Dr. M. Altaf Arain is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University and the founding Director of the McMaster Centre for Climate Change. Dr. Arain holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and completed his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Hydrology at the University of Arizona. He has extensively studied forest ecosystems and their restoration using field measurements and ecosystem and hydrologic models. Dr Arain has established Turkey Point Observatory comprising four flux tower stations in Southern Ontario to examine the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on different-age and different species forest ecosystems. Turkey Point Observatory is part of Global Water Futures (GWF), global Fluxnet, Canadian FloodNet and North American Carbon Program. Dr. Arain has been involved in the development of the coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme and the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CLASS-CTEM), used in the Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM) for climate predictions. He has also focused on investigating the effects of air pollution and electric mobility adoption on the environment and human health in urban areas in Canada.

Dr. M. Altaf Arain is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University and the founding Director of the McMaster Centre for Climate Change. Dr. Arain holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and completed his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Hydrology at the University of Arizona. He has extensively studied forest ecosystems and their restoration using field measurements and ecosystem and hydrologic models. Dr Arain has established Turkey Point Observatory comprising four flux tower stations in Southern Ontario to examine the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on different-age and different species forest ecosystems. Turkey Point Observatory is part of Global Water Futures (GWF), global Fluxnet, Canadian FloodNet and North American Carbon Program. Dr. Arain has been involved in the development of the coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme and the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CLASS-CTEM), used in the Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM) for climate predictions. He has also focused on investigating the effects of air pollution and electric mobility adoption on the environment and human health in urban areas in Canada.

Dr. Melanie Bedore earned a BPAPM from Carleton University (Ottawa) and an MPA and Ph.D. from Queen’s University. She is a human geographer and a teaching stream faculty member focusing on undergraduate teaching and learning. Melanie experiments with a variety of pedagogical strategies to promote deep student learning and engagement, including learning portfolios, engaged lecturing, promoting student metacognition, discussion-based learning and bringing active learning strategies into the conventional university classroom. She places particular emphasis on student writing and critical thinking in all of her courses.

Her previous research and areas of specialization include urban food access and sustainable urban food systems, urban poverty and inequality, community-based charitable food programs, and city-regional prosperity.

Melanie is open to supervising undergraduate independent studies and theses but she is not accepting graduate students at this time.

Dr. Melanie Bedore earned a BPAPM from Carleton University (Ottawa) and an MPA and Ph.D. from Queen’s University. She is a human geographer and a teaching stream faculty member focusing on undergraduate teaching and learning. Melanie experiments with a variety of pedagogical strategies to promote deep student learning and engagement, including learning portfolios, engaged lecturing, promoting student metacognition, discussion-based learning and bringing active learning strategies into the conventional university classroom. She places particular emphasis on student writing and critical thinking in all of her courses.

Her previous research and areas of specialization include urban food access and sustainable urban food systems, urban poverty and inequality, community-based charitable food programs, and city-regional prosperity.

Melanie is open to supervising undergraduate independent studies and theses but she is not accepting graduate students at this time.

Notice:

Any Students seeking B.Sc. Academic Advising, should contact Kara Salvador, ugadmin@mcmaster.ca, ext. 20122

Not currently accepting graduate students.

Notice:

Any Students seeking B.Sc. Academic Advising, should contact Kara Salvador, ugadmin@mcmaster.ca, ext. 20122

Not currently accepting graduate students.

Dr. Janok Bhattacharya research program is mostly focused on investigating the sequence stratigraphy and 3D facies architecture of shelf, shallow marine, paralic, and fluvial depositional systems. Although much industry exploration effort is currently focused on deepwater depositional systems, about 50% of global oil production is currently from shallow marine, paralic and fluvial strata. Despite the continued importance of these reservoir types, ours is one of the only research programs devoted to this important area.

I am also investigating the interrelationships between structure and stratigraphy as a paired process. Specific projects are aimed at examining the effects of meso-scale tectonic structure on high-frequency sequence stratigraphic architecture in foreland basins and the relationship between sedimentation processes and formation of growth faults associated with deltaic depositional systems.

My research program is founded on the fundamentals of sedimentology, fieldwork, facies analysis, and sequence stratigraphy. Our program also crosses the boundaries between geophysics and engineering disciplines and provides an important environment for teamwork and integration that we believe provides a model for industry.

Dr. Janok Bhattacharya research program is mostly focused on investigating the sequence stratigraphy and 3D facies architecture of shelf, shallow marine, paralic, and fluvial depositional systems. Although much industry exploration effort is currently focused on deepwater depositional systems, about 50% of global oil production is currently from shallow marine, paralic and fluvial strata. Despite the continued importance of these reservoir types, ours is one of the only research programs devoted to this important area.

I am also investigating the interrelationships between structure and stratigraphy as a paired process. Specific projects are aimed at examining the effects of meso-scale tectonic structure on high-frequency sequence stratigraphic architecture in foreland basins and the relationship between sedimentation processes and formation of growth faults associated with deltaic depositional systems.

My research program is founded on the fundamentals of sedimentology, fieldwork, facies analysis, and sequence stratigraphy. Our program also crosses the boundaries between geophysics and engineering disciplines and provides an important environment for teamwork and integration that we believe provides a model for industry.

Dr. Joe Boyce is geoarchaeologist who studies Holocene landscape evolution and paleoenvironmental change using sediment records from lakes and coastal archaeological sites. His current research is focussed on the investigation of submerged landscapes and prehistoric underwater and terrestrial sites in the Great Lakes, Greece and western Turkey. His research interests also include the application of geophysical methods (ground-penetrating radar, seismic reflection, magnetometry) in archaeology, forensics and biogeosciences.

Dr. Joe Boyce is geoarchaeologist who studies Holocene landscape evolution and paleoenvironmental change using sediment records from lakes and coastal archaeological sites. His current research is focussed on the investigation of submerged landscapes and prehistoric underwater and terrestrial sites in the Great Lakes, Greece and western Turkey. His research interests also include the application of geophysical methods (ground-penetrating radar, seismic reflection, magnetometry) in archaeology, forensics and biogeosciences.

Dr. Carey directs the Watershed Hydrology Group and his research interests include hydrological, biogeochemical and land surface processes in natural and human impacted environments.

The group Dr. Carey uses field, laboratory and modelling approaches to understand how hydrological processes interact and influence ecosystem, biogeochemical and catchment processes across scales. Dr. Carey has a particular interest in cold environments and has been working in Yukon Territory for over 20 years. In addition, the influence of landscape disturbance on catchment processes has been an area of focus as the group seeks to help both industry and regulators understand and mitigate large scale disturbance in northern regions.

