Supervisor: Dr. Gail Krantzberg

Supervisor: Dr. Darren Scott

Supervisor: Dr. Bruce Newbold

Dr. M. Altaf Arain is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University and the founding Director of the McMaster Centre for Climate Change. Dr. Arain holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and completed his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Hydrology at the University of Arizona. He has extensively studied forest ecosystems and their restoration using field measurements and ecosystem and hydrologic models. Dr Arain has established Turkey Point Observatory comprising four flux tower stations in Southern Ontario to examine the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on different-age and different species forest ecosystems. Turkey Point Observatory is part of Global Water Futures (GWF), global Fluxnet, Canadian FloodNet and North American Carbon Program. Dr. Arain has been involved in the development of the coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme and the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CLASS-CTEM), used in the Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM) for climate predictions. He has also focused on investigating the effects of air pollution and electric mobility adoption on the environment and human health in urban areas in Canada.

Supervisor: Dr. Joe Boyce

The Charity Shoal structure (CSS) is a 1.4 km diameter, 20 m deep circular basin located northeastern Lake Ontario. The CSS has been interpreted as an Ordovician-age meteorite impact based on multi-beam imaging of the lakebed but details of the crater?s subsurface structure were unknown. In 2011 detailed magnetic and sub-bottom chirp seismic (>400 line km) surveys were conducted across a 9-km2 area of Charity Shoal to investigate its subsurface structure. In 2014, a boomer seismic (1-2 kHz) survey was conducted over the same area to image the basin fill.Total magnetic intensity (TMI) data reveal a large (>1400 nT) magnetic anomaly centered over the crater basin and a ring-like magnetic high (40-50 nT) corresponding with the basin rim. Depth to basement below the structure was estimated at ~600 m using extended Euler deconvolution. Forward 2-D models verify that the observed TMI anomaly requires a deep (>450 m) depression in Precambrian basement or a source body (e.g. diatreme) with a remanent magnetization opposing the main field. Boomer seismic profiles revealed >60 m of stratified glacial/post-glacial sediments overlying Paleozoic limestone bedrock. Apparent offsets in the bedrock surface may indicate the presence of high-angle faults. Magnetic and seismic results are not consistent with formation of the CSS as a shallow glacial erosional or karst feature or an early postglacial (Younger Dryas) impact event as proposed in previous work. Modelling and geophysical results are most consistent with an origin as a diatreme or pre-Paleozoic meteorite impact in the Precambrian basement.

Supervisor: Dr. Lesley Warren

Reseach Interests: Fe-S-C Biogeochemistry cycle, Astrobiology, Microbial biosignatures as an application to the study of life on Earth and form the basis of the search for extraterrestrial life, The interplay of microbial activity inland and deep-sea hydrothermal vents

nnThesis Summary:nn

Assessing the microbial linkages to Fe-S cycling and how the biotic and abiotic causes of changes of Fine Fluid Tailing (FFT) products over time; looking into the underlying biotic or abiotic determinants of Sediment Oxygen Demand, and to contrast the processes by which redox gradients develop in biotic and abiotic FFT material.

Supervisor: Dr. Bruce Newbold

Supervisor: Dr. Altaf Arain

A large portion of forests in eastern Canada and US are plantation or managed forests of different ages that absorb atmospheric CO₂. Enhancing carbon sequestration by increasing forested land area is one of the most cost-effective options to mitigate elevated atmospheric CO₂ levels. The McMaster Hydrometeorology and Climatology group has initiated a long-term research program to investigate how different managed forests will respond to future climate change and extreme weather events. Currently, the seasonal and annual climate variability is being evaluated using 13 years (2003-2015) of eddy covariance fluxes and meteorological and biometric data obtained in Turkey Point, Ontario.

Dr. Melanie Bedore earned a BPAPM from Carleton University (Ottawa) and an MPA and Ph.D. from Queen’s University. She is a human geographer and a teaching stream faculty member focusing on undergraduate teaching and learning. Melanie experiments with a variety of pedagogical strategies to promote deep student learning and engagement, including learning portfolios, engaged lecturing, promoting student metacognition, discussion-based learning and bringing active learning strategies into the conventional university classroom. She places particular emphasis on student writing and critical thinking in all of her courses.

Her previous research and areas of specialization include urban food access and sustainable urban food systems, urban poverty and inequality, community-based charitable food programs, and city-regional prosperity.

Melanie is open to supervising undergraduate independent studies and theses but she is not accepting graduate students at this time.

Notice:

Any Students seeking B.Sc. Academic Advising, should contact Kara Salvador, ugadmin@mcmaster.ca, ext. 20122

Not currently accepting graduate students.

Dr. Janok Bhattacharya research program is mostly focused on investigating the sequence stratigraphy and 3D facies architecture of shelf, shallow marine, paralic, and fluvial depositional systems. Although much industry exploration effort is currently focused on deepwater depositional systems, about 50% of global oil production is currently from shallow marine, paralic and fluvial strata. Despite the continued importance of these reservoir types, ours is one of the only research programs devoted to this important area.

I am also investigating the interrelationships between structure and stratigraphy as a paired process. Specific projects are aimed at examining the effects of meso-scale tectonic structure on high-frequency sequence stratigraphic architecture in foreland basins and the relationship between sedimentation processes and formation of growth faults associated with deltaic depositional systems.

My research program is founded on the fundamentals of sedimentology, fieldwork, facies analysis, and sequence stratigraphy. Our program also crosses the boundaries between geophysics and engineering disciplines and provides an important environment for teamwork and integration that we believe provides a model for industry.

Supervisor: Dr. Sean Carey

I am originally from Kingston, Ontario in Canada and I have an educational background in fresh and salt water environmental chemistry. I am currently studying a thesis-based Master’s in Science in Environmental Science at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. I received my Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Chemistry with Co-op and Honours at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

I have finished my honours thesis project which involved collecting and analyzing various aspects of water chemistry data such as pH, aluminum, calcium, conductivity as well as precipitation and stage height from the catchment liming experiment on the Maria Brook watershed in New Russell, Nova Scotia. It was one of the first projects in North America to use the addition of crushed limestone to an acidified watershed in attempt to neutralize the soils and surface waters and increase the pH. My Master’s thesis project involves examining the hydrochemistry and stable isotopes within a reclamation wetland on the oil sands in Fort McMurray, Alberta to determine the flow pathways of water within the wetland and if the flow pathways are acting similar to a wetland in a natural environment.

Supervisor: Dr. Altaf Arain

Supervisor: Dr. Sean Carey

After the completion of my undergraduate thesis, which studied the influence of surface mining on the hydrometric response of an alpine basin, my MSc research continues here at McMaster. I am interested in studying the process of infiltration into frozen soils in an alpine environment and will be conducting research in Kananaskis, Alberta.

Supervisor: Dr. Darren Scott

Dr. Joe Boyce is geoarchaeologist who studies Holocene landscape evolution and paleoenvironmental change using sediment records from lakes and coastal archaeological sites. His current research is focussed on the investigation of submerged landscapes and prehistoric underwater and terrestrial sites in the Great Lakes, Greece and western Turkey. His research interests also include the application of geophysical methods (ground-penetrating radar, seismic reflection, magnetometry) in archaeology, forensics and biogeosciences.

Supervisor: Dr. Darren Scott

Supervisor: Dr. Lesley Warren

Supervisor: Dr. Vera Chouinard

Geographies of disability and illness, Geographies of health and health care, Experiences of oppression, empowerment, advocacy, and resistance, Lived experience of total hip replacement and resurfacing, Medical tourism

Dr. Carey directs the Watershed Hydrology Group and his research interests include hydrological, biogeochemical and land surface processes in natural and human impacted environments.

The group Dr. Carey uses field, laboratory and modelling approaches to understand how hydrological processes interact and influence ecosystem, biogeochemical and catchment processes across scales. Dr. Carey has a particular interest in cold environments and has been working in Yukon Territory for over 20 years. In addition, the influence of landscape disturbance on catchment processes has been an area of focus as the group seeks to help both industry and regulators understand and mitigate large scale disturbance in northern regions.

