Jackie Dawson and Pascal Audet.

The University of Ottawa is proud to name associate professors Jackie Dawson (Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics) and Pascal Audet (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences) as the recipients of its Young Researcher of the Year Award. The two professors are being recognized for their exceptional contributions to research, as well as for their role as exemplary mentors and teachers.

“These researchers remind us all of the creativity, versatility and dedication required to achieve a remarkable level of recognition in their respective fields of study. While their fields are distinct, their remarkable achievements illustrate the quality and diversity of environmental studies at the University of Ottawa,” said VP Research Mona Nemer. “Just as impressive as their world-class academic reputation is their commitment to finding innovative ways to prepare the next generation of researchers to push the frontiers of research.”

Jackie Dawson is the Canada Research Chair in Environment, Society and Policy and an internationally recognized leader in collaborative and interdisciplinary research in Arctic studies and marine governance. Her work has informed decisions taken by the Arctic Council, the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Centre for International Governance and Innovation. Dawson is committed to preparing the next generation of researchers through her lab, which acts as a training hub for graduate students as well as northern research assistants.

Pascal Audet is the University Research Chair in Solid Earth Geophysics. He is a prolific publisher in the world’s most influential scientific journals, such as Nature and Nature Geoscience. Audet’s interdisciplinary work spans a range of geophysical fields that focus on the processes that deform the Earth’s crust. His research has taken him from the Canadian Northwest to the bottom of the ocean to increase our knowledge of tectonic activity, improve hazard modelling and guide natural resource exploration.

The University of Ottawa is committed to excellence in environmental studies, through the outstanding work of the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and the Institute of the Environment. The Young Researcher of the Year Award was created in 1995 to recognize excellence and encourage leadership and innovation among young researchers. It comes with a $10,000 research grant.