Basic Chronology

Basic Reverse Chronology

2015

Early November: YES. Website is substantially done. No big gaping holes. Donate button works (please feel free to test it out). Lots of material, MENU items populated. It has been wonderful working with my guru David Korn, and eagerly will continue. Lots of work, more than expected. Much to do now…… Choices, Choices…… I am chomping at the bit to do new videos. Write my book. Save the world…

September: Taking some time off my studies, for a much needed sabbatical. Full Profs take sabbaticals, so why not Part-time profs? Time off is to generate a kick-ass website summarizing a lot of my work over the last few years. Also to write a book (a toss-up between a Harlequin Romance and a climate book, hmm…)

Spend 10 days with my family in a beach house on the Outer Banks in North Carolina, near Avon. Walked for miles on the beaches, looking for treasure. Flew a kite for hours, inspired by my visit to Kitty Hawk. Spend hours paddling around in the oceans, ready at all times to fend of marine predators. Will probably go back at some point.

Taught my first course in oceanography, titled Global Ocean Changes to about 25 students. This was an accelerated course, consisting of two 3 hour lectures per week for 2 months. I read the oceanography textbook the week before I started the class, it was awesome. Oceanography has been my passion since I was old enough to read. Following Jacques Cousteau and his global expeditions around the planet in his research ship Calypso was my childhood passion. Also following the Sealab Expeditions.

Taught 20 very smart high school students an Enrichment Mini-Course Program at the University of Ottawa on Climate Change Science and Human Implications for a week in early May. Loads of fun, and we had a brainstorming session on the craziest ideas/methods possible to prevent the planet from careening off into abrupt climate change weather weirding.

Taught about 60 students in a third year course Geographical Approaches to Environmental Issues (my second time teaching this course). We covered everything and anything on Environment and Climate Change, including global population rise, possibilities of resource scarcity global conflict, rapid ocean acidification, etc. etc. Did I say that I love to teach. Of course I did.

Testified at the Manitoba Government Lake Winnipeg Water Level Regulation Hearings. Prepared hour long power point presentation testimony, 60 page report backing up my slides, for Manitoba Wildlands NGO. A great experience and some extra $. Grilled by Manitoba Hydro Engineers afterwards.

Thesis research. Ongoing. Climate change videos. Ongoing. Blogs. Ongoing…

2014

Attended COP20 climate change conference in Lima, Peru in December for 10 days with Stuart Scott, very busy with Press Conferences on the Arctic Methane Emergency, lots of excitement and had a great time. Trip was my first to the Southern Hemisphere.

Spent a week, mostly in Alaska. Landed by helicopter on the Mendenhall Glacier. Managed to avoid sliding in gaping crevices and moulins. A wonderful trip. See the glaciers while you still can.

Taught introductory second year Climatology/Meteorology Course to just under 100 students. I love teaching this course, this was my third time. The only problem with classes this big is the necessity to use multiple choice exams. Most students hate this, I need to rethink these exams in future courses that I teach. Great student evaluations on my teaching methods, and ability to inspire them.

Research. Interviews. Blogs. Movies. Reports.

2013

Research. Talks. Videos. Radio Interviews.

I gave an invited talk on Abrupt Climate Change in the Arctic and Global Implications at Parliament Hill (Canada’s White House) at the All-Party Climate Change Caucus Meeting. In attendance were Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada and MP (Member of Parliament), MP Megan Leslie, Environment Critic for the NDP party (sadly, she lost her seat in the November/2015 election due to the Liberal Surge), MP Kirsty Duncan, Environment Critic for the Liberal party (happily, she won her seat in November/2015 and Justin Trudeau awarded her the newly created Cabinet position Minister of Science), and other MPs and assistances, EXCEPT there were none of Harpers Conservative MPs or people (no surprise, climate deniers all (almost all)).

2012

Taught introductory second year Climatology/Meteorology Course to about 100 students. I love teaching this course, this was my second time. Students dislike the multiple choice exams that are necessary for such a large class. Great student feedback on my teaching methods/delivery/knowledge/inspirational ability…

2011

Taught introductory second year Climatology/Meteorology Course to about 100 students. My first Part-Time Professor teaching position at the University. The students loved my teaching style, and rated me very highly leading to lots more teaching.

2011 – present

Fast-track switch to Ph.D. program (Department of Geography; Laboratory for Paleoclimatology and Climatology) at University of Ottawa, Ontario.
2010 – 2011: In M. Sc. program (Geography; Climatology) at University of Ottawa, Ontario.

Part-time Professor, University of Ottawa.

2006 – 2010

An ecclectic mixture of travel, chess tournaments around the world, work at various places, personal discovery.

2003 – 2005

Completed courses with top marks in Ph.D. program (Physics) at University of Ottawa, Ontario. Not the degree, interests changed.

1989 – 2003

Worked at National Research Council in Canada on optical image subtraction using lasers.

Worked at Lumonics, Inc. on Carbon Dioxide lasers, Excimer Lasers, Tunable Dye Lasers, Titanium Doped Sapphire Laser Development

1986 – 1988

Accepted a job offer at the Rockwell International Science Center in Thousand Oaks, California. A wonderful job for two years. Never intended to stay in the USA forever, but it was tempting.

1984 – 1986

M. Sc. (Physics), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. Master’s thesis title: Tunable Diode Laser Diagnostics in Photochemistry.

1980 – 1984

B. Eng. (Engineering Physics), McMaster University, finished 3rd out of over 300 people in my first year (roommates partied too much and failed); finished top of my class for next 3 years of my program.

1980

Graduated from Queen Elizabeth Park High School; top of my class and lots of university entrance scholarships.

Sometime in the sixties!

Paul Henry Beckwith, child of the sixties.