CV

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Manager
Northern Climate ExChange, Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College – October 2017 – Present

  •  Expanded partnership research with Yukon organisations including Yukon Energy Corporation, Yukon Government (e.g., Highways and Public Works, Environment).
  • Managed permanent/term staff of  up to 8, in addition to casual staff and student research assistants.

Research Project Coordinator
Northern Climate ExChange, Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College – August 2014 – September 2017

  • Advised students conducting independent research projects and supervised student research assistants.
  • Applied knowledge of community-based and multi-disciplinary research methodologies with sensitivity to their application in a northern, cross-cultural settings across Yukon.
  • Developed knowledge of Yukon scientific and technical communities and expanded my network of collaborators in the local, national and circumpolar climate research community.
  • Managed budgets and coordinated administrative processes for projects ranging from a four month, $40K project to a multi-year, $500K project.

Research Associate
Centre of Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba – January, 2012 to August, 2014

  • Coordinated writing teams for multiple major proposal writing initiatives to Transport Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
  • Prepared comprehensive annual reports synthesizing research results for the ArcticNet Network Centres of Excellence and other funding agencies. 
  • Co-authored of peer-review publications regarding Arctic climate and sea ice variability, and inter-connections between Arctic and mid-latitude climate.
  • Aided in the coordination and implementation of field programs aboard the CCGS Amundsen research icebreaker.

Policy Analyst
Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Division, Earth Sciences Sector: Natural Resources Canada – June 2008 to December 2011

  • Lead author for the discussion paper “Climate Change Adaptation and Canadian Municipal and Business Decision-Makers: A Snapshot of 2009”.  This web-publication examines the state of awareness of, and exposure to, climate change impacts and actions being taken to adapt within Canadian provinces, municipalities and businesses.
  • Developed research reports, briefings and decks for presentation to a variety of internal and external stakeholders explaining Federal knowledge of adaptation, regional and industrial vulnerability to climate change and potential solutions to increase adaptive capacity.
  • Coordinated the division’s contribution to the Horizontal Task Team on Adaptation, a group devoted to collaboratively assessing and addressing the risks posed to Natural Resources Canada by changing climate.
  • Planned and implemented teleconference and web conference events aimed at sharing lessons learned and best-practices in the implementation of measures to adapt to climate change

Parliamentary Affairs Officer
Science and Policy Integration: Natural Resources Canada – May 2007 to June 2008

  • Provided interpretation and advice to senior managers on Parliamentary procedure during the House of Commons and Senate consideration of four pieces of legislation, and five Standing Committee studies.
  • Reported to Senior Managers on issues of strategic importance arising during House of Commons and Senate Standing Committee and Debate proceedings.
  • Reviewed Ministerial Correspondence and coordinated the tabling of Parliamentary Reports for the department.

EDUCATION
Masters of Science in Geography – University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta – Conferred June 2007
Master’s Thesis Title: Multivariate Classification of Calgary Weather Systems: Exploring Trends, Variability and Synoptic Relationships, 1953-2004.
GPA: 4.0

  • Applied multivariate statistical methods in analysis of observational climate records in order to classify and evaluate trends in persistent and repetitive weather systems.
  • Processed data using SPSS, Microsoft Office, ArcGIS, and Matlab software.
  • Numerical analysis of Environment Canada observational record for Calgary and Southern Alberta.
  • Summarized findings orally and in writing at departmental conference, Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society Congress, and as a guest lecturer in a senior year multivariate statistics class.
  • Research supported by the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
  • Received Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada PGS-B Scholarship.

Bachelor of Science in Earth Science, First Class Honours
University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta – Conferred June 2004
Honours Thesis Title: Hydrologic Mass Balance Modelling of the Spray River Basin, Alberta
GPA: 3.85

  • Multidisciplinary degree focussing on Canadian mineral, hydrologic, energy and forest science.
  • Specialization in applied multivariate statistics, climate dynamics, paleoclimatology, and geophysical methods.
  • Honours thesis focused on glacier-climate interaction and alpine hydrology using multiple data types.
  • Learned and practiced spatial sampling techniques and field work.
  • Received Deans Research Excellence Award.

