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Paul H. Beckwith, M. Sc., B. Eng.
238 Clemow Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario. Home: (613)-233-3957 Cell: (613)-979-3957 , ;
PROFILE
Part-time professor in climatology; working on Ph.D. in abrupt climate change. Engineering and physics background with varied experience base including product management and organization, teaching, and research (academic and corporate).
EDUCATION
2011 – present: Fast-track switch to Ph.D. program (Department of Geography; Laboratory for Paleoclimatology and Climatology) at University of Ottawa, Ontario.
2010 – 2011: In M. Sc. program (Geography; Climatology) at University of Ottawa, Ontario.
2003 – 2005: Completed courses in Ph.D. program (Physics) at University of Ottawa, Ontario.
1984 – 1986: M. Sc. (Physics), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
1980 – 1984: B. Eng. (Engineering Physics), McMaster University.
WORK AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, Ontario 2011 - present
Part-time Professor, Geography Department
- Part-time professor; taught second year climatology class (GEG2304: class size roughly 100 students) in both Fall/2011 and Fall/2012 terms
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, Ontario 2010 - present
Ph.D. student, Laboratory for Paleoclimatology, Geography Department
- Studying abrupt climate change, climatology, meteorology
- Courses completed: Geographic Information Systems GIS(A+), Directed Research on Contemporary Climate Change(A+), Applications in remote Sensing(A+), Climate of Polar Regions(A+), Environmental Change in Polar regions(A+), Directed research in abrupt climate change(Pass), Arctic climate change(A+), Statistical methods(A+), Science and Policy Seminar (A-)
- Audited courses for interest: Climatology, Hydrology, Remote sensing of polar regions, Politics of Climate Change, Oceanography, Earth and Climate (Geology), Quaternary Studies, Advanced Geographic Information Systems, Biogeography, Physics of the Earth
- Teaching Assistant: Marking for Geomorphology, Polar Regions, Taught Climatology laboratories, ran field camp on Lake Isabel (Quebec) and region (Physical Geography), Geography of Canada and regions, Cold regions hydrology
UNIVERSITY OF MONTREAL, Quebec City, Rimouski, 2010 (Summer School, 18 days); Summer School in paleoceanography with the IODP (International Ocean Drilling Program) including 2 days on a research ship on the St. Lawrence river. Had leadership role and oversaw research report written with 20 colleagues in the program.
CHESS TEACHER, Glebe Community Center and Old Ottawa South Community Center, Ottawa 2006 – present
Teaching chess to youth (ages 7 – 11) and adults; running chess tournaments, promoting the game of chess to young children
CHESS FEDERATION OF CANADA, Ottawa 2007 – 2009
Member of the Executive Director team for running this national non-profit organization aimed at promoting the game of chess in Canada.
CLIMATE CHANGE STUDY, Ottawa 2006 - 2007
Independent Research and Study of Climate Change Science and Effects; lobbying of members of parliament (Liberal Environmental Critic John Godfrey and others), MPPs and city councilers, generated petitions to honor Kyoto, collected 1200 signatures and presented to parliament (by John Godfrey).
RENOVATING COTTAGE, HOUSE 2005 – 2007
Restoration of 100 year old house; addition to cottage; energy efficiency upgrades to house (to improve Energy efficiency rating from 35 to 69).
