Audréanne Loiselle’s oratory talent was brilliantly revealed in the competition’s national final My thesis in 180 seconds. The PhD candidate in Biological Sciences captivated not only the jury, but the audience as well. The three minutes used to describe his thesis “Synergies and Trade-offs Between Environmental Functions and Services for Different Types of Lakeside Wetlands” enabled him to win the first prize, the $1,500, and the $500 general prize.
which appealed to the company to protect its “smelly water holes” in the coming years admits it did not expect to win accolades, going so far as to plan an activity on the same final dates. “At every stage, I’ve been benchmarking myself against the amazingly talented participants, and each time I’ve been completely amazed,” she admits. This winter I had begun planning, with Professor Jacques Brisson, of the Institute for Research in Plant Biology, a new internship in this field to be conducted at Saint-Hippolyte from May 9-12, thinking ‘What are the odds of my winning? So, it was through an unlikely gymnastics that I was able to be in Quebec to compete.
If the first award she received brings her great pride, then the general award acquires a special meaning. For her, reaching out to spectators in a competition to popularize science demonstrates how important it is to make science available and, moreover, arouse interest in the topic of her thesis. “One of my goals is to make people aware of the importance of wetland conservation. Thus, the general award leads me to believe that I will get there little by little. Whether it is subject matter or other topics, it is important to make science available to everyone. It should not be presented as something complex and complex that only one understands. “Whether it’s to stir passions among young people, raise public awareness, or positively influence our decision-makers, sharing our knowledge is essential,” she said.
In preparation for the next stage, Audréanne Loiselle will go to the international final of the competition, which will be presented by the University of Montreal on October 6.
To learn more about his thesis, click here.