Dr. Carey serves on the Global Water Futures Strategic Management Committee and is the Principal Investigator fo the Mountain Water Futures program.

Dr. Carey directs the Watershed Hydrology Group and his research interests include hydrological, biogeochemical and land surface processes in natural and human impacted environments.

The group Dr. Carey uses field, laboratory and modelling approaches to understand how hydrological processes interact and influence ecosystem, biogeochemical and catchment processes across scales. Dr. Carey has a particular interest in cold environments and has been working in Yukon Territory for over 20 years. In addition, the influence of landscape disturbance on catchment processes has been an area of focus as the group seeks to help both industry and regulators understand and mitigate large scale disturbance in northern regions.

Dr. Carey serves on the Global Water Futures Strategic Management Committee and is the Principal Investigator fo the Mountain Water Futures program.

Dr. Abel Chikanda is an Associate Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society (EES) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He received his PhD in Geography from Western University in 2006 and was an Assistant / Associate Professor at the University of Kansas between 2015 and 2022. Prior to that, he was a SSHRC postdoctoral fellow at Queen’s University (2010-2012) and Research Coordinator at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (2013-2015). He also worked as a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe (2004-2006). His recent research has focused on African immigrant integration and the role of diasporas in developing their countries of origin. His current research seeks to explore the ways in which African cities can build sustainable and resilient food systems. He is an active member of the Southern African Migration Programme (SAMP), the African Urban Food Network (AFSUN), the Hungry Cities Partnership (HCP) and the Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) research networks.

Dr. Abel Chikanda is an Associate Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society (EES) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He received his PhD in Geography from Western University in 2006 and was an Assistant / Associate Professor at the University of Kansas between 2015 and 2022. Prior to that, he was a SSHRC postdoctoral fellow at Queen’s University (2010-2012) and Research Coordinator at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (2013-2015). He also worked as a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe (2004-2006). His recent research has focused on African immigrant integration and the role of diasporas in developing their countries of origin. His current research seeks to explore the ways in which African cities can build sustainable and resilient food systems. He is an active member of the Southern African Migration Programme (SAMP), the African Urban Food Network (AFSUN), the Hungry Cities Partnership (HCP) and the Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) research networks.

Notice:

Please note: Dr. Chouinard is on research leave for the 2021/2022 academic year

Dr. Vera Chouinard is a critical social and feminist geographer with interests in issues of social marginalization, state policy, and struggles for social change. She has published widely on topics such as disability and violence in the Global South, impacts of changes in state policy for disabled women’s lives, lived geographies of ‘madness’ and representations of ‘mad’ women in film, issues of access and accommodation of disability in higher education, feminist geographies of the state, chronic illness and identity, citizenship, and the peripheral legal places of disabled citizens in Canada. Her current research interests include disabled peoples’ lives and struggles for social change in the developing nation of Guyana, impacts of economic restructuring on diverse women in northern Canadian communities, autobiographical accounts of madness in place, medical tourism and the Occupy movement.

Notice:

Please note: Dr. Chouinard is on research leave for the 2021/2022 academic year

Dr. Vera Chouinard is a critical social and feminist geographer with interests in issues of social marginalization, state policy, and struggles for social change. She has published widely on topics such as disability and violence in the Global South, impacts of changes in state policy for disabled women’s lives, lived geographies of ‘madness’ and representations of ‘mad’ women in film, issues of access and accommodation of disability in higher education, feminist geographies of the state, chronic illness and identity, citizenship, and the peripheral legal places of disabled citizens in Canada. Her current research interests include disabled peoples’ lives and struggles for social change in the developing nation of Guyana, impacts of economic restructuring on diverse women in northern Canadian communities, autobiographical accounts of madness in place, medical tourism and the Occupy movement.

Notice:

Paulin Coulibaly is currently on research leave.

Dr. Paulin Coulibaly holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Laval University. He joined McMaster Universty in 2001 from the National Research Institute in Quebec. He holds a joint position in Civil Engineering Department and the School of Earth, Environment & Society. Dr. Coulibaly has been involved in developing hydrologic modelling and forecasting tools for Hydropower Companies, Public and Private Sectors. His research group recently developed MAC-HBV – a hydrologic model for simulating streamflow regime in ungauged basins. MAC-HBV is used by the Ministry Natural Resources for determining environmental flow in Ontario ungauged basins, and is also used around the World. Dr. Coulibaly is internationally known as an expert in Hydroinformatics (Data-Driven Methods developments and applications in Hydrology). His research interest includes: Hydro-climatic modelling; Climate Change and Water Resources Vulnerability; Hydrologic Data Assimilation/Remote Sensing Hydrology.He is Associate Editor of the ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Hydroinformatics.
He is an active member of Professional Engineers Ontario.

Notice:

Paulin Coulibaly is currently on research leave.

Dr. Paulin Coulibaly holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Laval University. He joined McMaster Universty in 2001 from the National Research Institute in Quebec. He holds a joint position in Civil Engineering Department and the School of Earth, Environment & Society. Dr. Coulibaly has been involved in developing hydrologic modelling and forecasting tools for Hydropower Companies, Public and Private Sectors. His research group recently developed MAC-HBV – a hydrologic model for simulating streamflow regime in ungauged basins. MAC-HBV is used by the Ministry Natural Resources for determining environmental flow in Ontario ungauged basins, and is also used around the World. Dr. Coulibaly is internationally known as an expert in Hydroinformatics (Data-Driven Methods developments and applications in Hydrology). His research interest includes: Hydro-climatic modelling; Climate Change and Water Resources Vulnerability; Hydrologic Data Assimilation/Remote Sensing Hydrology.He is Associate Editor of the ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Hydroinformatics.
He is an active member of Professional Engineers Ontario.

Dr. Carolyn Eyles was the former Director of the Integrated Science Program and is a Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Science and the School of Geography & Earth Sciences. She holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences from the University of East Anglia, a postgraduate certificate of Education from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in geology from the University of Toronto. Her research interests lie in the fields of glacial sedimentology and environmental geology, and she has worked extensively in Alaska, Australia, Brazil, Iceland, Norway, Great Britain and Canada. She has over 75 publications in peer-reviewed journals and books and has co-authored two first year geoscience textbooks. Dr. Eyles is a practicing Professional Geoscientist of Ontario (P.Geo), and is a member of the Geological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Geological Institute. Dr. Eyles is a 3M National Teaching Fellow and has won numerous teaching awards including an OCUFA Teaching Award, an Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Teaching Award, and the McMaster President’s Award for Excellence in Instruction. Her current teaching duties include Earth Science components of interdisciplinary courses in the Integrated Science program and senior/graduate level courses in glacial sedimentology. She chaired the committee that designed and developed the interdisciplinary Honours B.Sc. Integrated Science Program and served as the program Director from 2009-2015.

