Meet the Team

For me, acknowledging the land that we are on is a way to connect myself to the living and continuing history of the area in which I live. It is a way for me to reflect upon past injustices and trauma but also as a way to respect the resilience and strength of the Stó:lō (and all Indigenous) peoples. I am a grateful guest on this land, and accept the responsibility to follow cultural protocols in my professional and personal life.

I am the Program Chair for the Environmental Studies program, and am the Associate Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at UFV. My research projects include:

• Social implications of agri-genomics
• Stó:lo Indigenous Foodways Co-Lab
• Community-Campus responses to crisis
• Forest Systems and Wellbeing
• Urban agriculture education programming
• Responsible innovation agenda for vertical agriculture development
• Sustainable food systems for Canada

I am an environmental researcher who has moved across the world where I’ve met and worked with different organizations, communities, people, and cultures. Prior to working at UFV, I completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia where I worked with and for the Heiltsuk Nation in Bella Bella, BC.  Our collaborative project was entitled, “Developing spatial and participatory resolutions for the Canadian Aboriginal housing crisis”.  The context of this project was focused on developing, implementing, and assessing community-led housing solutions to alleviate and meet housing demands.

I completed my PhD in New Zealand in 2016 where my research focused on forestry resource management with key Māori community members. Applying a kaupapa Māori approach (which embraces traditional beliefs, ethics, and ways of being), I worked closely with the participants using a comprehensive life cycle sustainability technique which provided environmental, social, and economic data regarding forestry options.  The process provided the participants with a framework to develop a clear pathway to achieving the collective vision of their community.

Furthermore, I have experience working with and within government agencies. For nearly six years I worked at Forest Research, a government agency in Edinburgh, Scotland. My research was applied at regional, national, and international (European Union) levels and involved GIS analysis, project management, data collection and model synthesis, critical analysis, and frequent engagement with stakeholders - from foresters to business leaders to government officials. In addition, for a period of nine months I was seconded to the Scottish Government's Renewable Energy Department as a hydropower policy officer.