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, Ontario 2003 - 2005
Ph.D. student, Fiber Optics Group, Department of Physics
- Studied nonlinear fiber optics (Stimulated Brillouin Scattering)
- Graduate Courses completed: Advanced Quantum Mechanics(A+), Statistical Mechanics(A-), Solid State Physics(A), Nonlinear Optics(A+), and (unofficially) Fiber Optics(A)
- Audited courses for interest: Computational Physics I and II, Fourier Optics, Mathematical Cryptography, Mathematical Quantum Computation, Elementary Particle Physics
- Teaching Assistant: Taught first year physics problem solving sessions; marked assignments/midterms
JDS UNIPHASE, Ottawa, Ontario 2000 - 2003
Product Line Manager, Optical Switches, Optical Layer Group
- Product Line Manager for fiber optic network components: A) Wavelength Blocker, B) Wavelength Switch, C) Multi-port Wavelength Switch, and D) Optical Cross Connect
- Responsibilities: Overall coordination of strategy for transitioning products from Exploratory Research proof-of-concept à engineering product developmentà qualification and reliability testing à volume manufacturing
- Interfaced with numerous customers to determine optimal product requirements
- Worked closely with internal groups: Exploratory Research, Engineering Development, Manufacturing, Sales and Marketing, and Finance
- Provided volume forecasts, performed competitive analysis on rivals andproduct cost analysis and pricing
- Attended various trade shows including OFC and NFOEC to market the products
ATI TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Thornhill, Ontario 1996 - 2000
Software Test Engineer, Quality Assurance Department
- Performed Software Quality Assurance testing of Video Graphics Adapter Cards for the Desktop and Laptop Computers
- Learned various software packages including Benchmarks, Test Suites, Networking, Business and Office Suites in various operating systems (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000)
- Worked at Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Laboratories (WHQL) in Seattle for obtaining certification of ATI Driver Software
CHESS AND MATH ASSOCIATION, Toronto, Ontario 1994 - 1996
Assistant Regional Manager, Chess Instructor
- Taught chess lessons (in schools, plus privately) to children
- Administered the Toronto office (bookstore and retail outlet) for chess supplies
- Scheduled for 15 chess teachers in 30 schools
PROFESSIONAL CHESS PLAYER 1992 - 1996
- Chess Master Title, draw with Woman’s World Champion, attained ranking of 43rd in Canada, played 35 people simultaneously
- Studied and taught chess (literature, computer databases)
- Played in numerous tournaments; have beaten most of Canada’s top players
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL, Ottawa, Ontario 1991
Research Assistant, Institute for Information Technology
- Researched nonlinear optics, studied two-wave mixing properties in doped glass
- Performed image processing experiments (AND, OR, XOR operations) using liquid crystal devices
- Studied passive mode locking of titanium-doped sapphire laser
LUMONICS, INC., Ottawa, Ontario 1989 – 1991
Staff Scientist, Advanced Development Group
- Conducted research and development on dye lasers and XeCl excimer lasers
- Improved laser lifetimes, increased powers and optimized pulse shapes/durations of new high repetition rate lasers, developed optical feedback techniques
- Performed theoretical and experimental studies on tunable titanium-doped sapphire laser systems, developed narrow linewidth oscillator/amplifier system
- Obtained patent for a monitoring system to keep track of contamination of optics for any gas laser system
ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL, Thousand Oaks, Ca 1986 – 1988
Senior Research Specialist, Research Division, Applied Optics
Conducted research in nonlinear optics, specifically on phase conjugation and two-wave mixing in the following areas:
- Double-pass image transmission/restoration in fibers by phase conjugation
- Phase-conjugate multimode fiber optic gyroscopes
- Two-wave mixing in artificial photorefractive media, and liquid crystals
- Real-time optical image subtraction using dynamic holographic interference
- High speed, high reflectivity phase conjugation in diode lasers and laser arrays
- Phase–locking of semiconductor laser diodes and diode arrays
McMASTER UNIVERSITY, M. Sc. Laser Physics 1984 – 1986
Graduate Student and Research Assistant, Department of Physics
Thesis Supervisor: Dr. John Reid
- Probed steady state and transient molecules created by CO2 laser multiphoton dissociation of chloroform and deuterated chloroform using tunable diode lasers
- Development work on an optically pumped, pulsed NH3 laser for lidar applications (measured gain versus temperature, pressure, pump energy…)