Dr. Carey serves on the Global Water Futures Strategic Management Committee and is the Principal Investigator fo the Mountain Water Futures program.

Supervisor: Dr. Altaf Arain

Part of FloodNet Project, the objective of my work is to study hydrological processes at watershed scale using a Coupled Ground-Water and Surface-Water Flow Model. Then to determine how these processes may be influenced by climate change and extreme weather events. Regional climate model forced by global warming scenarios will be helpful to answer that question with a focus on atmospheric circulation patterns.

Supervisor: Dr. Greg Slater

Dr. Abel Chikanda is an Associate Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society (EES) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He received his PhD in Geography from Western University in 2006 and was an Assistant / Associate Professor at the University of Kansas between 2015 and 2022. Prior to that, he was a SSHRC postdoctoral fellow at Queen’s University (2010-2012) and Research Coordinator at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (2013-2015). He also worked as a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe (2004-2006). His recent research has focused on African immigrant integration and the role of diasporas in developing their countries of origin. His current research seeks to explore the ways in which African cities can build sustainable and resilient food systems. He is an active member of the Southern African Migration Programme (SAMP), the African Urban Food Network (AFSUN), the Hungry Cities Partnership (HCP) and the Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) research networks.

Supervisor: Dr. Darren Scott

Notice:

Please note: Dr. Chouinard is on research leave for the 2021/2022 academic year

Dr. Vera Chouinard is a critical social and feminist geographer with interests in issues of social marginalization, state policy, and struggles for social change. She has published widely on topics such as disability and violence in the Global South, impacts of changes in state policy for disabled women’s lives, lived geographies of ‘madness’ and representations of ‘mad’ women in film, issues of access and accommodation of disability in higher education, feminist geographies of the state, chronic illness and identity, citizenship, and the peripheral legal places of disabled citizens in Canada. Her current research interests include disabled peoples’ lives and struggles for social change in the developing nation of Guyana, impacts of economic restructuring on diverse women in northern Canadian communities, autobiographical accounts of madness in place, medical tourism and the Occupy movement.

Notice:

Paulin Coulibaly is currently on research leave.

Dr. Paulin Coulibaly holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Laval University. He joined McMaster Universty in 2001 from the National Research Institute in Quebec. He holds a joint position in Civil Engineering Department and the School of Earth, Environment & Society. Dr. Coulibaly has been involved in developing hydrologic modelling and forecasting tools for Hydropower Companies, Public and Private Sectors. His research group recently developed MAC-HBV – a hydrologic model for simulating streamflow regime in ungauged basins. MAC-HBV is used by the Ministry Natural Resources for determining environmental flow in Ontario ungauged basins, and is also used around the World. Dr. Coulibaly is internationally known as an expert in Hydroinformatics (Data-Driven Methods developments and applications in Hydrology). His research interest includes: Hydro-climatic modelling; Climate Change and Water Resources Vulnerability; Hydrologic Data Assimilation/Remote Sensing Hydrology.He is Associate Editor of the ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Hydroinformatics.
He is an active member of Professional Engineers Ontario.

Supervisor: Dr. Bruce Newbold

Research Background: Improving mental health outcomes for immigrants, refugees, ethnocultural and radicalized (IRER) groups has been an ambitious and challenging goal for the Mental Health Strategy of Canada (McKenzie et al., 2010). Barriers to accessing care are a form of social exclusion (McKeary & Newbold, 2010). At present, there are no policies that specifically address mental health for multi-cultural populations at the provincial or federal level. As noted by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), the need for improving services stems from three specific trends: (1) IRER groups exist in every province and territory across Canada; (2) IRER communities continue to grow every year due to Canada’s policy on immigration; and (3) within IRER groups, diversity intersects with socio-environmental factors to increase the complexity of need that makes services difficult to access (CAMH, 2009).

Recommendations from MCHH point to the need for developing networks of consumers, family members and community representatives to eliminate structural inequalities though social inclusion in community planning. Networks can serve as a bridge for knowledge exchange about needs and available resources, in addition to providing knowledge about barriers that exist. The inclusion of multi-cultural groups in planning is, therefore, strategic and equitable. Not only is knowledge exchange needed for providers to be better informed about their diverse populations, knowledge exchange will also enable multi-cultural groups to become stakeholders in the decision making process (see CAMH, 2009; p. 6).

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to contextualize a local experience of improving equity of care for multi-cultural communities in Hamilton. More specifically, this research explores the ways in which cultural groups and service organizations in the City of Hamilton have come together in a collaborative effort to plan and to take an innovative approach to mental health education. At the start of 2012, concerns about mental health were raised from various cultural communities that led to the development of a health strategy that resulted in the creation of The Mental Health Connectors Program, which trained ten cultural and linguistic brokers [CLBs] in mental health awareness and education. At the same time, frontline and management staffs from four major Mainstream Health Service Providers [MHSPs] underwent diversity assessment and training. This study aims to: Explore the roles of CLBs in knowledge exchange between their cultural community and the MHSPs; Examine the MHSPs’ capacity to diversify mental health promotion strategies though the process of engaging multi-cultural groups; and Explore the ways in which equity and inclusion in mental health strategy, planning, and promotion affected multi-cultural communities in Hamilton.

Supervisor: Dr. Allison Williams

My research will explore the impacts of health determinants, such as sex/gender, access to health services, and socio-economic status, and transportation patterns of caregiver employees. The goal of this study is to increase our understanding of the experiences of caregiver employees, who provide care to elderly with complicated chronic conditions while employed in the labor force. Therefore, the primary objective of this research project is to convey valuable information to caregivers in terms of how they can improve work-life balance, via a temporal and spatial analysis of health determinants, and in so doing maintain their health. Methods that will be used for this project are qualitative, quantitative (GIS), and theoretical concepts.

Supervisor: Dr. Greg Slater

Supervisor: Dr. Niko Yiannakoulias

Supervisor: Dr. Mike Waddington

Supervisor: Dr. Altaf Arain

Supervisor: Dr. Antonio Paez

School boards throughout Ontario are continually pressured by the provincial government to become more effective and efficient. One of the ways in which school boards can become more effective and efficient is through the closure of schools and the elimination of surplus pupil spaces. The argument often used by the local community in objection to school closures is that the school is more than just an educational institution; it acts as a community hub which helps define or enhance a sense of community. My research will focus on understanding how people define sense of community, the role that schools and other public and private infrastructure play in defining a community, and what other characteristics enhance or hinder a person?s sense of community in the City of Hamilton.

Supervisor: Dr. Greg Slater

Notice:

Please note: Larissa DiBartolo is on leave for the academic year.

Dr. Alan Dickin research objective is to reconstruct the geological evolution of the Grenville Province of the Canadian Shield. The Grenville has been the most poorly understood province of the Shield, but Nd isotope mapping (Dickin, 2000) has now identified the major crustal terranes that make up the province. My current research involves detailed mapping of individual terrane boundaries in order to understand their geological history, and thereby reconstruct the accretionary growth of the Shield.

Supervisor: Dr. Allison Williams

Supervisor: Dr. Greg Slater

Supervisor: Dr. Darren Scott

Supervisor: Dr. James Smith

Dr. Carolyn Eyles was the former Director of the Integrated Science Program and is a Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Science and the School of Geography & Earth Sciences. She holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences from the University of East Anglia, a postgraduate certificate of Education from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in geology from the University of Toronto. Her research interests lie in the fields of glacial sedimentology and environmental geology, and she has worked extensively in Alaska, Australia, Brazil, Iceland, Norway, Great Britain and Canada. She has over 75 publications in peer-reviewed journals and books and has co-authored two first year geoscience textbooks. Dr. Eyles is a practicing Professional Geoscientist of Ontario (P.Geo), and is a member of the Geological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Geological Institute. Dr. Eyles is a 3M National Teaching Fellow and has won numerous teaching awards including an OCUFA Teaching Award, an Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Teaching Award, and the McMaster President’s Award for Excellence in Instruction. Her current teaching duties include Earth Science components of interdisciplinary courses in the Integrated Science program and senior/graduate level courses in glacial sedimentology. She chaired the committee that designed and developed the interdisciplinary Honours B.Sc. Integrated Science Program and served as the program Director from 2009-2015.

