Graduate Student News

Fall Convocation: Biology PhD Student Wins Governor General Gold Medal and the University Medal for Outstanding Graduate Work

By Nehaa Bimal

Myriam Priscilla Hoyeck, who graduated last weekend with her PhD in Biology, is the winner of the Governor General Gold Medal and the University Medal for Outstanding Graduate Work.

Hoyeck works as a research associate in the Bruin Laboratory at Carleton. The lab studies the association between diabetes and exposure to persistent organic pollutants found in the environment, including in food, household and commercial products. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree (Honours) in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Carleton.

“I’ve always been interested in biology and human health. My dream has been to work in medical research and treatments for diseases and my undergraduate level research further fueled that interest,” she says.

Hoyeck credits the program for providing opportunities to expand her knowledge in the field, including attending the A-BC Islet Workshop conference and by collaborating with diabetes researchers across Canada.

Hoyeck stresses the importance of “patience and determination” for students interested in PhD research.

“It can be a slow and long process, but if you find the right environment in which you can learn, grow and be supported throughout your work, then you will succeed,” she says.

Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s program
(CGS M) Q&A Sessions

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) will be hosting online Q&A sessions for the CGS M program: 

Nov. 14, 2023 (in English)
Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (ET) with CIHR staff joining
Join Webex Link Here

Nov. 21, 2023 (in French)
Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (ET) with SSHRC staff joining
Join Webex Link Here

Nov. 23, 2023 (in English)
Time: 10 a.m. to noon (ET) with CIHR staff joining
Join Webex Link Here

Watch below ↓ a series of informational videos by NSERC. These videos are intended to completely replace the presentation portion allowing tri-agency staff and applicants to engage in a more in-depth and detailed Q&A session. Participants should watch the videos in advance and come to the Q&A session with specific questions in mind.

Fall Convocation: University Medallist Works on International Space Station Project

By Nehaa Bimal

Chantal Brousseau, winner of the University Medal for Outstanding Graduate Work, notes that one of the highlights of her academic career at Carleton was contributing to the International Space Station Archaeological Project.

Brousseau, who graduated with a Master of Arts in History with a specialization in Data Science, helped an international team of archaeologists document the cultural heritage of the International Space Station (ISS) through the development of an open-source image annotation application. This experience formed the basis of her master’s research project.

“The opportunities I have been given in this program related to and outside my research life working with the ISS have been excellent,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to seek diverse opportunities within your department.”

Brousseau’s undergraduate studies at Carleton developed her interest in the social history of early modern Europe, leading to her focus on marginalia found in early modern texts. She has been working with the interdisciplinary studies librarian at Carleton and applying digital humanities in that context by creating and teaching Python workshops for humanists at MacOdrum Library.

Looking ahead, her long-term goal is to pursue a Master of Library and Information Science and become an academic librarian, building on her experience at Carleton.

Ravens Win Provincial (OUA)
Men’s Soccer Championships!

Canada’s First-Ever Methane Census to Help Define a Path to Meet 2030 Reduction Targets

After weathering a summer of wildfires, tornados and record-breaking rainfall and heat, many Canadians are left worrying how we can address climate change fast enough to prevent future environmental disasters.

Thankfully, there is an immediate way for us to pull the emergency brake on global warming. By reducing the amount of methane—a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat in our planet’s atmosphere—released into the air, we can slow global temperature rise and allow time to implement parallel mitigation solutions for trickier greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

But exactly how much methane is Canada producing and where is it coming from?

As the national hub for the study of methane, Carleton University’s Energy and Emissions Research Lab (EERL) led by engineering professor Matthew Johnson recently completed the country’s first-ever upstream oil and gas methane census, collecting vital data to help Canada meet its ambitious target of reducing 75% of all methane emissions produced by our oil and gas industry by 2030.