
Click HERE for more details and links to Nate's published news articles & HERE for Nate's spring/summer 2009 fieldwork update 
 
Nate Einbinder 
Chelan (Hoffman) Zirul, hoffmanc@unbc.ca
MA NRES (Geography) '10
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
 
Chelan Zirul 
Marc Steynen, steynenm@unbc.ca
MSc NRES (Geography) '10
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
 
 
 
Marc Steynen 
2009

 
Jennifer Herkes, herkes@unbc.ca
MA NRES (Geography) '09
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
 
 
Jenn Herkes 
Domenic 
Dr. John Rex, rex@unbc.ca
PhD NRES (Geography) '09
Supervisor: Dr. Ellen Petticrew
 
 
John Rex 
Caroline von Schilling, vonsch0@unbc.ca
MNRES (Geography) '09
Supervisor: Dr. Darwyn Coxson (NRES Graduate Program)

Thesis: Entropy Debt: A Link to Sustainability?
 
Caroline von Schilling 
Anne Hogan, hogana@unbc.ca
MA NRES (Geography) '09
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
 
 
Anne Hogan 
Kyle Kusch, kuschk@unbc.ca
MA NRES (Geography) '09
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
 
 
Kyle Kusch
 
2007 
 
Rachael Clasby 
Karen Heikkila, MA NRES (Geography) '07
Supervisor: Dr. Gail Fondahl 
 

 
Sarah (Parsons) Quinn, MA NRES (Geography) '07
Supervisor: Dr. Gail Fondahl
 
 
Sarah (Parsons) Quinn
 
Jessica (McGregor) Place
MA NRES (Geography) '07
Supervisor: Dr. Neil Hanlon 
 
 
Jessica Place 
Pamela (Prior) Tobin
MA Interdisciplinary Studies '07
Supervisor: Dr. Neil Hanlon 
 
Thesis:  The social and cultural experience of food security in the Takla Lake First Nation: Informing Public Health
Pam Tobin
 
2006 
 
Arian Spiteri, MNRES '06
Co-supervisors: Drs. Gail Fondahl &  Sanjay Nepal (Texas A&M University)

 
 
 
2005 
 
Melissa Baxter, MA NRES (Geography) '05
Supervisor: Dr. Gail Fondahl
 
 
Roberta (Bobbi Jo) Lay, MNRES '05
Supervisor: Dr. Roger Wheate
 
Bobbi Jo Lay 
Jennifer Reade
MA Interdisciplinary Studies '05 
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin 
 
Jenn Reade 
Jacqui Stephens
MA Interdisciplinary Studies, UNBC '05
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin 
 
Jacqui Stephens 
 

2004 
 
Jenny Lo, MSc NRES (Geography) '04
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
 
 
 
 
2003 
 
Kelly Giesbrecht, MA NRES (Geography) '03
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
 
Kelly
 
 
 
2002 
 
Laura Ryser, MNRES (Geography) '02
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
 

Lana Sullivan, MA NRES (Geography) ' 02
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
 
Lana Sullivan 
 
 
2001 
 
Brian Stauffer, MA NRES (Geography) ' 01
Supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
 
 
 
 
1999 
 
Philip Morris, MA NRES (Geography) '99
Supervisor: Dr. Gail Fondahl
 
 
 
2005 Incoming Grad Students 
Incoming Grad Students 2005 (L-R): 
Don Morgan, Pam Tobin, Domenico Santomauro, Lynn Wilson & Jessica Place
 

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