Three UBC students have been named 2005 Trudeau Scholars for their research and leadership in environmental law, global sustainability and law reform to protect children in non-traditional families.
The appointment includes an award worth up to $200,000, the largest scholarship in Canada for doctoral studies in the social sciences and humanities.
“We are thrilled with the success of these outstanding students,” says Lorne Whitehead, UBC Vice President, Academic and Provost. “Through their commitment to making a real difference in our society by advancing research and public debate, I know they will make a tremendous contribution to our university community.”
David Boyd, a PhD candidate in UBC’s Resource Management and Environmental Studies program and author of Unnatural Law: Rethinking Canadian Environmental Law and Policy, will evaluate the potential for addressing these threats through establishing a constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment.
Aliette Frank, a geography PhD candidate who has researched endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda and studied climate change in Alaska, among other diverse field studies in Costa Rica, New Zealand, Jamaica and
India, will explore how to combine technical and non-technical approaches to sustainability. Her research focuses on the power of storytelling to unite scientific study with social issues to enhance political, ethical and value considerations and overcome barriers to a sustainable future.
Fiona Kelly, a PhD candidate in law, will look at advancing legal reforms to protect parents and children in lesbian and gay families. Her research will look at lesbian and gay parents in B.C., Alberta and Australia to determine how they understand family and parenthood, what legal and non-legal arrangements they currently make to protect families, and what kind of law reform might provide a more stable environment for children.
Established by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation in 2003, the scholarships are given to students who are expected to become national and international leaders and whose studies advance four areas: human rights and social justice, responsible citizenship, Canada and the world and humans and their natural environment. They provide $35,000 per year for up to four years, plus an additional $15,000 annually to support research-related travel.
With three awards, UBC holds the highest numbers of Trudeau Scholars in 2005. In 2004, UBC doctoral student Karen Rideout earned the scholarship for her research on global food systems. In 2003, UBC mining engineering student Ginger Gibson earned the award for her study of the impact of mining on aboriginal communities.
For more information on the Trudeau Scholarships, visit: www.trudeaufoundation.ca.
-30-
