CMC congratulates Dr. David Risk, Department of Earth Sciences at St. Francis Xavier University, on being named as a member the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
In its announcement, the RSC notes Risk has made significant contributions to the understanding of how greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are released from soils and how the sequestration of greenhouse gases can be monitored.
Applications of Dr. Risk’s research have been used around the world and his research collaborations to date have involved individuals in four continents. Students at all levels have benefited from working with him.
Risk is an investigator on CMC-funded project Distributed all-optical CO2 sensing for field-scale subsurface carbon management. He is active in five types of projects, related to soil gases:
- Leak/seepage detection of industrial gases in soils, and industry environmental performance
- Instrument development.
- Isotope applications development.
- Soil carbon/respiration in winter environments.
- Commercialization.
The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists is Canada’s first national system of multidisciplinary recognition for the emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership. It will comprise a fourth entity (along with the current three Academies) within the Royal Society of Canada. The Members of the College are Canadians and Permanent Residents who, at an early stage in their career, have demonstrated a high level of achievement. The criteria for election is excellence, and membership is for seven years. Up to 100 Members may be elected each year. Risk was elected in 2014.