Leading Canada's North

Ryan Connon

Ryan Connon leads the new Yellowknife research office. He was born for the job. Literally.

Connon was born in the community of Edzo, now named Behchokò, about 80 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife. Part of Laurier’s growing team of northern-focused researchers, Connon is a senior research associate in hydrometeorology.

Connon is based in Yellowknife full time, allowing for year-round fieldwork, deeper relationship building capacity with local partners and facilitating the work of colleagues based in the south.

Stephanie Pike

Conducting research in her home territory is what drives Stephanie Pike, a master’s student in the Environmental Studies program. Pike was awarded a POLAR Northern Resident Scholarship, an award that recognizes the work of long-standing residents of the North.

Pike was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, where she currently lives. Working with Scott Slocombe (Geography and Environmental Studies), Pike’s research identifies and assesses policies, plans and processes in place for reducing the impacts of environmental hazards in Yukon communities and the adjacent ecosystems and wildlife they depend on.

Pike will connect hazard-mapping research to community needs and opportunities for adaptation and mitigation to help with both development of and adaptation to future land and ecosystem changes.

Evan Wilcox

Evan Wilcox is dedicated to examining the hydrological variability of lakes in the western Arctic. Wilcox, a Laurier graduate student in the PhD Geography program, received the W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Research at the master’s level from the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies.

Under the direction of Philip Marsh (Geography and Environmental Studies), Wilcox examines how permafrost-controlled lakes in the Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk regions vary in their behaviour according to landscape characteristics.

Kelly Munkittrick

Kelly Munkittrick (Biology) was named the inaugural executive director of Laurier’s cold regions and water initiatives.

A high-profile aquatic ecosystem expert, Munkittrick advances research initiatives, student training opportunities and knowledge mobilization in support of Laurier’s growing commitment to cold regions and water science leadership.

He also focuses on advancing Laurier’s partnership with the Government of the Northwest Territories, Laurier’s role within the Global Water Futures program and other cold regions and water science initiatives throughout the university.