Dr. Carolyn Eyles was the former Director of the Integrated Science Program and is a Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Science and the School of Geography & Earth Sciences. She holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences from the University of East Anglia, a postgraduate certificate of Education from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in geology from the University of Toronto. Her research interests lie in the fields of glacial sedimentology and environmental geology, and she has worked extensively in Alaska, Australia, Brazil, Iceland, Norway, Great Britain and Canada. She has over 75 publications in peer-reviewed journals and books and has co-authored two first year geoscience textbooks. Dr. Eyles is a practicing Professional Geoscientist of Ontario (P.Geo), and is a member of the Geological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Geological Institute. Dr. Eyles is a 3M National Teaching Fellow and has won numerous teaching awards including an OCUFA Teaching Award, an Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Teaching Award, and the McMaster President’s Award for Excellence in Instruction. Her current teaching duties include Earth Science components of interdisciplinary courses in the Integrated Science program and senior/graduate level courses in glacial sedimentology. She chaired the committee that designed and developed the interdisciplinary Honours B.Sc. Integrated Science Program and served as the program Director from 2009-2015.

My research areas are on ground, airborne, and satellite remote sensing of vegetation from the leaf to the globe with special focus on:

1. plant structural and photosynthetic traits;
2. land surface and carbon uptake phenology;
3. terrestrial ecosystem primary productivity and greenness;
4. global change impact on terrestrial ecosystem productivity; and
5. terrestrial carbon cycle modelling.

I have done, and am doing, remote sensing of vegetation studies at ecological monitoring sites (e.g., eddy covariance tower networks); on improved product development at regional scale (e.g., leaf area index, primary productivity and land surface phenology); and on global change impact assessment on terrestrial ecosystem productivity at regional (e.g., circumpolar land surface phenology and atmospheric CO2 seasonality) and global scales. Besides remote sensing data, I use ground measurements of plant biophysical variables, photosynthetic traits, atmospheric CO2 concentration, eddy covariance CO2 fluxes and plant phenology; gridded climate data records; terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycle models; and Earth System Model (ESM) outputs.

My research areas are on ground, airborne, and satellite remote sensing of vegetation from the leaf to the globe with special focus on:

1. plant structural and photosynthetic traits;
2. land surface and carbon uptake phenology;
3. terrestrial ecosystem primary productivity and greenness;
4. global change impact on terrestrial ecosystem productivity; and
5. terrestrial carbon cycle modelling.

I have done, and am doing, remote sensing of vegetation studies at ecological monitoring sites (e.g., eddy covariance tower networks); on improved product development at regional scale (e.g., leaf area index, primary productivity and land surface phenology); and on global change impact assessment on terrestrial ecosystem productivity at regional (e.g., circumpolar land surface phenology and atmospheric CO2 seasonality) and global scales. Besides remote sensing data, I use ground measurements of plant biophysical variables, photosynthetic traits, atmospheric CO2 concentration, eddy covariance CO2 fluxes and plant phenology; gridded climate data records; terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycle models; and Earth System Model (ESM) outputs.

My research program focuses on understanding the impacts of human activities on aquatic ecosystems. More specifically, my students and I study the effects of point (municipal, industrial) and non-point (agriculture, forest harvesting) discharges on the health of aquatic organisms, and the fate of persistent pollutants in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Much of our research is multidisciplinary in nature and an interface between biogeochemistry, chemistry, ecology and toxicology. For example, we use measurements of stable nitrogen, sulfur, hydrogen and carbon isotope ratios in organisms to characterize trophic relationships in diverse aquatic systems and to understand pollutant accumulation from primary producers through to top predators. I have led or been involved in three major whole ecosystem experiments to understand how 1) the estrogen used in the birth control pill affects fish and their prey, 2) wastes from rainbow trout aquaculture affect native organisms, and 3) a commonly-used herbicide and fertilizers affect the health of wetland communities.

Contaminants in Aquatic Food Webs

Some contaminants can concentrate up through food webs to levels in fish that can affect the health of the fish themselves or that of fish-eating wildlife and humans. Even in remote systems with no human activities, mercury and other contaminants can be high in fish leading to concerns over risks to human and wildlife health. We have several ongoing projects to understand how contaminants are accumulated through aquatic food webs into top predators and their effects on fish.

• Mercury in lakes in Atlantic Canada – We are working in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia, an area known as a mercury hotspot, and developing novel approaches for understanding how mercury moves through the food webs of these acidic lakes and whether it is adversely affecting the health of the fish.
• Mercury in the Canadian Arctic – We have studied mercury in an important subsistence fish – the Arctic char – and its prey to understand why fish from some lakes are more contaminated than others.
• Mercury in coastal regions of Patagonia, Mexico, and Antarctica – We are assessing the levels of mercury and other metals in marine fish and invertebrates, some of which are consumed by local communities.
• Other global studies on mercury – My group and I also have ongoing research across a latitudinal gradient in Norway and Sweden to understand the effects of climate and organic matter on mercury cycling in lakes, and collaborations to assess global patterns of mercury in freshwater and marine food webs.
• Nutrients and metals from aquaculture – At several salmon aquaculture sites in the Bay of Fundy, we are examining the exposure of nearby organisms to both nutrients and metals from wastes.

Contaminants of emerging concern – including estrogens and their mimics – in municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP) effluents have the potential to disrupt the normal function of endocrine systems and impair reproduction and development in fish and other organisms. Approaches are needed to understand whether these chemicals are causing biological effects downstream of MWTPs, and to prioritize sites for further work.

My lab is involved in a collaborative program through the Canadian Water Network to identify a suite of measures that clearly indicate that biological effects are occurring as a result of the presence of effluent discharges, and a practical basis for distinguishing the relative level of concern among sites. In addition, we conducted a whole ecosystem experiment at IISD-Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario over 12 years to assess the effects of the estrogen used in the birth control pill – EE2 – on fish populations and the food web.

