Fiona Schmiegelow2022As leader of the BEACONs Team (Boreal Ecosystems Analysis for Conservation Networks) and Director of the Northern Environmental and Conservation Sciences at the University of Alberta and Yukon University, Dr. Schmiegelow focuses on conducting robust research and building local capacity to inform land-use and wildlife conservation policies and practices in northern Canada. Her work includes numerous collaborations with First Nations and a wide range of other partners, and has expanded programs at UA and YukonU to strengthen relationships between researchers, students and Indigenous communities in northern Canada. Along with land-use planning, her work includes extensive support for migratory bird and caribou conservation, and she has served on many government advisory panels advancing these interests. Some of her most impactful work is in nurturing a next generation of conservation scientists who bring fresh perspective and a deeply rooted commitment to reconciliation as a foundation for their work. All bios are from the year the award was presented.