Water Innovation Lab
Resources Guests
Dr. P. Kim Sturgess
Founder and CEO of WaterSMART Solutions
Dr. P. Kim Sturgess, C.M., DSc., P.Eng., FCAE
Founder and CEO of WaterSMART Solutions
A professional engineer, Kim is the founder and CEO of WaterSMART Solutions, a services organization committed to improving water management through better technologies and practices. WaterSMART has been widely recognized for its work in collaborative watershed management and contributions to key issues of flood and drought management.
As the CEO of several technology based companies over her career, she has extensive experience in technology start-ups and technology management, as well as in oil and gas, pipelines, and industrial products and services. In addition to serving on the boards of her own companies, she has served on the boards of CCI Thermal Technologies, the Alberta Chamber of Resources, the Alberta Water Council, the Calgary Airport Authority, the Council of Canadian Academies, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the National Research Council, APEGA, the Alberta Economic Development Authority, and Queen’s University. She also served as President of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Kim has been recognized with the YWCA Women of Distinction award, the Global Woman of Vision award, the Distinguished Service Award and the Alumni Achievement Award from Queen’s University, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Alberta Centennial Medal. In 2007, Kim was named as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, and in 2012 she was named Business Woman of the Year in Calgary by the Consumers Choice Awards. In 2015 she was awarded the SCI Canada Medal and was recognized by the Alberta Science and Technology Foundation for Outstanding Contribution to the Alberta Science and Technology Community. In 2016 Kim received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Queen’s University, and in 2018 she received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Calgary. Kim is a Member of the Order of Canada.
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Jerry Hanna
CEO and Founder of Clearflow Group Inc
Jerry Hanna
CEO and Founder of Clearflow Group Inc
Jerry Hanna is the CEO and Founder of Clearflow Group Inc and has 30 years experience related to water and water treatment systems and 11 years consulting experience in mining application. He has experience in Environmental Impacts, Water Treatment System design and application, Sediment and Erosion Control Construction, Surface Water Management, Water Treatment Systems and has completed projects in Canada and internationally.
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Emily Moore
Director of the Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering (Troost ILead), University of Toronto
Emily Moore
Director of the Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering (Troost ILead), University of Toronto
Emily Moore is the Director of the Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering (Troost ILead) at the University of Toronto. The institute offers curricular and co-curricular programs that help engineering students build their leadership competencies and conducts research on how engineers lead in the workplace.
Emily started her career at the Xerox Research Centre of Canada scaling up new materials and processes from the lab to manufacturing. In her 11 years at Xerox, Emily learned a great deal about leading teams and developing new products, becoming a manager and Principal Engineer. Emily then spent 10 years at Hatch, a global engineering firm serving the mining, energy and infrastructure sectors. Emily led international teams to develop new product and service offerings and to deliver major projects, first as the Director of Technology Development and then as Managing Director, Water. Emily was also the inaugural chair of Hatch’s Global Diversity and Inclusion efforts.
Emily holds a Bachelor Degree in Engineering Chemistry from Queen’s University and completed a Doctorate in Physical Chemistry from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. In 2016 Emily was recognized as one of 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining and received the SCI Canada Kalev Pugi Award.
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Cheryl De Paoli
Executive Director, Alberta Real Estate Foundation
Cheryl De Paoli
Executive Director, Alberta Real Estate Foundation
Cheryl is the Executive Director of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation. She is a certified facilitator and holds a Master of Science in Business and Sustainability from the University of Bath and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary. Cheryl’s work includes supporting learning teams and organisations to develop and design innovation, strategy, and multi-stakeholder consultation. Cheryl has worked for corporate, government and non-profit organisations in Argentina, India, Mexico, Turkey and the United States. She sits on the Board of Directors for the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organisations (CCVO) and the advisory committees for the Alberta Emerald Foundation and The Natural Step Energy Futures Lab. She can often be found riding her horse through the beautiful foothills of southern Alberta.
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Abubakar Waraich
Project Manager at Associated Engineering Ltd.