- Developed a computerized system to fit infrared absorption data to Voigt profiles to determine molecular constants such as linestrength and pressure broadening parameters of various gases (i.e. NH3, DCl, and HTO)
- Simulated injection locking of a pulsed CO2 laser with a tunable diode laser
- Performed undergraduate tutorial teaching, laboratory demonstration, and marking
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA, Ottawa. Summer 1984
Research Assistant, Hertzberg Institute of Astrophysics
- Plasma physics research into upflowing ionospheric ions and their role in the Aurora Borealis
- Analysis of data from the Dynamics Explorer Satellite
McMASTER UNIVERSITY Summer 1983
Research Assistant, Department of Engineering Physics
- Plasma physics computer simulation studies of containment vessels in fusion systems
ONTARIO HYDRO, Toronto, Ontario Summer 1982
Summer Student, Nuclear Studies and Safety Division
- Undertook in computer simulation studies of CANDU reactor bi-directional fuelling schemes
SCHOLARSHIPS AND ACADEMIC AWARDS
NSERC Canadian Graduate Scholarship (CGS) 2011 – 2013
University of Ottawa Graduate Scholarship (Full tuition, Geography) 2011 – now
University of Ottawa Graduate Scholarship (Full tuition, Geography) 2010 – 2011
IODP (International Ocean Drilling Program, Summer school fees) 2010 (July)
University of Ottawa Research Stipend (Summer) 2010
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship 2004 – 2005
University of Ottawa Scholarship (Full tuition, Physics) 2003 – 2005
Rudolf Kingslake Medal and Prize 1989
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship 1985 – 1986
Hooker Graduate Scholarship 1985 – 1986
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship 1984 – 1985
Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario Gold Medal 1985
Hooker Graduate Scholarship 1984 – 1985
NSERC Summer Research Award 1984
NSERC Summer Research Award 1983
Governor’s Entrance Scholarship 1980 – 1983
Dean’s Honors List 1983
University Scholarship 1983
Whidden Hall Scholarship 1982
University Scholarship 1981
A. P. E. O. Scholarship 1981
PATENTS
Thomas Ducellier, Ian MacDonald, Jasvinder Obhi, Barry Keyworth, Paul Beckwith, Jack Tomlinson, United States Patent No. 7,014,326 titled “Wavelength Blocker”, March 21, 2006 (JDS Uniphase work)
Paul Beckwith, United States Patent No. 5,005,177 titled “Laser Optics Quality Monitoring”, April 2, 1991 (Lumonics work)
OTHER INTERESTS
Scuba diving, chess and duplicate bridge, photography, social media (Facebook: “Paul Beckwith”, Twitter “PaulHBeckwith”, LinkedIn) and prolific blogger (samples below); strong advocate for instigating climate change policies in government at all levels (Federal, Provincial, Municipal).
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTED PAPERS: Paul H. Beckwith
Contributer to report: “The Scientific Guide to Global Warming Skepticism” posted in December, 2010 at www.skepticalscience.com
Simon Boothroyd, Les Chan, Paul Beckwith, and Jacek Chrostowski, Optical Processing in Fluorescein Doped Boric Acid Glass”, National Research Council of Canada document, March (1991).
Paul Beckwith, John Montgomery, and John Reid, May (1990) “Development of a Prototype Titanium Sapphire Laser Amplifier” for the National Research Council of Canada, Project DSS File #31943-9-0002/01-52 (Lumonics work)
Ian McMichael, Bill Christian, Paul Beckwith, Monte Khoshnevisan and Pochi Yeh, “Phase-Conjugate Fiber-Optic Gyros”, Presented at the conference on Photorefractive Material, Effects, and Devices, Jan 17 – 19, Aussois, France.
Jon White, Doug Bruce, Paul Beckwith, and John Reid, Efficient optically pumped NH3 amplifiers in the 10 to 12 µm region”, Appl. Phys. B, 50, 345-354 (1990).
Pochi Yeh, Arthur Chiou, John Hong, Paul Beckwith, Tallis Chang, and Monte Khoshnevisan, “Photorefractive Nonlinear Optics and Optical Computing”, Opt. Eng. 28, 328 (1989). (Received Rudolf Kingslake Medal and Prize from SPIE on July 11, 1990, for the most noteworthy original paper to appear in Optical Engineering).
Ian McMichael, Paul Beckwith, and Pochi Yeh, “Multimode Fiber Gyro using a mutually pumped conjugator”, OSA conference (1988).
Ian McMichael, Paul Beckwith, and Pochi Yeh, “Double Phase-Conjugate Resonators”, OSA conference (1988).
William Christian, Paul Beckwith, and Ian McMichael, Energy Transfer between Injection-locked single-mode diode lasers by two-beam coupling in BaTiO3”, Opt. Lett. 14, 81-83 (1989).
Paul Beckwith and William Christian, “Two-wave Mixing and Phase Conjugation at 830 nm in BaTi03”, Opt. Lett. 14, 642-644 (1989).
Paul Beckwith, William Christian, Ian McMichael, and Pochi Yeh, “Photorefractive optics at near infrared wavelengths”, SPIE Vol. 1060 – Nonlinear Optical Beam Manipulation and High Energy Beam Propagation through the Atmosphere, 1989.
