Selkirk College School of Environment & Geomatics Students Awarded for Superb Work
By Bob Hall
Applied Science Technologists & Technicians of British Columbia (ASTTBC) Regional Manager Bruce Stevens attended the Selkirk College graduation ceremony last month to honour five students from the School of Environment & Geomatics for their presentations made during the recent applied research conference.
The students each received a $250 excellence in technology award for their winning work presented at the April 6 conference where 82 presenters took part in the 14th annual event.
“Selkirk College has developed a very unique learning model with this conference,” says Stevens. “Students must summarize their comprehensive research work into a short, clear and concise presentation and then present to an audience, many of whom are not of that discipline. Being able to get a technical message across quickly and clearly to people who may not understand the science is a fantastically valuable experience.”
Recreation Fish & Wildlife Program students Blaire Smith and Tara Robinson caught the eye of ASTTBC for The Missing Lynx: Detecting Lynx in the Rossland Range of British Columbia. Geographic Information Systems student Eric Hoodicoff was chosen for his project called Bear Aware with Harvest Share. He examined the relationship between black bear activity and fruit trees in the New Denver and Silverton areas. Geoffrey Matheson, a Forest Technology Program student, was recognized for his work using Light Detection and Ranging Data in assessing inoperable terrain deductions from the timber harvesting land base. And Integrated Environmental Planning Program student Suzz Bergler was successful in her presentation analyzing LED street light use in Rossland.
“These presentations, besides being technically superior, also demonstrated a strong recognition of ASTTBC’s primary values, which are, to serve the public by technology professionals’ commitment to a safe, healthy, and sustainable society and environment,” says Stevens.
The Applied Science Technologists & Technicians of BC is a self-governing professional association operating under provincial statute to regulate and register technology professionals in British Columbia. With more than 10,500 registered technologists, technicians and technical specialists ASTTBC members represent the vanguard of technology in all corners of BC.
School of Environment & Geomatics Chair Brendan Wilson appreciates the continued support of ASTTBC who has been on board with the annual student conference for five years.
“As one of the three main professional associations that our students may seek membership within, the ASTTBC continues to actively engage our learners around the value of professionalism and the importance of developing ethical attitudes in the workplace,” says Wilson. “This is a good thing, and we applaud the association’s outreach.”
