Mel’s CV

Education

Master of Arts, Integrated Studies, Equity Studies
Athabasca University, Alberta, 2015-2020
Graduate Student Bursary, $3,000

Graduate Diploma, Journalism, 2011
specialization in print media
Concordia University, Montreal    
Montreal Gazette Susan Carson Bursary Award ($2,000) 2010

Bachelor of Science, McGill School of the Environment, 2009
Specialization in biodiversity and conservation
McGill University, Sainte Anne de Bellevue      
Agriculture and Environmental Science Bursary Award ($2,000) 2007
Engineers Without Borders Junior Fellow Bursary Award ($2,000) 2006

Diploma of Collegial Studies, Vanier College, Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Environmental and Wildlife Management Technology, 2004
Music: Flute Major, elected student representative, 2000

Professional Associations and Activities

Member of Marketspot, 2024-present

Member of the Allied Arts Council, 2022-present

Member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada, 2012 – 2015

  • Participant in the 2013 MagNet Conference, June 4 – 7, Toronto, Ontario, hosted by Magazines Canada
  • Visiting guest PWAC speaker at Concordia University’s journalism department, September 2013.
    • Topic: How to manage a freelance career and grow a family

Sainte Anne de Bellevue Garlic Festival, August 24, 2013

Co-ordinator of festival, responsible for:

  • Volunteer recruitment and retention
  • Volunteer training, management during festival, and follow-up
  • Solicitation of local businesses for financial support
  • Social media engagement and dissemination of important lead-up to festival

Photography

  • Portrait photographer, Lifetouch/Shutterfly, 2021-2024
  • Environment Lethbridge, event photographer, 2017-2018
  • Freelance photographer, 2019-present
  • Freelance journalist (writing, editing, photography), 2011-2016

Exhibitions

  • Summer 2023: Making it Big, group exhibition, CASA, Lethbridge
  • Spring 2023: Resilience, Inconspicuous, solo exhibition, CASA, Lethbridge
  • Summer 2022: Heavy Metal, group exhibition, CASA, Lethbridge
  • Spring 2022: Landscape exhibition, group show, Penny Art Gallery, Lethbridge
  • Summer 2021: Inside-Out, Summer Salon, group exhibition, CASA, Lethbridge
  • Spring 2021- Summer 2022: Solo Exhibition, The Collective, Lethbridge

Publications

  • Raw Journal of Arts, Issue 7, 2021
  • Raw Journal of Arts, Issue 10, Best of the Best, 2022

Journalism and Communication

Freelance Scientific Manuscript Editor, 2009 – Present

  • General grammatical, structure, and spelling correction, and in-depth editorial suggestions for professionals and students, from undergraduate to post-graduate level manuscripts.
  • Topics edited to date:
    • Epidemiology, geography, ecology, anthropology, nutrition and health sciences, education reform, chemistry.

Freelance Reporter, Editor, Photographer, 2010 – Present
Your Local Journal, Montreal Families Magazine, The Montreal Gazette, The West Island Chronicle, The Northern Journal, The Atlantic Salmon Journal, The Concordian, McGill School of Environment alumni newsletter

  • Write full-length feature articles and briefs of original and assigned material

Communications Assistant and Project Facilitator, 2012
The David Suzuki Foundation, Ottawa

  • Assistant to communications officer; implementing communications goals, developing communications plans organization-wide and with special projects
  • Translation and editorial project facilitator for Connecting With Nature: an educational guide for grades four to six
  • Communications support for the What’s Inside? That Counts cleaners campaign on proper disposal of household hazardous waste, and green alternatives
  • Write, translate and edit press releases, field media calls, create and edit content for the DSF website and newsletters, manage media contacts on CisionPoint media database

Editor-in-Chief, 2011- 2012
Canadian Cancer Society: Tobacco Info and Info-tabac magazines, Montreal

  • Select topics, write and edit articles in English and French for tobacco control magazine
  • Select and edit photos, layout and design with InDesign; manage social media sites
  • Initiated and lead weekly editorial meetings and manage journalists; facilitate editorial committee meetings with tobacco control professionals across Canada

Copy Editor, 2011
The Montreal Gazette, Montreal

  • Edit and proofread articles for both print and online versions of the newspaper in all departments (arts &life, sports, business, entertainment, occasional brief writing)
  • Proficient with SaxoPress, SouthParc, Merlin, Photoshop, InDesign, InCopy, Word

Creative Writer, Editor, 2011
Change of Scandinavia, Montreal

  • Contract to re-write and edit franchise documents to help market Scandinavian lingerie company for a Canadian audience and prospective store owners

Founding President, 2010-2011
Journalists for Human Rights, Concordia University chapter, N.D.G.

  • Lead a sustainable executive team through weekly meetings to release human rights multimedia on Twitter, Facebook, CKUT 90.3 F.M., Rabble.ca, blogs and podcasts
  • Lead stewardship initiatives internally with Concordia faculty and staff, and externally to reach fundraising goals and obtain materials for events

Reporter, 2009-2010
McGill School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal

  • Environmental reporting on academic and student events, conferences, lecture series, guest lecturers
  • Blog contributions can be read here

Environment and International Development

Communications Facilitator, Board of Administrators, 2012-2013
Cooperative du Grand Orme, Sainte Anne de Bellevue

  • Social media manager
  • Responsible for monthly newsletters to members
  • Media and member outreach for store’s activities and green community initiatives

Regional Action Coordinator, 2010
Sierra Youth Coalition, Montreal and Ottawa

  • Facilitate meetings between Quebec Universities for environmental campus initiatives

Wildlife Information Officer, 2008-2009
Urban Nature Information Service, McGill University, Montreal

  • Information and problem-solving specialist on-call for urban wildlife emergencies
  • Montreal-wide and environs, in English and French

Overseas Development Intern: Junior Fellowship, 2007-2008
Engineers Without Borders Canada, Ghana and Montreal

  • Head assistant for the implementation of the Multifunctional Platform in rural Ghana
  • Recruiting, interviewing, selecting and mentoring upcoming volunteers
  • Lead fundraising and outreach initiatives for EWB’s overseas internships

Student activist, 2007
Greenpeace Organizing Term, Washington D.C., Hamburg, Wisconsin

  • Intensive semester of activist training, campaign planning, book club, direct action, specific training on nonviolent direct action, banner preparation, zodiac boat mastery, anti-racism tactics
  • Campaign tour for the Kleercut campaign in Wisconsin, contributing to a significant Greenpeace victory for boreal forests

Science

Research Assistant, 2007-2008
McGill herbarium and research greenhouse, Sainte Anne de Bellevue

Entomological Technician and Beetle Specimen Curator, 2005-2006
Université du Quebec a Montreal, Abitibi and Montreal

  • Collected, preserved and analyzed beetle specimens from Quebec Boreal forests under the guidance of Dr. Timothy Work

Biological Field Technician, 2005
University of Montana, Sage Grouse Conservation Project, Buffalo, Wyoming

  • Tracked, banded and processed species-at-risk sage grouse on oil fields

Avian field technician, 2004
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

  • Banded and tracked burrowing owls with infrared scope technology
  • Kept strict records of owl activity on residential and U.S. Air Force base

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