Abubakar Waraich
Project Manager at Associated Engineering Ltd.
Abubakar Waraich is a Project Engineer/Construction Project Manager at Associated Engineering Ltd. with over 6 years’ experience with feasibility studies, pre-design, process design, leading multi-discipline design, field services, construction management, and consulting engineering experience. He leads water and wastewater related projects throughout Alberta North. Abubakar is involved in business development of new clients and maintaining relationship with existing clients. He has worked with various clients from small towns, municipalities and First Nations. His strength lies in collaborative work approaches with First Nations on water and wastewater related issue.
Abubakar holds a B.A.Sc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Ottawa. He is a practicing professional engineer in Alberta. Abubakar is the current chair of Young Professional Committee of American Water Works Association – Western Canada Section. Previously, he served as Alberta Rep for Student and Young Professional Committee under Canadian Water Network. In addition, he is actively involved with Western Canada Water and other young professional activities. Interestingly, Abubakar is a past attendee of Water Innovation Lab held in Portugal.
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Dr. David Sauchyn
Director of the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative at the University of Regina and Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies
Dr. David Sauchyn
Director of the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative at the University of Regina and Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies
Dr. Dave Sauchyn is Director of the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative at the University of Regina and Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies. His main research interests are 1) the climate and hydrology of the past millennium and how this knowledge of the past can inform our understanding of future climate and water supplies, and 2) planned adaption to minimize the adverse impacts of climate change on the natural capital of western Canada. Dave co-directed a five-year interdisciplinary study of the vulnerability of agricultural communities to climate extremes in Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil and the Canadian Prairies. He has been invited to give more than 350 presentations on climate change to various government, professional and community organizations. Dave is lead author of the Prairie Provinces chapter of the national assessment of climate change due for release in 2020.
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Elizabeth Hendriks
Vice-President of the National Freshwater Programme at WWF-Canada
Elizabeth Hendriks
Vice-President of the National Freshwater Programme at WWF-Canada
Elizabeth Hendriks is Vice-President of the National Freshwater Programme at WWF-Canada. She has fifteen years of experience working nationally and internationally on national and provincial policy issues. In 2017, she led the release of the first national assessment of the health and stressors of Canada’s freshwater. With her team she is now working to reverse the decline of freshwater ecosystems across the country in the the intersection of policy, technology, and community building. She received her BA in International Development from Dalhousie University and her Masters from the University of Waterloo.
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Jesse Skwaruk
PhD candidate, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo
Jesse Skwaruk
PhD candidate, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo
Jesse Skwaruk is a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo in the department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering. His current research focuses on the impacts of wildfire on drinking water quality and treatability. Prior to returning to academia, Jesse had worked for several years with a water utility in various capacities, such as water treatment and quality assurance. His previous education includes a Master’s degree in Water Governance from the University of Saskatchewan and a Water and Wastewater Technology Diploma from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. Jesse has volunteered extensively for various water-focused organizations and currently sits on the Board of Directors for Water for People Canada.
In addition to his volunteer, education and work experiences, Jesse has had the fortunate opportunity to travel extensively and gain first hand exposure to many current water-related challenges we face both in Canada and internationally. His love for water drew him to two previous amazing Water Innovation Labs in India and Portugal. Jesse’s background in water treatment and watershed management have assisted him in becoming an advocate for promoting watershed health and ensuring safe and reliable drinking water is available for all.
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Kris Frederickson
Manager, Sustainability Disclosure and Stakeholder Engagement
Kris Frederickson
Manager, Sustainability Disclosure and Stakeholder Engagement
Kris leads a team that stewards Suncor’s corporate wide sustainability disclosure and engagement strategy. Key team activities include project leadership of Suncor’s Report on Sustainability as well as strategic external engagement and advocacy regarding environmental, social and governance issues. Prior to joining Suncor, Kris held roles with MEG Energy and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.
