COLLABORATION

Research is often a collaborative endeavour! Here are some students with whom I have collaborated (whom I've supervised either as Research Assistants or as part of their thesis requirements). See below for other collaborative projects with colleagues. 

Corinne Blumenthal (MRP 2023) is pursuing a Master of Arts in Public and International Affairs with a Specialization in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Ottawa. She is interested in issues at the intersection of international relations and climate governance. Particularly, her research will seek to understand how the Common but Differentiated Responsibilities Principle (CBDR) comes into play in climate governance in accounting for the historical and structural inequalities between the Global North and the Global South to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. Corinne has previously completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.

Devon Cantwell is a PhD student in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa. Her PhD research applies a neo-Gramscian framework to understand how cities globally enact climate mitigation and adaptation plans, with a specific focus on the multi-level relations of city climate action planning as well as the ethical implications of city climate actions. She uses spatial ethnography, GIS, interviews, and policy document analysis to construct case studies of the adaptation and mitigation strategies in four global mega-cities: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Seoul. She is a 2021-2022 Fulbright Research Fellow to Vietnam and will be based in Saigon with the Southern Institute for Social Sciences (SISS), studying city climate change mitigation and adaptation in Vietnam from January through August. 

Taylor Brown (MRP 2022) is pursuing a Master of Arts in Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa and is currently researching the ethics of climate migration in Canadian refugee policy. Taylor has a keen interest in both climate change and refugee policy, specifically how environmental damage from the Global North is impacting migration in the Global South, and what that means for Canadian policy. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (Honours) and wrote an MRP on climate migration in Kiribati. Taylor is also a freelance writer and enjoys camping and fishing on Treaty 1 territory, where she grew up. 

Derek Voitic (UROP 2021) is completing an undergraduate Honours Degree in Political Science and a Minor in Global Studies at the University of Ottawa. He later plans to complete a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Juris Doctor. Through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), Derek is researching the potential effects a CANZUK Free Trade Agreement would have on Canada’s GHG reduction targets. His topic focuses specifically on the domestic oil and gas industry of Canada. Derek’s interest in environmentalism comes from a childhood spent in the mountains of the Fraser Valley of BC and his desire to preserve areas like them. 

Patrick Fleming (MRP 2021) is pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability at Ottawa. Patrick completed his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English Literature at Ottawa in 2018. Upon his graduation, Patrick participated in Global Affairs Canada's International Internship Program that saw him working in Lima, Peru on challenges related to single-use plastics. His thesis will concentrate on the role of hydrogen in the global transition to a low carbon future. His research aims to study the impacts of investing in clean hydrogen and the impact it will have on Canada's goals to reach its net-zero goals by 2050. 

Chloé Dobbins (MRP 2021) is pursuing a Master of Arts in Political Science and a Specialization in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Ottawa. Her current research explores the climate change framing implications on natural resource “scarcities”.

Eric Dubuc (MRP Winter 2021) is pursuing a Master of Arts in Political Science at the University of Ottawa. After completing his Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in International Studies and Modern Languages at the University of Ottawa, he became interested in Canadian politics and Canada’s contested issues. His current research paper is focused on the environmental implications of an increasingly navigable Northwest Passage. 

Terhemba Ambe-Uva is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Political Science, University of Ottawa. He recently participated in the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research-funded project on “Sustainable Regional Integration: The European Union and West Africa,” at the Center for European Integration Studies, University of Bonn. Terhemba is also a Research Fellow at the Institut Français de recherché en Afrique. His doctoral research investigates the global political economy of environmental change, focusing on the low-carbon economy and the blue economy. Terhemba’s scholarly works have appeared in the Canadian Journal of African Studies, Journal of Conflictology and Zentrum fur Europaische Integrationsforchung.

Anna Soer is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Ottawa. She holds a Master's degree in Human Geography from Radboud University, the Netherlands. Her M.A thesis topic was centered around the topic of Inuit wellbeing, tying together environmental, political and economic wellbeing in a holistic understanding of modern Inuit wellbeing in their response to the ongoing mental health crisis. Her PhD research project focuses on Indigenous environmental and ecological knowledge, bringing therefore a critical point of view onto the development and sustainability debate around the Arctic region. 

Ellen Helker-Nygren is pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Ottawa. She has studied kinesiology and gender studies in her home country Sweden, and international development & globalization at the University of Ottawa. Over the years, she has developed an interest in the relationship between the global political economy and the environment, which has introduced her to degrowth and post-growth ideas. In her master's thesis, she hopes to explore possible transition paths to alternative ways of living that respects both the environment and the needs of people. She lives in Ottawa's west end but spends much of her free time running, biking or cross-country skiing in Gatineau Park.

