Geography Alumni


Adam SimonsAdam Simons

Environmental Coordinator, Prince Rupert Port Authority (Prince Rupert, BC)

BSc Geography (UNBC ‘13)

"Geography gave me a well-rounded skill set and knowledge base that I’ve been able to apply to my career. I learned high-level concepts for approaching science-based work and technical skills that I use daily. I wanted to work in the environmental sector… Geography offered a variety of disciplines and I was able to discover what I was most interested in over the duration of the program."



Alex Lapadat-JanzenAlex Lapadat-Janzen

GIS Analyst, Coastal Resource Mapping (Nanaimo, BC)

BA Geography (UNBC ‘15), Advanced Diploma in GIS Applications (VIU ‘17)

“A Geography degree from UNBC helped me develop my skills through the wide variety of courses offered and through different methods of learning. It also helped me discover the specific field I want to pursue in my career. I enjoyed studying Geography because it is a broad discipline that can be applied to solve many complex real-world problems.”



Andrew MerileesAndrew Merilees

Mayor, Village of Masset
Parks Coordinator, Old Massett Village Council’s Economic Development Department (Haida Gwaii, BC)

BA Geography (UNBC ’12)

"As a broad discipline, Geography allows for exploration of a wide range of issues, cultural and environmental. Geography has helped me identify patterns and trends that affect my community and the interrelations between our needs, resources and capacity.”



Carolyn EmonCarolyn Emon

Human Trafficking Project Coordinator, PG and District Elizabeth Fry Society

BA Geography (UNBC ’13), MA IDIS (UNBC ‘16)

Responsibilities: Implementing a community response plan to support victims of human trafficking. Compiling a best practices manual for the Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons to inform provincial and federal policy and to aid communities in developing a coordination model to support and identify trafficked individuals.



Christina TennantChristina Tennant

Project Development and Part Owner, J.R. Canadian Mapping Ltd.

BSc Geography (UNBC ’07), MSc NRES (UNBC ‘12)

Work involves aerial surveying and mapping using close range photography from Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

“During my Geography degree, I took part in a field course exploring the BC landscape, gained valuable experience as a research assistant, and found my passion for GIS and remote sensing.”



Christine CreykeChristine Creyke

Lands Director, Tahltan Central Government (Tatl’ah, BC - Dease Lake)

BA Geography (UNBC ‘06), MA NRES Geography (UNBC ’11)

“A background in Geography has helped me understand how landscapes shape the people who live in those places. As Lands Director for the Tahltan Nation, my job is to ensure our rights and title are recognized by both Government and Industry. Studying in the North (UNBC) helped me see how resource development plays a large role in remote First Nation communities. Working for my Government allows me to apply my education to ensure I have a meaningful impact on the land that sustains my people and culture.”



Cole ChapmanCole Chapman

GIS Technician, TDB Consultants (Prince George, BC)

BA Geography (UNBC ‘16), Advanced Diploma in GIS (BCIT ‘17)

“A reason I chose Geography is its ability to be applied to an array of subjects, industries, and disciplines. UNBC Geography has given me hands-on experience in the field, as well as taught me the needed skill sets to succeed in my career.”



David BarrettDavid Barrett

Environmental Consultant (Self-employed)

BSc Geography (UNBC ’11) MSc Geography (U Regina ‘13)

David's job duties range from remote fieldwork to data analysis and scientific writing, completing contracts for the government, NGOs, universities, and other organizations across the country and in a variety of environments.

"Geography exposed me to a wide array of topics, which has been extremely beneficial as an environmental consultant. The courses, labs and practical field experience have allowed me to competently manage different types of projects and have been extremely valuable throughout my career."


Eric GallantEric Gallant

Senior Consultant Planner, ERM (Environmental Resources Management)

BA Geography (UNBC ’06)

“As a consultant, when I go out into a new community, I need to build a picture, an understanding of that place, literally, from the bedrock up. I need to understand soils, hydrology, climate, history, culture, social structure, political system, economy, land use and regulation. No other discipline gives its students the ability to build such a multifaceted understanding of the world.”



Ian JacksonIan Jackson

Visitor Safety Technician, Parks Canada (Banff, Yoho & Kootenay (BYK) National Parks)

BSc Geography (UNBC ‘10), ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide (2013)

Ian's job responsibilities include:

  • Backcountry rescue in Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks (BYK NP)
  • Conducting avalanche control for all roads in BYK NP
  • Writing public avalanche bulletins for all recreational backcountry users

“My Geography degree provided a good foundation of both written and oral communication skills. It also provided me with a strong background in atmospheric science, which I use daily in my current job.”



Jen AdomeitJen Adomeit

Elementary School Teacher, School District #54

BA Geography (UNBC ’07)

“What I enjoyed about Geography was the meaningful, real-world learning that took place. The professors were all very approachable and had a passion and knowledge for their subject matter that was inspiring.”



Jennifer YoungJennifer Young

Curriculum Assessment Manager (Years 3 & 4), Northern Medical Program, UNBC

BA Geography (UNBC ’00), BSW (UNBC ‘07)

“Geography provided me with critical career skills, such as analytic thinking, research, strong written and oral communication and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues. It also pushed me to be involved in my community through a variety of volunteer opportunities, and to explore the world through travel.”



