Carrie White

While studying as an undergraduate student and researcher at Mount Allison University, I explored the relationship between primary producers and the environment. Working in the Mount Allison University Dendrochronology Lab on white spruce in Northern Labrador, taught me to explore the effects of the environment on living organisms and how we can use the biological record to infer changes in the environment. The use of organisms as a tool for extending environmental records intrigued me. The practical application of paleoecological science to environmental assessment and management was a career route that presented itself.

Currently I am studying as a graduate student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, pursuing a master’s degree in environmental science. In combination with my supervisor Dr. Ian Walker and Parks Canada, I hope to establish a paleoecological record for lakes located within Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, Canada. Working with diatoms as a paleoecological indicator for this project has enabled me to realize the vast potential of diatoms as part of science, as well as my personal career path.