Acadia University
Irving Scholar Rowan Norrad has just wrapped up a busy year- and his activities go well beyond a full course load!
Rowan just completed his third year in a Bachelor of Environmental Science at Acadia, and found time to balance several other activities on campus while building his network in the global environmental space.
Passionate about climate solutions, Rowan is one of five founders of Equlantic, a sensor technology startup seeking to improve ocean water quality monitoring. In early 2025 they incorporated and received a provisional patent for their technology – the Auto Spec Carbon Analyser (ASCA).
Capitalizing on external opportunities
In February, Rowan and his Equlantic cofounders were selected as one of 6 teams globally for an international pitch competition at the 2025 CLIMIT Summit in Larvik, Norway. As the North American representatives, the Equlantic team won the competition, catching attention of carbon management leaders from around the world. Along with the $10 000 USD prize, the team was given special recognition with the Scale Enabler Award for most scalable idea and made invaluable connections with potential future collaborators.
Rowan says “This event meant everything for me. It solidified that I want to pursue a career in a carbon related field and served as proof that Equlantic is a dream worth chasing. If nothing else, it gave me a glimpse at what I hope could be a long career”.
With a taste for the high stakes energy of pitch competition, Rowan decided to enter another event centered around greenwashing and its role in the clean energy transition at McGill hosted by the Sustainable Growth Initiative. Rowan’s team was selected as national finalists and traveled to Montreal to present. Here they received fourth place and brought home a prize of $2,000 CAD.
Rounding out his semester, Rowan was selected as one of 75 youth from across Canada to attend the Youth Environmental Changemakers Summit in Squamish, B.C. Rowan describes this as an “incredible experience”, explaining, “the event broadened my perspective beyond my typical focus of science and data. I thought a lot about how climate change includes social justice, equality, youth empowerment, intergenerational communication, Indigenous knowledge and more”.
Learning beyond the classroom
At Acadia, Rowan dedicated his time to both environmental and business-related initiatives. As Co-President of Acadia’s Enactus chapter he helped lead community-based social entrepreneurship initiatives on campus. His proudest moment came when the team got its best result ever at the regional competition in Halifax, winning two first place and one second place prize. Rowan also sat on the executive team of the Environmental Science Student Association where he helped plan engaging events for his department.
Rowan also worked as a research assistant for Prof. Ashley Doyle and Dr. Edith Callaghan on their Flax Fibre to Fashion project. Here he researched the value chain of a flax fibre to fashion industry and its potential in Nova Scotia.
A year of embracing growth
Reflecting on how his perspective has changed, Rowan says “Before this year I thought that my role in the environmental movement was that of a researcher collecting data. I have learned that I can be a true leader, tackling the climate crisis through multiple lenses.”
Rowan’s passion for environmental change motivates him to get as much out of his university experience as possible. He noted that both Acadia’s supportive culture, and the Irving Scholar program have given him the motivation to participate in his external adventures. Rowan said “receiving the Arthur L. Irving Scholarship meant a lot to me. It showed that people believed in me and what I could do. As I have gone through my degree, I have made personal connections with my professors who have always supported my goals. I want to honour the belief and time these people have given me. The best way I know how to do that is to continue to be ambitious, trying new things, knowing I have a network backing me.”
Rowan wants to encourage his fellow students to get involved in the many opportunities to grow their skillset and make connections at Acadia. He urges his peers to talk to professors to grow their networks, and use tools like LinkedIn to find opportunities.
Looking ahead, Rowan is excited to start his honours research on river chemistry with CarbonRun, co-supervised by Dr. Shannon Stirling at Dalhousie and Dr. Ian Spooner at Acadia. Rowan and his team also have ambitious plans to continue developing Equlantic. Fueled by determination and momentum, Rowan’s sharp thinking and ambition point to an exciting future.