Canadian Hydrographic Association Student Bursary

Three $2500 Bursaries to be Issued per Year

Criteria

  1. The applicant must be a full time Canadian or permanent resident enrolled in an accredited post-secondary program in the field of Geomatics with a hydrographic and/or a marine cartographic component, or enrolled in an International Board on Standards of Competence for Hydrographers and Nautical Cartographers (IBSC) recognized Category A or B program.
  2. The bursary will be available to college (including collège d’enseignement général et professionnel – CEGEP) and students in a degree (bachelor or master) or diploma program in the hydrographic or a closely related discipline.
  3. The applicants will be required to submit a transcript or copy of their most recent post-secondary marks at the time of application. The marks must indicate an academic average of 70% or higher.
  4. Applicants must submit one letter of reference from an official of the university or college most recently attended. This letter of reference must include the address and phone number of the official.
  5. Bursary applications are to be submitted by February 7th of each year.
  6. The value of the bursary is $2,500 each and only successful applicants will be notified.
  7. Successful applicants will be issued a CHA Certificate and have their name mounted on a perpetual winners’ plaque. A picture of the plaque, duly inscribed, will be provided to the winner along with a $2,500 cheque sent by mid-August.
  8. A student may receive the bursary once only.
  9. Successful applicants are requested to provide a letter of appreciation and a photo which will be published on the CHA website.
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2025 Student Bursary Recipients

“I am honored and grateful to receive this award as I complete my studies in the Master of Applied Ocean Technology program at the Marine Institute. Receiving this award has given me added confidence as I finish up my studies and begin to navigate the job market. I am beyond excited to be starting a new career in this highly innovative field, and this award only enhances my motivation to continue working hard and making a meaningful contribution to the hydrographic industry.”

Kelsey Forrest
Marine Institute

“ I’m incredibly grateful to the Canadian Hydrographic Association for awarding me this bursary.

As a second-year Master’s student in the Applied Ocean Technology program at Memorial University of Newfoundland, this recognition means so much to me. Growing up by the ocean, I was always curious about what lay beyond the horizon. Now, through my studies and experiences in ocean mapping, I’m starting to explore that world in a meaningful way.

This bursary is both encouraging and inspiring to know that there’s a community supporting students like me as we work toward making an impact in this field.

Thank you again for this incredible honour. “

Ashlen Mersereau
Marine Institute

“I am honoured and grateful to be a recipient of the Canadian Hydrographic Association (CHA) Student Bursary. Thank you to the CHA Student Bursary Program for your generous support and for your commitment to supporting the next generation of hydrographers. This bursary will help me continue to grow both academically and professionally in the field of hydrography.

As a Multidisciplinary Hydrographer with the Canadian Hydrographic Service and a participant in the Professional Development Apprenticeship Program, I am passionate about building my skills and contributing to the industry. The Nippon Foundation/GEBCO Training Program is an incredible opportunity for me to deepen my understanding of advanced ocean mapping technologies, support sustainable marine management, and collaborate with experts from around the world.Thank you again to the CHA for investing in students like me and in the future of hydrography.

Elizabeth Yates
University of New Hampshire

2024 Student Bursary Recipients

I am writing to thank you for selecting me as a recipient of the 2024 CHA Student Bursary. This award has helped many students pursue careers in the field of hydrography, and I am extremely grateful to be chosen as part of this effort to continue the support of students’ education.

I am currently in my second year of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering at the University of New Brunswick and am very proud to be a part of GGE. This program and the people in it have shown me an entire field of study that I was not aware of before coming to UNB and have helped me to discover my love for ocean mapping and hydrography.

Working as an undergraduate research assistant for the Ocean Mapping Group this summer, I got to take part in many of the different aspects of ocean mapping and hydrographic surveying. Furthermore, I was fortunate enough to attend the Canadian Hydrographic Conference in St.
John’s, introducing me to a world of career possibilities that have made me very excited about my future studies.

I want to thank you again for your continued support of students across Canada, and for the financial support that will help myself and others with pursuing our educations. I look forward to the future, and to hopefully contribute to the CHA during my career.

Sincerely,

Olivia Bacon

I am deeply thankful for this bursary from the Canadian Hydrographic Association. 

This recognition strengthens my commitment to the field of hydrographic sciences and provides essential support as I pursue my Master of Applied Ocean Technology (Ocean Mapping). Being part of a community that promotes growth, innovation, and knowledge sharing is truly inspiring, and I look forward to continuing my journey with the aim of contributing to advancements in ocean mapping and technology.

Jordan A. Rees

CLS, PMP, P.Tech, B.Tech

J’étudie présentement à la maîtrise en sciences géomatiques – avec mémoire, et ce, dans le but de proposer une solution à une problématique foncière. Parallèlement à ma recherche, j’ai à cœur la promotion de la géomatique et je souhaiterais que cette discipline soit davantage connue, de même que ses applications, telles que l’hydrographie.

Je remercie grandement l’ACH pour l’obtention de cette bourse!

Laurence Tremblay

2023 Student Bursary Recipients

I want to thank you for this opportunity you’ve given me and to many students and for the support you’ve provided for those in need.

I applied for this scholarship with the hope that despite going into this semester with a baby on the way, I would be able to have the funding I needed to keep going for another semester and not be forced to take a whole year off. I am so grateful that I get to keep pursuing the education I’ve worked so hard for, and eventually get that dream career.

