Overview

Thanks to generous donors, including Carleton alumni & students; colleagues, family and friends of Charlie Roots; present and former members of the Department of Earth Sciences; Carleton University; and an estate donation, we have raised over $570,000 and established the Charlie Roots Honours Project Fund in Earth Sciences.

Every year, in perpetuity, the annual interest from the Charlie Roots Fund will help fourth-year honours students gain advanced research experience by subsidising the direct costs of their research. For example, in the current 2023-24 academic year, over $20,000 will be awarded as grants in support of the field and laboratory costs of ERTH 4908 Honours students. Honours thesis topics span the breadth of Earth Sciences sub-disciplines including the study of fossils and implications for evolution or paleogeography; resource geology; crystal growth, metamorphism and mountain building; igneous rocks as geochemical tracers of Earth’s history; early Earth and planetary geology; basin analysis; sea level changes; natural vs. human contamination; hydrogeology; and many other earth sciences and environmental topics.

Now we are trying to grow the fund by $10,000 to accommodate increasing enrollment in our B.Sc.H. honours programs including an influx of students in our new B.Sc.H. program in Earth Sciences with a concentration in Environmental Sciences. On Giving Tuesday (November 28), gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

The Background

Every class of undergraduate students engage in exciting research projects for their honours theses. We want to help support the students’ research costs.

By naming this endowment after Dr. Charles Frederick Roots (1956-2016), we honour a remarkable alumnus (MSc/82 PhD/88) who was an avid geologist, outdoorsman and all around scientist.

During Charlie’s 30-year career as a Research Scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada, mainly based in Whitehorse, he conducted geological fieldwork and produced technical maps, scientific reports, and public educational information. Charlie mentored and encouraged dozens of students and young geologists, enthusing them with his love for the northern landscape and his holistic approach to natural sciences. Many of the individuals that Charlie mentored have gone on to become outstanding and adventurous scientists, and it is in this spirit that we dedicate the Honours Project Fund in the name of Charlie Roots.

The Rollout

The annual interest generated from the fund will support costs of research for honours students working in the field and laboratory. We have established a $570,000 endowment. Our goal is to increase the principal by $10,000, which translates into additional research support for students. The university will match your donation on Giving Tuesday on a first come first served basis, while funds last.

The Impact

Students have enriched opportunities to conduct innovative research during their honours research projects. The first awards were made to the Honours class of 2020! Because it is endowed, the Charlie Roots Honours Project Fund will exist in perpetuity and help many generations of young scientists.

To donate, you may use the link on this page. For questions, please contact advancement@carleton.ca or Sharon Carr, Professor, Department of Earth Sciences at sharon.carr@carleton.ca.