Director

Dr. Luke Copland, Email: luke.copland@uottawa.ca

• • • Professor, University of Ottawa

Post-docs

Dr. Brittany Main (04/2025- ), Email: brittany.main@uottawa.ca

• • • Glacial water resources in the St.Elias Mountains, Yukon: implications for water security and hazard management
    • Supervisors: Dr. Christine Dow & Dr. Luke Copland

Ph.D. students

Benoit Lauzon (09/2022- ), Email: blauz052@uottawa.ca

• • • Characteristics, Dynamics and Flow Mechanisms of Surge-Type Glaciers in the Canadian Arctic
    • Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Wesley Van Wychen

Élodie Bracquart (01/2022- ), Email: elodie.bracquart@uqar.ca

• • • The Holocene History of Smith Bay (Manson Icefield, Nunavut, Canada) – Comparing Sedimentological Proxies with Hydroacoustic and Historical Data
    • Supervisors: Dr. Jean-Carlos Montero-Serrano, Dr. Patrick Lajeunesse & Dr. Luke Copland

Pénélope Gervais (09/2024- ), Email: pgerv058@uottawa.ca

• • • Glacier Controls on Fluxes into Fiords South of Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut
    • Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Karen Alley

Adam Garbo (01/2025- ), Email: agarb072@uottawa.ca

• • • The Life Cycle of Icebergs: Glacier Thickness Mapping, Iceberg Production, and Drift Dynamics in the Canadian Arctic
    • Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

M.Sc. Students

Jaime Dube (09/2023- ), Email: jdube074@uottawa.ca

• • • Changes in Supraglacial Hydrology During Glacier Surges in the St. Elias Mountains, Yukon
    • Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Erika Brummell (01/2024- ), Email: ebrum084@uottawa.ca

• • • Ice Island Distribution in the Western Canadian Arctic: Assessing Navigational Risks in the Beaufort Sea
    • Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Domynik Huot (05/2024- ), Email: dhuot030@uottawa.ca

• • • Multi-decadal mass balance and velocity changes on Penny Ice Cap outlet glaciers, Baffin Island

B.Sc. Students

Tatiana Solfjell Huard (05/2025- ), Email: tsolf065@uottawa.ca

• • • A Comparative Study of Climate Data and Reanalysis Model Validation in the St-Elias Mountains, Yukon from the1960s to Present
    • Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Scott Williamson

Collaborators & Adjunct Professors

Dr. Karen Alley, University of Manitoba

Dr. David Burgess, Geological Survey of Canada

Dr. Christine Dow, University of Waterloo

Dr. Laurence Gray, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (Emeritus)

Dr. Brittany Main, University of Waterloo/Yukon University

Dr. Derek Mueller, Carleton University

Dr. Laura Thomson, Queen’s University

Dr. Wesley Van Wychen, University of Waterloo

Dr. Scott Williamson, Polar Knowledge Canada

Past Students (download graduate theses from https://ruor.uottawa.ca/)

Pénélope Gervais (M.Sc., 2022-2024). Spatiotemporal Changes of Supraglacial Hydrology on Ellesmere Island in Response to Increases in Surface Melt. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Brittany Main (Ph.D., 2016-2023). Glacier Velocities and Ice Dynamics in the St. Elias Mountains, Yukon-Alaska. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Abigail Dalton (Ph.D., 2018-2023). Identifying Iceberg Production Processes, Drift Patterns, and Coexistence with Ships in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Wesley Van Wychen

Gabriel Partington (M.Sc., 2021-2023). Reconstructing the Surge History and Dynamics of Fisher Glacier, Yukon, 1948-2022. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Erika Brummell (B.A., 2022-2023). Assessing the 2021-2022 Surge Behaviour of Lowell Glacier (Nàłùdäy)​, Yukon. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Dorota Medrzycka (Ph.D., 2015-2022). Contrasting Glacier Behaviour, and Methods for Monitoring Glacier Change, in the Northern Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Will Kochtitzky (Ph.D., 2019-2022). The Unquantified Mass Loss and Changes of Northern Hemisphere Marine-Terminating Glaciers. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Benoit Lauzon (M.Sc., 2020-2022). Glacier Surge Dynamics on Western Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Adam Garbo (M.Sc., 2019-2022). Validation of the North American Ice Service Iceberg Drift Model. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Derek Mueller

Moya Painter (M.Sc., 2019-2021). Formation and Drainage of Glacier Dammed Dań Zhùr (Donjek) Lake, Yukon. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Christine Dow

Braden Smeda (M.Sc., 2018-2020). Area and Volume Changes of Adams Icefield from 1948 to 2019, Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, Canada. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Laura Thomson

Dana Stephenson (M.Sc., 2018-2020, Queen’s University). Firn Densification on White Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island. Supervisors: Dr. Laura Thomson & Dr. Luke Copland

