Hillary Beattie
A freelance film maker and advocate for climate change education, Hillary Beattie is known on UWinnipeg’s campus as a mover and a shaker. She is nationally recognized for her environmental stewardship and video work, and just graduated last week with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Human Geography. However, her journey at UWinnipeg originally began in human rights at the Global College before leading to 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 is renowned around campus as a hard working student who 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, Dr. Ian Mauro — all in the department of geography. She also has served as a teaching assistant in the department.
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. Bulman 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 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 complements Mauro’s work with OceanCanada*.
Mauro’s work forms a nexus between two areas that are of strong interest to Beattie as well: climate change research and film making.
* 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 UWinnipeg.
