Awardees 2025

Building Better: Sustainable and Resilient Housing with Precast Concrete

British Columbia faces a critical housing challenge, especially for affordable, sustainable midrise buildings. This project will develop a new multi-story affordable housing solution using precast concrete, offering greater durability, fire resistance, and construction efficiency than traditional methods. The approach supports sustainability through reduced waste, improved quality, and faster delivery. Researchers will design new buildings, conduct large-scale structural testing under earthquake conditions, and develop advanced computer models to evaluate performance. The goal is to support safer, more disaster-resilient housing across BC, particularly in at-risk communities. The project will also lay the groundwork to integrate Indigenous knowledge into housing design, promoting culturally appropriate solutions and opportunities for Indigenous students and communities.

Microbial mediated co-digestion of mixed agricultural waste for enhanced biogas production

New farming regulations in British Columbia are pushing farmers to find better ways to manage waste within a circular bioeconomy. Anaerobic digestion (AD), which uses microbes to break down organic waste into bioenergy, offers promise. Cow and hog manure can be readily converted using AD, but adding poultry manure can boost energy output—making AD systems more efficient and cost-effective. This project uses genomics to study these microbes under various conditions in a pilot-scale AD system, focusing on overcoming challenges posed by poultry manure’s high nitrogen content. The goal is to create more efficient co-digestion strategies for bioenergy production within a Lower Mainland collective farming model.

Protecting Northern British Columbia Lakes: Building a Collaborative Monitoring Program to Quantify Climate Warming Impacts

Lakes are warming worldwide, often leading to lower water levels, reduced oxygen, and increased carbon emissions. In Northern British Columbia, this affects boat travel and fishing, yet the timing and extent of these changes remain unclear. In collaboration with the Kaska Dane Nan Yḗ Dāh Land Guardians, this project will establish a lake monitoring program to track temperature, water level, oxygen, and carbon dioxide from lakes important to local communities. Understanding when, where, and how long lake warming occurs will deepen our knowledge of its impacts and support the long-term stewardship of these vital ecosystems for future generations.

SHADE: Solar Hybrid Air-Conditioning for Decarbonized Environments 

This project responds to the growing need for sustainable cooling technologies as climate change increases the frequency of severe heat events. Building on an existing initiative led by UBC’s Dr. Liv Yoon that examines the intersecting challenges of extreme heat, housing equity, and public health, a solar-driven air conditioning system that uses heat from the sun to drive space cooling will be co-designed alongside residents of a supportive housing community in Metro Vancouver. Placing priority on the use of safe, easily obtainable materials and designs intended for community-led implementation, this project will demonstrate a new transdisciplinary model for low-risk, human-centered engineering design that can accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy.

In Canada, South Asian immigrants face higher job, income, food, and housing insecurity due to racism and xenophobia. They often have to rely on hazardous jobs and rent cheaper residences (which are located closer to roadways and industry), overall exposing them to more environmental pollutants and toxins than others. Despite this, they are not a priority population being consulted as part of the development of Canada’s new national environmental justice strategy aiming to address such environmental racism. This study will capture the experiences and needs of South Asian immigrants in Ontario and BC, where a majority live, to help inform policies to better protect their health.

My research focuses on forecasting compound flood hazards in the Fraser Estuary, where river flows, storm surges, tides, and sea-level anomalies can combine to cause extreme flooding. Sea-level rise driven by climate change intensifies these risks. Despite events like the November 2021 atmospheric river, few studies have explored how these flood drivers interact in this region. To address this gap, I use a new, highly efficient modeling tool called SFINCS to simulate compound flooding events and apply probabilistic methods to assess their likelihood and risks. This work supports integrated coastal zone management, protecting critical communities and ecosystems in the Fraser Estuary.

My research focuses on the history and politics of water management in British Columbia and beyond. Through archival research, I am exploring how government engineers developed and deployed scientific practices to measure, predict and control the behavior of provincial rivers during the twentieth century. The project also compares BC with a similar case in South America (Chile) to understand how states in general have succeeded or failed to manage uncertainty in water systems, especially in the face of extreme floods and droughts. These historical cases will provide helpful perspectives on present-day challenges of expertise and science in public policy.

My research focuses on how alleyway management on blueberry farms affects bumble bee activity and nesting. Bumble bees are essential pollinators for blueberries and often nest in abandoned rodent burrows. Previous research shows they are more abundant on farms with grass or clover cover crops than on those with bare soil or mulch. By surveying vegetation, floral resources, rodent dens, and bumble bee populations on 12 farms in Metro Vancouver, I aim to determine whether bumble bee activity is driven more by floral abundance or nesting site availability. This research will help inform sustainable practices that support wild pollinators and crop production.

My research aims to improve the accuracy of probable maximum precipitation (PMP) and subsequently probable maximum flood (PMF) estimation in British Columbia. The PMF is the theoretical maximum streamflow that is used in the design of critical infrastructure including hydro-electric dams, where underestimation can have catastrophic consequences. Existing methods for estimating PMP and PMF may no longer be reliable as climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme rainfall. Therefore, I aim to develop a new method to calculate the PMF under climate change by utilising a range of numerical modeling techniques and machine learning techniques.

