Graduate student excellence at the Canadian Geophysical Union’s Annual General Meeting
(from L to R) Bamise Afolabi, Christina Bao, Marissa Davies, Emma Wegener, Miranda Hunter, Maria Strack, Meg Schmidt, Maryam Bayatvarkeshi (photo credit: Owen Sutton)
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
An important aspect of graduate studies is the opportunity to present your research to an external audience. This allows for the exchange of ideas, industry partnerships, and the potential for future employment. For many graduate students focusing on the physical earth, the 2024 Canadian Geographical Union (CGU) Annual General Meeting (AGU) offered this valuable opportunity.
The CGU is a society that is dedicated to the study of hydrology, geodesy, biogeosciences and earth surface processes. This year, their three-day conference took place at Carleton University in Ottawa. Graduate students within the Faculty of Environment were well represented with over fifteen oral presentations and three poster presentations.
Among these students is Rafaela Maltauro, a PhD Candidate in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management. She appreciated receiving feedback and answering questions. “Listening to other researchers is invaluable for staying up to date on current topics. It is always helpful for us graduate students to assess how our research is being perceived by others.” Maltauro presented on the role of flocculation in the fate of suspended and interstitial sediments in a gravel-bed river.
Murdoch McKinnon, a PhD Candidate in the Hydrometeorology Research Group, presented on the seasonal variation in the hydrologic balance of a partially removed oil well pad undergoing restoration to a boreal peatland. “The opportunity to connect with others studying peatlands was tremendously productive, and it was also great to be able to learn about the work being done in other disciplines within the environmental and geosciences.”
Oluwabamise Afolabi, PhD candidate in the Wetland Soils & Greenhouse Exchange Lab, presented on modelling the long-term C flux of temperate swamp under a changing climate. “The conference gave me the platform to present some of my PhD research findings to different stakeholders and it was also an avenue to learn about the state-of-the-art developments in my area of interests.”
Christina Bao, a MSc student in the Wetland Soils & Greenhouse Exchange Lab, gained valuable insights into the latest research in her field and connected with fellow environmental enthusiasts. Bao presented on assessing changes in peatland plant functions following seismic line disturbance.
The 2024 CGU AGM provided Environment graduate students the opportunity to present their work, receive constructive feedback, and build professional networks that will benefit their future careers. It also developed their professional skills in public speaking, networking, and critical thinking. These skills and knowledge will help build the next generation of physical earth experts and prepare them for tackling future environmental challenges.