Dr. John Eyles is a Distinguished University Professor at McMaster. After receiving his PhD in Science and working in the University of London, he came to McMaster in 1988. Based in Geography and Earth Sciences, he holds appointments in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Sociology and the Centre for Health Economics and Policy analysis. His main research interests lie in environmental influences on human health and access to health care resources. He has published widely in these areas. He has served on several advisory committees at the local, provincial and national levels, primarily with the role of science in public policy. He has recently begun (again) working internationally in South Africa and India.

Supervisor: Dr. Janok Bhattacharya

Supervisor: Dr. Greg Slater

Supervisor: Dr. Sang-Tae Kim

Supervisor: Dr. Eduard Reinhardt

My research areas are on ground, airborne, and satellite remote sensing of vegetation from the leaf to the globe with special focus on:

1. plant structural and photosynthetic traits;
2. land surface and carbon uptake phenology;
3. terrestrial ecosystem primary productivity and greenness;
4. global change impact on terrestrial ecosystem productivity; and
5. terrestrial carbon cycle modelling.

I have done, and am doing, remote sensing of vegetation studies at ecological monitoring sites (e.g., eddy covariance tower networks); on improved product development at regional scale (e.g., leaf area index, primary productivity and land surface phenology); and on global change impact assessment on terrestrial ecosystem productivity at regional (e.g., circumpolar land surface phenology and atmospheric CO2 seasonality) and global scales. Besides remote sensing data, I use ground measurements of plant biophysical variables, photosynthetic traits, atmospheric CO2 concentration, eddy covariance CO2 fluxes and plant phenology; gridded climate data records; terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycle models; and Earth System Model (ESM) outputs.

Supervisor: Dr. Darren Scott

My PhD thesis is focused on estimation of consumer demand for Electric vehicles in Canada and identification of the population segments that are most likely to consider an electric car as their next vehicle purchase.

Supervisor: Dr. Rob Wilton

My research explores the prevalence and perception of vision impairment and disability among immigrants in Canada using a mixed methods approach. Using Statistics Canada’s Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) 2006 dataset, I use descriptive statistics to evaluate the prevalence of vision impairment and sources of care. Second, perception of vision impairment and disability is examined using semi-structured interviews with vision impaired immigrant clients from the Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB) in Southern Ontario.

The goal is to explore if vision impairment is more or less prevalent in immigrants compared to Canadians and whether their perception of vision impairment and disability influences their access and utilization of healthcare.

I retired in 2019 but remain active in research and writing.

I am interested in how the built environment has reflected and shaped our lives, with particular reference to dwellings and residential environments. The influence of the built environment often becomes apparent, and also changes, over long periods of time, and I have found it fruitful to undertake historical research as well as studies of the present. (I am an Associate of the Department of History at McMaster.) Dwellings frame much of our daily life and offer a valuable prism through which to study social, cultural, and economic change.

I have used, and am using, housing as a prism in two contexts:

1. The history of housing, neighbourhoods and suburbs in North America in the twentieth century. By studying the linkages between production and consumption of these environments it is possible to ground, and extend, recent debates about the cultural construction of the economy, and about class and gender differences in the meaning of consumption. The most recent work coming out of this research is What’s in a Name? Talking about Urban Peripheries (edited with Charlotte Vorms) (Toronto, 2017). A companion volume, The Urban Land Market (coedited with Ute Lehrer) will be published in 2018. My book projects at present are a survey of How Cities Matter, and A History of Canadian Urban Neighbourhoods since the 1880s.
2. The current housing scene in Hamilton, Ontario, paying particular attention to the character of the rental stock. Students have interviewed landlords and tenants, and are undertaking an analysis of the growth of condominiums and of patterns of ownership of the rental housing stock. Projected research will examine social and affordable housing. The results of these studies are being interpreted in the context of an analysis of the changing social geography of hamilton since 1970. This research is being undertaken in association with the Neighbourhood Change Research Project, directed by David Hulchanski at the University of Toronto. This project is examining neighbourhood change in seven Canadian cities.

Supervisor: Dr. James Smith

Supervisor: Dr. Mike Waddington

Supervisor: Dr. Bruce Newbold

Supervisor: Dr. Suzanne Mills

• Economic Geography
• Precarious Employment
• Employment Related Geographic Mobility (E-RGM)
• Geostatistics and Geographic Information Systems(GIS)

My research program focuses on understanding the impacts of human activities on aquatic ecosystems. More specifically, my students and I study the effects of point (municipal, industrial) and non-point (agriculture, forest harvesting) discharges on the health of aquatic organisms, and the fate of persistent pollutants in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Much of our research is multidisciplinary in nature and an interface between biogeochemistry, chemistry, ecology and toxicology. For example, we use measurements of stable nitrogen, sulfur, hydrogen and carbon isotope ratios in organisms to characterize trophic relationships in diverse aquatic systems and to understand pollutant accumulation from primary producers through to top predators. I have led or been involved in three major whole ecosystem experiments to understand how 1) the estrogen used in the birth control pill affects fish and their prey, 2) wastes from rainbow trout aquaculture affect native organisms, and 3) a commonly-used herbicide and fertilizers affect the health of wetland communities.

Contaminants in Aquatic Food Webs

Some contaminants can concentrate up through food webs to levels in fish that can affect the health of the fish themselves or that of fish-eating wildlife and humans. Even in remote systems with no human activities, mercury and other contaminants can be high in fish leading to concerns over risks to human and wildlife health. We have several ongoing projects to understand how contaminants are accumulated through aquatic food webs into top predators and their effects on fish.

• Mercury in lakes in Atlantic Canada – We are working in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia, an area known as a mercury hotspot, and developing novel approaches for understanding how mercury moves through the food webs of these acidic lakes and whether it is adversely affecting the health of the fish.
• Mercury in the Canadian Arctic – We have studied mercury in an important subsistence fish – the Arctic char – and its prey to understand why fish from some lakes are more contaminated than others.
• Mercury in coastal regions of Patagonia, Mexico, and Antarctica – We are assessing the levels of mercury and other metals in marine fish and invertebrates, some of which are consumed by local communities.
• Other global studies on mercury – My group and I also have ongoing research across a latitudinal gradient in Norway and Sweden to understand the effects of climate and organic matter on mercury cycling in lakes, and collaborations to assess global patterns of mercury in freshwater and marine food webs.
• Nutrients and metals from aquaculture – At several salmon aquaculture sites in the Bay of Fundy, we are examining the exposure of nearby organisms to both nutrients and metals from wastes.

Contaminants of emerging concern – including estrogens and their mimics – in municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP) effluents have the potential to disrupt the normal function of endocrine systems and impair reproduction and development in fish and other organisms. Approaches are needed to understand whether these chemicals are causing biological effects downstream of MWTPs, and to prioritize sites for further work.

My lab is involved in a collaborative program through the Canadian Water Network to identify a suite of measures that clearly indicate that biological effects are occurring as a result of the presence of effluent discharges, and a practical basis for distinguishing the relative level of concern among sites. In addition, we conducted a whole ecosystem experiment at IISD-Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario over 12 years to assess the effects of the estrogen used in the birth control pill – EE2 – on fish populations and the food web.

Funding: These projects have been supported by NSERC Discovery & Strategic Network Grants, New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund, New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund, INAC Northern Contaminants Program, Polar Continental Shelf Project, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Schering Pharmaceutical, Environment Canada, Parks Canada, Canadian Water Network, Norwegian Research Council, and Fundación MERI Chile.

Forest management and stream health

Nearly two-thirds of Canada’s land base is forested, and this forms the basis of one of Canada’s most important resource industries. However, forests are also key suppliers of aquatic ecosystem services (AES), such as serving as critical source areas for much of North America’s sustainable, clean water supplies and supporting aquatic biodiversity. This research is providing information on how forest management activities affect aquatic ecosystems to inform sustainable forest management practices.

