The sense of isolation that Antarctica brings is achieved in part thanks to an international collaboration and treaty that sees Antarctica as an unowned land, open to science and discovery. It is closely and collectively monitored by protocols that visiting parties agree to follow and therefore, it’s a perfect stage for programs focused on leadership and sustainability.

Our speaker, who will account her experience, did her homework, and then some, before embarking on her 19-night tour of Antarctica as part of the Homeward Bound global leadership initiative for women with a background in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM). And yet no amount of preparation could rival the experience of interacting with the beauty and remoteness that is the world’s fifth-largest and least-populated continent.

Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Copeland

Jennifer Copeland is an Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Science and a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education. She completed a B.Sc. in Biology at Mount Allison University and attended graduate school at the University of New Brunswick where she earned a M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology.

Copeland’s research interests focus on the effect of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on health across the lifespan, with a particular focus on healthy aging. Her doctoral research focused on exercise physiology and she now uses a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to explore both the consequences and determinants of our daily movement behaviours.

A major goal of Dr. Copeland’s program is knowledge translation and she engages regularly in research collaborations with community partners and stakeholders. Her laboratory, the Active Healthy Aging Lab, has received funding from CIHR, CFI, PolicyWise for Children and Families, the Sport Science Association of Alberta, and other agencies.