 | Home page |  | Text size |  | E-mail this page |
Cool topic for instructor Permafrost specialist joins staff at Aurora College
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, September 12, 2013
INUVIK
One of the newest instructors at Inuvik's Aurora College campus is one cool lady.
New Aurora College instructor Kumari Karunaratne is a specialist in permafrost. Carrying out her work involves knowledge of soil, weather, geology, hydrology and botany. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo
|
Kumari Karunaratne is a specialist in permafrost. As such, she's more than at home here in the Arctic Circle teaching an environmental program to keen college students at the Aurora Campus.
Karunaratne was busy barbecuing hot dogs for a student orientation session Sept. 4 when the Inuvik Drum
caught up with her.
She's just begun work with the Environment and Natural Resources Technology department and has been in Inuvik for less than a month.
She's an Ontario native who's been living in Yellowknife while pursuing her speciality.
"I studied permafrost at Carleton University and got my PhD there," she said. "I studied permafrost in the North Slave area, and from there I moved to Yellowknife and worked for a consulting company for a couple of years.
"Then I heard about this program and thought it would be great for what I like and my experience," Karunaratne added.
She's been fascinated by permafrost because it's a multi-disciplinary field of study that combines knowledge of soil, weather, geology, hydrology and botany.
"You kind of become a jack-of-all-trades in environmental science," Karunaratne said. "That's why I like it."
She had visited Inuvik several times as part of her consulting work. She's also worked as far north as Cambridge Bay, making her an experienced hand at living in the North.
This semester, she's teaching geology, applied math and environmental stewardship.
"It's a wide range of course material," Karunaratne said.
The ENRT program is a popular, if small, program at the college.
Karunaratne said it admits 12 students a year, and is always full.
So far, she's found Inuvik to be a friendly, welcoming town.
"I find I am spending a lot of time getting the mud off my dog though," she said with a smile. "Just walking around the streets she gets quite muddy, and it's a special kind of mud that you can't just wipe off."
Karunaratne said she's excited to see several recreational opportunities here in town. She's a certified yoga instructor who is now eyeballing the programs here in town. She also knits, and has signed up for a quilting class this fall with Shona Barbour.
| 