Kris graduated from the University of Manitoba with undergraduate and master’s degrees in Biosystems Engineering. His post-graduate work centered on water treatment on Manitoban First Nations communities. Kris is an experienced volunteer and serves on the Board of Governors for the University of Calgary where he also sits as Chair of the Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability committee. He has been awarded an Action Canada Fellowship and a National Aboriginal Achievement Award.
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Liz Lappin
Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Exploration | P. Geo, BSc(Hons)
Liz Lappin
Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Exploration | P. Geo, BSc(Hons)
Liz is a Professional Geologist with a solid background in capturing value from Alberta’s energy industry. Liz brings this experience to the E3 Metals team as she drives the technical team towards the development of our lithium brine projects. As a great believer in collaboration, Liz is focused on maximizing asset value through technical excellence and creative cooperation between disciplines. Working across Western North America, Liz has gained a foundation of technical experience with oil and gas majors such as Cenovus, Encana and Suncor. More recently, Liz was the founder and principal consultant at Castle Rock Consulting Ltd., which specializes in geothermal value creation for the energy industry in Canada. Liz is a Fellow of the Energy Futures Lab, and was honoured to receive a Young Woman in Energy Award in 2017 for her dedication to challenging industry norms by pursuing a broader energy mix in Alberta.
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Dr. Gopal Achari
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary
Dr. Gopal Achari
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary
Dr. Gopal Achari, is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Calgary where he has been a faculty member since 1998. He is also the Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies) as well as the ex-Director of the Center for Environmental Engineering Research and Education (CEERE).
Dr. Achari received his B.Tech. degree in Civil Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India, and a MSc and a PhD from the University of Calgary. His research interests include water and wastewater treatment, soil remediation, technology development for treatment of pollution, advanced oxidative processes – especially photo-based processes and greenhouse gas control mechanisms. He has developed technologies for treating polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soils, sulfolane treatment in soils and water, and LED based drinking water treatment.
Over the years, Dr. Achari has received the APEGA’s Environment and Sustainability Award, AsTech Honoree, 3 best paper awards, two teaching excellence awards, graduate research award, graduate educator award, professor of the year and more recently an Immigrant of Distinction Award. Along with his fellow students and colleagues, Gopal has published over 180 articles in peer reviewed journals and conferences and supervised numerous masters and PhD students.
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Jennifer Ezekiel
Manager, Environmental Policy, Government Relations, Encana
Jennifer Ezekiel
Manager, Environmental Policy, Government Relations, Encana
Jennifer is a Professional Engineer with a focus on environmental issues and a passion for collaborative problem solving. Leading the Environmental Policy portfolio for Encana’s Canadian operations, she strategically addresses proactive policy and regulatory change by balancing subject matter expertise and technical analysis with negotiation skills, while maintaining a critical government relations lens. Jennifer represents both Encana and the Energy sector as a whole in complex conversations with diverse multi-stakeholder groups including industry, provincial and federal governments, Indigenous peoples, municipalities, environmental NGOs and members of the public. She identifies areas of mutual benefit to/ arrive at consensus on favorable and practical solutions to achieve both environmental objectives and maintain industry competitiveness.
Prior to joining Encana, Jennifer worked as an environmental consultant at AMEC (now: Wood Group) on a diverse portfolio of projects including Environmental Management Planning, Environmental Liability Assessments and Sustainable Development. She was the founder of a commuter challenge project that was the winner of the 2010 City of Calgary Blue Skies award and the AMEC plc CEO Award.
Jennifer has also been involved as a Director for the Mighty Peace Watershed Alliance, member of the APEGA Environment Committee, Team Lead for the Calgary Professional Chapter of Engineers Without Borders and as a Director on the Spin Sisters Women’s Mountain Biking club. Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys all human-powered outdoor activities, especially those that get her into the stunning Rocky Mountains.
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Boris Everwijn
National Manager of Alliances in Water Management
Boris Everwijn
National Manager of Alliances in Water Management
Boris has been working for the water authorities for 10 years. He led a programme on waterquality with 37 different public organizations. At the moment he is a project manager for restoring the natural processes of erosion and sedimentation in a brook. He is also the coordinator of a research for trends and possible causes of biomass of insects with an aquatic stage of life in cooperation with two universities. He also plays a role in innovation of water management.
