EDUCATION
January 2021 - January 2025 (expected)
PHD BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Focused on understanding implications of change in landcover for water quality for indigenous communities of NWT, Canada.Â
Advisors: Dr. Jennifer Baltzer & Dr. Heidi Swanson
September 2017Â - September 2019
MSC. DEPARTMENT OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY, UOG
Researching the resiliency and recovery of the boreal forest to wildfire disturbance in the Northwest Territories. Advisor: Dr. Merritt Turetsky.
August 2013Â - May 2017
BSC. SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, UOG
Focused on forest ecology, soil science and forest diseases.
MY EXPERIENCE
Background & Expertise
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
June 2020Â - January 2021
·     Developed strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work both independently, in a team, and under pressure.
·     Applied knowledge on best quality assurance practices for data (i.e., backup, recovery).
·     Developed maps for stakeholders using GIS and spatial theory.
ORGANIC RESOURCE RECOVERY CREW MEMBER
Sept 2018Â - April 2019
·     Diverting organic waste on and off University of Guelph campus.
·     Helped develop strategies for reducing organic waste and marketing waste reduction.
·     Experience problem solving waste management.
·     Coordinating with student groups and stakeholders to improve efficiency and capacity of waste treatment.
PERMAFROST AND BOREAL FOREST FIELD TECHNICIAN
November 2016- September 2017
·     Led a team of undergraduate students in laboratory analyses and participated in field data collection focused on soil collection and formation. Â
·     Strong interpersonal skills to deal with requests from colleagues and clients.
·     Improved efficiency of laboratory analytical processing by 85%.
ASSISTANT QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICER
May - August 2016 & May - August 2015
Conducted experiments aboard a research vessel following scientific protocol.
Experience installing, maintaining, and trouble-shooting field-based research equipment.
Worked to improve and optimize field protocols for ease of collecting data.
Experience synthesizing information creating protocols for technical operators.
MY SKILLS
GIS MAPPING
Shown above: Field locations in the NWT.
STATISTICS &Â MODELLING USING R STATISTICAL SOFTWARE
Used to model and graph patterns in fire ecology
PRESENTATIONS &Â WORKSHOPS
January 2020
PRESENTATION
Bill, K.E. (2020). Effects of Fire on Canadian Ecosystems. Universities Fighting World Hunger. University of Guelph, Guelph, ON.
December 2019
PRESENTATION
Bill*, K.E., Turetsky, M.R., Baltzer, J.L., Day, N.J., Dieleman, C.M., Walker, X.J. , Mack M.C., and Johnstone, J.F. Â (2019), Post-fire ecosystem and carbon recovery in the Northwest Territories, Canada, Abstract [B33B-06] presenting at 2019 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 9-13 Dec.
December 2018
PRESENTATION
Bill*, K.E., Turetsky, M.R., Baltzer, J.L., Day, N.J., Dieleman, C.M., Walker, X.J. , Mack M.C., and Johnstone, J.F. Â (2018) Post-fire ecosystem resilience and carbon dynamics in the Northwest Territories, Canada, Abstract [B31F-2528] presented at 2018 Fall Meeting, AGU, Washington D.C., 9-13 Dec.
April 2019
WORKSHOP
Worksop lead on visualizing mixed effect models in R statistical computing software. University of Guelph R Users Group.
May 2018
PRESENTATION
Kristen E. Bill, Merritt R. Turetsky, & Jennifer Baltzer. Nonvascular plant vulnerability to fire activity in the Northwest Territories: Interactive effects of fire severity and soil moisture. Ontario Ecology Ethology and Evolution Colloquium: Oral Presentation
November 2018
PRESENTATION
Presenter and moderator during policy and conservation session for Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies conference 2018, Edmonton, AB, Canada
AWARDS & PRIZES
QUEEN ELIZABETH II GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
2021 - 2022
ONTARIO GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
2021 - 2022
WILLIAM NIKOLAUS MARTIN SCHOLARSHIP
2021 - 2022
COLD REGIONS RESEARCH CENTER STUDENT SUPPORTS FUNDS
2021
NWT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES RESEARCH GRANT
2020
LAURIER GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
2020
NORTHERN SCIENTIFIC TRAINING PROGRAM AWARD
April 2018 & 2019
SCHOLARSHIP FOR ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES FOR NORTHERN STUDIES TRAVEL AWARD
2018
SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES ACHIEVEMENT PRIZE
June 2017
VOLUNTEER WORK
Giving Back
2019-Current
ALGONQUIN CANADA JAY TELEMETRY RESEARCH (2019- CURRENT).
Experience in aerial surveys for telemetry tracking. Monitoring breeding population: Nest searching, nest checks, banding young.
2020-Current
Alaska Fire Science Consortium – NASA Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment.
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
2019
NASA Narratives Program, American Geophysical Program.
NASA INTERVIEWER
2019
Algonquin Canada Jay telemetry research
FIELD ASSISTANT
2019
Jefferson Salamander telemetry research program with Natural Resource Solutions (NRSI).
FIELD ASSISTANT
2018-Current
Dundas Turtle Watch program.