pathways | an educator's notebook

Redux | June 23, 2005: A 5-year voyage that began as an M.Sc. candidate at the University of New Brunswick in 2000 and subsequent transfer to the Ph.D. program in 2002 ended today as Dr. André Breton successfully presented and defended his doctoral thesis. André's research investigated the population processes of Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) colonies with respect to capture-mark-resight/recapture (CMR) data. His thesis is entitled "Demographic Parameter Estimates and their Biological Implications for a Seabird Metapopulation". The thesis, publications, and further information can be found here. André's subsequent research will take him to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship under Dr. Loren Buck.

Friends and family congregated later in the day for a house party to celebrate André's success. On hand to provide the entertainment were "Big D and the Li'l Ds", featuring myself on guitar and bass and André and our friends Sylvia Caissie and Juanita Bourque on guitars and vocals. As always, we arrived in style:

Our musical troupe originated a couple of years ago by happy accident as André and I both picked up guitars to play together at a party. We surprised ourselves with our performance and subsequently agreed to jam together on a regular basis. Sylvia joined us a little later followed by her cousin Juanita. Their addition added much range to our sound, while our new members brought with them a musical history different from our own.

Here are two original songs—written by André—from the "show":

Far From Here [4:21]
The Passenger [4:09]

Left to right: Me, Sylvia, André, Juanita

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