Department
Department of Geography and Planning
Organization
University of Saskatchewan
Email
alec.aitken@usask.ca

Location

Saskatoon , Saskatchewan S7N 5C8
Canada

Bio

Alec Aitken joined the Department of Geography (currently Geography & Planning) in the fall of 1992 and was promoted to Full Professor in 2009. Teaching and research interests are focused on subjects related to Arctic marine biology, Quaternary geology and geomorphology, and Paleo-Indian settlements on the Canadian Prairies. Career highlights at the University of Saskatchewan include: a Teaching Excellence Award from the College of Arts & Science (2002); a Master Teacher Award from the University of Saskatchewan (2003); USSU Teaching Excellence Award in 2014; serving as a Project Leader in the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (2002-2007); serving as a Project Leader for the University of the Arctic Core Curriculum Revision team (2006-2013); serving as the Acting Associate Dean (Student Affairs) in the College of Arts & Science (2007-2008); serving as a Commitment Leader for Sustainability as a Shared Challenge in the 2nd Integrated Plan (2008-2012). Alec holds joint appointments as an Associate Member within the Department of Archaeology & Anthropology and the Department of Biology.

Service to the University includes membership in University Council, the Teaching, Learning and Academic Resources committee of University Council, the Undergraduate Environmental Programs Governance Committee, the Interdisciplinary Program Chairs committee in the College of Arts & Science, and the Committee for Northern Studies. Alec serves as a reviewer for the Academic Review Committee of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan.

Science Specialties

Quaternary geology, marine invertebrate ecology, invertebrate palaeoecology, geoarchaeology

Current Research

Current research interests combine marine ecology and marine geology to support seabed habitat mapping in the coastal waters of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada.
I am also engage in research that combines stratigraphy, sedimentology and geomorphology to facilitate environmental reconstruction at Paleo-Indian occupation sites in central Saskatchewan, Canada.