Brianna Salmon, M.A. Sustainability Studies, Orillia ON
Trent University’s Brianna Salmon is one of two in the first graduating class of the Master of Arts in Sustainability Studies of 2012. Ms. Salmon’s interest in sustainable transportation was piqued while working at local Peterborough Green Up. Her research at the master’s level in the Sustainability program allowed her to “meaningfully engage members of the Trent and Peterborough communities in the development of strategies to increase the viability of cycling at Symons campus.”
“My experience at Trent has reinforced my interest in transportation planning and programming, and has given me a solid foundation of knowledge from which to approach the pernicious challenge we face.” ~Brianna Salmon
What was the best thing about studying at Trent?
The opportunity to engage with professors and peers in an academic environment very much broadened my thinking on issues of sustainability. However, the opportunity to understand how interdisciplinary research can be applied in a local context through community engagement was certainly among the most enriching experiences I’ve had. The Sustainability Studies is a unique and valuable program and I am pleased to be among the first graduates.
What kinds of activities did you participate in at Trent that had an impact on your personal development and learning while you were here?
While completing my research at Trent I was involved in the development of a bicycle workshop and on-campus bicycle share program. The bicycle workshop, which will be supported by a TCSA student levy acquired by the Peterborough Community Bike Shop in 2011, will be open for use in September 2012 in the Alumni House garage. A bicycle share is presently being developed and will hopefully be rolled out during the 2012 / 2013 school year. I have also been involved with Trent’s Environmental Advisory Board.
What are your plans now that you are graduating?
I am employed at a local environmental non-profit, Peterborough Green-Up, where I am manager of Transportation Programming. At Green-Up, I coordinate a number of community, workplace, and school-based transportation programs designed to encourage and facilitate the use of active and efficient modes of transportation in the city and county of Peterborough. I am also chair of the Peterborough Community Bike Shop’s Board of Directors. The Community Bike Shop operates a workspace in the downtown core, where members can learn to repair their own bicycles with the support of trained mechanics. In addition to the downtown shop, we are presently working to open a bicycle workspace on Symons Campus in an effort to increase the viability of utilitarian cycling on campus.
Why did you become interested in this field of study? How did your interest develop during your time at Trent? My interest in sustainable transportation arose from my work at Peterborough Green-Up and in the Peterborough community. My research at Trent has afforded me an opportunity to reflect on the local initiatives and policies that seek to support a transition to sustainable transportation and to consider how the Transportation Demand Management strategies being employed in other communities could be applied in a Peterborough context. Further, this research provided me with an opportunity to meaningfully engage members of the Trent and Peterborough communities in the development of strategies to increase the viability of cycling at Symons campus.
Awards and Scholarships received at Trent University:
MITACS - Accelerate Internship with the City of Peterborough (2012)