As a biologist and ecologist (University of Utrecht) he started to work in digitalizing aspects of different kinds of industry (oil, pharmacy) and services (transport, banking and insurance companies). In WIL he hopes to find a lot of energy, friendships for life and some beautiful results for sustainability that makes us eager to bring it to the next level.
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Else Boutkan
Programme Manager Sustainable Innovation Eco-Systems and Transitions
Else Boutkan
Programme manager sustainable innovation eco-systems and transitions
Entrepreneur Something Else
Programme Manager Human Capital Topsector Water & Maritime
Else is a visionary, hands-on and purpose (a sustainable world!) driven consultant and entrepreneur. She has a track-record in designing and building partnerships and organizations with a sustainable mission. She supported and trained several companies integrating sustainability into their vision and operations. She is a true networker and matchmaker.
Else has broad experience in leading and serving multi-stakeholder programs including public-private parternships. Her aim is to close the gap between the visions of the emerging future and the real world of systems and organisations in transition.
Else holds a Master degree in Chemical Engineering from the Delft University of Technology and a Master degree in Business Administration (General Management) from the Rotterdam School of Management – Erasmus University. In 2009 the RSM honoured Else with the title distinguished alumna.
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Disa Crow Chief
Disa Crow Chief
Disa Crow Chief is 20 years old, from Siksika Nation, one of four Blackfoot tribes that make up the Blackfoot Confederacy. Disa is passionate about traveling, learning, and advocating for environmental rights to benefit her people and Canada as a whole. As well as expressing her cultural identity, Disa strives to get involved and educated on both sides of the argument around renewable energy in order to move forward and get projects started in her community.
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Katie Morrison
Conservation Director, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
Katie Morrison
Conservation Director, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
Katie Morrison, Conservation Director for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Southern Alberta chapter, is a Professional Biologist with almost 20 years of experience in the environmental sector. She holds a B.Sc. in Environmental and Conservation Sciences from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Environmental Design from the University of Calgary. Katie has worked in Canada and Latin America for university research projects, nongovernmental organizations, and environmental consulting companies. She has an in-depth understanding of conservation, ecology, stakeholder consultation and mitigating the environmental impacts of human development. Katie’s academic and professional experience allows her to work on designing adaptive management solutions towards achieving landscape conservation and healthy communities in Southern Alberta.
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Eric Westrum
Senior Advisor, Sustainability Disclosure,
Suncor Energy
Eric Westrum
Senior Advisor, Sustainability Disclosure, Suncor Energy
Eric contributes thought leadership and subject matter expertise in helping steward Suncor’s corporate-wide sustainability disclosure and engagement strategy. His work includes project management of Suncor’s Report on Sustainability, and internal engagement/advocacy for a variety of emerging sustainability reporting and benchmarking frameworks. Prior to joining Suncor, Eric began his energy industry career as an environmental planner at Stantec, after living in multiple countries teaching English and traveling.
Eric’s undergraduate degree was in biology followed by a master’s degree from the University of Calgary in Sustainable Energy Development. He’s on the grant review board of Alberta Ecotrust, and is an alumnus of Water Innovation Lab Canada 2018 and the H2O Global Leader Training. An avid hiker and biker, he looks for every opportunity to enjoy the outdoors around Calgary.
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Daniel Alessi
Associate Professor and inauguralEncana Chair in Water Resources at the University of Alberta.
DANIEL ALESSI
Associate Professor and inauguralEncana Chair in Water Resources at the University of Alberta.