Funding: These projects have been supported by NSERC Discovery & Strategic Network Grants, New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund, New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund, INAC Northern Contaminants Program, Polar Continental Shelf Project, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Schering Pharmaceutical, Environment Canada, Parks Canada, Canadian Water Network, Norwegian Research Council, and Fundación MERI Chile.

Forest management and stream health

Nearly two-thirds of Canada’s land base is forested, and this forms the basis of one of Canada’s most important resource industries. However, forests are also key suppliers of aquatic ecosystem services (AES), such as serving as critical source areas for much of North America’s sustainable, clean water supplies and supporting aquatic biodiversity. This research is providing information on how forest management activities affect aquatic ecosystems to inform sustainable forest management practices.

Through several projects in New Brunswick and Ontario, we are exploring 1) the change in physical, chemical and biological indicators (water quality though food web structure) of stream health across a gradient of forest disturbance, and 2) the cumulative effects of forest management practices on downstream ecosystems and their services (fish and invertebrate communities, water quality, mercury accumulation, carbon inputs and cycling), using intensively- through minimally-managed watersheds on forested landscapes.

Funding: This research is supported by an NSERC Strategic Network grant, an NSERC CRD and considerable in-kind support from the Canadian Forest Service (NRCan) and JD Irving, Ltd.

Dams and dam removal

In Canada, there are > 10,000 known dams, > 580 of which are large hydroelectric facilities. Much of this infrastructure is aging and will require removal or replacement in the decades to come, motivating an emerging field in Canada and abroad – the science of dam removal. One such facility – the Mactaquac Dam – is on the Saint John River in New Brunswick, and it will reach the end of its service life in 2030.

The Mactaquac Aquatic Ecosystem Study (MAES) is a whole ecosystem study to understand the structure and function of the Saint John River and the potential implications of removal of the Mactaquac Dam upstream of Fredericton. As part of this multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional project we are assessing the structure of the riverine food web and the contemporary and historical concentrations of metals, hydrocarbons and chlorinated organics (e.g. PCBs) in the sediments of the headpond. These results will be used to support the decisions around dam removal or refurbishment.
Funding: This project is led by the Canadian Rivers Institute @ UNB and funded by NB Power and by an NSERC CRD Grant.

Research Interests:

Contaminants in Aquatic Food Webs, Forest management and stream health, Dams and dam removal

My research program focuses on understanding the impacts of human activities on aquatic ecosystems. More specifically, my students and I study the effects of point (municipal, industrial) and non-point (agriculture, forest harvesting) discharges on the health of aquatic organisms, and the fate of persistent pollutants in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Much of our research is multidisciplinary in nature and an interface between biogeochemistry, chemistry, ecology and toxicology. For example, we use measurements of stable nitrogen, sulfur, hydrogen and carbon isotope ratios in organisms to characterize trophic relationships in diverse aquatic systems and to understand pollutant accumulation from primary producers through to top predators. I have led or been involved in three major whole ecosystem experiments to understand how 1) the estrogen used in the birth control pill affects fish and their prey, 2) wastes from rainbow trout aquaculture affect native organisms, and 3) a commonly-used herbicide and fertilizers affect the health of wetland communities.

Contaminants in Aquatic Food Webs

Some contaminants can concentrate up through food webs to levels in fish that can affect the health of the fish themselves or that of fish-eating wildlife and humans. Even in remote systems with no human activities, mercury and other contaminants can be high in fish leading to concerns over risks to human and wildlife health. We have several ongoing projects to understand how contaminants are accumulated through aquatic food webs into top predators and their effects on fish.

• Mercury in lakes in Atlantic Canada – We are working in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia, an area known as a mercury hotspot, and developing novel approaches for understanding how mercury moves through the food webs of these acidic lakes and whether it is adversely affecting the health of the fish.
• Mercury in the Canadian Arctic – We have studied mercury in an important subsistence fish – the Arctic char – and its prey to understand why fish from some lakes are more contaminated than others.
• Mercury in coastal regions of Patagonia, Mexico, and Antarctica – We are assessing the levels of mercury and other metals in marine fish and invertebrates, some of which are consumed by local communities.
• Other global studies on mercury – My group and I also have ongoing research across a latitudinal gradient in Norway and Sweden to understand the effects of climate and organic matter on mercury cycling in lakes, and collaborations to assess global patterns of mercury in freshwater and marine food webs.
• Nutrients and metals from aquaculture – At several salmon aquaculture sites in the Bay of Fundy, we are examining the exposure of nearby organisms to both nutrients and metals from wastes.

Contaminants of emerging concern – including estrogens and their mimics – in municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP) effluents have the potential to disrupt the normal function of endocrine systems and impair reproduction and development in fish and other organisms. Approaches are needed to understand whether these chemicals are causing biological effects downstream of MWTPs, and to prioritize sites for further work.

My lab is involved in a collaborative program through the Canadian Water Network to identify a suite of measures that clearly indicate that biological effects are occurring as a result of the presence of effluent discharges, and a practical basis for distinguishing the relative level of concern among sites. In addition, we conducted a whole ecosystem experiment at IISD-Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario over 12 years to assess the effects of the estrogen used in the birth control pill – EE2 – on fish populations and the food web.

Funding: These projects have been supported by NSERC Discovery & Strategic Network Grants, New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund, New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund, INAC Northern Contaminants Program, Polar Continental Shelf Project, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Schering Pharmaceutical, Environment Canada, Parks Canada, Canadian Water Network, Norwegian Research Council, and Fundación MERI Chile.

Forest management and stream health

Nearly two-thirds of Canada’s land base is forested, and this forms the basis of one of Canada’s most important resource industries. However, forests are also key suppliers of aquatic ecosystem services (AES), such as serving as critical source areas for much of North America’s sustainable, clean water supplies and supporting aquatic biodiversity. This research is providing information on how forest management activities affect aquatic ecosystems to inform sustainable forest management practices.

Through several projects in New Brunswick and Ontario, we are exploring 1) the change in physical, chemical and biological indicators (water quality though food web structure) of stream health across a gradient of forest disturbance, and 2) the cumulative effects of forest management practices on downstream ecosystems and their services (fish and invertebrate communities, water quality, mercury accumulation, carbon inputs and cycling), using intensively- through minimally-managed watersheds on forested landscapes.

Funding: This research is supported by an NSERC Strategic Network grant, an NSERC CRD and considerable in-kind support from the Canadian Forest Service (NRCan) and JD Irving, Ltd.

