By Lori Tarbett
Third year student Saille Bishop-Legowski is headed to Norway this summer as the undergrad nominee for the Terrestrial Cryosphere Exchange.
Organized by the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, the exchange will allow Bishop-Legowski to study terrestrial cryosphere (permafrost and glaciers) at the University of Oslo and also comes with a 24,000 NOK (about C $4,300) scholarship to help students travel to Norway and cover living expenses while there.
Bishop-Legowski describes glaciers as one of her “pet curiosities” and is excited for the experience: “Part of the deal is that I have to take cryosphere-related courses while I study at the UiO, but that’s no trial at all! I’m really excited for them!”
She will spend four months, from mid-August to December, enrolled in glaciology, periglacial and glacial geomorphology, geomorphology of the Nordic countries, and remote sensing courses. She will then make her way to France to study music during the winter term at Lumière Lyon II to balance out her two majors of geography and music. As Saille explains, she “settled on the two subjects it seemed [she] couldn’t do without, even though they aren’t the most obvious or career-directed combination.”
She is excited about the opportunity to take these specialized courses and is looking forward to making connections with others who are interested in the cryosphere. “I expect the exchange itself to be an amazing, enriching experience, and give me new perspectives on geography and myself. I know I’m going to learn a lot in school and out of it,” adds Bishop-Legowski.