Dr. Alessi’s research group studies the water cycle in unconventional energy recovery and environmental geochemistry. With collaborators on campus, much of my group’s current focus is on water practices in hydraulic fracturing, including (1) evaluating the chemistry of flowback and produced waters and its links to toxicity, (2) assessing the sources of microbial biofouling and biocorrosion in fluids associated with hydraulic fracturing, and (3) modelling the transport and fate of fracturing chemicals in geologic media. The primary goals of the research are to develop new tools to characterize fluids in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle, inform risk management plans for wastewater handling and transportation, and produce leading science that will support reduced water use and improved costs for hydraulic fracturing operations.
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Janice Linehan
Manager Environmental Policy,
Suncor Energy
Janice Linehan
Manager Environmental Policy, Suncor Energy
Janice Linehan joined Suncor Energy in 2008 and has held various roles in Regulatory Approvals and Sustainability. In her current role as Manager of Environmental Policy in the Sustainability group at Suncor Energy Janice leads Suncor’s efforts to inform, develop, and understand various pieces of emerging provincial and federal environmental policy related to our business.
Janice has her B.Sc in Marine Biology and a Masters in Environmental Science and has worked in the Oil and Gas industry in various environmental roles for 15 years. Previous to her work in industry Janice has worked for both the Alberta government and the Federal government (DFO and ECCC).
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Ryan MacDonald
Consultant and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Lethbridge
Ryan MacDonald
Consultant and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Lethbridge
Ryan MacDonald is an independent consultant based in Cranbrook, B.C. and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Lethbridge. His work focuses on hydrological processes, modelling, and aquatic ecosystems. He has worked throughout western Canada and has an excellent understanding of key issues facing water resources in this region. He has been a lead modeller for multi-stakeholder collaborative modelling initiatives looking at large-scale water management in Alberta. He has also led several watershed-scale assessments looking at the interface between human land use, climate, and the natural environment. His background in process-based hydrology, modelling, and inter-disciplinary studies enables him to pursue research questions that can be applied in a practical management context.
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Kerry Black
Assistant Professor, University of Calgary in Civil Engineering
Kerry Black
Dr. Black is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary in Civil Engineering, and the Schulich Research Chair in Integrated Knowledge, Engineering & Sustainable Communities. Dr. Black previously worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia in Civil Engineering. Her work is centered on community-based participatory approaches, encompassing research relating to engineering infrastructure and sustainable communities, with a key focus on the incorporation of Indigenous-centered research methodologies.
Kerry Black’s research experience and expertise relating to sustainable infrastructure in First Nations communities builds on over 10 years in the public, private and non-profit sectors. She has worked on water and wastewater management in First Nations communities across Canada and most recently served as a Senior Policy Advisor in Housing & Infrastructure with the Assembly of First Nations.
Kerry completed her undergraduate in Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto and her Master of Applied Science at the University of British Columbia. She has also received her PhD from the University of Guelph with research focussed on sustainable water and wastewater management in Indigenous communities, incorporating technical engineering principles with culturally-grounded processes, policy and socio-economic considerations.
Kerry is a strong advocate for sustainable water management. She is also a strong advocate for Indigenous issues, including the recognition of Indigenous rights, the human right to safe, clean drinking water and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of reconciliation.
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René Letourneau
Senior Project Engineer with The City of Calgary
René Letourneau
Senior Project Engineer with The City of Calgary
René Letourneau graduated from the University of Calgary with a B. Sc. in Civil Engineering. Currently, he is a Senior Project Engineer with The City of Calgary – Water Resources, Infrastructure Delivery team working on the riverbank flood recovery projects since the 2013 Bow River flood. He has over twenty years’ stormwater experience including projects to minimize flood risk, sustainable stormwater practices such as Low Impact Development, and implementation of the Stormwater Quality Retrofit Program including the East Bowmont Stormwater Management Facility. He also has construction management experience on a variety of stormwater projects.
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David Hill
University of Lethbridge, Office of the Vice-President (Research)
David Hill
University of Lethbridge, Office of the Vice-President (Research)
David Hill is the Director of Development for the Southern Alberta Agriculture and Agribusiness Program and the Centre for Agricultural Research and Agribusiness Innovation. These initiatives integrate academic training, fundamental and applied research across the southern Alberta agri-food domain in the areas of agriculture and agribusiness, with a specific focus on new programming in the business activities of the agri-food sector. A key emphasis of the programming is the provision of a wide range of co- and extra-curricular experiential learning opportunities for students, as well as fostering and promoting industry engagement. The initiative also capitalizes on and enhances existing and new research collaborations with federal, provincial, industry and producer groups in agriculture.
