Ken Snelgrove
Associate Professor
B.Eng. (Memorial), M.A.Sc., PhD (Waterloo), P.Eng.
I joined Memorial University in September, 2005 after
serving as a lecturer and associate professor at the University of
Manitoba for four years. My research centres on physically based
rainfall-runoff modeling and the interdependencies of land surface
moisture and energy on atmospheric processes. These interests have
lead to national collaborations with current projects aimed at
improving drought prediction in Canada, understanding carbon and
water inputs from arctic watersheds to Hudson Bay, planning for more
damage tolerant transportation infrastructure under the influence of
climate change, and extension of rainfall-runoff models to non-point
source nutrient loading of surface waters. These projects are broad
in scope and rely on interdisciplinary team work to extend our
knowledge and provide useful products to end-users. It is within
these groups, that I find my research motivation and opportunities
for continued learning.
I was drawn back here after twelve years away from Newfoundland because of my perception of a renewed spirit at Memorial, particularly with a greater focus on research. Having grown up in Newfoundland and been engaged at Memorial as an engineering undergraduate, I needed no convincing of the university's commitment to teaching excellence and its importance in the community as a cultural and intellectual leader. With an extended research emphasis, a picture of a balanced combination of research, teaching and service was painted and I was convinced that all the elements were in place for me to could continue my academic career at home and be successful both nationally and internationally.
Besides my research expertise in hydro-meteorology and climatology, I also bring solid practical knowledge to the University as a result of my eight years in the heavy civil construction and consulting. After obtaining my undergraduate degree in Engineering from Memorial in 1986, I was part of the site teams responsible for construction of the North Warning System in Saglek, Labrador, the Hope Brook gold mine on the South Coast, the Paradise River hydroelectric development on the Burin Peninsula, the Processor Rock boat basin in St. John's harbour, the Hibernia site development in Bull Arm, and the Dew Line Cleanup in the Canadian Arctic. It is my hope that this combination of research expertise and practical know-how will help to draw students to civil engineering and motivate them to contribute to the safety and well-being of the general public of the Province.