Alison Cook (Post-doc, 2018-2020). Geospatial Analysis of Arctic Ice and Shipping. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Jackie Dawson

Andrew Hamilton (Post-doc, 2017-2019). Glacier-Ocean Interactions in the Canadian High Arctic. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Claire Bernard-Grand’Maison (M.Sc., 2017-2019). Validation of Surface Elevation from TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Models of Devon Island Ice Cap, Canadian High Arctic. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. David Burgess

Scott Williamson (Post-Doc, 2017-2019). Reconciling Arctic and Elevational Amplified Warming Using Canada’s Northern Climate Gradients. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Adrienne White (Ph.D., 2013-2019). Glacier Changes Across Northern Ellesmere Island. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Abigail Dalton (M.Sc., 2015-2017). Tracking Changes in Iceberg Production and Characteristics at the Termini of Queen Elizabeth Islands Glaciers. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Danielle Hallé (B.A., 2016-2017). Glacier Surging Velocity Variability on Manson Icefield in Southeast Ellesmere Island 1992-2016. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Frances Delaney (Research Associate, 2016-2017). Ice Navigability and Shipping in Arctic Canada. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland, Dr. Jackie Dawson, Dr. Adrienne Tivy

Nicole Schaffer (Ph.D., 2011-2016). Historical Trends and Future Impacts of Glacier Volume Changes, Baffin Island, Nunavut. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Christian Zdanowicz

Laura Thomson (Ph.D., 2012-2016). Connections Between the Mass Balance, Ice Dynamics and Hypsometry of White Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Wesley Van Wychen (Ph.D., 2011-2015; Post-doc, 2016). The Dynamics and Dynamic Discharge of the Ice Masses and Tidewater Glaciers of the Canadian High Arctic. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. David Burgess

Larissa Pizzolato (M.Sc., 2013-2015). Arctic Shipping in Canada: Analysis of Sea Ice, Shipping, and Vessel Track Reconstruction.  Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Jackie Dawson

Michael Hackett (B.A., 2014-2015). Using DEM Differencing to Calculate Volume Change of Two Alpine Glaciers on Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, Canada, 1959-2014. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Frances Delaney (B.Sc., 2014-2015), Patterns and Trends in Oxygen Isotope Values in Snow Across the Canadian Arctic Over the Past 40 years. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Denis Lacelle

Miriam Richer McCallum (M.Sc., 2012-2015, Carleton University). Analysis of Ice Types Along the Northern Coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, and Their Relationship to Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) backscatter. Supervisors: Dr. Derek Mueller & Dr. Luke Copland

Emilie Herdes (M.Sc., 2012-2014). Evolution of Seasonal Variations in Motion of the Kaskawulsh Glacier, Yukon Territory. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Alexandra Waechter (M.Sc., 2011-2013). Regional Assessment of Glacier Motion in Kluane National Park, Yukon Territory. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Tyler de Jong (M.Sc., 2011-2013). Recent Changes in Glacier Facies Zonation on Devon Ice Cap, Nunavut, Detected from SAR Imagery and Field Validation Methods. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland.

Samantha Darling (M.Sc., 2009-2012). Velocity Variations of the Kaskawulsh Glacier, Yukon Territory, 2009-2011. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland.

Adrienne White (M.Sc., 2010-2012). Dynamics and Historical Changes of the Petersen Ice Shelf and Epishelf Lake, Nunavut, Canada, Since 1959. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Derek Mueller

Miriam Richer McCallum (B.A., 2011-2012). Assessment of Increasing Open Water Leads Along Northern Ellesmere Island. Supervisors: Dr. Luke Copland & Dr. Derek Mueller.

Alexandre Bevington (B.Sc., 2010-2012). Characterization of the 2009-10 Surge of Lowell Glacier, Yukon Territory. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland

Colleen Mortimer (M.Sc., 2009-2011). Quantification of Changes for the Milne Ice Shelf, Nunavut, Canada, 1950-2009. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland.

Wesley Van Wychen (M.Sc., 2008-2010). Spatial and Temporal Variations in Ice Motion, Belcher Glacier, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland.

Sierra Pope (M.Sc., 2008-2010). Changes in Multiyear Landfast Sea Ice in the Northern Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland.

Emilie Herdes (B.A., 2008-2009). The Relationships between Iceberg Calving and Sea Ice Conditions on Devon Ice Cap, Nunavut. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland.

Tyler Sylvestre (M.Sc., 2007-2009). Spatial Patterns of Snow Accumulation Across the Belcher Glacier Basin, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland.

Norah Foy (M.Sc., 2007-2009). Changes in Surface Elevation and Extent of the Kaskawulsh Glacier, Yukon Territory. Supervisor: Dr. Luke Copland.