Melissa Ward PhD Student, Department of Geography, McGill University September 15 th, 2015

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1 Melissa Ward PhD Student, Department of Geography, McGill University September 15 th, 2015 Dear APECS Canada, Please accept this letter as my self-nomination for a board member position of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) Canada for the term. I recently joined the board in August 2015 and would like to continue my participation. I am a first year PhD student at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. My research will focus on explaining and quantifying permafrost and landscape-scale responses in high Arctic Polar desert systems (Fosheim Peninsula of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut) within the context of a changing climate. I have completed five expeditions to the Canadian High Arctic, including a camp-based winter expedition. I am a reliable and enthusiastic individual. I take initiative and am bilingual in English and French. I believe my experience with various volunteering initiatives (such as with the Geography Graduate Society (GGS), the Geography Graduate-Undergraduate mentorship program and as a judge at the annual Kahnawake Survival School science fair) and work experience (including five expeditions to Axel Heiberg and Ellesmere Island, research experience and conference organization, with the student led McGill Sustainability Research Symposium) has given me experience that will benefit APECS Canada. I am still new to the APECS Canada board and am confident that my participation will allow a new perspective and fresh ideas for organizing future events and initiatives with APECS Canada. I have included my cv for your consideration. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss anything further. Sincerely, Melissa Ward

2 Melissa K. Ward Education Doctor of Philosophy, McGill University, Montreal, Qc Beginning Sept Department of Geography, Faculty of Science -Thesis title: Permafrost-active layer dynamics and feedbacks with climate forcing in ice-rich sediments, Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut -Have complete one field season for reconnaissance July 2015 on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut Master of Science, McGill University, Montreal, Qc Sept Aug Department of Geography, Faculty of Science -Thesis title: Geomorphology of two hyper-saline springs in the Canadian High Arctic (supervised by Professor Wayne Pollard) -Have completed three field seasons on Axel Heiberg Island and Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic (April 2013 and 2014; and June/July 2013) -Managed annual reporting of ArcticNet project 2.4 and 4.4 for Dr. Wayne Pollard and five students ( & ) Bachelor of Science, McGill University, Montreal, Qc Sept May Faculty of Science -Majored in physical geography and minored in geology St. Joseph s High School, Barrie, Ont Sept June Studied abroad in Normandy, France (Feb. May 2005) Awards and Fellowships Eben Hopson Fellowship ($6,000); Graduate Affairs Committee, McGill University, September 2015 Research Support Opportunity in Arctic Environmental Studies (in kind support); Association of Canadian Northern University Studies (ACUNS), June 2015 Department of Geography first year entrance funding for Ph.D ($7,000); Department of Geography, McGill University, February 2015 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Collaborative Research and Training Experience (NSERC CREATE) MSc Student position ($17,300); Canadian Astrobiology Training Program (CATP), April 2013 National Geographic Young Explorer Award ($5,000); National Geographic Society, May 2013 Department of Geography first year entrance funding for M.Sc ($3,000); Department of Geography, McGill University, May 2012 Northern Scientific Training Program ($3,000, $3,125, $3,000 and $3,000); Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Government of Canada, May 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015

3 Skills and Certifications -Fluent in English and French -Computer Skills: Microsoft Office, ArcGIS, ENVI, Matlab, Trimble Office -Sirius Wilderness First Aid/CPR (exp. 2016) -Canadian Firearm Safety Course -Driver s License Class 5 (exp: 2017) -Remote fieldwork -X-ray diffraction, dgps Relevant Work Experience Research Assistant for Prof. Wayne Pollard, McGill University, Montreal, Qc June 2014 July Helped carry out fieldwork on Ellesmere Island and Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut -dgps headwalls of retrogressive thaw slumps around the Eureka Weather Station and prepared a GIS map Research Assistant for Martine Larouche, McGill University, Montreal, Qc Jan. - Mar Project Title: Effects of past land use and landscape configuration on plant diversity in an agro forested landscape in Southern Quebec, Canada -Duties: digitizing old maps of Southern Quebec from 1960 s using ArcGIS software Research Assistant for Itzel Hernandez, McGill University, Montreal, Qc May 2010 Apr Project title: Ecosystem Resilience and Structural Legacies in the Colorado River Delta, Mexico -Duties: prepare and digitize maps of the Colorado Delta in Mexico from 1968 and 1984 using ArcGIS software, literature review, completed a supervised independent study project entitled Bobcat Habitat increased between 1968 and 1984 in the Colorado River Delta, Mexico Graduate Teaching Assistant, McGill University, Montreal, Qc -GEOG 372: Running Water Environments (Fall 2014) -GEOG 272: Earth s Changing Surface (Fall 2012, 2013 and 2015) -GEOG 290: Local Geographic Excursion (Fall 2012, 2013 and 2014) -GEOG 205: Global Change: Past, Present and Future (Winter 2013 and 2014) Sept Present VP Logistics for the McGill Sustainability Research Symposium Oct Present -Have held this position for two symposiums: Water and Sustainability: Ideas, Research, Action! (4 th edition) and Closing the Loop (5 th Edition) -in charge of all logistical aspects for conference (room booking and planning, supplies, catering) -recruited and managed volunteers -ensured conference ran smoothly (room changes, problem solving) Professional Development University of Texas at Austin (2014) Laboratory work with Cryo-SEM. Austin, USA, December 1-5.