Through several projects in New Brunswick and Ontario, we are exploring 1) the change in physical, chemical and biological indicators (water quality though food web structure) of stream health across a gradient of forest disturbance, and 2) the cumulative effects of forest management practices on downstream ecosystems and their services (fish and invertebrate communities, water quality, mercury accumulation, carbon inputs and cycling), using intensively- through minimally-managed watersheds on forested landscapes.

Funding: This research is supported by an NSERC Strategic Network grant, an NSERC CRD and considerable in-kind support from the Canadian Forest Service (NRCan) and JD Irving, Ltd.

Dams and dam removal

In Canada, there are > 10,000 known dams, > 580 of which are large hydroelectric facilities. Much of this infrastructure is aging and will require removal or replacement in the decades to come, motivating an emerging field in Canada and abroad – the science of dam removal. One such facility – the Mactaquac Dam – is on the Saint John River in New Brunswick, and it will reach the end of its service life in 2030.

The Mactaquac Aquatic Ecosystem Study (MAES) is a whole ecosystem study to understand the structure and function of the Saint John River and the potential implications of removal of the Mactaquac Dam upstream of Fredericton. As part of this multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional project we are assessing the structure of the riverine food web and the contemporary and historical concentrations of metals, hydrocarbons and chlorinated organics (e.g. PCBs) in the sediments of the headpond. These results will be used to support the decisions around dam removal or refurbishment.
Funding: This project is led by the Canadian Rivers Institute @ UNB and funded by NB Power and by an NSERC CRD Grant.

Research Interests:

Contaminants in Aquatic Food Webs, Forest management and stream health, Dams and dam removal

Research Goals

1. Understanding of stable isotope effects in the carbonate-water systems based on laboratory-based experiments and field-based empirical studies.
2. Providing the scientific community with new, accurate, and robust geochemical proxies for probing climatic, environmental, and biogeochemical processes.
3. Developing novel analytical methods that greatly improve the existing analytical efficiency and cost effectiveness for Earth science communities.

Supervisor: Dr. Bruce Newbold

The challenges of “wicked” policy problems facing cities, such as persistent concentrated poverty and segregation, have led many jurisdictions to adopt place-based policy as a response. Place-based policy seeks to deliver extra or specialized resources and services to disadvantaged areas, often with the participation of local organizations and citizens. There has been some success with such approaches, but status-quo policy approaches do little to alter the forces that create socio-spatial inequalities in the first place. Similarly, relatively little of the research on place-based policies has examined what kinds of supplementary policies may be needed to alter the inequitable spatial allocation of resources in the first place. In my dissertation research, I will examine the applicability of inclusionary housing tools as an additional element to complement the place-based policy approach that the City of Hamilton has undertaken and how these policies can be adapted to be relevant across the Canadian context.

Supervisor: Dr. Niko Yiannakoulias

Supervisor: Dr. Janok Bhattacharya

Reconstruction of a cretaceous paleo-valley to determine the nature and internal organization of a petroleum reservoir analogue. 3-D reconstruction of this tributary valley is interpolated from 32 measured sections and photomosaics. Hydrological analysis of the sandy units will be used to predict flow properties within this deposit located in the Upper Blue Hills area south of Factory Butte near Hankville, UT.

Supervisor: Dr. Carolyn Eyles

The focus of this research is on the active drumlin field at Mulajokull, a surge type glacier in central Iceland. Field study of the area and aerial imagery will be used to analyze the sedimentological and morphological characteristics of the drumlins within the field. This will be complied into a spatial database where various parameters will be examined for patterns in distribution and how these may relate to ice dynamics. The results of this research will provide new information on the conditions associated with the formation of drumlins to aid in the understanding of their genesis. Furthermore, a detailed description of the modern drumlin field allows for use as an analogue for ancient drumlin fields, such as those found within Canada.

Supervisor: Dr. Mike Waddington

Supervisor: Dr. Sean Carey

Since obtaining my Ph. D. degree from Clark University in the United States in 1974, my professional career has been sustained by my belief that mathematics and statistics are useful for achieving insights into real-world problems. This is reflected in the title of my dissertation (An Application of Simultaneous Linear Difference and Differential Equations to the Analysis of Interregional Population Dynamics) and in the use of various multivariate statistical models in my research.

I consider myself to be a Population Geographer and a Demographer. The substantive scope of my research and teaching covers mainly internal and international migration processes and partly death and birth processes. The geographical areas of my research interests span more than half a dozen countries, with Canada, the United States, and Japan being the main ones.

After becoming a Professor Emeritus in 2010, I have not only continued migration research but also broadened my research into medical and soil sciences. In the new fields, I have participated in pre-existing research teams, in which the high-quality data gave me the opportunities to continue developing my statistical skills for achieving greater insights into real-world problems (e.g. mortality risks of ICU patients and emissions of CO2 from soil).

Supervisor: Dr. Janok Bhattacharya

My PhD research work will be devoted to examining the sequence stratigraphy and facies architecture of the Cretaceous Gallup Sandstone in the San Juan Basin, New Mexico. The research will focus on the following aspects:

1. High-resolution Sequence stratigraphy, shoreline trajectory, and implications for Cretaceous sea-level changes.
2. Facies architecture of asymmetrical storm and wave- influenced deltas.
3. Non-marine sequence stratigraphy of the Gallup and Crevasse Canyon formations, New Mexico.
4. Forced regressions and link between the marine and non-marine expression.
5. Analysis of the origin of thin-beds in pro-delta shale.
6. Paleohydraulics and sediment budget in Source to Sink Systems

Dr. Gita Ljubicic is a Geographer with training in the natural and social sciences, who works primarily at the intersection of cultural and environmental geography. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to respecting and learning from Indigenous knowledge alongside science in order to address complex socio-ecological issues. She and her research team are dedicated to a cooperative, community-driven approach to research that involves developing and fostering working relationships with Indigenous experts and organizations throughout all stages of the research process. Gita has primarily worked with Inuit community members and organizations in Nunavut, but through collaborations she have been involved in research with Inuit, M?©tis, and First Nations communities across the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Qu?©bec), and Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador).

Gita has worked with Inuit communities and academic partners to learn from Inuit knowledge about sea ice, caribou, plants, and water in relation to implications of climate change, importance in northern livelihoods and wellbeing, and contributions to decision-making from local to national scales. In all projects the research process itself is an important focus, where she and her team explore: i) collaborative approaches to research; ii) ethics of informed consent in a cross-cultural context; iii) participatory mapping and knowledge representations; and, v) qualitative data management practices. Taken together, the outcomes of learning from Indigenous knowledge, and working together effectively, contribute to efforts to bring together diverse perspectives and evidence for more representative decision-making. Gita and her research team have been engaged in various environmental monitoring, co-management, eduction, and cultural heritage initiatives as an important means of mobilizing research results.

To learn more about Dr. Ljubicic visit https://straightupnorth.ca/gita-ljubicic/, and for the StraightUpNorth team visit https://straightupnorth.ca/team/

Supervisor: Dr. Altaf Arian

Supervisor: Dr. Bruce Newbold
Abstract:

Anthropogenic sources of lead in the environment pose a serious health risk to vulnerable populations. Children that are exposed to sources of lead, primarily via ingestion of leaded soil and paint chips, are at-risk to develop elevated blood lead levels. An elevated blood lead level (EBL) negatively affects the cognitive functioning of a child and can disrupt many developmental stages within the body. A child with an EBL is more likely to have IQ-impairment, which translates to lower lifetime earnings and a burden on the economy. This research will explore the ability of land use regression to uncover the spatial distribution of lead in the city of Hamilton, in comparison to more traditional interpolation techniques (i.e. kriging). Second, this research will explore the interactive effect of air pollution (i.e. PM10 and PM2.5) on the relationship between blood lead levels and academic performance among schoolchildren in Hamilton. Lastly, this research will develop and test a questionnaire to predict whether or not a child may exceed the threshold of two blood lead levels (i.e. 2 micrograms/dL and 5 micrograms/dL) that may cause cognitive impairment. This research will develop a toolkit that can be used to understand the spatial distribution of lead within an urban area, explore environmental health outcomes among schoolchildren and predict blood lead threshold exceedance.

