Welcome
The Geosciences Department at John Abbott College brings together the two disciplines of Geography and Geology (Earth Sciences).
Geography is the science that seeks to understand human and natural phenomena of the Earth. Geographers interpret and explain variations in space and places at all scales from the global to the local. At John Abbott College, Geography is a discpline offering optional program-specific courses in the Social Science and Liberal Arts programs, as well as Complementary courses to students in other programs.
Geology is the science that studies the Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they are produced and changed. It explains the natural history of the Earth and provides useful tools for mineral and hydrocarbon exploration as well as for understanding natural hazards and environmental issues such as climate change. At John Abbott College, Geology is a discipline offering Science Option courses to second-year students in the Natural Sciences program as well as Complementary courses to students in other programs.
Members of the Department
Baxter, Alan
514-457-6610 ext. 5988
HO-224
alan.baxter@johnabbott.qc.ca
Alan joined the department in 2017. He has a Bachelor's degree (Honours) in Geology from Trinity College Dublin (2005) and a PhD. in Geology from the University of Hong Kong (2011). He has taught Geology in Australia at the University of New England and at the University of Sydney. His research interests are in the life cycle of oceans, in particular in how and when they close. He studies this process both in ancient and modern systems.
Bryce, Stephen
514-457-6610 ext. 5973
P-218
stephen.bryce@johnabbott.qc.ca
Stephen joined the Geosciences Department in 1991 and has been Department Chair since 2013. He has a DEC in Social Science from John Abbott College, a Bachelor degree (Honours) in Geography and a Masters of Arts degree in Geography from McGill University. His teaching and research interests include the development of suburban landscapes, the political geography of Québec nationalism, the political ecology of global warming and the geography of sports. He is a member of the Social Science Program Committee, the Academic Programs Coordination Committee, and Academic Council, and has served on the Board of Governors and the Executive of the John Abbott College Faculty Association.
Burpee, Jessica
Coordinator, Environmental Studies Certificate514-457-6610 ext. 5059
HO-329
jessica.burpee@johnabbott.qc.ca
Buskard, John
514-457-6610 ext. 5975
(P-214A) On leave Winter 2017.
jbuskard@johnabbott.qc.ca
John joined the Geosciences Department in 1992. He has a Bachelor degree in Geography from Carleton University, a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Ottawa and a Masters degree in Geography and Public Policy from Concordia University. He is currently co-Chair of the Geosciences Department at John Abbott and is its representative on the Social Science Program Committee. He served as coordinator of John Abbott College's Pathways programs for 11 years. His research and teaching interests include population, development and environmental geography.
Léveillé, Richard
514-457-6610 ext. 5949
HO-224
richard.leveille@johnabbott.qc.ca
Richard joined the Geosciences Department in 2014. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology-Ecology from Concordia University and a PhD in Geology from the University of Western Ontario. Richard held an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre GEOTOP-UQAM-McGill and also worked as a planetary scientist at the Canadian Space Agency. He is one of 30 Participating Scientists selected for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission. His current research is on deciphering the geology of Mars using the laser-firing ChemCam instrument on the Curiosity Rover.
Podmore, Julie
514-457-6610 ext. 5496
P-218
julie.podmore@johnabbott.qc.ca
Julie joined the Geosciences Department in 1997. She has a Bachelor degree in Geography from the University of British Columbia and a Master's and PhD degrees in Geography from McGill University. She also spent one year as a post-doctoral researcher at the Université du Québec à Montréal in Urban Studies She served as chair of the Geosciences Department at John Abbott from 2006 to 2013. She has also served on the College's Sexual Harassment Committee, the Social Science Program Committee and the Research and Development Committee. Her research and teaching interests are in urban, social and cultural geography.
Shillington, Laura
514-457-6610 ext. 5592
HO-334
laura.shillington@johnabbott.qc.ca
Laura joined the Geosciences Department in 2013. She has a BSc in Geography from the University of Victoria, an MSc in Forestry from Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University, and a PhD in Geography from York University. Her research interests are in gender, political ecology and urban social-environmental justice with a regional focus on Central America.
Courses
The following courses are offered:
Geography:
- Introduction to Geography
- Geography of Tourism
- The Middle East Regional Geography
- Geography of the World Economy
- Cities and Urbanization
- A Global Crisis?
- Environmental Geography
- People, Places, Nations
- The Geography of Sports
Geology:
- Understanding Planet Earth
- Earth Systems Science
- Earth, Moon and Planets: Planetary Geology
Interdisciplinary Complementary
- Climate Change
For a complete listing and description of the courses offered by the Geosciences department, please visit the appropriate sections of the Course Calendar:
For Geology courses, click here
For Geography courses, click here
For Complementary courses click here (go to Domain 2 and Domain 3)