“History can teach us many things. It can teach us what we’ve done wrong and what we’ve done right,” asserted Dr. John P. Smol, speaking to a packed room during the 2014 David Schindler Professorship in Aquatic Science Lecture on March 27.

In his talk entitled “Exploring the Past to Protect our Future”, Professor Smol spoke on historical limnology (the study of freshwater lakes) and its ability to contextualize and enhance our understanding of current ecological and environmental challenges.

“We can use sediment as a history book,” explained Prof. Smol, to tell the story of a particular lake where data is lacking. Using this approach, Prof. Smol showed how sediment analysis of lakes in northern Alberta lead to the conclusion that pollutants are not naturally occurring as some industry defenders suggest, but rather are linked to chronologically to tar sands extraction.

A celebrated academic and a prolific writer, Prof. Smol teaches at Queen’s University in the Department of Biology where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change. Prof. Smol has authored more than 450 journal publications and book chapters and co-authored 19 books.

“I can say without any doubt that he is the most cited limnologist on earth,” vouched Dr. Paul Frost, an associate professor of Biology at Trent and the current holder of the David Schindler endowed professorship in Aquatic Science.

Recognized as a leader in his field, Prof. Smol has received the Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) as Canada’s top scientist or engineer in addition to awards from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society including an honour shared with Dr. Jules. Blais, his brother, for being Canada’s Environmental Scientists of the Year in 2008. He is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contributions to Canada. In 2013, he became an Officer of the Order of Canada, and was awarded the inaugural Science Ambassador Award from the Partners in Research National Award, the Weston Family Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Northern Research (the largest prize of its kind), and the NSERC Brockhouse Canada Prize for outstanding contributions to interdisciplinary research in science and engineering. The latter was another honour shared with his brother. In the same year, Prof. Smol was also named by Canadian Geographic Magazine as one of nine change makers – defined as Canadians changing the world.

According to Prof. Schindler, Prof. Smol’s work exemplifies the sort of science in which Canada is a true world leader. “Canada should be very proud…” he said of Prof. Smol and his brother’s award-winning research in a recent interview with the Ottawa Citizen.

About the David Schindler Endowed Professorship in Aquatic Science

Established in 2008, the David Schindler Endowed Professorship in Aquatic Science is the first-ever privately endowed academic professorship at Trent, valued at $1 million. The endowment was given to the University by an anonymous donor who wished to honour the work of Dr. David Schindler, a former Trent professor and one of the world’s leading limnologists (a specialist in the study of freshwater lakes and rivers). The fund has allowed Trent to recruit and retain the “best and brightest” researchers in the field, remarked Trent University President Steven Franklin. Learn more: https://www.trentu.ca/aquaticscience/

Posted on Wednesday, April 2, 2014.