Cambridge/North Dumfries (2013): Dr. Stephanie Sobek-Swant is the new Executive Director at the rare Charitable Research Reserve.
“This is an exciting time at rare,” says Board Chair, Keith Ainsworth. “With the renovation of the 1840s limestone slit barn complex, and with the addition of North House, we are about to have 4-season facilities for our research, education and community functions. And now, with the addition of Dr. Sobek-Swant, we have someone with international experience who can help us realise our vision to become an environmental institute, making our national and international contributions better known.”
Stephanie Sobek-Swant is an internationally-trained biodiversity researcher with experience in leading people and administering large, collaborative projects. After early experience as a Research Associate and Project Manager at the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum in Berlin, she graduated with a Ph.D. from the University of Göttingen in Germany. She then came to Canada to take research positions at the Universities of Waterloo and Western, and most recently taught as Assistant Professor at Ryerson University. She has worked extensively in large collaborative projects involving universities, municipalities and the community, and has spent time in many areas of the country, setting up field sites to study the Emerald Ash Borer in places such as Edmonton, Toronto, North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie.
“My experience, early in my education, as an exchange student at the University of Victoria inspired me to want to return to Canada,” says Sobek-Swant, who now lives with her husband and young daughter in Kitchener. “The position at rare is an exciting opportunity for me, since it combines my love of research and education with what I view to be essential work in the community, helping to bridge the gap between what science discovers and what citizens need to know to make informed decisions about how they lead their lives for a more sustainable future. The staff and advisors I have met at rare have accomplished a lot in just 12 years and I look forward to contributing to their efforts.”
Dr. Sobek-Swant takes up her duties at rare in January. More than 55 people applied for the position from as far away as South America, Europe, the Maritimes and Western Canada.