Dr. Brian McLaren
Dr. Brian McLaren's students don't just study trees.
A supervisor for Lakehead's MSc forestry and PhD forest sciences programs, Dr. McLaren encourages his students to explore the many dimensions and intricacies of natural resource management. "Within our Faculty, we've always been interested in the broader ecosystem: the animals in the forest, the use of trees in different industries, the water cycle, and how they're all connected."
And of course, Dr. McLaren adds, we can't forget the human element.
"Wildlife studies often involve human conflict and a human dimension; while I frequently describe my research as studying the behaviour of animals, my resource management work largely involves commentary on the behaviour of humans."
The applied projects he's supervised vary from describing elk and their re-introduction to northwestern Ontario to characterizing local lake sturgeon habitats. Many of these research initiatives are made possible through partnerships Dr. McLaren maintains with such parties as the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ecuador Ministry of Environment, and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. As a result, he's able to offer students some pretty incredible research opportunities. For example, students have been able to examine the hyper abundant moose problem in the scenic corner of Canada of Gros Morne National Park.
After they finish their graduate studies, Dr. McLaren stresses that students depart not only with a well-rounded knowledge-base, but also a highly marketable skill set and professional edge, which have proven to be successful in their acquiring environmental consulting work, government positions, and even entrepreneurship.
He adds that students also benefit from the extensive interdisciplinary initiatives at the university. "We can't compete in numbers, but we do provide an enhanced opportunity for students to collaborate with other disciplines, allowing them to see the bigger picture, the complete system."
This inter-departmental collaboration has provided a springboard for many novel lines of research and Dr. McLaren commends innovative students whom likewise think outside the box: "Doing the kind of science that reproduces the work of others is fair enough, but when you only live once, you'd best take the opportunity to chart your own path, create something really new."