Dams and dam removal

In Canada, there are > 10,000 known dams, > 580 of which are large hydroelectric facilities. Much of this infrastructure is aging and will require removal or replacement in the decades to come, motivating an emerging field in Canada and abroad – the science of dam removal. One such facility – the Mactaquac Dam – is on the Saint John River in New Brunswick, and it will reach the end of its service life in 2030.

The Mactaquac Aquatic Ecosystem Study (MAES) is a whole ecosystem study to understand the structure and function of the Saint John River and the potential implications of removal of the Mactaquac Dam upstream of Fredericton. As part of this multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional project we are assessing the structure of the riverine food web and the contemporary and historical concentrations of metals, hydrocarbons and chlorinated organics (e.g. PCBs) in the sediments of the headpond. These results will be used to support the decisions around dam removal or refurbishment.
Funding: This project is led by the Canadian Rivers Institute @ UNB and funded by NB Power and by an NSERC CRD Grant.

Research Interests:

Contaminants in Aquatic Food Webs, Forest management and stream health, Dams and dam removal

Research Goals

1. Understanding of stable isotope effects in the carbonate-water systems based on laboratory-based experiments and field-based empirical studies.
2. Providing the scientific community with new, accurate, and robust geochemical proxies for probing climatic, environmental, and biogeochemical processes.
3. Developing novel analytical methods that greatly improve the existing analytical efficiency and cost effectiveness for Earth science communities.

Research Goals

1. Understanding of stable isotope effects in the carbonate-water systems based on laboratory-based experiments and field-based empirical studies.
2. Providing the scientific community with new, accurate, and robust geochemical proxies for probing climatic, environmental, and biogeochemical processes.
3. Developing novel analytical methods that greatly improve the existing analytical efficiency and cost effectiveness for Earth science communities.

Dr. Gita Ljubicic is a Geographer with training in the natural and social sciences, who works primarily at the intersection of cultural and environmental geography. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to respecting and learning from Indigenous knowledge alongside science in order to address complex socio-ecological issues. She and her research team are dedicated to a cooperative, community-driven approach to research that involves developing and fostering working relationships with Indigenous experts and organizations throughout all stages of the research process. Gita has primarily worked with Inuit community members and organizations in Nunavut, but through collaborations she have been involved in research with Inuit, M?©tis, and First Nations communities across the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Qu?©bec), and Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador).

Gita has worked with Inuit communities and academic partners to learn from Inuit knowledge about sea ice, caribou, plants, and water in relation to implications of climate change, importance in northern livelihoods and wellbeing, and contributions to decision-making from local to national scales. In all projects the research process itself is an important focus, where she and her team explore: i) collaborative approaches to research; ii) ethics of informed consent in a cross-cultural context; iii) participatory mapping and knowledge representations; and, v) qualitative data management practices. Taken together, the outcomes of learning from Indigenous knowledge, and working together effectively, contribute to efforts to bring together diverse perspectives and evidence for more representative decision-making. Gita and her research team have been engaged in various environmental monitoring, co-management, eduction, and cultural heritage initiatives as an important means of mobilizing research results.

To learn more about Dr. Ljubicic visit https://straightupnorth.ca/gita-ljubicic/, and for the StraightUpNorth team visit https://straightupnorth.ca/team/

Dr. Gita Ljubicic is a Geographer with training in the natural and social sciences, who works primarily at the intersection of cultural and environmental geography. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to respecting and learning from Indigenous knowledge alongside science in order to address complex socio-ecological issues. She and her research team are dedicated to a cooperative, community-driven approach to research that involves developing and fostering working relationships with Indigenous experts and organizations throughout all stages of the research process. Gita has primarily worked with Inuit community members and organizations in Nunavut, but through collaborations she have been involved in research with Inuit, M?©tis, and First Nations communities across the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Qu?©bec), and Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador).

Gita has worked with Inuit communities and academic partners to learn from Inuit knowledge about sea ice, caribou, plants, and water in relation to implications of climate change, importance in northern livelihoods and wellbeing, and contributions to decision-making from local to national scales. In all projects the research process itself is an important focus, where she and her team explore: i) collaborative approaches to research; ii) ethics of informed consent in a cross-cultural context; iii) participatory mapping and knowledge representations; and, v) qualitative data management practices. Taken together, the outcomes of learning from Indigenous knowledge, and working together effectively, contribute to efforts to bring together diverse perspectives and evidence for more representative decision-making. Gita and her research team have been engaged in various environmental monitoring, co-management, eduction, and cultural heritage initiatives as an important means of mobilizing research results.

To learn more about Dr. Ljubicic visit https://straightupnorth.ca/gita-ljubicic/, and for the StraightUpNorth team visit https://straightupnorth.ca/team/

Notice:

Any Students seeking BA. Academic Advising, should contact Kara Salvador, ugadmin@mcmaster.ca, ext. 20122

Dr. Mercier is one of four Teaching Professors in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences. He has been recognized for his teaching excellence and his committment to the student experience.

Dr. Mercier’s teaching interests are primarily focused in the broad, interdisciplinary field of human geography, especially at the introductory level. Dr. Mercier is co-author of Human Geography (Oxford University Press), the market-leader in introductory human geography textbooks.

In addition, Dr. Mercier teaches courses across the many sub-areas of the field of human geography, including: urban (incl. urban planning), economic (incl. globalization), social, population and health, and regional geography (incl. world regional geography, geography of Brazil, etc.).

Dr. Mercier also regularly teaches some of the core methodological courses such as research and field methods, and regularly can be found leading field courses in Toronto every August and San Francisco in February. Dr. Mercier is also the coordinator of the School of Geography & Earth Science’s independent study program.

Not currently accepting graduate students.

Notice:

Any Students seeking BA. Academic Advising, should contact Kara Salvador, ugadmin@mcmaster.ca, ext. 20122

Dr. Mercier is one of four Teaching Professors in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences. He has been recognized for his teaching excellence and his committment to the student experience.

Dr. Mercier’s teaching interests are primarily focused in the broad, interdisciplinary field of human geography, especially at the introductory level. Dr. Mercier is co-author of Human Geography (Oxford University Press), the market-leader in introductory human geography textbooks.

In addition, Dr. Mercier teaches courses across the many sub-areas of the field of human geography, including: urban (incl. urban planning), economic (incl. globalization), social, population and health, and regional geography (incl. world regional geography, geography of Brazil, etc.).

Dr. Mercier also regularly teaches some of the core methodological courses such as research and field methods, and regularly can be found leading field courses in Toronto every August and San Francisco in February. Dr. Mercier is also the coordinator of the School of Geography & Earth Science’s independent study program.