David has almost 45 years of experience in water, irrigation, agriculture and natural resource management. He is a member of the Board of the Agriculture and Food Council (www.agfoodcouncil.com), and a member of the Board of Inside Education (www.insideeducation.ca). Since 2005 he has also served as the Water Policy Co-Chair for the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (www.pnwer.org).
David was a member of the Alberta Water Council for 9 years from its inception until joining the University of Lethbridge in 2012. He is a former Chair of the Alberta Science and Technology Leadership (ASTech) Foundation (www.astech.ca), a past president of the Canadian Committee on Irrigation and Drainage and has served on the Alberta Endangered Species Conservation Committee, Alberta Environmental Agriculture Council, and as a past member of the Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy (University of California, Berkeley, 2004-2010).
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Pablo Pina
Academic Chair of Water Sustainability, MacPhail School of Energy at SAIT
Pablo Pina
Academic Chair of Water Sustainability, MacPhail School of Energy at SAIT
Pablo has over twelve years of experience in combined higher education, research, teaching, consulting, and post-secondary practice. Pablo was trained in biosciences, forest hydrology, and water resources management. Water has always been Pablo’s passion, and a core component of his work. In his Masters, he worked with the Long-Term Ecological Research Network (Mexico and United States) conducting watersheds monitoring and management. In his Doctorate, he focused on the effects of insects’ infestations on the water cycle in forested areas in Alberta. Following his studies, Pablo worked at the University of Calgary as a research associate teaching and developing a framework for resiliency building in the Calgary region. Later, he moved into consulting and interacted with governments, non-for-profits, industry and post-secondary institutions to develop sustainability programs. His work has been presented, and acknowledged, in Canada, the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Pablo is a systems-based and interdisciplinary professional who has always embraced innovation and new challenges. Since 2017, he joined the MacPhail School of Energy at SAIT as the Academic Chair of Water Sustainability. His role is to contribute to the development of the water a sustainability portfolio, including both talent development and innovation and research integration.
Joel is a noted risk assessment expert and uses this tool as a foundation for developing climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas mitigation strategies. His experience includes determining climate change risk profiles, identifying risk mitigation and management initiatives, establishing full-cycle greenhouse gas emission profiles, identifying threats and opportunities based on local, national and international policies, identifying cost-effective strategies for managing and reducing carbon emissions, and identification of climate change vulnerability in infrastructure systems.
Joel also works with provincial and federal government agencies, as well as with industry, to manage consultation processes and provide technical and strategic advice. He has a unique ability to bridge the gap between technical disciplines, decision-makers and laypeople, and is talented at gaining consensus from diverse groups of stakeholders.
Joel is a member of APEGA and received his M.Sc. (ENG) in Chemical Engineering and his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Queen’s University.
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Sans façon
Sans façon
Sans façon is an art practice who work internationally on projects ranging from temporary installations in public space, large scale permanent artwork, to collaborating with design teams on major infrastructure projects or developing and implementing city-wide strategies involving artists in discourse with a city. The majority of their work tempts interaction with the surroundings and is developed in close collaboration with communities, corporations and individuals including city councils, scholars, architects, engineers and designers.
Established in 2001 in Glasgow, Scotland, the practice moved to Calgary in 2011 to be lead artists for the innovative public art project Watershed+, part of the City of Calgary Public Art Program, integrating artists within the work of the City’s Utilities & Environment Protection department.
