Trent School of the Environment Names New Director and Associate Director
Dr. Shaun Watmough and Dr. Stephen Hill’s direction to build on Trent’s environmental expertise and expand School’s community engagement strategy
Trent University is pleased to announce that faculty member Dr. Shaun Watmough has been appointed as the director, and Dr. Stephen Hill, as the associate director, of the Trent School of the Environment (TSE).
“I am absolutely thrilled by the opportunity to be the director of the TSE and to be able to work with amazing faculty and staff,” said Professor Watmough, who started his three-year term on July 1, 2016. “Trent University has a long and outstanding international reputation in environmental education and research. This expertise crosses disciplines and my vision is to see the breadth and depth of environmental knowledge showcased at Trent.”
The TSE provides Trent students with an exceptional educational experience that addresses topical issues to help create and inspire tomorrow’s environmental leaders. Under Prof. Watmough’s direction, the TSE will expand its community engagement and will continue its national and international standing in all areas of the environment.
Earlier this fall, Prof. Watmough announced that Dr. Stephen Hill has been appointed as associate director. Professor Hill will assist Prof. Watmough with the administration of the 13 degree programs associated with the school, including teaching, research and community engagement.
“Trent has long been a leader in environmental teaching and scholarship. I’m really looking forward to working with people across campus and in the community to do more for our students and the environment,” said Prof. Hill following his appointment.
Profs. Watmough and Hill will work together to provide strategic leadership in the strengthening and development of TSE governance, committees and membership, undergraduate and graduate programs, and communications, external relations and advancement. They will also ensure that the Trent School of the Environment makes an impact on the local, national and world stage.
Prof. Watmough has been a faculty member at Trent University since 2004 and has taught a wide range of environmental courses at all levels. Over the past decade he has witnessed an explosion in interest and awareness of major global environmental issues. In his own research, Prof. Watmough and his students have published over 120 research articles on a wide variety of environmental topics including metal pollution, acid rain, sustainable forestry and climate change. These studies have informed industry and influenced provincial and federal policy decisions and Prof. Watmough feels that a strong science-policy connection is vital for protecting our environment – something that is at the forefront of education within the Trent School of the Environment.
Prof. Hill is an award-winning teacher having won both the Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching and the CMHC Excellence in Education Award in 2011. Prof. Hill was also recently named one of the inaugural Trent Teaching Fellows, which provides an opportunity for faculty to pursue meaningful and sustained initiatives in the areas of teaching, leadership, innovation, and scholarship. Prof. Hill is a social scientist who brings an interdisciplinary perspective to his research and teaching. His research interests include: understanding policies and actions for preventing climate change; the production and consumption of low-carbon energy; and a focus on community-based research and work.
About the Trent School of the Environment
The Trent School of the Environment encompasses 13 environmentally focused degree programs, including Environmental & Resource Studies/Science, Geography, Sustainable Agriculture, Indigenous Environmental Science/Studies, Environmental Chemistry, and, starting in September 2017, Environmental Geosciences. The school has over 30 faculty and instructors and works collaboratively with other departments, who teach and enrich students to be innovative thinkers and researchers who will put knowledge into action on the world’s most pressing environmental concerns. The school offers many hands-on research opportunities for students, allowing them to make their mark on the planet even at the undergraduate level.
About Trent University
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham – Greater Toronto Area delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
For more information contact: Kate Weersink, media relations & strategic communications officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6180 or kateweersink@trentu.ca