Not currently accepting graduate students.

Dr. Suzanne Mills adopts a spatial lens to the study of identity, work and labour unions. Over the past 15 years, Mills has developed an expertise on resource and construction employment in northern Canada and has worked with Indigenous communities to critically examine Indigenous employment plans. Suzanne’s research has asked diverse questions such as: How are unions engaging with Indigenous governments and Impact Benefit Agreements? and, How do gender and Indigenous identity influence workers’ experiences of work related mobility? Currently, Mills is leading a research project examining the experiences of LGBTQ+ workers in northern and southwestern Ontario in partnership with Unifor, the United Steelworkers and the Windsor Workers Centre.

Dr. Suzanne Mills adopts a spatial lens to the study of identity, work and labour unions. Over the past 15 years, Mills has developed an expertise on resource and construction employment in northern Canada and has worked with Indigenous communities to critically examine Indigenous employment plans. Suzanne’s research has asked diverse questions such as: How are unions engaging with Indigenous governments and Impact Benefit Agreements? and, How do gender and Indigenous identity influence workers’ experiences of work related mobility? Currently, Mills is leading a research project examining the experiences of LGBTQ+ workers in northern and southwestern Ontario in partnership with Unifor, the United Steelworkers and the Windsor Workers Centre.

Dr. Bruce Newbold is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society (SEES) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He received his PhD in Geography from McMaster University in 1994, and worked at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign between 1994 and 2000 before returning to McMaster in 2000. Since returning to McMaster, he has held Guest Scholar positions at the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, University of California San Diego (2004), and the Medical Research Council’s Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow (2008), a position which included a Fellowship through the Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow. His research interests focus on population issues as they relate to immigration, migration, health, and aging. Recent research has focused on the role of migration in the development and transfer of human capital and income across space, commuting and sustainability questions, the income benefits associated with migration, immigrant health, and immigrant settlement processes.

Current Research:
Immigrant settlement and adjustment issues and internal migration within both the US and Canada. His research has been funded by SSHRC, NSF, and SSRC.

Immigrant health (funded by CIHR) and migration and health related issues within the elderly population.

Dr. Bruce Newbold is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society (SEES) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He received his PhD in Geography from McMaster University in 1994, and worked at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign between 1994 and 2000 before returning to McMaster in 2000. Since returning to McMaster, he has held Guest Scholar positions at the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, University of California San Diego (2004), and the Medical Research Council’s Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow (2008), a position which included a Fellowship through the Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow. His research interests focus on population issues as they relate to immigration, migration, health, and aging. Recent research has focused on the role of migration in the development and transfer of human capital and income across space, commuting and sustainability questions, the income benefits associated with migration, immigrant health, and immigrant settlement processes.

Current Research:
Immigrant settlement and adjustment issues and internal migration within both the US and Canada. His research has been funded by SSHRC, NSF, and SSRC.

Immigrant health (funded by CIHR) and migration and health related issues within the elderly population.

Notice:

Please note: Maureen Padden is on leave January 1-April 30, 2022

Not currently accepting graduate students

Notice:

Please note: Maureen Padden is on leave January 1-April 30, 2022

Not currently accepting graduate students

Antonio Paez is full professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University. Recent work includes studies on accessibility, spatial filtering, aging and mobility, spatial analysis of qualitative variables, transportation and social exclusion, the influence of the built and social environments on travel behavior, social networks and decision making, telework adoption, and blood donor behavior and trends. Dr. Paez has published widely, and is author or co-author of over 110 papers, many appearing in leading international journals, including Environment and Planning A and B, Urban Studies, Geographical Analysis, Journal of Geographical Systems, Transportation, Journal of Transport Geography, Transportation, Transportation Research Part A, Papers in Regional Science, International Journal of Health Geographics, Growth and Change, and Social Networks. He also co-edited the books Progress in Spatial Analysis: Methods and Applications (published in 2009 as part of Springer’s series Advances in Spatial Science), and Population Loss: The Role of Transportation and Other Issues (published in 2018 as part of Elsevier’s Advances in Transport Policy and Planning Series). He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Geographical Systems, and sits on the editorial boards of Transportation, Journal of Transport Geography, Geographical Analysis, and International Journal of Geographical Information Science, among others.

Antonio Paez is full professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University. Recent work includes studies on accessibility, spatial filtering, aging and mobility, spatial analysis of qualitative variables, transportation and social exclusion, the influence of the built and social environments on travel behavior, social networks and decision making, telework adoption, and blood donor behavior and trends. Dr. Paez has published widely, and is author or co-author of over 110 papers, many appearing in leading international journals, including Environment and Planning A and B, Urban Studies, Geographical Analysis, Journal of Geographical Systems, Transportation, Journal of Transport Geography, Transportation, Transportation Research Part A, Papers in Regional Science, International Journal of Health Geographics, Growth and Change, and Social Networks. He also co-edited the books Progress in Spatial Analysis: Methods and Applications (published in 2009 as part of Springer’s series Advances in Spatial Science), and Population Loss: The Role of Transportation and Other Issues (published in 2018 as part of Elsevier’s Advances in Transport Policy and Planning Series). He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Geographical Systems, and sits on the editorial boards of Transportation, Journal of Transport Geography, Geographical Analysis, and International Journal of Geographical Information Science, among others.

My research focuses on the effects of urbanization and land-use change on the geomorphic processes of rivers. I use a combination of fieldwork, laboratory, and GIS research methods to better understand sediment transport processes, morphologic adjustments, and physical habitat characteristics of urban rivers. I am particularly interested in urban river restoration and management, specifically on assessing the performance of traditional restoration designs and in the development of novel river management strategies using the most advanced science and technology.

Examples of exciting new approaches my research employs:

• Synthetic sediment tracers with remote burial depth data acquisition (‚ÄòWobblestones’)
• Gravel augmentation to rehabilitate urban rivers
• Measuring geomorphic parameters using UAV (drone) based imaging
• Citizen science for geomorphic monitoring

Much of my research focuses on urban rivers in Southern Ontario, which provide an excellent example of heavily-urbanized and managed fluvial environments. I have also worked with salmon habitat restoration projects in British Columbia.

My research focuses on the effects of urbanization and land-use change on the geomorphic processes of rivers. I use a combination of fieldwork, laboratory, and GIS research methods to better understand sediment transport processes, morphologic adjustments, and physical habitat characteristics of urban rivers. I am particularly interested in urban river restoration and management, specifically on assessing the performance of traditional restoration designs and in the development of novel river management strategies using the most advanced science and technology.

