Quaternary Environments: Who's Who
Dr A. B. Beaudoin, Curator, Quaternary Environments
Dr Alwynne B. Beaudoin is the Curator for the Quaternary Environments program at the Royal Alberta Museum, and is also responsible for the curation and maintenance of the Pollen and Seed Reference Collections. Dr Beaudoin holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Physical Geography from Leeds University, U.K., and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Western Ontario. Her graduate work had a strong Alberta connection, and focussed on the landscapes and vegetation history of Sunwapta Pass, adjacent to the Athabasca Glacier, Jasper National Park. Following an interval of university teaching, she moved to Alberta to work for the Archaeological Survey in 1986, transferring to Royal Alberta Museum in 1991.
Her work concentrates on the investigation of the landscapes and environments of Alberta during the past 10,000 years, especially as these relate to the Province's human history. This involves the examination of plant remains, especially seeds and pollen, and the analysis of soils and sediments. As described in a news release, she was recently involved in SCAPE ("Study of Cultural Adaptations in the Canadian Prairie Ecozone"), a multi-year (2000 - 2005), interdisciplinary project focussing on the postglacial landscapes and human history of the Canadian prairies.
Dr Beaudoin has produced over 80 publications related to her area of expertise, including two Annotated Bibliographies published by the Archaeological Survey, Royal Alberta Museum. Dr Beaudoin is a member or Fellow of seven professional societies; she has served on the executive of several of them and is Editor for the Canadian Association of Palynologists web presentation. In addition to her Museum duties, Dr Beaudoin also lectures and supervises graduate student research through the University of Alberta and is an Adjunct Professor in the Anthropology Department and the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department. She plays an active role in public education, often speaking to societies and special interest groups.
