Jacob Nigro Wins Senate Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement

 

 

Senate Medal Winner, Jacob Nigro, and 4th year thesis supervisor, Patricia Ballamingie, at the June Convocation 2012

Jacob Nigro, an undergraduate student from the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies received a Senate Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement – a remarkable achievement since it requires consistently stellar performance across all years of a degree program! In fact, Jacob’s academic record is impressive. With an outstanding cumulative GPA of 11.17, Jacob has received kudos for his efforts, including 7 awards and scholarships, and has maintained a consistent presence on the Dean’s List throughout his years at Carleton.

Jacob is an outstanding representative of this department, with a major in environmental studies, and a double minor in geography and geomatics! Jacob generated an exceptional 4th year thesis, Profiling Winter Cycling in Ottawa. His supervisor, Dr. Patricia Ballamingie, glows: “I have known Jacob since I first taught him in my first year seminar, back in 2008. He has been a joy to work with. The empirical data he collected on winter bicycle ridership trends was truly impressive! Moreover, he worked both independently and collaboratively, seamlessly combined both quantitative and qualitative methods, negotiated data collection with the City of Ottawa, cycling groups, and other academic researchers (including a professor at McGill, giving his own research greater context and relevance). When I made suggestions, he took them seriously, and followed up immediately. I find his willingness to take direction (when warranted) to be a mark of true intellectual maturity.”

Jacob also gained valuable experience through a practicum with the City of Ottawa’s Strategic Planning Unit, as well as work experience at the City of Ottawa’s Transit Services Department – both of which no doubt serve to inform his future professional endeavours.

Jacob looks back on his time in the department:

“When I entered the program at Carleton, I was very interested not only in understanding the physicality of how the natural world operates, but also in examining how our modern society affects it. Through my time in the program, I learnt how humans interact with the planet, from both scientific and sociological perspectives. More importantly, I found a space within the wide field of geography that I could inhabit: understanding how people interact with their built environments. I am very intrigued as to how different aspects of our urban form affect our behaviors, and how adjustments made to these forms can cultivate tangible changes, from an environmental and social perspective.

I would specifically like to thank my supervisor Patricia Ballamingie not only for her guidance with my thesis, but also for her general advice. I would also like to thank Jill Wigle for introducing me to the concepts of spatiality and planning. Finally, I would like to thank Dan Patterson for his endless help and support within the world of GIS.”

Jacob begins a Master of Science in Planning in the Department of Geography & Planning at the University of Toronto this fall.