SASKATOON — Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn (PhD), dean of the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Agriculture and Bioresources, has been named the new board chair of the Meewasin Valley Authority.
Bedard-Haughn was born and raised on her family farm in the central parkland region of Saskatchewan. She received both her Bachelor of Science in physical geography and her master’s in soil science from USask. She attended the University of California at Davis, where she received her PhD in soil science and biogeochemistry in 2004.
Following completion of her PhD, Bedard-Haughn joined the Department of Soil Science at USask as a Postdoctoral Fellow before being appointed to a tenure-track faculty position in July of 2006. Over the course of her career, she has served as head of the Department of Soil Science and as associate dean (Research and Graduate Studies) for the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. Since August 2020, she has been serving as dean of the college.
Bedard-Haughn specializes in soil science research, focusing on two main areas: management of wetland soils and predictive soil mapping. Her notable research program has been supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Research Fund, the Global Institute for Water Security, Environment Canada, and several industry groups. She has also been active in experiential training, teaching field courses on soil and landscape classification at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
Bedard-Haughn is an associate member of USask’s School of Environment and Sustainability, a member of the Global Institute for Water Security, and is fully engaged in graduate student training.
“Meewasin has always been fortunate to have incredibly passionate people serve on its Board of Directors,” said Andrea Lafond, CEO of Meewasin. “We have been fortunate to witness insightful direction for Meewasin and its strategic priorities. We look forward to continuing our work with Angela.”
“The mandate of the Meewasin Valley Authority, to balance human use and conservation along the river valley, closely aligns with the University of Saskatchewan’s commitment to sustainability and to the College of Agriculture and Bioresources’ mission to advance the responsible use of land, water, and bioresources. The collaborative governance structure of Meewasin allows all of the partners to work towards our shared goals around responsible management of natural resources.”
The Meewasin Board of Directors is made up of four representatives from the City of Saskatoon, four from the Province of Saskatchewan, and four from USask.
— Submitted by USask Media Relations