4 SETI Institute (2013) Laboratory work with spectrometer. Mountain View, California, December Invited Talk and Guest Lecture Ward, M., and Angelopoulos, M. (2014) Guest lecture Geography 272: Earth s Changing Surface. Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, November 27, Ward, M., and Pollard, W. (2014) High Arctic camping with a grain of salt: the geomorphology of two hyper-saline springs on Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut. Geography in Action! Brown Bag Series, Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, September 19, Refereed Conference Proceedings Ward, M. K., Pollard, W. H. (2015) Hyper-saline spring dynamics and salt deposits on Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut. GeoQuebec 2015 the 68th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and the 7th Canadian Conference to the Permafrost. (Accepted) Pollard, W., Ward, M., Becker, M. (2015) The Eureka Sound lowlands: an ice-rich permafrost landscape in transition. GeoQuebec 2015 the 68th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and the 7th Canadian Conference to the Permafrost. (Accepted) Bishop, J. L., Ward, M. K., Roush, T. L., Davila, A., Brown, A. J., McKay, C. P.,... & Pollard, W. (2014). Spectral Properties of Na, Ca-, Mg-and Fe-Chlorides and Analyses of Hydrohalite-Bearing Samples from Axel Heiberg Island. In Lunar and Planetary Institute Science Conference Abstracts (Vol. 45, p. 2145). Conference Presentations Ward, M., and Pollard, W. (2015) Geomorphology of two hyper-saline springs in the Canadian High Arctic. Oral Presentation. European Geophysical Union, Vienna, Austria, April 13 17, Ward, M., and Pollard, W. (2014) Recent retrogressive thaw slump activity in the Eureka Area, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. Poster Presentation. Arctic Change, Ottawa, Canada, December 8 12, Ward, M., and Pollard, W. (2014) Recent retrogressive thaw slump activity in the Eureka Area, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. Poster Presentation. GIS Day, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, November 10, Ward, M., Pollard, W, and Omelon, C. (2014) Hyper-saline spring activity on Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut. Poster Presentation. Arctic Change, Ottawa, Canada, December 8 12, Ward, M., and Pollard, W. (2014) Hyper-saline spring geomorphology at Stolz Diapir, Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut. Oral Presentation. Canadian Astrobiology Scientific Training Program Annual Meeting. Montreal, Canada, June 2 4, Ward, M., and Pollard, W. (2013) The geomorphology of two hyper-saline springs in the Canadian High Arctic. Oral Presentation. Canadian Astrobiology Scientific Training Program Annual Meeting. Montreal, Canada, September 16 17, 2013.

5 Ward, M.K., and Pollard, W.H. (2013) The geomorphology of two hyper-saline springs in the Canadian High Arctic: preliminary observations and results. Poster Presentation. American Geophysical Union. San Francisco, USA, December 9 13, Ward, M.K., Pollard, W.H. and Omelon, C.R. (2013) The geomorphology of two hyper-saline springs in the Canadian High Arctic: preliminary observations and results. Poster Presentation. Arctic Change, Halifax, Canada, December 9 13, Hernandez-Morlan, X. Itzel, G. Peterson, J. Rhemtulla, M. Ward, S. Gupta Poster: Legacies of the Colorado River Delta, Mexico: Over 30 Years of Landscape Changes. Sponsored by Arizona State University. Resilience 2011: Resilience, Innovation and Sustainability. Second International Science and Policy Conference. Tempe, AZ, USA. March Volunteer Experience GGS Peer Writing Group, McGill University, Montreal -Involvement: Founder and organiser Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) Canada -Involvement: Board member Geographic Student Society (GGS), McGill University, Montreal, Qc, -Involvement: Elected as co-president for the 2015/2016 academic year Sept Present Aug Present Aug Present Graphos Peer Writing Group, McGill University, Montreal, Qc Oct June Involvement: review and provide constructed comments peer s writing samples in the Science at McGill and also receive feedback for work submitted The McGill Geography Graduate-Undergraduate Mentoring Program, Montreal, Qc, Jan Present -Involvement: Meet with an undergraduate student to discuss life experiences and life after graduating an undergraduate degree Kahnawake Survivor School. Kahnawake, Qc Feb. 2013, 2014 and Involvement: Judge for annual Science Fair Graduate Affairs Committee, Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Qc Feb Apr Involvement: Master`s student representative at meetings and reviewing graduate student applications, also revised and updated the current Graduate Student Handbook for the Department of Geography Geographic Student Society (GGS), McGill University, Montreal, Qc, Sept Apr Involvement: Held the position of secretary on the student council Redpath Museum Club, Montreal, Qc Sept Apr Involvement: tour guide training for museum s collections, participated in meetings and activities