About Jonathan Whiteley

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photo of me in the field

That's a photo of me in the field, near Schefferville, Québec, with all the northern scenery in the background.

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Salient Details

Name
Jonathan Whiteley
Degrees
B.Sc(Env), M.Sc.
Position
PhD candidate
Lab
Dr. Andrew Gonzalez
Department
Biology
Institution
McGill University

Education Summary

Short Biography

I grew up just outside Montréal, Québec in a suburb on the south shore, and spent a lot of time outdoors and camping. I moved with my family to suburban Toronto, Ontario, where I finished high school and decided I wanted a broad base for a career in the environment, so I chose the environmental science degree program at the University of Guelph, which gave me a strong education applicable to a range of possible careers. I highly recommend this program for anyone interested in an environmental career, whether in the natural or social sciences. My time at the University of Guelph introduced me to a passing interest in the sport of cheerleading, a long-time romance with western martial arts (medieval fencing), and an academic interest in community ecology. I am grateful for the help and challenges from professors like Doug Larson, Peter Yodzis, and even Ron Brooks (who's uncompromising evolutionary arguments have left me permanently skeptical).

After graduating from U of G, I worked for a while with NGOs and as a research field assistant. I decided I wanted to continue to develop research as career, which led me to a Master's at SFU.

My Master's project was part of a larger research effort to apply ecological research to better understand potential impacts of an expanding shellfish aquaculture industry. Though the project itself was not partnered directly with the industry, the research and results were of interest to public, private, and government stakeholders. It was a kind of baptism by fire in applied ecology and the workings of academia, but I survived, and realized I was good at some of this stuff, even though I was not yet entirely comfortable with the pressure and politics of publicly controversial research. My PhD is more strategic and theoretical, which I am thoroughly enjoying, even though it has obvious connections to climate change, an area of significant public interest and controversy. However, I am focusing on potential impacts of climate change, which is an area of urgent interest for scientists and decision-makers.

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