On behalf of UBC Forestry, congratulations to Jessica Quinton and Sofie McComb on receiving the 2023/24 Jordan L. Burke Memorial Award in Forestry!
Jessica Quinton
Jordan L. Burke Memorial Award in Forestry – 1st Place
Supervisor: Lorien Nesbitt
Jessica’s research focuses on the link between urban greening initiatives and gentrification in Canada. She is interested in learning about the impact that urban forestry and urban greening has on cities and their residents. Jessica is also part of a wider SSHRC-funded product, led by Dr. Lorien Nesbitt, studying green gentrification and urban forest governance in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada.
Sofie McComb
Jordan L. Burke Memorial Award in Forestry – 2nd Place
Supervisor: Tara Martin
Sofie’s research examines the impact of cumulative anthropogenic threats on species and ecosystem vulnerability in the Salish Sea of Coastal British Columbia. She is passionate about combining ecological modeling and decision science to better understand the impact of interacting threats on biodiversity, as well as to prioritize cost-effective conservation and management interventions in the face of global change.
Jordan L. Burke Memorial Award in Forestry
The award has been made available through an endowment established by friends, family and colleagues in memory of Jordan L. Burke (1982-2019) for graduate students in the Faculty of Forestry who have demonstrated a passion for teaching in their roles as Teaching Assistants. Jordan (B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. 2016) was a postdoctoral research and teaching fellow with the Forest Insect Disturbance Ecology Laboratory in the Faculty of Forestry. His research focused on the range expansion of the mountain pine beetle in British Columbia and Alberta. Jordan served as a TA and instructor to many undergraduate students in the Faculty of Forestry. This award was established in recognition of Jordan’s legacy as an enthusiastic and encouraging instructor.