Postdoctoral and Research Associates

Ian AshpoleDr. Ian Ashpole
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Wiacek Atmospheric Research Group 
Supervisor: Aldona Wiacek (Environmental Science)

Ian uses data from satellites and chemical transport models to 1) identify temporal trends in air pollutants over Canadian cities; and 2) identify the different sources of these pollutants and whether their relative contributions are changing over time. This is in the context of the Canadian Space Agency funded project “Modes of pollution transport from North America to Nova Scotia and beyond”. He also likes to get away from the computer to help in the deployment of atmospheric monitoring equipment during the lab’s field campaigns. 

Prior to joining Saint Mary’s University, Ian was a Postdoc in the UK at the Oxford University Centre for the Environment, where he also completed his PhD and BA in Geography. His research in Oxford focused on dust storms in the Sahara Desert, using a combination of satellite data, climate models and fieldwork. Ian also worked for a year as a Geography Teacher at a high school in England.

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Dr. Emily Chapman
Research Associate
Dynamic Environment and Ecosystem Health Research Group - Dr. Linda Campbell (Environmental Science)

Dr. Emily Chapman is a Research Associate with Dr. Linda Campbell’s Dynamic Environment and Ecosystem Health Research Group at Saint Mary`s University. She has a PhD in Applied Environmental Science from Gothenburg University in Sweden. She also has experience working in the Environmental Consulting industry, both in Nova Scotia and Sweden, with contaminated site assessments, risk assessments, and remediation projects. Dr. Chapman’s research interests involve assessing risks of contaminants in the environment, specifically related to natural gradients of toxicity modifying factors, using interdisciplinary approaches. She is currently investigating risks of mercury and arsenic in historical gold mining waste and methods for managing these risks.

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Photo of Evan RundleEvan Rundle
Research Associate 
TransCoastal Adaptations Center for Nature-Based Solutions (TCA) – Dr. Danika van Proosdij (Geography and Environmental Studies)

As a Coastal Carbon Research Associate with the Making Room for Wetlands (MRFW) projects, Evan is responsible for the long-term monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon accumulation rates at managed dyke realignment sites and restored tidal wetlands. The goal of the MRFW projects is to restore valuable tidal wetland habitat, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by sequestering carbon within restored habitats, and increase the resilience of the province’s dykelands by creating habitats that can adapt to the changing climate. 

Prior to joining St. Mary’s University, Evan worked with several NGOs on projects related to the conservation of wetland and aquatic habitats as well as monitoring of fish populations within the St. Lawrence River. Evan also has experience with toxicology and environmental consulting. 

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Larissa SweeneyLarissa Sweeney 
Coordinator & Research Associate
Community Conservation Research Network – Dr. Tony Charles (Environmental Science)

Larissa is a Coordinator and Research Associate with Dr. Tony Charles and the Community Conservation Research Network (https://www.communityconservation.net/). As the Coordinator, she creates a variety of outreach materials for the network, including social media posts, newsletters, and webpages, in addition to coordinating webinars and events for a diverse, global audience. As a Research Associate, Larissa contributes to a wide array of cross-disciplinary research endeavors, exploring linkages between communities, conservation, and livelihoods. She has conducted research in the broad areas of community-based conservation, sustainable fishery systems, small-scale fisheries, and coastal communities. Larissa has a Master of Arts exploring how migration is being viewed as a climate change adaptation strategy in environmental policy, and to what extent local communities in The Gambia (West Africa) are using migration to adapt to climate change. She also holds a BSc in Environmental Science and Geography through Saint Mary’s University School of Environment.

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Dr. Jubin Thomas with equipmentDr. Jubin Thomas
Post Doctoral Fellow
TransCoastal Adaptations Centre for Nature-Based Solutions
Supervisor: Danika Van Proosdij (Geography)

Jubin is an Oceanographer investigating coastal processes that involve understanding hydrodynamic conditions in dynamic environments. As the Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Shippagan project, he aims to understand the study site's hydrodynamic conditions and sediment transport using a numerical model.

Before joining this project, he was a PhD student in Department of Meteorology and Oceanography at Andhra University, India. He has nine years of working experience in different institutions in India like CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Environ Software Pvt Ltd, and National Centre for Earth Science Studies. During this period, he supported the scientific community in setting up oceanographic instruments, data collection, processing, and interpretation for various research and sponsored projects.

For more details on his research publications, please visit Researchgate and Scholar profiles.

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Meylin Zink YiMeylin Zink Yi
Research Associate and Coordinator
T3 Pathway of the Arramat Project
Supervisor: Dr. Tony Charles (Environmental Science)

Meylin is Research Associate and Coordinator with Dr. Tony Charles and Dr. Sherry Pictou in the T3 Pathway of the Arramat project (www.arramatproject.org). In her role, she contributes to T3 by researching Indigenous perspectives on health and sustainable use, while also supporting the development of the strategic plan and the coordination of place-based projects. In the past she has worked in projects related to conservation, education, and ecotourism, collaborating with local communities in Peru and supporting initiatives for sustainable practices, empowering women in the production of natural medicines, and facilitating the development of gender strategies in Bolivia. 

Meylin has a Master’s in Education specializing in Ecojustice and Sustainability Education from the University of British Columbia and is currently completing a Master of Applied Health Service Research at Saint Mary’s University exploring the intersections between health, wellbeing and connecting to nature from an Indigenous perspective. She also holds a BSc. in Biology and an Honours in Psychology from Saint Mary’s University.

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