Pochi Yeh, Tallis Chang, and Paul Beckwith, “Real-time Optical Image Subtraction using Dynamic Holographic Interference in Photorefractive Media”, Opt. Lett. 13, 586-588 (1988).
Ian McMichael, Pochi Yeh, and Paul Beckwith, “Nondegenerate Two-Wave Mixing in Ruby”, Opt. Lett. 13, 500-502 (1988).
Paul Beckwith, Tallis Chang, and Pochi Yeh, “Real-time Optical Image Subtraction using Dynamic Holographic Interference in Photorefractive Media’, presented at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-optics, Anaheim, California, April (1988).
Ian McMichael, Monte Khoshnevisan, and Paul Beckwith, “Nonlinear Optical Ranging Imager”, presented at Conference on Lasers and Electro-optics, Anaheim, California, April (1988).
Ian McMichael, Paul Beckwith, and Pochi Yeh, “Phase-Conjugate Multimode Fiber Gyro”, Opt. Lett 10, 1023-1025 (1987).
Ian McMichael, Paul Beckwith, and Pochi Yeh, “Phase-Conjugate Multimode Fiber Gyro”, presented at the Photrefractive Conference, UCLA, Los Angeles, August 12 – 14 (1987).
Paul Beckwith, Ian McMichael, and Pochi Yeh, “Image Distortion in Multimode Fibers and Restoration by Polarization-Preserving Phase Conjugation”, Opt. Lett. 12, 510-512 (1987).
Ian McMichael, Pochi Yeh, and Paul Beckwith, “Correction of Polarization and Modal Scrambling in Multimode Fibers by Phase Conjugation”, Opt. Lett. 12, 507-509 (1987).
John Reid, Ming-Hing Tai, Doug Bruce, and Paul Beckwith, “Gain Measurements in a High Pressure CO2 Hot Cell”, Appl. Opt. (1987).
Paul Beckwith, “Tunable Diode Laser Diagnostics in Photochemistry”, M. Sc. Thesis, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, September (1986).
Doug Bruce, Paul Beckwith, and John Reid, “Measurements of Small-Signal Gain Coefficients in Optically-pumped NH3”, Report for Rockwell International, Seal Beach Contract Number P6L8GNG-999921M.
Paul Beckwith, Carl Brown, Dave Danagher, Don Smith, and John Reid, “High Sensitivity Detection of Transient Infrared Absorption using Tunable Diode Lasers”, Appl. Opt. 26, 2643 (1987).
Pierre Cherrier, Paul Beckwith, and John Reid, “Linestrengths and Linewidths in the n2 band of HTO as measured with a Tunable Diode Laser”, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 121, 69 (1987).
Pierre Cherrier, Paul Beckwith, and John Reid, “Infrared Spectroscopy of HTO using Tunable Diode Lasers”, poster presented at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-optics, San Francisco, California, June 10 –14 (1986).
Paul Beckwith, Dave Danagher, and John Reid, “Linestrengths and Linewidths in the n2 band of NH3 as measured with a Tunable Diode Laser”, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 121, 209 (1987).
Paul Beckwith, John Orlando, John Reid, and Don Smith, Analysis of the Products of Photochemistry using Tunable Diode Lasers, with Application to the Multiphoton Dissociation of Chloroform”, J. Photochem. (1985).
John Orlando, Don Smith, Paul Beckwith, and John Reid, “A Technique for Detecting ppm of DCl using Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy”, poster presented at the Regional Symposium on Molecular Dynamics, Photodissociation and Related Topics, University of Waterloo, September 28 (1986).
Andrew Yau, Paul Beckwith, W. Peterson, and E. Shelley, “Long-term (Solar Cycle) and Seasonal Variations of Upflowing Ionospheric Ion Events at DE-1 Altitudes”, J. Geophys. Res. 90, 6395 (1985).
Jen-Shih Chang, Paul Beckwith, and Joel Miller, “Unipolar Charging of Ultrafine Particles under an Electric Field”, J. Aer. Sci. 15, 270 (1984).
SAMPLE BLOGS, PRESENTATIONS, AND LINKS: Paul H. Beckwith
Laboratory for Paleoclimatology and Climatology home page