Jake Beaulieu, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences, received one of four 2008 Eli J. and Helen Shaheen Graduate School Award at the University’s commencement ceremony on May 17. The award recognizes the top graduating doctoral degree recipients across the University.
Beaulieu was distinguished from the typical graduate student because of his exemplary motivation to succeed and his impressive amount of prior research experience in biogeochemistry. His dissertation director, Jennifer Tank, the Galla Associate Professor of Ecology noted that “his professional performance was outstanding throughout his graduate career, both in coursework and in his research.”
Beaulieu addressed important ecological issues in his dissertation, “Controls on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Headwater Streams.” In his cutting-edge research, he linked emissions from headwater streams to specific effects of human land use and identified management actions that could be taken to reduce the emissions.
He presented his research at multiple national meetings and published his work in peer-reviewed journals. In his final year of graduate school, he was the co-principal investigator on a grant proposal funded by The Nature Conservancy examining the effects of novel restoration practices on metabolism and nutrient retention in agricultural streams.
Beaulieu is now a post doctoral research hydrologist at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Shaheen Award winners are chosen for their superior ability as exhibited by grades, research, publication records, fellowships, teaching ability and other awards received during the course of study at Notre Dame.