Finding a Supervisor

Graduate Opportunities in Physical Geography

	Dr. Peter Ashmore I am looking for Masters and PhD students with an interest in fluvial geomorphology to work on projects related to the river morpho-dynamics, especially of gravel-bed and mixed gravel/non-alluvial channels, with applications to river management, restoration, response to short-term environmental change, and eco-geomorphology. The research involves both field studies and experimental work in a large river-modeling flume on campus. There are possible exchange and field work opportunities in Canada, Italy, and UK. The research is funded primarily by NSERC grants from which field costs and summer support can be provided. [webpage] [email]
	Dr. Katrina Moser My research is focused on using records of water quality and quantity preserved in lake sediments to determine past climate change and its impacts. I recently established the Lakes and Reservoirs Systems Research Facility at the University of Western Ontario, which is a state-of-the-art facility for paleolimnological research. Much of my research has focused on northern and alpine areas, but I am presently starting a new project in southern Ontario, which is focused on looking at the impacts of climate and landscape change on lake systems. I am looking for 1-2 graduate students to work on this project. [webpage] [email]
	Dr. Chris Smart Current work focuses on surface-groundwater interactions at the mesoscale. New projects are planned looking at hydrological restoration using enhanced groundwater recharge in Medway Creek, distributed monitoring for water quality and karst groundwater flow in south western Ontario. [webpage] [email]
	Dr. Phil Stooke I am interested in students who are studying in the areas of cartography, history of cartography, historical maps, or in any aspects of space exploration including space history, planetary mapping and geology. At present I do not have funds to support a student through the summer, but co-supervisory arrangements may be worked out. [webpage] [email]
	Dr. Marco Van De Wiel I am looking for 2 MSc or PhD students who are interested in computer modeling of landscape evolution, or in interactions between ecological processes (colonization, succession, decay) and geomorphological processes (erosion and deposition) within a landscape. Possible topics include development of new algorithms in landscape evolution modeling; field-based calibration and validation of landscape evolution models (Rocky Mountains, or Wales); application of agent-based approaches in modeling spatial dynamics. Candidates are also welcome to suggest their own ideas for research in computational geomorphology. [webpage] [email]
	Dr. James Voogt Project: Micro and Urban scale modeling of green roofs in Canada. (MSc) As part of an NSERC Strategic Research Project, an MSc student is required to perform evaluations of numerical models of urban climate that incorporate green roof simulations and to undertake simulations of how select Canadian cities may be impacted by green roofs. The project calls for testing of the Town Energy Balance (TEB) model, originally described in Masson (2000) using data collected from project roof test sites. We will then use the model to represent typical areas of Canadian cities to evaluate the potential impact of green roofs on Canadian urban climates. Part of this work calls for use of the new Canadian off-line urban modeling tool developed at Environment Canada. Project: Surface Urban Heat Island Analysis (PhD, MSc or BSc) A number of potential projects are available that seek to better understand the surface urban heat island and its relation to urban climate. Projects range from analysis of existing tower and remotely sensed datasets from aircraft and satellites to those that may involve a substantial modeling component. Project: Time series analysis of thermal imagery for urban surface property characterization (MSc) Time series of remotely-sensed urban surface temperature, used in conjunction with micrometeorological theory and numerical models may be used to determine various properties of the urban surface. This project will use existing and possibly new data to explore the application of this technique to urban environments. Further information on these projects can be found on my webpage. [webpage] [email]
	Dr. Jinfei Wang My research interests are in remote sensing. Current projects include: a) 2D and 3D urban feature extraction from high resolution optical and LiDAR remote sensing images and its applications in hazard studies; b) Development of object-based classification algorithms for man-made and natural feature extraction; c) Polarimetry SAR data analysis for land use and land cover mapping and feature extraction; d) Hyperspectral data analysis for urban and wetland vegetation change detection and applications; Remote sensing applications in urban, mountainous and wetland areas. [webpage] [email]
	Dr. Adam Yates My research blends aquatic ecology with landscape analysis to develop and apply techniques for the assessment of the effects of human activities on ecological conditions of riverine ecosystems with the purpose of generating knowledge and decision support tools for watershed management. The research is strongly focused on field studies with an integral landscape analysis component using GIS. I am currently looking for MSc and PhD students to conduct research projects in Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick in partnership with Environment Canada, the Canadian Rivers Institute and other universities. Summer funding, travel and exchange opportunities are available. [webpage] [email]