Supervisor: Dr. Lesley Warren
Research Interests:

• Sulphur Biogeochemistry
• Improving environmental practices in the mining industry
• Microbial interactions in freshwater systems

Supervisor: Dr. Altaf Arain

Carbon isotopes, climate dynamics and carbon cycling in temperate forests

Abstract:

I am investigating carbon isotope labels in conifer and deciduous temperate forests in southern Ontario. I am linking these labels to historical extreme weather events and regional climate dynamics using meteorological flux data collected at our field sites. My work includes tree-ring analyses of tree bores and discus, carbon isotope extraction and analysis of whole wood, comparisons to meteorological flux data and historical records, and modelling/predicting future trends in regional climate using carbon isotope labels.

Supervisor: Dr. Ed Reinhardt

In the future it will be imperative for local and global governments to make sustainable water resource allocations based on sound scientific inquiry. Knowledge of how coastal groundwater and surface water have been impacted by parameters such as changing sea level, anomalous precipitation events (i.e, droughts, hurricanes), and expanded agriculture will be crucial pieces of information in order to make these important adaptive decisions.

My studies focus on paleoclimate and paleohydrological reconstruction of coastlines using stable isotope geochemistry and microfossils. I am interested in the response of how global hydrology will interact with our changing climate, and in turn how this may impact human life in both the long and short term. In addition to my work with Dr. Reinhardt in the School of Earth, Environment & Society, I will be working with Dr. Nidhi Nagabhatla and the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health through the Water Without Borders program. This is a collaborative degree program that will address the interdisciplinary and cross-boundary issue of global water sustainability using a hands-on policy and rights based approach.

I am also dedicated to the continual improvement of science education, specifically focusing on climate and water centered issues mixed with rights-based environmental sustainability. As a scientist and a student I have learned that no matter how much I personally know, I can never make a difference in this world unless I am able to effectively disseminate my knowledge. I therefore feel committed to improve the efficiency of science education and communication using sound pedagogy and scientific study.

Notice:

Any Students seeking BA. Academic Advising, should contact Kara Salvador, ugadmin@mcmaster.ca, ext. 20122

Dr. Mercier is one of four Teaching Professors in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences. He has been recognized for his teaching excellence and his committment to the student experience.

Dr. Mercier’s teaching interests are primarily focused in the broad, interdisciplinary field of human geography, especially at the introductory level. Dr. Mercier is co-author of Human Geography (Oxford University Press), the market-leader in introductory human geography textbooks.

In addition, Dr. Mercier teaches courses across the many sub-areas of the field of human geography, including: urban (incl. urban planning), economic (incl. globalization), social, population and health, and regional geography (incl. world regional geography, geography of Brazil, etc.).

Dr. Mercier also regularly teaches some of the core methodological courses such as research and field methods, and regularly can be found leading field courses in Toronto every August and San Francisco in February. Dr. Mercier is also the coordinator of the School of Geography & Earth Science’s independent study program.

Not currently accepting graduate students.

Dr. Suzanne Mills adopts a spatial lens to the study of identity, work and labour unions. Over the past 15 years, Mills has developed an expertise on resource and construction employment in northern Canada and has worked with Indigenous communities to critically examine Indigenous employment plans. Suzanne’s research has asked diverse questions such as: How are unions engaging with Indigenous governments and Impact Benefit Agreements? and, How do gender and Indigenous identity influence workers’ experiences of work related mobility? Currently, Mills is leading a research project examining the experiences of LGBTQ+ workers in northern and southwestern Ontario in partnership with Unifor, the United Steelworkers and the Windsor Workers Centre.

Bill Morris, Professor, School of Earth, Environment & Society. His research interests include:

• Application of potential field geophysics and remote sensing techniques to mineral and oil exploration problems.
• Potential field modelling and image analysis.
• 3 Dimensional geological and geophysical modelling
• Data integration and remote predictive geological mapping
• Borehole magnetics surveys for navigation, and subsurface geological modelling
• Application of paleomagnetic, and physical rock property techniques for applications in oil and mineral exploration.

Supervisor: Dr. Allison Williams

Supervisor: Dr. Carolyn Eyles

Sedimentological analysis of glaciated basins, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, Quaternary Geology, Glacial processes and dynamics, Glacial processes and dynamics

Supervisor: Dr. Rob Wilton

My research interest lies in the broad area of environment and health. I am particularly interested in developing therapeutic built environments for autistic children. The significance of this research stems from the fact that Autism is by far the most rapidly advancing childhood disorder in North America. There is an urgent need to rethink the way we design our everyday places and buildings, not only to accommodate the direct and functional needs of autistics but, more importantly, to contribute to their wellbeing.

Using the therapeutic landscape theory (Williams 2007), which explores the healing effects of the environment and the importance of place to physical and mental well-being, my research aims at providing answers to the following questions:

• Using Therapeutic Landscape Approach, what are the physical elements that affect the quality of life of autistic children in their home environment?
• How can these elements be designed (or modified) to create an autism-friendly home environment?

The research will achieve a series of objectives including:

• Understanding the common characteristics of autistics affecting their interaction with the built environment.
• Understanding the common challenges of autistics and their families in their home environment and the physical elements contributing to these challenges.
• Identifying the common home modifications adapted by families to face these challenges.
• Exploring in detail the life experience of families and their quality of life before and after modifications

Supervisor: Dr. Carolyn Eyles

One of South America’s most challenging issues is the rapid and evident retreat of the Andean tropical glaciers that serve as a freshwater supply for many communities. The Peruvian communities in the Santa River Valley on the Western slope of the Cordillera Blanca that lie in the province of Ancash (north of Lima) rely heavily on glacier meltwater for freshwater. My proposed research project aims to better understand the impact retreating glaciers will have on local communities in the Ancash province that rely on meltwater as a freshwater source. It is important to understand the impact that water has on a community’s health, in particular those in developing nations. I am also interested in seeing the social impacts that this rapid deglaciation has had from a social perspective. Water management and water risk, both in water quantity and quality, are of importance in fragile communities such as this.

This is research is meant to further the research mission of the United Nations University – Institute for Water, the Environment and Health which include “three inter-connected and closely linked challenges: ensuring water-health security for everyone on the planet; utilizing the potential for cooperation for water security in shared water resources; and ensuring ample water resources for producing, processing and securing food supply for rising population” (UNU-INWEH, 2015).

Supervisor: Dr. Janok Bhattacharya

Dr. Bruce Newbold is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society (SEES) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He received his PhD in Geography from McMaster University in 1994, and worked at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign between 1994 and 2000 before returning to McMaster in 2000. Since returning to McMaster, he has held Guest Scholar positions at the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, University of California San Diego (2004), and the Medical Research Council’s Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow (2008), a position which included a Fellowship through the Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow. His research interests focus on population issues as they relate to immigration, migration, health, and aging. Recent research has focused on the role of migration in the development and transfer of human capital and income across space, commuting and sustainability questions, the income benefits associated with migration, immigrant health, and immigrant settlement processes.

Current Research:
Immigrant settlement and adjustment issues and internal migration within both the US and Canada. His research has been funded by SSHRC, NSF, and SSRC.

Immigrant health (funded by CIHR) and migration and health related issues within the elderly population.

Supervisor: Dr. Sean Carey

Notice:

Please note: Maureen Padden is on leave January 1-April 30, 2022

Not currently accepting graduate students

Antonio Paez is full professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University. Recent work includes studies on accessibility, spatial filtering, aging and mobility, spatial analysis of qualitative variables, transportation and social exclusion, the influence of the built and social environments on travel behavior, social networks and decision making, telework adoption, and blood donor behavior and trends. Dr. Paez has published widely, and is author or co-author of over 110 papers, many appearing in leading international journals, including Environment and Planning A and B, Urban Studies, Geographical Analysis, Journal of Geographical Systems, Transportation, Journal of Transport Geography, Transportation, Transportation Research Part A, Papers in Regional Science, International Journal of Health Geographics, Growth and Change, and Social Networks. He also co-edited the books Progress in Spatial Analysis: Methods and Applications (published in 2009 as part of Springer’s series Advances in Spatial Science), and Population Loss: The Role of Transportation and Other Issues (published in 2018 as part of Elsevier’s Advances in Transport Policy and Planning Series). He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Geographical Systems, and sits on the editorial boards of Transportation, Journal of Transport Geography, Geographical Analysis, and International Journal of Geographical Information Science, among others.

