Science students analyze glacier melting in Peru
Five Students from Cégep André-Laurendeau Study Glacier Melt in Peru
Five students in the Physical Engineering Technology program at Cégep André-Laurendeau carried out a scientific research project to observe and monitor climate variations affecting the melting of high-altitude glaciers in the Andes of Peru.
The participating students were: Alexandra Rodriguez-Betancur (Brossard), Alexandre Durand (Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu), Étienne Bilodeau-Périard (Saint-Constant), Louis Vaudry (Montréal), and Thierry Normandeau (Verdun).
In December 2019, the students designed and installed four autonomous weather stations on a glacier. The data collected will be transmitted to a team of glaciologists at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR).
Project History
From December 26, 2019, to January 13, 2020, the students traveled to Peru to deploy the weather stations and test the performance of the instruments in real-world conditions.
They reached the glacier after a week-long trek, accompanied by teachers David Beaulieu and Étienne Soucy, who provided training in high-altitude hiking, expedition logistics, and health and safety. Richard Milette, another instructor, integrated the project into his Prototype Design course, where students were tasked with building a scientific measurement instrument combining multiple technologies (physical sensors, electronics, programming, and 3D design/printing).
David Giasson, a Computer Science instructor, supported the students by assisting with the programming of the station’s computing components. Later, Christophe Kinnard, a glaciologist from UQTR, joined the project to define which measurements would be most relevant for research.
This opened the door to collaboration between college and university students and researchers. On the cultural side, the trip also included awareness-building activities with Indigenous communities regarding the impacts of climate change they are experiencing.
Project Outreach
Enriched by this experience, the students plan to share their research results and promote the project across the college network and in high schools. Their goals are to spark interest in technical and scientific fields, promote innovation, and raise awareness of environmental issues.
By popularizing the science behind their work, the students are creating content and communication tools for their presentations. They have also produced a video featuring footage from Peru, shared by Louis Vaudry.
The students will host scientific talks in Cégeps and high schools and will present the project at the Fédération des cégeps, the Association québécoise de pédagogie collégiale (AQPC), and the Association francophone pour le savoir (ACFAS).
Partners
This project received financial support from:
- Cégep André-Laurendeau Foundation
- Syndicat des enseignants du Cégep André-Laurendeau (SECAL)
- La Coop
- Fédération nationale des enseignantes et enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ)