1999 Geography Alumni Panel

TRENT CONTENTS Editorial Proposed Change, Change ... and Debate From the Board Chair Association President's Message The MacAdam Award The Treadwell Scholarship President's Page Letters to the Editor Topping the Competitive Recruitment Environment Alumni Bursary Awards 1999 Geography Alumni Panel Trent Rugby, Loud and Proud 35th Anniversary Snapshots An International Flavour The Interactive Learning Centre Auto Leasing for Alumni Profile of a Volunteer: Roy O'Brien '75 Reunion Photo Collage Alumni Back on Campus Chapter News and Images A Bridge to the Future "How To" series ­ Toronto realtor Mary Crawford '82 Collections and Obsessions : Jim Doran's Various Vinyl Alumni Special Students Project Golf Tournament Sunshine Sketches In Memoriam

by Professor Al Brunger '72 (Left to right) Mark Majchrowski '94, Jenny McGillis '87, Larissa Mathewson '93, Miles Ecclestone '72 and Joel Sloggett '83. The 1999 Geography Alumni Panel was made up of graduates covering twenty-three years of Trent's existence. Miles Ecclestone '72, Mark Majchrowski '94, Larissa Mathewson '97, Jenny McGillis (nee Theobald) '87 and Joel Sloggett '83. Miles Ecclestone described his career as basically "one job" -- multi-faceted and constantly evolving - Chief Technician of Trent's Geography Department. Having completed Honours in 1974, Miles finished his M.Sc. in Physical Geography at Guelph before landing the position he still holds in 1976. His duties are numerous and have become inevitably more administrative in nature although he teaches surveying and researches snow and ice in the High Arctic with Professors Peter Adams and Graham Cogley. Miles offered these suggestions to the graduating class: 1. Maintain contact with the Department of Geography, perhaps through annual homecoming or individual contacts - a most valuable networking strategy for jobs, and 2. Keep in touch with specific faculty members with shared interest in the subject, because opportunities for research or work in that area may arise. Mark Majchrowski graduated with Honours in 1998 and completed the one-year certificate in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) at Sir Sandford Fleming College (SSFC) in Lindsay. He obtained full-time work with Kawartha Conservation Authority as a biologist (!) and GIS Manager, responsible for monitoring environmental indicators; undertaking testing of streams and soils, and setting up the GIS. Larissa Mathewson completed her Honours degree in 1997, having completed the one- year GIS certificate at SSFC Lindsay, as part of her third-year of study. She began work on contract at the Ministry of Natural Resources Headquarters in Peterborough and has been involved in various projects including "Lands for Life", and a study with the International Joint Commission on the Great Lakes in which she was on secondment to N.O.A.A. in Washington, DC for three months. She is now one of three Project Managers in the recently-formed Geomatics Section of MNR. Jenny McGillis graduated with Honours in 1993 in Human Geography and proceeded to complete her Concurrent Education year at Queen's University with Geography and History "teachables" at the Intermediate Senior level. Despite heavy competition at the time, Jenny was able to land a post with the Peterborough Region Catholic School Board and then taught for three years in Lindsay. She has been at St. Patrick's School in Peterborough since 1997 although enjoying maternity leave at present in the company of her five-month old son Mitchell. Jenny has taught at the Elementary as well as Intermediate level; commenced a M.A. in Education; acquired a Specialist Certificate in Geography and is qualifying as Principal. She advised graduates to "see the world now" if so inclined - echoing words heard the previous week from Professor Emeritus Fred Helleiner - a self-confessed "dromomaniac". Joel Sloggett graduated with Honours in 1988 and has had a varied career ranging from lucrative but unfulfilling construction work for 18 months; to contract work with the United Way Agency, then an enjoyable and worthwhile five-year position as Municipal Planner at a local township - for which his university degree was the crucial credential, to his present post, since 1996, as Manager of Planning and Transportation with the Peterborough Region Catholic School Board. He noted that he continually added skills "on-the-job" during his career but found that this was "normal" and merely complemented the formal foundation acquired during the Trent degree. Questions from the audience evoked a variety of responses - ranging from the serious to the hilarious -as the panellists drew from the deep well of their collective memory. The main points may be summarized as: "Really useful" aspects of Trent Geography programme included the excellent joint Degree - GIS Certificate with SSFC; introductory courses in information and data collection, analysis and GIS; very rewarding thesis work ("particularly when it's over"); field-trips (notably "Freeway Fred's Northern Tour"). The need for upgrading the Department's GIS facilities was noted. Opportunities in teaching are increasing as the "peak" of retirement will be 2002 AD. and the high number of retirees is "unplanned" and increased by the revised early retirement opportunity ("The 85 factor" = number of years of teaching experience + retirement age). Most new teachers will be on a probationary contract for one year or so, but this is usually extended or renewed. The Honours degree is desirable because it means significantly higher salary and neither it (nor the M.A./M.Sc.) represents "over-qualification". Owing to the rate of current hiring, seniority increases rapidly and enhances job security. Later up-grading for Honours or, more probably, Master's degree is possible - with time-off possible. The M.A./M.Sc. may be pursued in Peterborough part-time or the M.Sc. (Ed.) in Oshawa. GIS certification may be pursued after Trent at SSFC and a number of Geography grads follow this course annually. The main disadvantage is that the skills are acquired too late for help with the Honours thesis, and the process requires an additional "year". In fact, most GIS students at SSFC are university graduates. In spite of the image of GIS - employment being tied to the computer terminal, actual work experience, according to Larissa and Mark, is quite varied and provides opportunities for field-work, "ground- truthing" and non p.c.-based activity. "How to get a job" ranged from the "direct" to "less direct" methods. Summer jobs led Mark and Larissa through environmental conservation at camp to the Conservation Authority and MNR respectively. Volunteering work experience is invaluable according to Jenny and class-room assistance time has several benefits including - potential mentors in the teachers who are assisted; any "skill acquisition" opportunity is worth having but there is "no substitute for good contacts"; developing good interviewing and communications skills is highly desirable, e.g. "How would you handle such-and-such situation". Jobs in municipal government and school boards may be "shrinking" owing to ongoing amalgamation, although the large imminent retirement "factor" applies here as in the school classrooms. The introduction of computerized information systems, including GIS, is ongoing and may well "open the door" for Geography grads. The value of Statistics-skills in Trent Geography courses was generally endorsed, at least in the fundamental, or basic stats, sense. The logical, rational aspect was essential in later decision-making; "real-world" reports and recommendations required quantitative and statistical evidence. Jenny noted that the schools are increasingly faced with "standardized testing" and the statistical meaning of results is questioned more and more. Opportunities are unpredictable but are almost certain to arise "within Geography" if individuals persist in their association with the subject in courses or contract work. (This may not mean "big bucks" but may result in "big enjoyment" nevertheless). Miles cited numerous examples of graduates (some notably "late starters" who "caught on fire" in various circumstances) who had been supervised by him in the annual field-survey in Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut. Several of these had gone on to graduate work, and subsequently entered university or consulting companies. All graduates were encouraged to keep in touch with the Geography Department for professional and social reasons. The panel was warmly thanked by Professor Brunger with the support of the whole class.

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