Climate change has been the latest hot topic in environmental discussions and many, including McGill geography postdoctoral fellow James Ford, are accepting the inevitable changes to come and working to plan for the future. Ford has been researching the effects of climate change on humans in Arctic communities and their ability to adapt to the inevitable change. For his work, Ford has been awarded one of three 2007 Young Innovator Awards from the Network of Centres for Excellence in a ceremony in Gatineau on Dec. 4.
The NCE is a federal program that links universities, industry, government and non-profit organizations to further scientific development in a variety of disciplines. NCE communications manager Natasha Gauthier said that although the quality of research is one of the selection criteria for the awards, more importantly, they recognize practical applications of the winners' scientific expertise.
"We're looking for people who are doing innovative research and are also applying it to the real world," she said. "It's always a difficult choice [between the nominees], and we're always proud to see how the knowledge that these people have acquired from their networks have influenced their work."
"Ford certainly stood out for a couple of reasons," said Young Innovator Award selection committee chair and Genizon Biosciences Vice-President business development Bill Cheliak. "He's really bringing the components [of environment, people and economics] together, and bringing it to the attention of a much larger audience. That's really one of the key things behind his work. He's done spectacular work in terms of making it known not only at the local level, but creating national awareness as well."
Aside from his academic work at McGill, Ford has helped different municipalities and businesses evaluate and improve their adaptability to climate change through the NCE network ArcticNet and his private consulting firm, ArcticNorth. His research on various Inuit communities has shown that there are many factors contributing to their adaptability to climate change.
2008 Woodie Awards
Be the first to comment on this story