Dr. Linda Campbell
Saint Mary’s University is pleased to announce that Dr. Linda Campbell has won the Professional of Distinction award at the 18th annual Discovery Awards, held virtually on November 26, 2020.
Dr. Campbell, a Professor and senior research fellow in Environmental Science at Saint Mary’s University, has risen to the top of her field in environmental research, conducting and coordinating research groups across four continents. Her research and teaching at SMU focus on contaminants in the environment, as well as on sustainability and resilience issues with emphasis on aquatic ecosystems and water resources.
“Dr. Campbell is most certainly a professional, and person, of distinction. Dr. Campbell is recognized as a leader in environmental science research and is known as a scientist whose work increases our understanding of the impact of humans on the natural world,” said Dr. Lori Francis, Dean of Science at Saint Mary’s. “Her remediation work illustrates her drive to use new approaches to remedy historic contamination problems.”
“We here at SMU are proud of the work that she does and so very impressed by her desire to share her knowledge with the many students she has mentored.”
Her leadership was recognized early in her career; she received the W.B. Pearson medal for her PhD research, and building on this, her early career accomplishments were rewarded with a Canada Research Chair and a Canada’s Top 40 under 40 award in 2009. She is the recipient of over $10 million in funding for research, and despite working in environmental remediation, which often involves non-peer reviewed work, she has authored over 75 papers, given 150+ presentations around the world, and has supervised more than 20 graduate theses, and 30 undergraduate theses/projects.
Within the university community she has served on Senate and is currently on the Board of Governors at Saint Mary’s University while also serving as a Trustee of Gallaudet University in Washington DC. This experience builds on her three terms as a Board member of the Canada Hearing Society from 2006-17. These accomplishments clearly demonstrate her leadership is sought at all levels, from local to international.
Dr. Campbell and her team at the Dynamic Ecology and Environmental Health Research (DEEHR) Group provide expertise and technological infrastructure to the study of contaminants in the aquatic environment. Her research extends to aquatic food webs, invasive species, terrestrial wildlife and human consumers of aquatic food.
As a researcher, she is shaping a new path for the study of environmental contamination in Nova Scotia. Her more recent work has uncovered new vectors for human-aquatic ecosystem interrelationships.
Along with her significant contributions to the scientific world, Dr. Campbell, who has been Deaf since birth and communicates in American Sign Language (ASL), has spent hours building awareness of accessibility in society. She has received a Nova Scotia Human Rights Award, as well as the Mel Hebb Hourglass Action Award as part of the Bill-59 Community Alliance. She has also worked closely with ASL-English interpreters to develop collaborative scientific and academic interpreting.
Successful in breaking ground in media accessibility, Dr. Campbell has worked with arts communities to introduce environmental issues to new audiences. In 2016 she led the development of an ASL movie detailing the impact of the Halifax Explosion on the children and staff at the Halifax School for the Deaf.
Dr. Campbell has demonstrated time and again, that situations many would consider obstacles, can in fact be moments of opportunity. She is a role model whose passion, values, commitment to community, selflessness, and ability to overcome obstacles make her an invaluable asset to Saint Mary’s community, and Nova Scotia.
The Discovery Awards celebrate the outstanding achievement of scientists and innovators in Nova Scotia. Along with the Professional of Distinction category, awards were presented for Emerging Professional, Innovation, Science Champion, a Youth award, and Hall of Fame.