Joanna Petrasek MacDonald

""Joanna graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Environmental Science (Co-op) degree with a major in Environmental Geography.

During her four and a half years at Guelph she was able to maintain academic excellence while participating in a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

Her passion for climate change issues has led her to activities at the local, national and international levels including contributions with the campus club Guelph Students for Environmental Change where she took on a leadership role in the movement to get bottled water off campus.

As well as other committee involvement (Sierra Youth Coalition and the Canadian Youth Delegation) Joanna has been Program Director for an environmental charity developing an eco-footprint themed summer camp for over 300 kids aged 6-16.

In her off time, Joanna has accepted numerous invitations to speak to elementary and high school students on such topics as youth activism and the environmental movement, water issues, the UN climate change conference, climate justice and how to be an engaged citizen.

With regards to her leadership in the field of climate change, Joanna was named the 2nd finalist of the Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25 in Canada by Starfish, an online environmental blog.

Joanna is starting her Masters of Arts under former Guelph Geography graduate James Ford at McGill University this fall.

PUBLICATIONS

Petrasek MacDonald, J., Harper, S.L., Cunsolo Willox, A., Edge, V., and the Rigolet Inuit Community Government. A necessary voice: Climate change and lived experiences of youth in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Canada. Global Environmental Change (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2012.07.010.

Petrasek MacDonald, J., Cunsolo Willox, A., Harper, S. and Edge, V. (2011). “Impacts of Climate Change on Northern Communities: A Summary Report of Stakeholder Interviews.” Technical Report, University of Guelph.