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2014 Graduate Profiles
ottO Bédard ‘09, MSc, Environmental and Life Sciences
President’s Medal Recipient
Via bicycle or canoe, ottO Bédard has explored the great landscapes of this country from the Rockies to the rivers of Northern Ontario to the hills along the Fundy coastline. He has always loved maps and marvels at the sweeping impact of wind and water on landforms. Now, working at Environment Canada and receiving recognition for his efforts as a graduate student with the President’s Medal, ottO is being rewarded for his stellar work within a beloved discipline.
“I enjoy asking questions about the Earth’s landscape, and the forces behind its dynamic nature,” said ottO. His thesis for his Master of Science degree in Environmental and Life Sciences focused on the effects of winds on sand beds of varied textures, with other research interests including geomorphology, hydrology, and geographic information studies. Prior to his graduate studies, ottO also earned his B.Sc. in Geography from Trent. He is now addressing the important issue of water in this country through a position with Environment Canada as a hydrometric technician, working within the Water Survey of Canada.
ottO realises how his academic career shaped his own future. “Trent broadened my overall understanding of the physical world,” he said. “It also provided the skills to ask more in-depth questions through both field research and academic research practice. The use of real, student-collected data greatly reinforced the concepts and processes involved in scientific research. The experiences and skills I gained at Trent helped greatly to secure a position with Environment Canada.”
The Department of Geography faculty and fellow students were key during ottO’s time at Trent. “The open door policy of the professors provided learning opportunities outside of the classroom,” he said. “Dr. Cheryl McKenna Neuman was particularly influential. Her support was a major contributing factor in my success at Trent.” Along with the President’s Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology, ottO was proud to be nominated for the Symons Teaching Assistant Award while working as a graduate teaching assistant in 2013.
Now poised to begin his career, ottO recognizes the importance of water to all of us and its far reaching scope across many disciplines and industries. He is stationed at the North Bay regional office of Environment Canada and works with water level and flow stations as far north as Hudson’s Bay. He provides continuous data on water levels and flow volumes for gauging stations across Ontario used to make critical decisions, such as issuing flood warnings. ottO credits Trent’s strong focus on hands-on skills, particularly field work, for developing skills that led to his immediate employment out of school. He said, “The skills I gained at Trent have allowed me to be successful in my new position right from the beginning.”
Awards and Scholarships received at Trent University:
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