Congratulations to Laura Neary and Hannah Thibault who have been chosen as recipients of the 2021 Weston Family Awards in Northern Research!
Funded by the Weston Family Foundation (formerly The W. Garfield Weston Foundation), these annual awards are some of the most prestigious in the country for students pursuing a master’s degree, a doctoral degree or postdoctoral fellowship.
Laura and Hannah are both graduate students working with Water Institute member Professor Roland Hall in the Department of Biology, studying environmental processes in Northern Canada to understand the effects of stresses on the lakes and wetlands of the regions. Laura is a student in the Collaborative Water Program.
Laura’s
PhD
research
explores
causes
of
lake-level
variation
and
key
hydrological
processes
that
influence
water
balance
at
lakes
across
in
the
Peace-Athabasca
Delta
in
Northern
Alberta
and
the
nesting
area
of
the
endangered
whooping
crane
in
Northwest
Territories.
“I am very grateful for receiving the Doctoral Weston Family Award for Northern Research,” says Laura. “I thank the Weston Family Foundation for the financial support and welcoming me to the 'Weston Family'.”
Hannah’s
masters
research
also
focuses
on
the
Peace-Athabasca
Delta,
where
she
studies
climate-driven
water
resource
vulnerability.
This
research
involves
looking
at
the
temporal
variation
in
lake
water
balances
to
assess
impacts
of
local
climate
conditions
at
important
upstream
tributaries,
which
help
supply
critical
floodwaters
needed
to
replenish
elevated
lakes
of
the
wetland.
“I am honoured to be the recipient of a 2021 Weston Family Award in Northern Research, and very thankful for the support it will provide me as I explore my current research interests, says Hannah. “I am grateful for this opportunity and it is very exciting to be welcomed into a group of innovative scientists studying the complexities of the North.”
The Weston Family Awards in Northern Research provide support for young Canadian scientists pursuing research in Canada’s North, with the goal of forming a community of scientists at the forefront of Northern scholarship, and are helping shape a better future for Canada and the world. This year, 14 masters level students, 10 doctoral level students and three postdoctoral fellows were selected for this prestigious award.