Examples of exciting new approaches my research employs:

• Synthetic sediment tracers with remote burial depth data acquisition (‚ÄòWobblestones’)
• Gravel augmentation to rehabilitate urban rivers
• Measuring geomorphic parameters using UAV (drone) based imaging
• Citizen science for geomorphic monitoring

Much of my research focuses on urban rivers in Southern Ontario, which provide an excellent example of heavily-urbanized and managed fluvial environments. I have also worked with salmon habitat restoration projects in British Columbia.

My research primarily focuses on the structural, tectonic and magmatic evolution of continental margins, including the adjacent onshore areas and offshore sedimentary basins. I am particularly interested in rifting and breakup, rift-related magmatism, structural inheritance and mantle dynamics.

Geographically, my work to date has focused on the continental margins of the North Atlantic and surrounding regions including: Newfoundland, Greenland, Jan Mayen, Labrador and the UK/Irish margin. The nature of my work requires a multifaceted approach incorporating a wide variety of approaches and methodologies such as: seismic interpretation, field-based studies, numerical modelling, petrology, structural modelling and geochemistry

My research primarily focuses on the structural, tectonic and magmatic evolution of continental margins, including the adjacent onshore areas and offshore sedimentary basins. I am particularly interested in rifting and breakup, rift-related magmatism, structural inheritance and mantle dynamics.

Geographically, my work to date has focused on the continental margins of the North Atlantic and surrounding regions including: Newfoundland, Greenland, Jan Mayen, Labrador and the UK/Irish margin. The nature of my work requires a multifaceted approach incorporating a wide variety of approaches and methodologies such as: seismic interpretation, field-based studies, numerical modelling, petrology, structural modelling and geochemistry

Summary: Léa Ravensbergen is an Assistant Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University. Her critical transport research explores how cities can foster more sustainable transport systems in an equitable manner. She uses a combination of qualitative (interviews, mobile ethnography, participatory mapping, observations) and quantitative (survey analysis, GIS) methods to uncover barriers to walking, cycling, and public transport. Much of her recent work has focused on gender-equity in active travel and age-friendly transport planning.

Summary: Léa Ravensbergen is an Assistant Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University. Her critical transport research explores how cities can foster more sustainable transport systems in an equitable manner. She uses a combination of qualitative (interviews, mobile ethnography, participatory mapping, observations) and quantitative (survey analysis, GIS) methods to uncover barriers to walking, cycling, and public transport. Much of her recent work has focused on gender-equity in active travel and age-friendly transport planning.

Dr. Eduard G. Reinhardt is a micropaleontologist studying how groundwater condition changed over climate cycles using cave sediments. His recent research in the Yucatan of Mexico focusses on reconstructing the potability of groundwater through drought cycles during the late Holocene. This has implications for the decline of Maya civilizations but also for future groundwater management in the coastal zone.

Dr. Eduard G. Reinhardt is a micropaleontologist studying how groundwater condition changed over climate cycles using cave sediments. His recent research in the Yucatan of Mexico focusses on reconstructing the potability of groundwater through drought cycles during the late Holocene. This has implications for the decline of Maya civilizations but also for future groundwater management in the coastal zone.

Dr. Darren Scott is a Professor in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences at McMaster University where he teaches courses in Geographic Information Science. Dr. Scott was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Geosciences at the University of Louisville between 1999 and 2002, and held a Visiting Research Professor position at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Zurich) in 2008. Dr. Scott’s undergraduate degree is in geography (BA. Honors and Co-op, 1991), with graduate degrees also in geography from the University of Western Ontario (MA, 1994) and McMaster University (PhD, 2000). Dr. Scott has published over eightly refereed journal articles in leading transportation, regional science, and urban studies journals. Dr. Scott’s research program has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation of the United States (NSF), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and Geomatics for Informed Decisions (GEOIDE), among other funding agencies. In 2008, Dr. Scott established a research lab – TransLAB – in the School of Earth, Environment & Society where advanced transportation research is conducted by students working under his supervision.

Dr. Darren Scott is a Professor in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences at McMaster University where he teaches courses in Geographic Information Science. Dr. Scott was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Geosciences at the University of Louisville between 1999 and 2002, and held a Visiting Research Professor position at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Zurich) in 2008. Dr. Scott’s undergraduate degree is in geography (BA. Honors and Co-op, 1991), with graduate degrees also in geography from the University of Western Ontario (MA, 1994) and McMaster University (PhD, 2000). Dr. Scott has published over eightly refereed journal articles in leading transportation, regional science, and urban studies journals. Dr. Scott’s research program has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation of the United States (NSF), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and Geomatics for Informed Decisions (GEOIDE), among other funding agencies. In 2008, Dr. Scott established a research lab – TransLAB – in the School of Earth, Environment & Society where advanced transportation research is conducted by students working under his supervision.

My research focuses on understanding the fate and transport of organic compounds, organic contaminants in particular, in the environment and on the microbial processes which control carbon cycling in both contaminated and natural environments. Research in my lab uses both traditional and novel techniques to investigatequestions relating to topics ranging from organic contaminant sources and biodegradation in the environment to the metabolic processes and bio-signatures associated with microbial metabolism and carbon cycling in extreme environments. The common theme in this research is to understand the fundamental processes that control the environment around us and the impact that life, including industrial society, has on the environment and vice versa.

My research focuses on understanding the fate and transport of organic compounds, organic contaminants in particular, in the environment and on the microbial processes which control carbon cycling in both contaminated and natural environments. Research in my lab uses both traditional and novel techniques to investigatequestions relating to topics ranging from organic contaminant sources and biodegradation in the environment to the metabolic processes and bio-signatures associated with microbial metabolism and carbon cycling in extreme environments. The common theme in this research is to understand the fundamental processes that control the environment around us and the impact that life, including industrial society, has on the environment and vice versa.

My primary research interests are in Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology. That includes Contaminant Fate and Transport within the subdisciplines of Hydrogeology (below the water table) and Vadose Zone Hydrology (above the water table). I am particularly interested in the study of multiphase flow and unsaturated flow in porous media, i.e. when more than one fluid is present. My research approach emphasises highly controlled laboratory based experiments to investigate primary mechanisms and processes controlling fluid flow and contaminant transport. In addition, numerical modelling is used to analyse laboratory and field data, design further experiments, and investigate the potential implications of the research results.