PUBLICATIONS
Technical reports and disseminations

Horton, B., Benkert, B. (2017) Observed and Projected Climate in the Aishihik River Basin: Information to Consider Climate Change Impacts on Hydro Electric Power Generation.  Northern Climate ExChange, Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College

Samuel, J., J. Kavanaugh, B. Benkert, M. Samolczyck, S. Laxton, R. Evans, S. Saal, B. Horton, J. Clague, Z. Harmer, L. Kinnear. (2017) Evaluating climate change impacts on the upper Yukon River basin: Projecting future conditions using glacier, climate and hydrological models. Whitehorse, Yukon: Northern Climate ExChange, Yukon Research Centre.

Andrews, Johnathan, D. Babb, M. McKernan, B. Horton, D. Barber. 2016. Climate Change in the Hudson Bay Complex: Opportunities and Vulnerabilities for the Port of Churchill’s Marine Operation Climate. Report to Network of EXpertise on Transportation in Arctic Water, Transport Canada.

Calmels, F., B. Horton, L.P. Roy, P. Lipovski and B. Benkert. 2016. Assessment of Risk to Infrastructure from Permafrost Degradation and a Changing Climate, Ross River. Northern Climate ExChange, Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College.

F. Calmels, Doré, G., Kong, X., Roy, L., Lemieux, C., and Horton, B. (2016) Vulnerability of the north Alaska Highway to permafrost thaw: Design options and climate change adaptation. Northern Climate ExChange, Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College, 130 p.

Calmels, F., L.-P. Roy, C. Laurent, M. Pelletier, L. Kinnear, B. Benkert, B. Horton and J. Pumple. 2015. Vulnerability of the North Alaska Highway to Permafrost Thaw: A Field Guide and Data Synthesis. Whitehorse, Yukon: Northern Climate ExChange, Yukon Research Centre

Candlish, Lauren, Barber. D., Brown, R., Barrette, C., Horton, B., Lukovich, J., Iacozza, J., Markovic, M., Rapaic, M., Prowse, T., Brown, L., Grenier, P., Chaumont, D. 2015. Chapter 2. Climate Variability and Projections. In Stern, G.A. and Gaden, A. 2015. From Science to Policy in the Western and Central Canadian Arctic: An Integrated Regional Impact Study (IRIS) of Climate Change and Modernization. ArcticNet, Quebec City, 432 pp.

Conference Proceedings

Horton, Brian, Samuel, J., Kavanaugh, J., Laxton, S., Benkert, B., Samolczyk, M. 2015.  Hydrosecurity of the Yukon River Watershed: A collaborative research project with Yukon Energy Corporation Vancouver, BC.  ArcticNet Annual Science Meeting. December 5- 9, 2015

Candlish, Lauren, D. Barber, J. Iacozza, J.V. Lukovich and B. Horton. 2013 IRIS 1 – Regional climate normal, trends and variability. ArcticNet Annual Science Meeting. Halifax, NS.  December 9-13, 2013.

Horton, Brian, J.V. Lukovich, G. Liu, D.G. Barber, E. Vido, P. Gerrard, and K. Hochheim. 2013.  Assessment of climate-related vulnerabilities affecting Port of Churchill shipping infrastructure and operations. ArcticNet Annual Science Meeting. Halifax, NS.  December 9-13, 2013. 

Horton, Brian, J. Lukovich, D. Barber.  2013. A case study analysis of the interconnections between the 2012 sea ice minimum, a sudden stratospheric warming in January 2013, and subsequent snowfall in Eastern North America. Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society of Canada Joint Scientific Congress. Saskatoon, SK.  May 26-30, 2013

Horton, Brian, J. Lukovich, and D. Barber. 2012. On the relationship between the decline in sea ice and the size, strength, and shape of the polar vortex. ArcticNet Annual Science Meeting. Vancouver, BC.  December 10-14, 2012.