Dr. Brian Menounos, a geography Professor and Canada Research Chair in Glacier Change at the University of Northern British Columbia is fascinated about glaciers and how they respond to climate. But he is also passionate about sharing this knowledge to people outside the academic community including the public, policy makers and students in elementary and high school.

“A primary responsibility of a scientist is to share what you found out during a study. The formal way scientists communicate with each other is through peer-reviewed research and presentations at conferences, but it can’t stop there.” Menounos said. “Scientists should use every opportunity to share their research with the general public, especially when those findings affect them.” 

His dedication to communicate his research to the public and policy makers  earned him one of three Distinguished Academics Award from the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of B.C.

CUFA BC’s Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award is named after the president who created the Distinguished Academics Award during his term. The award recognizes a specific and recent outstanding contribution to the community beyond the academy through research or other scholarly activity by an individual or group at any stage of their career.

Dr. Menounos was nominated for his research in building connections between historical climatology and ongoing work on climate forecasting, and the significant consequences for public policy planning. His research to date provides a detailed picture of the current health of glaciers and ice in western North America, outside of Alaska. Menounos was also nominated for his work with Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC) on helping its members understand the impact of climate change on their practice. He worked with EGBC to refine its official position on climate change that acknowledges the link between climate change and human activity and that members should "consider the impact of their work on climate.”

Dr. Menounos will receive his award Thursday in Vancouver. More information about the awards can be found on the CUFA BC website at https://www.cufa.bc.ca/awards