Lee Wilson has found his niche 鈥� combining his passion for information and love for the East Coast in a Master of Library and Information Studies degree.
鈥淔rom a young age, I鈥檝e always enjoyed reading and writing, so a Master of Library and Information Studies sort of complements that,鈥� says the New Brunswick native who completed his undergraduate degree in English at Mount Allison University.
Lee has been diving into research around the developing tidal power industry, examining how related organizations share information and ways they can better communicate with one another.
鈥淢y connection to the East Coast is probably one of the reasons I became so interested in ocean science,鈥� he says. 鈥淧articularly when it came to tidal power. I like the idea of a renewable energy industry that would rival what is being seen out West.鈥�
For Lee, getting involved in his program and with his peers during his degree was incredibly important. He was financial officer with the School of Information Management鈥檚 Student Association (SIMSA) and worked as a research assistant with the Environmental Information: Use and Influence research initiative and the AV俱乐部 Social Media Lab.
鈥淢y involvement over the years really enriched my experience and allowed me to take what I was learning in the classroom and apply it in a real-world context.鈥�
Lee is now part of a national project with the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) that focuses on creating data management practices, infrastructure and policy to help ocean scientists better connect and share data. After graduation, he will be continuing this research and hopes to continue applying his skills to help improve ocean data management.
鈥淭he ocean sciences sector is vital to Canada鈥檚 ecological and economic future, but it鈥檚 drowning in an ocean of data,鈥� says Lee. 鈥淚nformation managers will play an increasingly important role to ensure that these huge quantities of data are being put to good use.鈥�
The article is part of a series of profiles on members of the Class of 2016. . takes place May 13 in Truro and from May 30 to June 4 in Halifax.