Yorgos Papageorgiou received his diploma in architecture from the National Technical University of Athens in 1959, his M.C.P. in 1967 and his Ph.D. in 1970, both from the Ohio State University. Between 1963 and 1965 he also attended the Graduate School of Ekistics in Athens. During his studies and throughout his subsequent academic career he has been mainly preoccupied with the spatial organisation of human activity. But the path he took from architecture, to urban design and planning, to economic geography, marks a gradual shift from the small scale to the large and from the applied to the theoretical.

Between 1965 and 1972 he was actively involved with the Architecture and Ekistics Group of Athens. He joined the department of geography at McMaster University in 1970. From 1989 he held a joint appointment with the department of economics. He retired in 2001. For about fifteen years and until 2005 he devoted some of his time to Thirty Bench Wines in the Niagara peninsula as a co-owner and winemaker.

He has visited several universities and institutes during his academic career, including the National Research Foundation of Athens, the Institute of Geography and Spatial Organisation of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the University of California at Santa Barbara, the Universite Catholique de Louvain, the Committee for Systems Analysis of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Erasmus University, the Universite de Bourgogne, the Instituto Ricerche Economico-Sociali del Piemonte, Tilburg University, the National Technical University of Athens, the Politechnico di Torino and Tel-Aviv University. Recognitions for his work include two honorary doctorates (from the Universite Catholique de Louvain and the University of the Aegean) and the induction as a Fellow of the Regional Science Association International.

He has had the good fortune of working with excellent people for many years, and the benefit from these collaborations is clearly reflected throughout his academic work. He generalised the negative exponential density function from a monocentric to a polycentric framework (see G1-3 in Selected Publications) and provided a theoretical rationale for both in E5 and C2 respectively. He pioneered the field on agglomeration (see R3,4, E1,2,12 and C1) and proposed an explanation for the globally observed catastrophic growth of large cities in G7. He developed innovative ways of dealing with the impact of uncertainty and heterogeneity in tastes on urban equilibrium structure and location theory (see E3, R6-8 and G18). He contributed to the study of regional population dynamics by combining evolutionary migration models (mainly drawn from physics) with stochastic utility theory in G12,13. He applied this method to the Canadian regional population system and studied its disequilibrium dynamics in G19,20. Using the theory of extreme-value statistics, he developed in G17 a method that derives from first principles various discrete-choice models either in discrete or in continuous space, including the multinomial logit. He developed models for the analysis of policy issues at the urban, regional and international level (see E7,11 and R11-13). Finally, he has struggled with some fundamental problems (see R5,9, G15 and E6,8). He currently works primarily on urban origins (see, for example, C1) and on imperfect public choice.

The price he paid for working across disciplines is that he had to settle on a margin, never quite accepted by those in another discipline, nor quite rejected by those in his own discipline.

My research focuses on the effects of urbanization and land-use change on the geomorphic processes of rivers. I use a combination of fieldwork, laboratory, and GIS research methods to better understand sediment transport processes, morphologic adjustments, and physical habitat characteristics of urban rivers. I am particularly interested in urban river restoration and management, specifically on assessing the performance of traditional restoration designs and in the development of novel river management strategies using the most advanced science and technology.

Examples of exciting new approaches my research employs:

• Synthetic sediment tracers with remote burial depth data acquisition (‚ÄòWobblestones’)
• Gravel augmentation to rehabilitate urban rivers
• Measuring geomorphic parameters using UAV (drone) based imaging
• Citizen science for geomorphic monitoring

Much of my research focuses on urban rivers in Southern Ontario, which provide an excellent example of heavily-urbanized and managed fluvial environments. I have also worked with salmon habitat restoration projects in British Columbia.

My research primarily focuses on the structural, tectonic and magmatic evolution of continental margins, including the adjacent onshore areas and offshore sedimentary basins. I am particularly interested in rifting and breakup, rift-related magmatism, structural inheritance and mantle dynamics.

Geographically, my work to date has focused on the continental margins of the North Atlantic and surrounding regions including: Newfoundland, Greenland, Jan Mayen, Labrador and the UK/Irish margin. The nature of my work requires a multifaceted approach incorporating a wide variety of approaches and methodologies such as: seismic interpretation, field-based studies, numerical modelling, petrology, structural modelling and geochemistry

Supervisor: Dr. Joe Boyce

Supervisor: Dr. Joe Boyce

Supervisor: Dr. James Smith

Supervisor: Dr. Rob Wilton

Supervisor: Dr. Sang-Tae Kim

Summary: Léa Ravensbergen is an Assistant Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University. Her critical transport research explores how cities can foster more sustainable transport systems in an equitable manner. She uses a combination of qualitative (interviews, mobile ethnography, participatory mapping, observations) and quantitative (survey analysis, GIS) methods to uncover barriers to walking, cycling, and public transport. Much of her recent work has focused on gender-equity in active travel and age-friendly transport planning.

Dr. Eduard G. Reinhardt is a micropaleontologist studying how groundwater condition changed over climate cycles using cave sediments. His recent research in the Yucatan of Mexico focusses on reconstructing the potability of groundwater through drought cycles during the late Holocene. This has implications for the decline of Maya civilizations but also for future groundwater management in the coastal zone.

Supervisor: Dr. Antonio Paez

Accessibility, Built Environments and Travel Behaviour, Active Transportation (Walking and Cycling) and Physical Activity, Spatial Statistics and Econometrics

Thesis Summary: Abstract:

Parks are key components of urban environments. In addition to their intrinsic environmental value, parks serve a number of valuable social functions. In particular, urban parks help promote physical activity and thus help reduce the risk of obesity and other adverse health outcomes. In order to enjoy the beneficial opportunities for activities in parks, users must have reasonable access to these resources. Previous research has explored the question of inequality in accessibility to parks, as this may be a limiting factor in terms of usage, and a source of disparities in health outcomes. A starting point for inquiries about park utilization and the potential benefits of urban green spaces must begin with an assessment of their geographical accessibility. Of particular interest, in terms of potential users of parks, are children. The geographical range of children is limited by their ability to traverse space using non-motorized or public modes of transportation, and by their dependence on adults for other forms of motorized mobility. The objective of this research is to measure accessibility to urban parks from the perspective of children traveling by non-motorized modes. The research aim is to evaluate the relationship between the distribution of children population and the conditions of accessibility to urban parks, in order to understand the potential for use and possible spatial disparities in the distribution of valuable environmental resources. The case study is the City of Montreal, and the implementation of accessibility is supported by a geographically detailed analysis of the travel behaviour of children.

Supervisor: Dr. Joe Boyce

Dr. Jack Rink came to McMaster University in 1992 after completing his Ph.D. at Florida State University and an NSF-NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Cambridge, where he began his career in geochronology. Dr. Rink has won teaching awards and a research excellence award in his time at McMaster. His early work in concert with archaeologists and palaeontologists focused on the dating Palaeolithic sites in the Middle East, Europe, China and Indonesia. His more famous exploits include dating of Homo floresiensis (the hobbit) and Gigantopithecus blackii fossils (the latter being considered by some to be relevant to the Bigfoot/Yeti hypothesis). His more recent work involves dating coastal landforms of Holocene and Pleistocene age, and magnetic navigation by sea turtles. He has organized more than 30 international scientific expeditions. Beyond utilizing dating techniques, he has participated in the development of a dating technique for pushing the time range of quartz-sand dating methods for coastal processes into the Pliocene.

Dr. Jack Rink research interests involve luminescence emission and magnetic resonance properties of minerals and biominerals, which are applied to problems in geochronology of the young earth, especially young coastal systems. He mainly uses electron spin resonance dating and luminescence dating as tools in this work, but is also involved in developing better dating methodologies to solve current problems in these areas. His newest area of interest is the use of luminescence properties of minerals to study sand transport in coastal systems, which spans the fields of coastal engineering, landscape evolution, storm recurrence frequency and shipwreck preservation issues in underwater archaeological sites.

