START Speaker Series

The Student and Trainee Advisory Round Table (START) is pleased to present the START Speaker Series—an initiative designed to foster engagement and collaboration among students, researchers, and Biosphere Reserve/Region partners around key transdisciplinary themes. This series provides a platform for knowledge exchange, aiming to spotlight relevant research topics, share ongoing studies, and spark dialogue that bridges transdisciplinary insights with real-world challenges in Biosphere Reserve/Region management. Through these sessions, START seeks to create a vibrant forum for sharing expertise, generating innovative ideas, and strengthening connections across the TRANSECTS community.

Dr. Parmveer Singh - How I Chose Transdisciplinary Research for My PhD

Dr. Parmveer Singh launches the START Speaker Series with his presentation, “How I Chose Transdisciplinary Research for My PhD and What I Learned.” Dr. Singh is interested in transdisciplinary research, program development and evaluation, and community-based participatory research. In the TRANSECTS project, he contributes to research, teaching, and evaluation initiatives.
    

Dr. Garrett Richards - Strategies for Short-Term Partnered Research Projects

Dr. Garrett Richards works at the intersection of environmental policy and community-based research. He leads collaborative, real-world projects with partner organizations, focusing on climate change, renewable energy, and sustainability. In TRANSECTS, he contributes to continuing education for transdisciplinary competencies.
      

Kristina Penn - Implementing Calls to Action Toward Reconciliation in Graduate Research

Kristina Penn is a PhD candidate in Geography at the University of Calgary. She received an MSc in Geography from the University of Calgary and a BSc in Geography from the University of Toronto.  Kristina's doctoral research studies the water balance of Łù’àn Män (Kluane Lake), which is the largest lake in the Yukon Territory. Her study was informed by and addresses the questions of local Kluane residents and First Nation members about water resource security, current water sources for the lake, and future changes in the resource availability and their impacts. Kristina has brought perspectives and lessons from her research to the national and international research communities through participation in an international field school, serving on university faculty and graduate student committees, and as co-chair on an Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) working group. Kristina is currently the Chair of APECS Canada, and Vice-President of Girls* on Ice Canada, where she co-founded the Yukon Expedition. 

At the June speaker series, Kristina Penn discusses the process, challenges, and successes of leading a community-based and community-engaged PhD research project in the physical sciences.

Arctic Science to Art contest: https://apecscanada.wixsite.com/ehpecs/as2a