TSE Seminar Series

Informally meet colleagues, professors, and guest speakers; learn about ongoing research and issues related to the environment

Free and open to all members of the Trent community and the public

2024-25 Seminars:

Friday, November 15th, 3:00-4:00 pm, CCN M2

Dr Sae Yun Kwon is an associate professor at the Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea, who uses mercury stable isotopes as a tracer to identify sources, biogeochemical pathways, and fate of mercury in various natural ecosystems. 

Mercury exposure determined by unique oxidation pathways in low, mid, and high latitude ocean food webs

Mercury (Hg) has gained its famous name as a global pollutant due to its pervasive nature, ability to cross continental boundaries, and difficulty of tracking its source of emission to ecosystem exposure. For a long time, it has been regarded that atmospheric Hg(0) oxidation followed by wet and dry deposition supply majority of Hg found in marine waters and biota. Recent studies, however, suggest that riverine/continental export and direct Hg(0) dissolution into seawater are more important as a source to the open ocean. Hg stable isotopes have played an instrumental role in deciphering Hg sources and exposure pathways in aquatic ecosystems. In particular, 200Hg anomalies, which occur exclusively via tropospheric oxidation, has served as a tracer for distinguishing between atmospheric Hg(0) and Hg(II) depositional pathways. Over the past years, my research group has characterized Hg isotope ratios in atmospheric samples, seawater, zooplankton, and fish in low (Indian Ocean), mid (west and central Pacific Ocean), and high-latitude oceans (Beaufort and Chukchi Sea). The results depict a clear 200Hg dichotomy, in which the samples from mid-latitude oceans have distinctly positive 200Hg relative to negative 200Hg observed in low and high-latitude oceans. This indicates that, while mid-latitude ocean biota accumulate Hg(II) that has undergone oxidation in the high troposphere, low and high-latitude oceans are influenced by Hg sourced from Hg(0). In the Arctic, we hypothesize that Hg(0) that has undergone near-surface oxidation via halogen and sea salt aerosols explain unusually elevated Hg levels reported in the Arctic fish, mammals, and polar bear. In the low latitude, Hg(0) originated from geogenic sources (hydrothermal vents, upwelling) supply Hg available for oxidation and methylation to marine food web. Our broad observations of Hg isotopes in marine biota shed new light into the specific sources and oxidation pathways leading to Hg exposure in marine biota.

Friday, November 22nd, 3:00-4:00 pm, CCN M2

Trent Alumni: Crash courses in planning: affordable housing, private sector planning, and suburban design

A panel Q&A featuring former TSE students now working in urban planning

Sarah Furlong, Community Designer, Bousfields Inc.: Community Design: Putting Policy to Paper

Sarah is a Community Designer for Bousfields Inc. Sarah has BA (Hons) Geography degree from Trent University and Planning Technician diploma from Mohawk College with a passion of designing and bettering communities. Sarah is profoundly interested in urban development and design and has work experience with AutoCAD, ArcGIS, and SketchUp software as well as creating Concept Plans, Draft Plans of Subdivision, Official Plan & Zoning By-law Amendments and Schedules.

Graham Hendren, Housing Development Planner, York Region: Affordable Housing + NIMBYISM

Graham Hendren is a housing development planner for the Regional Municipality of York. He is a LEGO enthusiast turned city builder. His work involves obtaining development approvals for new community (affordable), emergency and transitional housing developments, public engagement and consultation, and housing-related policy research. He has a Master of Planning in Urban Development from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Geography from Trent University. 

Kaitlin Webber, Intermediate Planner, MHBC: Private Sector Planning

Kaitlin Webber is a planner at MHBC. She provides a range of planning consulting services to both public and private sector clients. Kaitlin regularly assists with obtaining various development approvals including Plan of Subdivisions, Site Plans, Official Plan Amendments, Zoning By-law Amendments, Consents and Minor Variances. Kaitlin is a graduate of the Master of Arts in Planning program at the University of Waterloo (2022). She also holds a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University (2018) and a Bachelor of Arts from Trent University (2017) with a major in Geography and a minor in French Studies.

Friday January 17th, 3:00-4:00 pm ONLINE

Saleh Ahmed, Michigan State University