This research improves and extends our fundamental understanding of Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology and the technologies used in Groundwater and Soil Contamination Investigations, Monitoring, Simulation, and Remediation.

My primary research interests are in Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology. That includes Contaminant Fate and Transport within the subdisciplines of Hydrogeology (below the water table) and Vadose Zone Hydrology (above the water table). I am particularly interested in the study of multiphase flow and unsaturated flow in porous media, i.e. when more than one fluid is present. My research approach emphasises highly controlled laboratory based experiments to investigate primary mechanisms and processes controlling fluid flow and contaminant transport. In addition, numerical modelling is used to analyse laboratory and field data, design further experiments, and investigate the potential implications of the research results.

This research improves and extends our fundamental understanding of Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology and the technologies used in Groundwater and Soil Contamination Investigations, Monitoring, Simulation, and Remediation.

Dr. James Michael Waddington’s research in ecohydrology studies the ecological and hydrological processes that underlie the structure and function of wetlands and watershed ecosystems and the distribution, movement, and quality of water.

With our research foundation firmly in hydrology and by adopting a watershed ecosystems framework, we use innovative field experimental manipulations and ecohydrological modelling to understand watershed interactions of water, vegetation, soil and greenhouse gas exchange. Our research examines the effects of wildfire, drought and resource extraction on watershed ecohydrology with a focus on ecosystems, such as peatlands, that may be sensitive to changes in hydrology. We are developing new hydrological and modelling tools for resource managers, fire managers and our industrial partners.

Dr. James Michael Waddington’s research in ecohydrology studies the ecological and hydrological processes that underlie the structure and function of wetlands and watershed ecosystems and the distribution, movement, and quality of water.

With our research foundation firmly in hydrology and by adopting a watershed ecosystems framework, we use innovative field experimental manipulations and ecohydrological modelling to understand watershed interactions of water, vegetation, soil and greenhouse gas exchange. Our research examines the effects of wildfire, drought and resource extraction on watershed ecohydrology with a focus on ecosystems, such as peatlands, that may be sensitive to changes in hydrology. We are developing new hydrological and modelling tools for resource managers, fire managers and our industrial partners.

Dr. Allison Williams is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society. She is trained as a health geographer in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research. She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from Bishop’s University, a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, and a Doctor of Philosophy from York University. In 2008. She engages in social justice research to inform policy and program change. Most recently, she is leading a partnership grant to create carer-inclusive workplaces.

Dr. Allison Williams is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society. She is trained as a health geographer in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research. She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from Bishop’s University, a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, and a Doctor of Philosophy from York University. In 2008. She engages in social justice research to inform policy and program change. Most recently, she is leading a partnership grant to create carer-inclusive workplaces.

Dr. Robert Wilton earned a Hons. B.A. at the University of Hull (UK) and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. His research is broadly concerned with the social geographies of exclusion. He is interested in (1) the ways that some groups within society are excluded from valued environments, (2) the ways in which this exclusion reproduces the marginal or problem status of such groups, and (3) the capacity of such groups to contest their exclusion. Much of his research has focused specifically on the experiences of people with disabilities. His doctoral work, for example, examined the origins of community opposition to housing for disabled persons. More recently, his work has focused on three topics. He is completing SSHRC-funded research on the exclusion of disabled persons from spaces of paid employment, and the strategies used by individuals to overcome this exclusion. He is working with a coalition of people living with mental illness to document the negative impacts of poverty and poor housing on quality of life and social participation.

Dr. Robert Wilton earned a Hons. B.A. at the University of Hull (UK) and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. His research is broadly concerned with the social geographies of exclusion. He is interested in (1) the ways that some groups within society are excluded from valued environments, (2) the ways in which this exclusion reproduces the marginal or problem status of such groups, and (3) the capacity of such groups to contest their exclusion. Much of his research has focused specifically on the experiences of people with disabilities. His doctoral work, for example, examined the origins of community opposition to housing for disabled persons. More recently, his work has focused on three topics. He is completing SSHRC-funded research on the exclusion of disabled persons from spaces of paid employment, and the strategies used by individuals to overcome this exclusion. He is working with a coalition of people living with mental illness to document the negative impacts of poverty and poor housing on quality of life and social participation.

Dr. Niko Yiannakoulias came to McMaster University in 2007 after completing his PhD at the University of Alberta in 2006. His primary fields of interest include environmental health and geographic information science (GISci). He has done applied work in the areas of environmental health, transportation safety, mental health and crime. He has developed methods for analyzing spatial patterns of disease, solving political districting problems, geographic crime profiling and public health surveillance. Dr. Yiannakoulias’ research has been funded primarily by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSRHC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

Research Interests:

1. Environmental health

• Understanding and characterizing interactions between the environment and human health
• Understanding spatial-temporal structures in infectious disease
• Geographic health surveillance
• Paediatric injury and the social and physical environment

2. Environmental risk analysis and risk communication

• Associations between environmental decision making and risk perception
• Risk communication systems for rare events
• Risk mitigation strategies
• Research game approaches to environmental policy analysis

3. Agent-based models of human and environment interaction

• Developing agent-based models to observe the emergence of spatial patterns in cooperative and competitive social environments
• Studying how changes in social behaviour (such as immunization) interact with the evolution of disease virulence in pathogenic microorganisms
• Agent-based models for infectious disease control and planning
• Environmental games and game theory

Dr. Niko Yiannakoulias came to McMaster University in 2007 after completing his PhD at the University of Alberta in 2006. His primary fields of interest include environmental health and geographic information science (GISci). He has done applied work in the areas of environmental health, transportation safety, mental health and crime. He has developed methods for analyzing spatial patterns of disease, solving political districting problems, geographic crime profiling and public health surveillance. Dr. Yiannakoulias’ research has been funded primarily by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSRHC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

Research Interests:

1. Environmental health

• Understanding and characterizing interactions between the environment and human health
• Understanding spatial-temporal structures in infectious disease
• Geographic health surveillance
• Paediatric injury and the social and physical environment

2. Environmental risk analysis and risk communication

• Associations between environmental decision making and risk perception
• Risk communication systems for rare events
• Risk mitigation strategies
• Research game approaches to environmental policy analysis

3. Agent-based models of human and environment interaction

• Developing agent-based models to observe the emergence of spatial patterns in cooperative and competitive social environments
• Studying how changes in social behaviour (such as immunization) interact with the evolution of disease virulence in pathogenic microorganisms
• Agent-based models for infectious disease control and planning
• Environmental games and game theory