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It takes a village
The Boreal Wetland Reclamation Assessment Program is led by a team of scientists and students who investigate effects of environmental disturbance on aquatic systems.
Jan Ciborowski, PhD
Principal Investigator Professor,
Department of Biological Sciences,
University of Calgary
Dr. Jan Ciborowski received his PhD from the University of Alberta studying how the flow patterns in a river interact with aquatic invertebrate swimming and drifting behaviour to determine the organisms’ microdistribution. He broadened his research in aquatic ecology as a professor at the University of Windsor, developing interests in aquatic ecotoxicology and studying the role of benthic invertebrates in the transfer of contaminants from sediments into the food web. Working first in western Lake Erie and later in wetlands of the Great Lakes and the Alberta oil sands region, he has been interested in the effects of environmental disturbance on aquatic systems, especially how our use of the landscape affects vegetation, invertebrates & fishes, and the food web in wetlands and at river mouths.
Mir Mustafizur Rahman, PhD
Research Scientist
Mustafizur is a Geospatial Scientist, developing innovative geospatial solutions for understanding and monitoring the physical environment at different scales, whether within multi-faced and diverse urban settings or broader natural settings. The ultimate goal of his research is to continue working towards a flexible and holistic approach for the use of geospatial tools in large-area resource management.
Michael Wendlandt
M.Sc. Student
Michael Wendlandt is from Calgary, Alberta. He has a BSc in Environmental Science from Mount Royal University (2020). Michael is finishing his MSc. thesis, which focuses on the water budget of opportunistic wetlands forming within newly constructed or altered landscapes, primarily using stable isotopes and radon as hydrological tracers. During his undergrad, he found a passion for aqueous chemistry and water management, working as a research assistant studying urban wetlands. He also has his Journeyman red seal certificate as an Instrumentation Technician with eight years of experience in the Alberta energy sector.
Ashlee Mombourquette
M.Sc. Student
Ashlee Mombourquette is from Calgary, Alberta and recently graduated from the Environmental Science Degree Program at the University of Lethbridge. In her spare time she is often hiking, camping, fishing, and identifying flora and fauna along the way. When she is unable to make it out adventuring, she is learning to play the guitar or reading literature about peatlands and fungi.
Elizabeth Gillis
MSc Student
Elizabeth is from Calgary, Alberta and is currently completing her MSc thesis on the succession of plant community and root-associated fungi in young wetlands. After completing her Honours project for her BSc in Ecology (University of Calgary, 2021) on wetland plant community succession, she developed a passion for wetland plants and decided to expand and continue her research for her MSc. In her free time, she enjoys camping, hiking, canoeing, skiing, and nature photography
Hannah Porter
MSc Student
Hannah Porter is from Calgary, AB and is completing her MSc thesis on the influence of wetland permanence on aquatic macroinvertebrate community composition. She completed her BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary, where she developed a passion for insects, teaching, and research. In her spare time, she enjoys fishkeeping, gardening, camping, and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Genevieve Rodrigues
Bsc
Genevieve Rodrigues is from Calgary, AB and completed her BSc in Environmental Science concentrating in Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary. She completed an honours thesis on the use of Gastropoda as bioindicators of wetland health in landscapes reclaimed from oil sands mining, and is currently working as a field technician. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, camping, hiking, and creating music.
Andy Yu
Summer Assistance 2023
Andy Yu is from Calgary, Alberta, currently finishing his third year in his Bsc in Ecology. When not in school, he leads an active physical lifestyle centered around jogging and rock climbing. He also loves hiking, being with his family, singing and playing guitar, and drinking lots of coffee.
Veronica Dvorak
Summer Assistance 2023
Veronica Dvorak is from Vancouver, British Columbia and is finishing the third year of her BSc in Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Biological Sciences. When she isn’t studying, she loves playing sports, spending time with friends, reading, and being outdoors!
Hunter Jackson
Summer Assistance 2023
Hunter is a 4th year undergraduate student studying ecology at the University of Calgary. Growing up in rural Alberta he gained a passion for the outdoors which has led him to pursue his interests in native habitat reclamation and preservation. He especially has a great appreciation for Alberta's native flora! Outside the lab, Hunter is an active member of the Calgary hip hop dance community and enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and camping.
Camille Sinanan
Lab Admin
Camille held several positions at the University of Calgary before joining BWARP as its part-time Administrative Manager. She works with Dr. Ciborowski and his team to facilitate the development and implementation of BWRAP’s research initiatives as well as coordinate program operations and provide funds oversight. She enjoys exploring new opportunities and working with a diverse team of very talented individuals.
Richard Zeng, PhD
Research Associate
Richard is working in role of Geospatial Research Technician, providing technical support for team members as well as developing software tools to manage and analyze geospatial data generated during research activities. Richard has rich experiences in remote sensing and GIS on both software development and data processing. He is interested in web-based geospatial data analysis, machine learning applications in remote sensing and drone related data automation.
Maverick Fong
Geospatial / GIS Technician
Maverick under-graduated in Surveying and Information Technology. He has years of oversea surveying experience using total stations, GNSS, and UAV to collect data; create and maintain geospatial data, create maps in the ArcGIS enterprise environment in the past employments. He also finished in the Bachelor of Applied Technology Geographic Information Systems at SAIT. Integrating the field surveying experiences with GIS skills has made him ready for the challenge of real-world applications.
BWRAP Alums
Jeremy Hartsock, PhD,
Research Scientist / Post-Doc Fellow 2022
Brenten Vercruysse,
M.Sc. Student, 2019-2022
Liam Mebesius,
M.Sc. Student,
Summer Research Assistant 2020-2021
Steven Blair,
M.Sc. Student,
Summer Research Assistant 2020
Emily Moore,
Summer Research Assistant 2020
Jacob Kraft
Summer Assistant 2022
Faith Nayko
Summer Assistant 2022
Extraordinary experiences
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Our Core Values
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