Graduate Students

Prospective Students. 

If you are interested in digital archaeology and the preservation of heritage at risk, we are always interested in talking with motivated students wishing to pursue graduate work at the Masters, Doctoral, and Post-Doctoral levels. Contact me at pcdawson@ucalgary.ca

Current Graduate Students.

1. Cecilia Porter, Masters Student.

I am one of Dr. Peter Dawson’s Masters Students at the University of Calgary. After completing my BA at the University of Victoria I worked and travelled for a couple years. My archaeology work saw me collaborating directly with First Nations groups on the Central Coast of BC, and my travelling lead me to both Nunavut and northern Iceland where I fell in love with the North. Today, working with Dr. Dawson, I am building a virtual tour of the Arvia’juaq National Historic Site near Arviat, Nunavut. Heritage sites in the Arctic are largely inaccessible to the greater Canadian population, heritage efforts in the North have focused nearly solely on the exploits of European explorers, and Inuit Elders are looking for new ways to teach their culture to their youth. My project will allow a far greater number of people to experience and learn about an Inuit site of national significance and will give the Elders of the community an engaging new way to teach their history to their youth. I’m excited to be combining my loves of Archaeology and the Arctic! 

2. Colleen Hughes, Masters Student.

Colleen's work focuses on Inuit place names of the Kivalliq region of Nunavut. Specifically, Colleen is exploring how computer cartography and natural language processing (sentiment analysis) can be used to measure the opinions and emotional connections people have about named places. In this way, Colleen's work provides a methodological approach or examining the phenomenology of landscape. During her time at the University of Calgary, Colleen has worked on Arctic field projects in the Mackenzie Delta and on the western Coast of Hudson Bay. In the photograph, Colleen is videotaping Luke Suluk who is discussing an offering stone associated with Danish ethnographer Kaj Birket-Smith at Arvia'juaq National Historic Site. The site is located on Sentry Island near the Inuit community of Arviat. 

3. Christina Robinson, PhD Student

Christina's work is focused on using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to develop monitoring strategies for polar heritage sites. Christina's research will utilize our new Z+F 5010X laser scanner. She is a recent addition to our research team, having started the Doctoral Program in January 2016. Christina was awarded an Eyes High Doctoral Fellowship, and we look forward to working with her on several interesting polar heritage projects.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

4. Adam Jahraus, MSc Student.

Adam is a Geomatics Engineering Student who I co-supervise with Dr. Derek Lichti, Geomatic Engineering. Adam's research is focused on evaluating the suitability of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) as a means of recording indigenous architecture in the Western Arctic. To this end, he has built error models that compare the precision and accuracy of different types of scanners. Adam will be using this research to develop guidelines for archaeologists interested in using TLS to record archaeological sites. In 2014, Adam used a Faro Focus 3D scanner to record one of the largest Inuvialuit sod houses ever excavated in the Western Canadian Arctic.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Past Graduate Students. 

Donald Butler, (2008-2015). PhD 

Natasha Lyons (2003-2007). PhD

Latonia Hartery (2003-20010) (with Brian Kooyman). PhD 

Tyler Murchie (2012-2013), MA

Edward Kempenaar (2002-2005), MA 

Matthew Walls (2005-2008). MA

Sean Pickering: (2008-20012). MA