Gray Merriam was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at the 3:30 p.m. ceremony on Monday, June 12, “in recognition of outstanding contributions to establishing and promoting the field of Landscape Ecology through teaching, research and outreach”.
Merriam is a professor emeritus at Carleton University. He taught and directed graduate students in the fields of population and landscape ecology and nurtured academic affiliations in Poland, Sweden, France, the Netherlands and the U.S.In addition to publishing about 100 peer-reviewed research papers in international journals, chapters in research reviews and numerous other scientific reports, he has coauthored several books on the ecosystem.
Merriam was president of the International Association for Landscape Ecology, and on the editorial board of the journal Landscape Ecology. He directed the Landscape Ecology Research Laboratory, the Environmental Science Program, the Department of Biology and the Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology at Carleton University.
He has received honours from the U.S. Chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology and the International Association for Landscape Ecology. He has honorary degrees from the University of Moncton and is a recipient of a Latornell Conservation Pioneer Award.
In retirement, Merriam has tried to apply his ecological knowledge to the landscapes where he lives. He was the founding president of the Friends of the Salmon River, past chair of the Frontenac Stewardship Council and is ecological advisor to The Kennebec Lake Association. He was named Green Cottager across Canada by Cottage Life Magazine in 2009.