Paddling next to loons where the sun never sets and laying in the snow watching the northern lights dancing overhead, these are some of Élise Devoie’s fondest memories doing fieldwork as a Waterloo student. “I chose to complete my PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Waterloo after long deliberation,” Devoie says, “because it allowed me to do what I care about”. Her research on permafrost has allowed her to participate in fieldwork, write numerical models and engage northern communities. She first learned about permafrost in a co-op placement during her undergraduate studies in mathematics. After that, she quickly became passionate about the area of study and knew she wanted to do more. Devoie’s work has made it clear to her that humans have driven climate warming too far for permafrost to survive, causing irreversible impacts to our waterways, land surfaces, ecosystems and the way people relate to the land. To continue reading this story please click here.
Thursday, June 17, 2021