Supervisor: Dr. Altaf Arain

Supervisor: Dr. Richard Harris

Supervisor: Dr. Allison Williams

Supervisor: Dr. Greg Slater

Supervisor: Dr. Mike Waddington

Supervisor: Dr. Altaf Arain

Supervisor: Dr. Bruce Newbold

Supervisor: Suzanne Mills

CURRENT RESEARH PROJECTS

Studies of Bone

Our area of research is the investigation of the fundamental properties of bone from many aspects. Bone is the material that bones are made of. It is a natural composite material in which a strong, brittle crystalline material is woven together with a soft, weak material to produce a composite that is strong and resilient. The strong component is a form of the geological mineral apatite, a calcium phosphate, while the soft material is collagen in the form of fibers about 50 nanometers in diameter. Our work focuses on the mineral component and how it is assembled into this marvelous composite. We are working on a number of specific project to investigate this.

Ultrastructure of bone

The crystals of apatite in bone are only 5 nanometers (nm) thick and about 30 to 50 nm wide. Therefore they have to be viewed using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Working at the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM), we have been studying the details of how these crystals are assembled into bone. Here is a typical image showing how the crystals (dark)

Wrap around the fibrils of collagen (light). The scale bar is 200 nm long. We have seen these structures in bones from every kind of vertebrate (fish, reptiles, mammals) and also similar structures are found in the dentin of teeth. We are are trying to learn how these structures form by using imaging methods developed by materials engineers, including ion milling, focused ion beam (FIB) milling, and various TEM methods: bright field, dark field, HAADF, and electron diffraction. The work is being done in collaboration with Gianluigi Botton (director, CCEM) and Prof. Kathryn Grandfield (Dept of Materials Science and Engineering) along with various undergrad and graduate students (Lucy Luo, Dakota Binkley, Ivan Strakhov).

Particular projects under way include the following:

1. Ultrastructural studies of intertubular dentin in human and other teeth, relation to bone structure (Lucy Luo)

2. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) of cross sections of bone to localize collagen and other proteins (Lucy Luo, Carmen Andrei, K. Grandfield)

3. Ultrastructural studies of osteoporotic bone to test for nanometer-scale changes in bone structure (I Strakhov M.Sc project, K. Grandfield and HPS; funded by MccMaster Institute for Research in Aging [MIRA])

4. HAADF analysis of FIB sections of bone to identify larger-scale features (V. Vuong, M.Sc, K. Grandfield, H Schwarcz)

Mechanical modeling of bone

Using the model of bone ultrastructure which we have developed (McNally et al ., 2012) a group at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has been calculating the mechanical behavior of bone under stress. This work is under the direction of Prof. Iwona Jasiuk, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, UIUC. Their computations suggested that the new model provides a closer fit to the observed properties of bone. The work is in collaboration with students Diab Abueidda and Fereshteh Sabet. Future studies will include using atomic force microscopy to measure the mechanical characteristics of single apatite platelets (“mineral lamellae”) extracted from bone.

Chemical composition of osteons and bone

With advancing age, mammalian bone is gradually replaced by new bone material (remodeling) in the form of cylindrical structures about 150 micrometers (μm) in diameter, called osteons. It is believed that the composition of the bone in these replacement structures differs from that in the replaced primary bone. We are studying this phenomenon, and other related issues, using the electron microprobe (EMP). This device allows us to determine the complete chemical composition of bone at multiple μm-sized spots and track changes in composition across volumes of bone that have grown at different times. The analyses of Ca and P also allow us to learn about variations in the nature of the apatite mineral that is present in bone. This work is being done at Western University in collaboration with Marc Beauchamp, and with McMaster personnel Dakota Binkley (M.Sc candidate), Kathryn Grandfield and HPS.

Other research interests
Stable isotope geochemistry, forensic analyses of human bone, paleodiet of ancient populations, human migration, Quaternary paleoclimate, speleothems

Dr. Darren Scott is a Professor in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences at McMaster University where he teaches courses in Geographic Information Science. Dr. Scott was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Geosciences at the University of Louisville between 1999 and 2002, and held a Visiting Research Professor position at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Zurich) in 2008. Dr. Scott’s undergraduate degree is in geography (BA. Honors and Co-op, 1991), with graduate degrees also in geography from the University of Western Ontario (MA, 1994) and McMaster University (PhD, 2000). Dr. Scott has published over eightly refereed journal articles in leading transportation, regional science, and urban studies journals. Dr. Scott’s research program has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation of the United States (NSF), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and Geomatics for Informed Decisions (GEOIDE), among other funding agencies. In 2008, Dr. Scott established a research lab – TransLAB – in the School of Earth, Environment & Society where advanced transportation research is conducted by students working under his supervision.

Supervisor: Dr. Rob Wilton

Supervisor: Dr. Antonio Paez

Supervisor: Dr. Janok Bhattacharya

My current research project is focused on regional sequence stratigraphy and facies architecture analysis of the Gallup Sandstone. The stratigraphic framework currently available for the Gallup Sandstone focusses pre-dominantly on lithofacies without any sequence stratigraphic implications. I plan to use isochronous Bentonite beds as datum to provide control on age to aid high-resolution regional correlation. The vertical facies stacking trends obtained from meticulous study of outcrops will be linked with shoreline trajectory analysis to identify and map the depositional systems and systems tracts. These steps will help in producing a stratigraphic framework of the Gallup Sandstone in true sequence stratigraphic sense. Carrying out facies and architecture element analysis to distinguish tributive, trunk and distributive systems and establishing the relative influence of wave, river and tidal processes on the shallow marine deposits of the Gallup Sandstone will also be another major focus of the research. The outcome of the facies analysis will be further used in paleo-hydraulic estimates of the rivers and source-to-sink mass balance studies and tracking of dynamic boundaries like bayline and backwater.

Supervisor: Dr. Sean Carey

Nadine has started her PhD and will be working in Yukon helping further our understanding of hydrological processes in cold environments.

Supervisor: Dr. Sean Carey

My research focuses on understanding the fate and transport of organic compounds, organic contaminants in particular, in the environment and on the microbial processes which control carbon cycling in both contaminated and natural environments. Research in my lab uses both traditional and novel techniques to investigatequestions relating to topics ranging from organic contaminant sources and biodegradation in the environment to the metabolic processes and bio-signatures associated with microbial metabolism and carbon cycling in extreme environments. The common theme in this research is to understand the fundamental processes that control the environment around us and the impact that life, including industrial society, has on the environment and vice versa.

Supervisor: Dr. Niko Yiannakoulias

My primary research interests are in Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology. That includes Contaminant Fate and Transport within the subdisciplines of Hydrogeology (below the water table) and Vadose Zone Hydrology (above the water table). I am particularly interested in the study of multiphase flow and unsaturated flow in porous media, i.e. when more than one fluid is present. My research approach emphasises highly controlled laboratory based experiments to investigate primary mechanisms and processes controlling fluid flow and contaminant transport. In addition, numerical modelling is used to analyse laboratory and field data, design further experiments, and investigate the potential implications of the research results.

This research improves and extends our fundamental understanding of Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology and the technologies used in Groundwater and Soil Contamination Investigations, Monitoring, Simulation, and Remediation.

Supervisor: Dr. Sean Carey

Victor’s MSc work invovles automating hydrograph and rainfall-runoff analysis. He also is working to integrate GIS into hydrograph analysis.

Supervisor: Dr. Altaf Arain

Supervisor: Dr. Darren Scott

Supervisor: Dr. Eduard Reinhardt

Majed is a micropaleontologist studying paleoenvironment conditions of the Upper Cretaceous Ferron-Notom Delta, Utah, USA. He is implementing foraminifera and thecamoebians as proxies to investigate the marine influences, transition zones and paleoenvironmental physiochemical of the Ferron-Notom delta. His project is in conjunction with a sequence stratigraphic study conducted on the Ferron Sandstone member to characterize and construct complete deltaic facies and architecture models by Dr. Janok Bhattacharya and his team. The extant understanding of the Ferron “Notom Delta” sequence stratigraphy and its facies associations is well documented and understood. However, this is limited to physical criteria including sedimentology, and lithostratigraphy, but as many as ancient systems are lacking physiochemical criteria, such as salinity, temperature, organic content, oxygen concentrations as well as sea-level fluctuations. In Holocene / Quaternary environments, the integration of both approaches (physical and physiochemical) are attainable; therefore, paleoenvironment reconstructions are possible.