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Core Team
Karen Kun
President & Founder, Waterlution
Karen Kun
President & Founder, Waterlution
Karen is the Founder and Executive Director of Waterlution, and co-founder of Greatness – The Great Lakes Project. She credits her time living among Indigenous communities in Latin America as the inspiration behind applying water as a metaphor for everything essential in caring for and preserving ourselves and our planet. Thirteen years later, Karen continues to incorporate the practice of storytelling, building personal connections, peer-to-peer social engagement, and empathy as the fundamental tools in creating meaningful water dialogue.
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Jonas Heffels
Member of the Dutch waterboard – WaterWegen
Jonas Heffels
Member of the Dutch waterboard – WaterWegen
Jonas Heffels is a member of the Dutch waterboard – WaterWegen. His job at the waterboards is to facilitate local governance collaboration and organizational development. As member of WaterWegen he acts as a multi-stakeholder connector in the Dutch water sector. Innovative and with 21st century skills he mostly connects young Dutch entrepreneurs in dialogue and social innovation. His experience with training and facilitating on storytelling, creative thinking and Theory-U brings him all over the Netherlands to assist people adapt in the fast changing social environments.
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Emily Taylor
Environmental Management Specialist, Alberta Environment & Parks
Emily Taylor
Environmental Management Specialist, Alberta Environment & Parks
Shortly after moving to Calgary in 2014, Emily was fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in Waterlution’s Transformative Leaders of the Future (TLF) leadership and facilitation training program. TLF was a life-changing experience for Emily that introduced her to facilitation as a powerful tool for collaboration and innovation in the water sector. Since then, Emily has continued to seek opportunities to further develop her facilitation skills and in 2017 had the opportunity to participate in Waterlution’s Water Innovation Lab (WIL) India. Joining the Waterlution team for WIL Canada (Alberta) represents the next step in Emily’s journey into the world of facilitation.
As an Environmental Management Specialist with Alberta Environment & Parks (AEP), Emily works with multi-stakeholder groups to collaboratively manage the cumulative effects of development on air and surface water resources in southern Alberta. Prior to joining AEP, Emily worked at Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures (now InnoTech Alberta) as a researcher on the Water Management team specializing in chemical hydrogeology.
Emily has her BSc and MSc in Earth and Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo and is registered as a Professional Geoscientist with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). She is also a Certified Professional Coach through Erickson Coaching International.
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Kate Hanly
Alberta WaterPortal Society, WIL Liaison
Kate Hanly
Alberta WaterPortal Society, WIL Liaison
Kate Hanly is an avid outdoors lady, choosing to spend the majority of her free time exploring the mountains. Her love for the outdoors led her to pursue an Honours Bachelor of Science in Physical Geography at the University of Calgary. During her time at UCalgary she chose to focus her studies on water resources, examining the impacts of climate change on water quantity in the Bow River. This introductory research experience inspired her to pursue further studies in water resources. Kate is presently working on her Master’s of Science at the University of Ottawa, examining water use in craft breweries within the context of climate change and water scarcity.
This summer Kate was hired by the Alberta WaterPortal Society to support their partnership with Waterlution and the Water Innovation Lab happening in Alberta this fall. This is an incredible opportunity for Kate as she gets to learn from and work with experts across the water world, connect with similar minded participants, and be part of the growth and development of future water leaders.
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Bassel Daher
Research Associate at Texas A&M University’s Water-Energy-Food Nexus Research Group
Bassel Daher
Research Associate at Texas A&M University’s Water-Energy-Food Nexus Research Group – Lebanon/United States
Bassel Daher is a Research Associate at the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Research Group, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, of Texas A&M University (since 2014). In his work, Bassel builds on systems thinking to develop tools and analytics that catalyze evidence-based, multi-stakeholder dialogues around the trade-offs associated with technological, policy, and social interventions to address interconnected resource challenges. He is particularly interested in improving convergence between academic and stakeholder groups in order to facilitate the process of co-creation of multi-faceted solutions that respond to biophysical, socioeconomic, governance, and financing constraints, at multiple scales, with the primary goals of improving water-energy-food governance and implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Daher served as Project Coordinator at Texas A&M’s Water-Energy-Food Nexus Initiative (2015-2018), where he led interdisciplinary teams of 15 doctoral and master students and co-organized several stakeholder engagement workshops that brought together public, private, and civil society stakeholders to address the water, energy, and food security challenges in the San Antonio, Texas region.
