- About
- Apply
- Awards + Funding
- Graduate Students
- Life + Community
- Faculty + Staff
- Individualized Interdisciplinary Studies in Graduate Studies
![[Student profile] Main photo - 68](/content/sfu/gradstudies/life-community/people-research/profiles/fenv/2025/jamie-mackey/_jcr_content/main_content/image.img.original.low.jpg/1762198399883.jpg)
" The REM program is packed with great faculty and students that care. I connected with a supervisor and quickly knew that it would be a place I could learn the skills I was hoping to among great people. "
Jamie MacKay
Resource and Environmental Management master's student in the Faculty of Environment
Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field
I grew up in BC and knew from an early age that it was where I wanted to live and work. I got swept up in the salmon habitat restoration world while working in Ucluelet, on Vancouver Island, and have been loving it since. Salmon research is such an exciting and engaging field in B.C., and I'm excited for the rest of my project and beyond!
Why did you choose to come to SFU?
The REM program is packed with great faculty and students that care. I connected with a supervisor and quickly knew that it would be a place I could learn the skills I was hoping to among great people.
How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?
I'm studying the effectiveness of restored off-channels for salmon in the Deadman River; looking at how juvenile salmon grow and how conditions compare to those in a natural off-channel
What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?
Salmon, Habitat restoration, Freshwater ecology
How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?
My courses have provided a great context for resource management in B.C. It's a complex landscape of policy, industry, and conservation, and a foundation of courses in these fields has helped me to be a better scientist. Beyond this, my project is very collaborative, and i've learned so much about managing relationships and coordinating with groups when running field operations and such.
What have been the most valuable lessons you've learned along your graduate student journey (or in becoming a graduate student)?
Collaboration! People rarely do things by themselves, and I've learned so much about how to communicate and coordinate with different groups. If you really care, it really shows and you can foster relationships that last a long time and produce great things.
What are some tips for balancing your academic and personal life?
I think its important to recognize that you need to feel good to do good work! Taking breaks, staying active, and leaving time for hobbies takes work but pays off.
Contact Jamie:james_mackay@sfu.ca