My research will address environmental challenges from increased stormwater runoff due to urbanization in cities like Vancouver. While Green Rainwater Infrastructure (GRI) offers sustainable solutions, detailed simulations are needed to assess real-world impacts. This research proposes an integrated Python-based model combining the Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) via pySWMM and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) via openLCA. The model will evaluate runoff quantity and quality, as well as the environmental and economic impacts of GRIs such as green roofs, rain gardens, and permeable pavements. A Vancouver case study will demonstrate its application. This tool will support scalable analysis and sustainable planning decisions.

My research involves evaluating the threat of sea level rise (SLR) to coastal wetlands and migratory shorebirds in the Fraser River estuary (FRE), the most important bird area in western Canada. My work will project changes in tidal flat and salt marsh ecosystems in the FRE under multiple scenarios of future SLR and assess the impact of these changes on habitat suitability for shorebirds. I will also identify and prioritize actions that we can take to preserve these systems in the face of future SLR, with the goal of informing local management and conservation decision-making in this biodiverse urban estuary.

I engineer advanced, sustainable materials using bacteria and industrial “waste”. Cellulose, a biopolymer abundant in logging and sawmill residues, is my primary building block. I fabricate this cellulose into textiles, water-purification filters, or biomedical implants. I then add specialized functions to these products using plant extracts such as tannins or proteins produced by engineered bacteria. These chemical-free treatments give the cellulose materials advanced capabilities such as catalysis, pollutant capture, or biosensing. The result is a new class of biodegradable products made from BC forestry that not only replace but also outperform plastic alternatives.

My research addresses the impacts of agricultural management on multiple stressors faced by bumblebees. Bumblebees are key pollinators for many crops, but some species are in decline due to threats such as habitat loss, pesticide use, and disease. Although farms often rely on bumblebees for successful crop production, some features of agricultural lands may worsen the pressures already experienced by pollinator populations. My research assesses how landscape characteristics like crop diversity and availability of semi-natural habitat influence bumblebee foraging behaviour, disease, and pesticide exposure. I aim to provide insights that support the sustainable management of pollinator-dependent crops in British Columbia and throughout Canada.

My research aims to advance the field of interpretable artificial intelligence by creating powerful new optimization algorithms. These algorithms build AI models that are not only accurate but also transparent, allowing us to understand the ‘why’ behind their decisions. This is crucial for high-stakes applications where trust and reliability are essential. I am applying this work to improve the strategic planning of British Columbia’s hydropower system, providing decision-makers with a trustworthy tool to enhance climate resilience, ensure reliable clean energy, and protect vital ecosystems and Indigenous water rights.

My research explores how microbes living on kelp may help strengthen kelp forests along British Columbia’s coast. These underwater forests support marine biodiversity and coastal ecosystems but are increasingly under threat from ocean warming. I study how the disruption of different microbial communities affects kelp growth under heat stress in the lab. By identifying beneficial microbes, my work could help improve kelp health in nurseries before they are planted in the ocean, providing new tools to support kelp restoration and the long-term resilience of these critical marine habitats.

My research investigates the ways that forests and wildfire have changed because Indigenous fire stewardship including cultural burns were criminalized. This research is in partnership with Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation, whose use of beneficial cultural burns historically reduced wildfire risk across their traditional territory. We reconstructed 500 years of historical fires and will use computer simulation models to compare wildfires under historical and modern conditions, and potential future stewardship. We aim to provide culturally-informed and place-based recommendations to ongoing forest and fire management planning efforts and support coexistence with fire.

My research aims to advance sustainable 3D concrete printing (3DCP) technology by addressing interface issues. My work seeks to develop practical solutions for improving interface properties and gaining deeper insights into their influence on 3DCP performance. The study begins with optimizing materials for high-quality printing and enhancing interfaces to ensure reliable performance across different printing scenarios. Detailed investigations will then be conducted at the component level to examine how interfaces contribute to the overall performance under various loading conditions. Through innovation in construction methods and materials, this research will advance the sustainable development of British Columbia’s built environment.

My research examines how urban pond drought impacts biodiversity in Vancouver. Urban ponds are vital ecosystems for local wildlife, yet many now dry-out earlier due to climate change, urban heat, and shifts in regional water policy. In partnership with the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, I study how water loss triggers progressive changes in aquatic insect populations and ecosystem health, using insect surveys, climate and water quality monitoring, and landscape assessments. By linking pond drought to ecological change, this work will inform efforts to restore urban ponds and protect local biodiversity.

My research focuses on improving our understanding of how climate change, infectious agents, and fisheries encounters impact the survival of Chinook salmon. More Pacific salmon are being released than ever before in the marine recreational fishery due to regulatory changes that restrict which fish can be harvested. Resilient Pacific salmon populations are important to the culture, economy, and health of British Columbians, and improving the post-release survival of Chinook salmon in the marine recreational fishery through the lens of climate change is crucial to ensure continued access to the public fishery for future generations.