On the other hand, ancient systems (e.g., Ferron Sandstone) can be investigated from physical criteria, but it is difficult to subdivide or classify these systems because they have undergone modification by post-depositional diagenetic processes (taphonomic processes), which lead to missing one or more of the physiochemical criteria (Scott et al., 2001). In order to address these knowledge gaps Majed’s study will implement foraminifera and thecamoebians as proxies to investigate Ferron-Notom Delta. This approach will combine sequence stratigraphy with detailed micropaleontological data of mud sediments to refine the understanding of the fluvial-deltaic sedimentary facies with regard physiochemical criteria and use it to identify the Ferron-Notom Delta sub-environments and lay down the foundation for future studies. Both assemblages will help us to determine the paleoenvironmental parameters mentioned above by comparing this study’s species with modern analogs. Taking into consideration the preservation status and other taphonomic processes that may have a direct or indirect impact on the identification of these species to species level so that the morphogroups analysis will be considered. Recent studies showed that it is possible to define sequence systems tract from foraminiferal biofacies general trends; therefore, this can be applied to produce models interpreting the various systems tract of the Ferron ‚ÄúNotom Delta.‚Äù

Supervisor: Dr. Bruce Newbold

Supervisor: Dr. Mike Waddington

Dr. James Michael Waddington’s research in ecohydrology studies the ecological and hydrological processes that underlie the structure and function of wetlands and watershed ecosystems and the distribution, movement, and quality of water.

With our research foundation firmly in hydrology and by adopting a watershed ecosystems framework, we use innovative field experimental manipulations and ecohydrological modelling to understand watershed interactions of water, vegetation, soil and greenhouse gas exchange. Our research examines the effects of wildfire, drought and resource extraction on watershed ecohydrology with a focus on ecosystems, such as peatlands, that may be sensitive to changes in hydrology. We are developing new hydrological and modelling tools for resource managers, fire managers and our industrial partners.

Supervisor: Dr. Gail Krantzberg

I am interested in using the comparative policy development approach to respond to challenges related to sustainable groundwater access in the Great Lakes Basin. Drawing from the transboundary European Water Framework policy, and expected trends in fluxes in and out of the Basin driven by anthropogenic demand and climate change, I am hoping to propose a revised, harmonised, transboundary policy between the USA and Canada that will ensure sustained availability of groundwater for all users.

Supervisor: Dr. Antonio Paez

Research Interests: Experiential learning and reflection; Sustainability education, Interdisciplinary education, Human-environment interactions; Assessment in higher education

Kate Whalen is a PhD candidate in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences at McMaster University. Recent interests include exploring the extensive history of geography education in providing a platform to foster human and environment interactions and experiential learning. Kate is currently working to understand the role of experience in the learning process with a focus on reflection as a tool for teaching and learning. Kate holds a Master of Arts from McMaster University. Kate previously developed and managed McMaster’s Office of Sustainability before spearheading the development and management of McMaster’s Academic Sustainability Programs Office starting in 2014.

The role of experience in the learning process can be easily understood by reflecting on some common real-life examples, such as a situation where one has learned something new through experimentation, stumbled upon a great idea through taking part in a new activity or felt the consequences of a big mistake. A review of the literature shows a long history of research into the role of experience in the learning process, which has been conducted by researchers including John Dewey (Dewy’s Model of Learning), Kaurt Lewin (The Lewinian Model of Action Research and Laboratory Training), and David Kolb (Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theoryto name a few. The body of knowledge on this topic extends to include a plethora of related information on topics such as student learning styles, planned behavior, surface versus deep learning as well as tools and techniques for educators including community-based learning, problem based learning and reflective writing. While there is much agreement that experience plays a role in learning, we are interested in learning what other components of the experiential learning process contribute to deep and life-long learning.

Supervisor: Dr. Paulin Coulibaly

Supervisor: Dr. Mike Waddington

My research for the Ecohydrology lab is based around peatland hydrology and its effects on resilience and recovery after disturbance by wildfire. Fieldwork, primarily in the Utikuma Region Study Area in the Western Boreal Plain, will develop our understanding of the natural systems, pre and post disturbance. I have specific interests in the role of margin areas and feedbacks in the peatland ecosystems. This knowledge will be used to inform an existing peatland hydrology model and used to test thresholds of ecosystem collapse with respect to disturbance.

Dr. Allison Williams is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society. She is trained as a health geographer in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research. She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from Bishop’s University, a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, and a Doctor of Philosophy from York University. In 2008. She engages in social justice research to inform policy and program change. Most recently, she is leading a partnership grant to create carer-inclusive workplaces.

Dr. Robert Wilton earned a Hons. B.A. at the University of Hull (UK) and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. His research is broadly concerned with the social geographies of exclusion. He is interested in (1) the ways that some groups within society are excluded from valued environments, (2) the ways in which this exclusion reproduces the marginal or problem status of such groups, and (3) the capacity of such groups to contest their exclusion. Much of his research has focused specifically on the experiences of people with disabilities. His doctoral work, for example, examined the origins of community opposition to housing for disabled persons. More recently, his work has focused on three topics. He is completing SSHRC-funded research on the exclusion of disabled persons from spaces of paid employment, and the strategies used by individuals to overcome this exclusion. He is working with a coalition of people living with mental illness to document the negative impacts of poverty and poor housing on quality of life and social participation.

Supervisor: Dr. Lesley Warren

Dr. Ming-ko (Hok) Woo studied Geography and Geology at the University of Hong Kong, and obtained his doctoral degree from the University of British Columbia. He is a Professional Hydrologist of the American Institute of Hydrology, a Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America; and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Dr. Woo has conducted field investigations in the far North for four decades, working in a range of environments, from the polar desert of the High Arctic, subapline woodlands in the subarctic, to the extensive wetlands of Hudson Bay Lowlands. He has also studied drought problems in the semi-arid Sahel of northern Nigeria and the Canadian Prairies, soil erosion in subtropical south China, climate variability and hydrology of large-basins in northwestern Canada. He was recognized with the Award for Scholarly Distinction from the Canadian Association of Geographers and with the prestigious Tuzo Wilson Medal from the Canadian Geophysical Union; the latter organization also has established in his honour the Woo Lectures in Hydrology, delivered annually by invited speakers. He was conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo for his outstanding and pioneering work in the fields of cold-regions hydrology, wetland ecosystems, and hydrological modelling. He takes pride in his former students and research associates who have successfully trained and mentored generations of practitioners and instructors in the fields of Hydrology and Environmental Science.

Supervisor: Dr. Janok Bhattacharya

Dr. Niko Yiannakoulias came to McMaster University in 2007 after completing his PhD at the University of Alberta in 2006. His primary fields of interest include environmental health and geographic information science (GISci). He has done applied work in the areas of environmental health, transportation safety, mental health and crime. He has developed methods for analyzing spatial patterns of disease, solving political districting problems, geographic crime profiling and public health surveillance. Dr. Yiannakoulias’ research has been funded primarily by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSRHC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

Research Interests:

1. Environmental health

• Understanding and characterizing interactions between the environment and human health
• Understanding spatial-temporal structures in infectious disease
• Geographic health surveillance
• Paediatric injury and the social and physical environment

2. Environmental risk analysis and risk communication

• Associations between environmental decision making and risk perception
• Risk communication systems for rare events
• Risk mitigation strategies
• Research game approaches to environmental policy analysis

3. Agent-based models of human and environment interaction

• Developing agent-based models to observe the emergence of spatial patterns in cooperative and competitive social environments
• Studying how changes in social behaviour (such as immunization) interact with the evolution of disease virulence in pathogenic microorganisms
• Agent-based models for infectious disease control and planning
• Environmental games and game theory

Supervisor: Dr. Gail Krantzberg