Donovan Faraoni, Undergraduate Student: Recipient of the 2023 CAUS Scholarship

Environmental Science B.Sc. Honours student Donovan Faraoni has been awarded a national scholarship from CAUS, the Canadian Association for Underwater Science. His project involves investigating the impact of invasive aquatic plant colonies on fish habitat in the Eastern Township’s freshwater lakes. Donovan will be conducting scientific diving to collect data, employing technologies such as continuous-transmission profiling buoys and acoustic doppler current profiling. This research contributes to ongoing projects, led by Dr. Elisabeth Levac and Professor Bruno Courtemanche, on building geo-spatial models to monitor the changes in the distribution of Eurasian watermilfoil, a non-native species that has invaded lakes across Canada.

Receiving this award holds significant meaning for Donovan. The CAUS Scholarship “aims to support excellence in early-career researchers while advancing a culture of safe scientific diving practices,” both important aspects of Donovan’s fieldwork. It allows him to further develop his skills in water safety, building on his previous work as a Student Shoremaster at Pearson College UWC in British Columbia. In addition, the scholarship offers Donovan a nation-wide platform for sharing how scientific diving can be a flexible tool in studying environmental policy challenges involving freshwater ecosystems.

Donovan benefits from the practical research experience, fieldwork opportunities, and networking between various departments that Bishop’s University (BU) provides. For instance, Donovan took the ESG 288 Underwater Environmental Assessment course, which paved the way for his scientific diving journey. In collaboration with Professor Bruno Courtemanche, Olivia Fasan and Amber Hewett from the UBERG group, Donovan has also worked on designing and 3D-printing custom circuit boards for remote sensing devices used on water quality profiling buoys, which he is currently deploying in local lakes. This kind of in-depth BU experiential learning has led him to his current USRA summer job, with NSERC funding.

The interdisciplinary nature of Donovan’s studies — combining Environmental Science, International Political Economy, and Biodiversity & Ecology — is preparing him for a future career in environmental policymaking involving multiple fields and complex projects, while interacting with exceptional professors and engaging with students and community members further enriches Donovan’s learning experience at BU.

Joannie St-Germain M.Sc.
Research Officer
Office of Research and Graduate Studies
819-822-9600 ext. 2242