Patrick Fournier (MRP Winter 2021) completed a Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Ottawa. While completing an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science at the University of Ottawa, he developed an interest in the field of environmental studies. His interests include sustainability of the built environment, sustainable transportation and public transit, and green technology. His research paper is focused on the reduction of emissions from passenger rail transportation along major Canadian corridors.

Sophie Donoghue (MRP 2021) completed a Masters of Science in Environmental Sustainability. Her research focused on the centralization and decentralization of Canada's climate policy, in the form of national and provincial climate budgets. Before attending the University of Ottawa, Sophie completed an undergraduate degree in Environment and Development, with a minor in Political Science from McGill University. 

Catherine Christoffersen (Thesis Winter 2022) is pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Ottawa. During her undergraduate degree in Environment and Resource Studies at the University of Waterloo, she became interested in sustainable transportation, land use, and greening communities. Her thesis will focus on urban sustainability and environmental governance. 

Yasmin Sultan (MRP Summer 2020) completed a Masters of Environmental Sustainability at the University of Ottawa. Her research paper focused on the how Canada can reduce its particulate matter emissions (PM10) by incorporating some of the best practices that were developed by other OECD countries.  Having completed her Bachelors in Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering in the UAE and graduating with Honors, she developed an interest in environmental issues such as climate change, pollution, and circular economy which motivated her to pursue her Masters degree.   

Beverley Hinterhoeller (MRP Winter 2021) completed a Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Ottawa, and has an undergraduate degree in French Literature from Carleton University. Her environmental interests include waste management, sustainable transportation and infrastructure, and green municipalities. Bev’s MSc research paper offered a life-cycle analysis of the clothing industry’s environmental impacts on water. She has a small vegetable garden that unintentionally feeds the local groundhog population.

Anil Arora (RA Summer 2019) is a recent graduate of the Masters of Environmental Sustainability program at the University of Ottawa. While pursuing his Master’s, Anil’s research focused on the challenges and opportunities of a meat tax policy in Canada for climate change mitigation. Prior to completing his Master of Science degree, Anil completed a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology at the University of Toronto. He is passionate about food sustainability, wildlife conservation, and climate change mitigation.

Andrew Heffernan (RA Summer 2019) is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Ottawa. He holds a joint honours degree in political science and history, an honours degree in globalization and international development and a Master of Arts from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs with a specialization in environmental sustainability. Major research interests include African politics, global environmental governance, International Relations, and assemblages. He is author of “Africanizing the State: Globalizing the Discipline” published in the journal Nokoko. He also works as part of the editorial team for the CIPS graduate student journal Potentia, as well as an organizing member for the annual graduate student conference put on by CIPS.

Melissa Sonnemann-Samuel (RA Spring 2019) is a fourth year undergraduate who has recently completed an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in International Development and Globalization  at the University of Ottawa, and who will be pursuing a Masters of Arts in Labour Studies at McMaster in the Fall of 2019. She is enthusiastic about human and environmental rights, sustainable living, and the labouring bodies that work to make each of those possible. Exploring the Future of Protein as part of this RA has solidified the importance of diversity (of people, perspectives, and ideas) in paving a path towards a healthy, sustainable, and culturally appropriate future.

Jaidyn McEwen  (RA Winter 2019) is a fourth year undergraduate student completing an Honours in Social Sciences with specialization in Political Science and a minor in Criminology at the University of Ottawa. She has assisted with research pertaining to the Growth-Environment debate, identifying key intellectuals and works that have contributed to the debate. Jaidyn looks forward to pursuing post graduate studies in law where she intends to increase her knowledge in the areas of justice and equality across a variety of areas, including the environmental sector. 

Alexandre Bellemare (Mémoire, Hiver 2019) a obtenu son baccalauréat ès sciences de l'Université de Montréal. Depuis, il a travaillé au gouvernement du Canada dans plusieurs postes et ministères, dont Élections Canada au sein d'une équipe qui s'est vu décerner le prix d’excellence de la fonction publique 2016. Alexandre a également été réserviste dans les Forces armées canadienne à titre d’officier des blindés et est actuellement Coordonnateur d’événements majeurs et de conférences internationales au sein de l’équipe de la Gestion des événements et conférences. Il termine présentement sa maîtrise en relations internationales en rédigeant son mémoire sur le sujet de la souveraineté canadienne en arctique, plus précisément en tentant d'analyser les dissonances au niveau du discours des derniers gouvernements sur cet enjeu. Alexandre est marié et attend son premier enfant d’un jour à l’autre.

