- Programs
- Undergraduate
- Graduate
- Professional Programs
- Community Economic Development
- Graduate professional programs
- Events
- Learning from the Global Pandemic
- Women Bending the Curve on Climate Change
- Engaging the Community to Build Flood Resilience: 12,000 Rain Gardens for the Puget Sound
- Engaging the university community in realizing sustainabiity: a transformational approach
- Engaging Citizens in Bike Lane Proposals: A Toronto Experience
- Climate Narratives
- Students
- Research
- Giving
- About
- Events
- News
- REDIRECT ONLY
- Sea, Land and Sky Initiative
Students
Changemaker gains new perspective after Caribbean field school
A friendly and approachable member of the student community, Changemaker Emma Chong frequently participates and volunteers across the Faculty of Environment.
The Faculty recognized these efforts when they awarded Emma with a 2022 Changemaker of the Year award for her commitment to creating positive social and environmental change. The fourth-year archaeology major is a member of the Student Leadership Team and the Interdepartmental Liaison for the Archaeology Student Society. She鈥檚 also completed a co-op at the Port Moody Station Museum, where she assisted with diversifying the museum to include more perspectives and improving accessibility.
In addition to her archaeology major, Emma is minoring in geography and earning certificates in cultural resource management (CRM) and geographic information systems (GIS). With her interdisciplinary education, she wants to work at a cultural resource management company working to make archaeology a less invasive discipline. 鈥淩ight now, it鈥檚 quite invasive and damaging,鈥� she explains.
Non-invasive technologies like GIS and laser imaging, detection, and ranging (LiDAR) can be used to preserve the environment at archaeological sites. 鈥淪o hopefully we鈥檒l be able to limit the amount of destruction we do while still learning about our past,鈥� says Emma.
Last summer, Emma attended a five-week field school on the island of Cura莽ao. Prior to the trip, she completed a mandatory month-long course to prepare. 鈥淏ut I was still terrified,鈥� says Emma, 鈥淚 was worried I was going to mess up something.鈥�
Though intimidated about her first real excavation, Emma says it was probably one of the greatest experiences of her life. 鈥淚t really opened my eyes to a different culture 鈥� and how different archaeology is in different cultures,鈥� says Emma. 鈥淏ecause we had to follow Cura莽ao鈥檚 rules, as opposed to B.C.鈥檚 rules.鈥�
It also made her realize that, as prominent as archaeology is in B.C., the same resources don鈥檛 exist everywhere. She was surprised to learn that in Cura莽ao, there are only two archaeologists for the entire island, limiting the capacity for archaeological work. 鈥淏eing able to excavate and carry out some of the projects that they had originally been planning was a big help for them,鈥� says Emma.
After Cura莽ao Emma has a new global perspective of archaeology that has helped her grow as a changemaker. 鈥淚t was an amazing experience,鈥� she says, 鈥淚鈥檓 so glad I did it.鈥