Daher has contributed to multiple chapters of the UN Global Sustainable Development Report, co-authored the report Renewable Energy and the Water, Energy, and Food Nexus for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and co-authored more than 23 journal articles, book chapters, and policy briefs relating to the interconnected water-energy-food securities and nexus assessment tools. These contributions are published in Chatham House, Sustainability, Water International, and Science of the Total Environment, among others, and his work has received over 300 citations to date. His invited research presentations include academic and non-academic events in more than 10 countries, including a TEDx talk in 2018. He has contributed to the preparation of several successful research proposals, including NSF INFEWS/T3: Decision Support for Water Stressed FEW Nexus Decisions (Award # 1739977) and plays an active role in supporting the coordination of a water-energy-food nexus consortium, with of more than 20 global partners, and whose activities focus on aligning the evolving WEF Nexus research agenda with the 2030 UN Goals.
Daher’s professional experience includes diverse themes and multiple types of stakeholders spanning employment and internship experiences in Lebanon, Qatar, Poland, France, and the USA (Indiana and Texas). Daher is the 2019 recipient of the Biological & Agricultural Engineering Department Excellence Award for Outstanding Research, Texas A&M University. He received the Best Paper Award at the International Conference for Sustainable Development, Columbia University (2017), and the 2017 Montgomery Award, given by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies (OGAPS) to leaders making major contributions to academic opportunities and quality of life of graduate students at Texas A&M University.
Daher earned a PhD in Water Management and Hydrologic Sciences from Texas A&M University (2019), an MSE from Purdue University, Biological and Agricultural Engineering (2012), and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the American University of Beirut (2010).
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Olivia Allen
Project Lead for Youth Programs
Olivia Allen
Project Lead for Youth Programs, Waterlution
Olivia is an educator, trained scientist, and project manager. She is passionate about life-long learning, water, and sustainability. Olivia joined Waterlution as a Youth Advisory Board member in 2016, and after participating in WIL-India 2017, she joined as a staff. As the Project Lead for Youth Programs Olivia coordinates and mentors Waterlution’s volunteer Youth Advisory Board and manages our Canada school-based programming – the Great Canoe Journey, and the Great Waters Challenge. Olivia has previously worked in water quality analysis and research, volunteer management, and environmental/cultural education. She has a BSc- Environmental Science from Royal Roads University, and a Water Resources Diploma from Nova Scotia Community College. Olivia is trained by the Art of Hosting community in the Art of Participatory Leadership and in Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education from UBCx.
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Laina Timburg
Water Innovation Lab Coordinator
Laina Timburg
Water Innovation Lab Coordinator
Laina has had a deep love and concern for the environment since she was very young, which led her to joining Waterlution’s Youth Advisory Board working on the Great Canoe Journey program and shortly after, becoming a Waterlution team member. She graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto after majoring in Environmental Studies and completing a double minor in Indigenous Studies and English. Through her studies, she fell in love with water and the need to conserve it and protect it. Laina is currently the Water Innovation Lab Coordinator and has been assisting with the organization and administration of WIL Canada 2019.
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Megan Cornall
Megan Cornall
Megan is passionate about place-conscious education and connecting youth to the land where they live. She completed a Bachelor of Science in biology and worked for two years in biotechnology, before deciding she wanted to be involved in climate change initiatives. She transitioned into education and achieved a Bachelor of Education from UBC. Megan has been working as an environmental educator since then, focusing on watershed education in high schools. She is the newest member of the Waterlution team, and is thrilled to participate in the Water Innovation Lab to learn and collaborate with future water leaders.
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Contact
WIL Canada
Laina Timberg
Water Innovation Lab Network Coordinator
Karen Kun
President & Founder, Waterlution
Email: karen@waterlution.org
Tel: +1 416 887 4709