Claudia Gaudreault (MRP Summer 2019) completed a Master’s of Environmental Sustainability at the University of Ottawa. While completing a Bachelor in Environmental Engineering at Carleton University, she developed an interest in the social, political, and economic aspects of climate change. Through her RP, she explored concepts such as climate justice and climate debt, and their implications for climate action. 

Alida Doelle (UROP Winter 2019) is a third year undergraduate student completing a Joint Honours in Political Science and Economics at the University of Ottawa. She is working on an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) project investigating the feasibility of the international aviation sectors goal of carbon neutral growth. This project has introduced her to research in environmental sustainability, an area in which she hopes to continue to study

Christopher Kelly-Bisson (RA Fall 2018) is a Ph.D. Candidate in political science at the University of Ottawa. His research documents the extent of farmland acquisition by the public and private financial investment entities in eastern Ontario. It also explores the drivers of farmland financialization, as well as regulatory and policy changes needed for farmland preservation in Ontario. Christopher also operated an organic market garden for four years in the east-end of the Ottawa Greenbelt.

Julia Szwarc (RA Fall 2018) completed a Master's of Arts in the Department of Communication at the University of Ottawa. Her thesis project focused on discourses of sustainability in the Canadian media, and how this concept is used to justify seemingly contradictory environmental policies. The project drew upon environmental communication literature, as well as critical theories of communication, and proposes alternative strategies for establishing a just and environmentally sound future. 

Amy Parker (RA Fall 2018) completed a Master's in Political Science at the University of Ottawa.  Her area of focus was political ecology, using a Marxist analytical lens.  She also completed her Bachelor's Degree, Joint Honours History and Political Science, at the University of Ottawa.  In 2017, she published an article, "Bison in the Metabolic Rift? The Decline of the Bison in World-Ecological Perspective" in CLIO, uOttawa's undergraduate history journal.  Her research interests include ecological politics, ecosocialism and eco-Marxism, conservation policy, and queer ecologies.  She lives in Centretown with her cat, Max.

Erin Whittingham (RA Winter 2018 and MRP Summer 2018) is a degrowther that is working towards social transformation in order to live in a world that respects the environment and community. She has studied environmental sustainability at the University of Ottawa, international development at the University of Grenoble Alpes, France, and journalism at Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa. Her previous research focused on community shared agriculture, and the institutionalization of ecological sustainability, community building, and risk sharing within the practice. Her current focus is on societal transitions and transformations within Canada. She lives in the communal house Faith House in Ottawa, and dreams of the mountains on the west coast!

Agatha Maciaszek (MRP Winter 2018) was a Master's of Environmental Sustainability student at the University of Ottawa. She completed her undergraduate degree at McMaster University in 2016, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies. After completing a community-based experiential project focused on food waste in the Halton region in 2016 and a capstone project analyzing Ottawa's waste diversion performance 2017, Agatha has become increasingly interested in the field of waste management. As a result, the focus of her Master's research is concentrated within this field, determining what the best practices are for implementing a PET single-use beverage container deposit-refund program in Ontario. 

Pieter Bruegel's "The Tower of Babel" (1563) shows the
construction of this biblical collaborative building project.

Here are some other collaborative research projects I am currently organizing (or have previously organized) in collaboration with colleagues...

The EcoPolitics Podcast! A 16-episode series tackling the big questions of environmental politics for university students in Canada! https://www.ecopoliticspodcast.ca/

Check out our collaborative Flying Less in Academia Resource Guide: http://flyinglessresourceguide.info/

Twelve Years Left to Save the World!? Climate Change and the Future of Global Governance. Special Panel Hosted by CIPS at the University of Ottawa - February 2019. [With organizing support from Andrew Heffernan]

Climate Change and Academia: Addressing the Carbon Footprint of Scholarly Conferences. Special Roundtable held at Congress 2018, University of Regina.

Voices for a just and sustainable prosperity: The next 150 years of the growth-environment relationship. Special Roundtable held at Congress 2017, Ryerson University.

Critical Geographies of Energy! Three consecutive paper sessions at the AAG 2017 in Boston.

Green Meat! A project considering whether meat eating can be sustainable. Roundtables and book project at Congress (ESAC/CPSA) in Calgary and CAFS in Scarborough (June 2016). 

Critical Geographies of Climate Fixes and Green Infrastructure Panel! At the AAG in Tampa (April 2014).

Harperian Ecologies Panel! At the Annual Conference for ESAC (June 2013).