Hillary Beattie
Freelance film maker and advocate for climate change, Hillary Beattie is known on campus as a mover and a shaker. Beattie is nationally recognized for her environmental stewardship and video work. Beattie just graduated this past June with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Human Geography. However, Beattie’s journey at UWinnipeg originally began in human rights at the Global College but has morphed in human geography after experimenting with environmental studies.
“I ended up in geography as it is very interdisciplinary, and allows you to ask questions about cultural, physical, political, and economic processes, both historically and contemporarily. This helped me appreciate how complex environmental challenges such as climate change are,” said Beattie.
Beattie’s is renowned around campus as a hard working student that is committed to whatever project she is associated with. She has worked with some of UWinnipeg’s most notable researchers, Marilou McPhedran (Global College), Dr. Matt Dyce, Dr. Danny Blair and most recently with Dr. Ian Mauro all in the department of geography; and has served as a teaching assistant in geography.
Beattie presented at Association of American Geographers’ Annual Meeting in Chicago earlier this year on her research on the tourist industry in post-war Manitoba.
She has earned numerous prestigious scholarships and awards including the Canadian Youth Environmental Leadership Scholarship, the Chancellor John. A. Busman Scholarship, the Anna Rickkelman Scholarship in Geography, the Brian Evans Memorial Scholarship in Geography, the Susan L. Rogers Scholarship in Geography, and most recently the Gold Medal for Achievement in Geography (Honours).
Beattie recently accepted a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC ) Graduate Scholarship to complete a Master of Environment program at the University of Manitoba beginning this fall. During this degree, she plans to continue working with Mauro on a documentary film in Bella Bella, BC. The film compliments Mauro’s work with OceanCanada*.
Mauro works at the nexus of climate change research and filmmaking, which is something Beattie has a very strong interest in as well.
* OceanCanada is looking at the challenges and opportunities facing oceans and the coastal communities that depend on them. It was one of 13 Partnership Grants awarded nation-wide in 2014. Mauro is co-leading the “Communication and Outreach” working group through the UWinnipeg.
