Banner Photo: ArcticNet
Postdoctoral Fellows
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Current Students
(in alphabetical order by first name)
Alexandra Oakes (MA Student)
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Research: Experiences of community researchers in collaborative survey research
Alexis Polidoro (PhD Student)
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Research: Social Science and Inuit knowledge research trends in Nunavut
Alison Perrin (PhD Student)
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Research: Examining the research-policy framework in Canada’s North

Ceporah Mearns (MA Student)
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Research: Navigating the climate change research landscape in Nunavut
Emmelie Paquette (PhD Student)
Co-supervised with Dr. Stephan Schott and Dr. Peter Pulsifer
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Research: Bringing Nattilingmiut harvests from land to table

Faith Rahman (PhD Student)
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Research: Navigating the climate change research landscape in Nunavut
Jason Carpenter (MA Student)
Co-Supervised with Dr. Trevor Bell
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Kraig Matthews (MA Student)
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Research: Decolonizing relations between provincial parks and First Nations communities in central Ontario
Regena Sinclair (PhD Student)
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Rowan Harris (MA Student)
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Research: Inuit metrics for assessing goose health
Stuart Anderson (PhD Student)
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Research: Evolving uses of technology in Nunavut research practice
Past Students
(in order of year of completion)
Regena Sinclair (MA 2024)
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Research: Qikiqtait Protected Area Development
Current position: PhD student, School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario)
Alexis Polidoro (MA 2022)
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Thesis: What is happening where? An evaluation of Social Science Research Trends in Nunavut (2004-2019)
Contributed to: Research Trends in Nunavut
Current position: PhD student, School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario)
Charlotte Buttle (Research Assistant 2022)
School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University
Research: Goose Policy Analysis
Current position: Master’s student, Public Health, University of Toronto (Toronto, Ontario)
Katherine Wilson (PhD 2022)
Co-supervised with Dr. Trevor Bell
Department of Geography, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Thesis: The Sikumiut Model: A cross-cultural decolonizing research approach for sea ice travel safety in Mittimatalik, Nunavut
Contributed to: Sea-Ice Safety in Mittimatalik
Current position: Director of Knowledge Co-production, SmartICE (Ottawa, Ontario)
Emmelie Paquette (MSc 2020)
Co-supervised with Dr. Cheryl Johnson and Dr. Derek Mueller
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Thesis: The potential impacts of sea ice and ship traffic change to caribou sea ice crossings surrounding King William Island, Nunavut
Contributed to: Caribou and Sea Ice Crossings
Current position: PhD Candidate, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University (Ottawa, Ontario)
Alex de Paiva (MA 2017)
Co-supervised with Dr. Scott Mitchell
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Thesis: Understanding the Role and Value of Participatory Mapping in an Inuit Knowledge Research Context
Contributed to: Participatory Mapping in Inuit Knowledge Research
Current position: Fisheries Protections Program, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Ottawa, Ontario)
Rebecca Mearns (MA 2017)
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Thesis: Nunavut, Uqausivut, Piqqusivullu Najuqsittiarlavu (Caring for our Land, Language and Culture): The use of land camps in Inuit knowledge renewal and research
Contributed to: Caribou and Community Well-Being
Current position: President, Nunavut Arctic College (Iqaluit, Nunavut)
Dana Holtby (MA 2016)
Interim Supervisor while Dr. Emilie Cameron was on medical leave
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Thesis: The Community Readiness Initiative in Kugluktuk, Nunavut: Mining, neoliberalism, and state intervention in arctic Indigenous community development
Current position: Training Coordinator, Coastal First Nations – Great Bear Initiative (Victoria, British Columbia)
Erica Oberndorfer (PhD 2016)
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Thesis: The shared stories of people and plants: Cultural and ecological relationships between people and plants in Makkovik (Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada)
Contributed to: Makkovik People and Plants
Current position: Cultural Botanist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador)

Leah Ronayne (MA 2016)
Co-supervised with Dr. Scot Nickels
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Thesis: Towards a tailored vision of water security in the North: A case study of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Canadian Arctic
Current position: Program Advisor, Security and Disruptive Technologies, National Research Council Canada (Ottawa, Ontario)
Carmelle Sullivan (MA 2013)
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Thesis: Integrating Culturally Relevant Learning in Nunavut High Schools: Student and educator perspectives from Pangnirtung, Nunavut and Ottawa, Ontario
Contributed to: Land-Based Learning in Nunavut
Current position: Occasional Teacher with the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board (Peterborough, Ontario)
Sean Robertson (Postdoctoral Fellow 2012)
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Contributed to: Caribou and Community Well-Being
Current position: Associate Professor, Faculty of Native Studies, University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta)
Kelly Karpala (MA 2010)
Co-supervised with Dr. Claudio Aporta
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University
Thesis: Adapting to a World of Change: Inuit Perspectives of Climate Change in Igloolik, Nunavut
Contributed to: Inuit Sea Ice Use and Occupancy Project
Current position: Manager, Conversational Design, [24]7 Inc. (Toronto, Ontario)
Karen Kelley (MA 2010)
Co-supervised with Dr. Claudio Aporta
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Thesis: Policies and Practicalities of Shipping in Changing Ice Conditions: A case study from Cape Dorset, Nunavut
Contributed to: Inuit Sea Ice Use and Occupancy Project
Current position: Manager, Inuit Qaujisarvingat (Inuit Knowledge Centre), Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (Ottawa, Ontario)





