I’m currently in my fourth year at the University of New Brunswick pursuing Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering with a focus on Ocean Mapping, and it’s been a wild ride. I’ve worked for the Ocean Mapping Group and had focused my efforts on outreach. I presented at the Hydrographic Conference in Alabama earlier this year and preached about giving equal opportunity through student funding, research and events. I also had the opportunity to be an instructor over the summer in a program designed to get high school students familiar with the world of hydrography.

It’s programs and opportunities like these that gives students a chance to pursue their goals regardless of their backgrounds. And that is an amazing feeling not only from a student standpoint such as my own, but also from someone who continues to stand for giving equal opportunity for those who otherwise would miss out on a rewarding career.

Thank you again for such an amazing opportunity and please keep doing what you do! It makes the biggest difference to so many lives.

Lizz Christie

I am thrilled to be selected as one of the 2023 CHA Student Bursaries recipients. This award has motivated me to continue pursuing a career in hydrography and will allow me to achieve my academic goals.

I am in my second year of the Ocean Mapping program at the Marine Institute and have enjoyed every second of my studies. I have always admired the ocean’s mysteries and will continue to explore the ocean’s unknown as part of the ocean mapping team. I’ve learned much about the technologies and processes I can apply while working in the field. I am excited to complete my degree and begin my contributions to the hydrographic community.

I want to thank the Canadian Hydrographic Association for the honour and motivation that comes with this award. It will be a great help to me in the continuation of my studies.

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Kind Regards,

Arnold Murphy

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Sam Masry

Salem (Sam) Masry (1938-2020) immigrated to Canada from Egypt in 1966 after completion of his PhD at University College, London. He began his career at the University of New Brunswick where he became a professor and a founding member of the department of Surveying Engineering. Dr. Masry was a pioneer in the field of digital mapping and, in 1979, founded CARIS to develop digital mapping software, growing to be one of the leading companies in its field internationally. Sam received many awards in recognition of his work and his contributions to his community, including the Talbert Adams Grand Award by the American Society of Photogrammetry, appointments to the Order of Canada and the Order of New Brunswick, and an honorary Doctor of Science from UNB. Sam was an ethical and dedicated leader and entrepreneur with international influence, and a major champion for the importance of well-managed hydrographic and other digital data for the benefit of all.

Larry Mayer

Larry Mayer is a Professor and the Director of the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire. He graduated magna cum laude with an Honors degree in Geology from the University of Rhode Island in 1973 and received a Ph.D. from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in Marine Geophysics in 1979. At Scripps, he worked with the Marine Physical Laboratory’s Deep-Tow Geophysical package, applying this sophisticated acoustic sensor to problems of deep-sea mapping and the history of climate. After being selected as an astronaut candidate finalist for NASA’s first class of mission specialists, Larry went on to a Post-Doc at the School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island where he worked on the early development of the Chirp Sonar and problems of deep-sea sediment transport and paleoceanography. In 1982, he became an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Oceanography at Dalhousie University and in 1991 moved to the University of New Brunswick to take up the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Ocean Mapping. In 2000 Larry became the founding director of the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire and the co-director of the NOAA/UNH Joint Hydrographic Center.

Larry has participated in more than 95 cruises (over 75 months at sea!) and has been chief or co-chief scientist of numerous expeditions, including two legs of the Ocean Drilling Program and nine mapping expeditions in the ice-covered regions of the high Arctic. He has served on, or chaired, far too many international panels and committees and has the requisite large number of publications on a variety of topics in marine geology and geophysics. He is the recipient of the Keen Medal for Marine Geology and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Stockholm. He was a member of the President’s Panel on Ocean Exploration, National Science Foundation’s Advisory Committee for the Geosciences, and chaired a National Academy of Science Committee on national needs for coastal mapping and charting as well as the National Academies report on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon Spill on ecosystem services in the Gulf of Mexico. He was the co-chair of the NOAA’s Ocean Exploration Advisory Working Group, and the Vice-Chair of the Consortium of Ocean Leadership’s Board of Trustees.  He is currently the Chair of the National Academies of Science’s Oceans Studies Board, Chair of the MARUM Science Advisory Board, and is a member of the State Dept.’s Extended Continental Shelf Task Force and the Navy’s SCICEX Advisory Committee. In 2016, Larry was appointed by President Obama to the Arctic Research Commission and in 2017 he was elected to the Hydrographic Society of America Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and, in 2019, was elected as a foreign member in the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.  In 2020, Larry was selected as the first recipient of the Walter Munk Medal from the The Oceanography Society and named a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. In 2021 Larry was elected to Norwegian Academy for Polar Research.

Larry’s current research deals with increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of seafloor mapping and remote characterization of the seafloor (including the use of autonomous vehicles) as well as advanced applications of 3-D visualization to ocean mapping problems and applications of mapping to Law of the Sea issues, particularly in the Arctic.

Denis Hains

Denis Hains is a leader in the global hydrographic community and is recognized for his substantial contributions, commitment and influencer role as the global instigator of the Hydrospatial Movement Club & Community (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12556091/) and his leadership in advancing ocean mapping networking, technologies and standards.

A bit more than a year after retiring as the Director General of the Canadian Hydrographic Service with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and as Hydrographer General of Canada; he founded H2i (Hains Hydrospatial International Inc.). He is also notable for being the US-Canada representative on the International Hydrographic Review (IHR) Editorial Board of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).

Denis also holds the honor of being one of the five international members of The Nippon Foundation, General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO)-Seabed 2030 Strategic Advisory Group. He also shares his expertise and leadership as an affiliate research scientist at the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping in the USA.