Jessica BlewettJessica Blewett

Coordinator of Business Excellence, BC Timber Sales / BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development (Prince George, BC)

BA Geography (UNBC ’10), MA NRES (UNBC ‘12)

“The broad understanding of the world that I gained in Geography has helped me work and communicate with professionals in a wide variety of disciplines, which has made teamwork and collaboration significantly easier. It has helped me to step into a variety of projects and positions and quickly come up to speed. Essentially my degree gave me a flexible skill set that I can exercise in any work environment.”



John SardinhaJohn Sardinha

Migration Researcher Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, Centre of Geographical Studies (University of Lisbon)

BA Geography (UNBC ’96), MA Geography and Regional Planning (Nova University of Lisbon, Portugal 2002), PhD Migration Studies (University of Sussex, UK 2008)

“As a Migration Studies researcher, Geography provided me with the essential tools and know-how to properly analyze and recognize spatial distributions at all scales—local and worldwide—in order to understand the complex connectivity of people, places and cultures.”



Krista VandersteenKrista Vandersteen

Economic & Community Development Assistant, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (Fort Nelson, BC)

BA Geography (UNBC ’13), Community Economic Development Certificate (SFU ‘17)

“The diverse range of information within the Human Geography degree has allowed me to fulfill a variety of roles and projects ranging from tourism, marketing, community and economic development, community energy planning, and research.”



Laura RyserLaura Ryser

Research Manager, Rural and Small Town Studies, UNBC (Prince George, BC)

BA Geography (UNBC ’96), MNRES (UNBC ’03)

”Having exposure to both Human and Physical Geography has been key to my career. It allows you to look at social and economic development issues in a more holistic way. Through Rural Geography, you connect with so many people about so many different topics, and that can only set you up well in the future.”



Miranda SeymourMiranda Seymour

Lawyer, Marcotte Law

BA Geography (UNBC ’11), JD - Law Degree (TRU ’14)

“Before getting a degree in Geography I didn’t realize the connection that exists between people and place; now I see it everywhere! Even in my job as a lawyer, I see the unique interaction between people, place and the law, which makes me grateful for my Geography background and the ability to recognize these important connections.”



Mitchell MacfarlaneMitchell Macfarlane

GIS Technician and Web Portal Administrator, Land and Resources Department - Takla Lake First Nation (TLFN) (Prince George, BC)

BA Geography (UNBC ’17)

“I enjoyed how a Major in Geography taught me to critically observe, reflect on and understand the world in which we live from a global to a local scale. UNBC Geography has exceptionally prepared and taught me the needed skills to be successful at my career.”



Paul PanPaul Pan

Executive Director, International (University of Lethbridge)

BA Geography (UNBC ’99), MBA (UNBC ‘10)

“Human Geography is interdisciplinary in nature and provided me with critical thinking skills in a broad global context to succeed in my career in international education.”



Shane DoddridgeShane Doddridge

GIS Tech, Tŝilhqot’in National Government (Williams Lake, BC)

BA Geography (UNBC ’12)

Shane's job involves developing a place name database for use in bilingual mapping of features throughout the Tŝilhqót’in territory for the ongoing assertion of unextinguished Aboriginal rights and land titles.

“Geography is how we perceive the incredibly complex web of relationships that literally line our planet. On any topic, Geographers are equipped to intuitively answer the “where” questions - which in turn puts all other knowledge into context. As our species continues to modify the landscapes of our little planet, we need to be smart about how these modifications can best incorporate our values of respect for all human and non-human life.”



Shannon MacKayShannon MacKay

UNBC Aboriginal Community Connections Coordinator (Prince George, BC)

BA Geography (UNBC ’04), BA First Nations Studies (UNBC ’07)

”My degree in Geography has given me a passion for community and a desire to continually learn. I chose Geography as my first major because it embodied all of the subjects I found most interesting.”



Melanie AqiqiSlt. Melanie Aqiqi

Public Affairs Officer, Canadian Armed Forces

BSc Geography (UNBC ’06), Currently deployed with Joint Task Force (Latvia)

“My job requires bringing together information from many disciplines to advise on complicated and rapidly changing scenarios. The critical thinking and ‘big-picture’ analysis I learned and practiced while completing my degree have been instrumental in my success with the Canadian Armed Forces.”



Theo MlynowskiTheo Mlynowski

Hydrometric Technician Water Survey of Canada (Environment Canada and Climate Change)

BSc Geography (UNBC ’08), MSc NRES (UNBC ‘13)

“Collecting data by means of doing fieldwork and being outdoors has always been really rewarding. Analyzing the data to get an answer or solve a problem has kept me motivated to learn more about my surroundings and the landscape.”



Virginia PowVirginia Pow

Research Librarian, University of Alberta

BA Geography (UNBC ’02), MLIS (Dalhousie ‘05)

Virginia's job involves managing, organizing, evaluating and disseminating information, providing support to members of an academic community (students, researchers, faculty). Sources of information include data, maps, and statistics as well as more standard resources.

“A Geography degree has been really important to me, as it allowed for a well-rounded insight into our environments (both social and physical). The degree also offered the analytical skills that I need for my job on a daily basis.”



Warren GraftonWarren Grafton

Hydrogeologist / Partner, Western Water Associates Ltd. (Prince George, BC)

BSc Geography (UNBC ’10)

Warren's job involves overseeing groundwater supply programs and contaminated sites assessment/remediation initiatives, and working with municipalities, First Nations and industry to source or protect groundwater for their operations.

“Studying Geography gave me a broad enough introduction to the world of geoscience, allowing me to choose a career path from several possible options.”



Zed ZimmermanZed Zimmerman

Assistant Project Manager, BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

BA Geography (UNBC ’12)