About the Collective

Simon Donner is a Professor at the University of British Columbia and inaugural Director of the Climate Solutions Research Collective. He is an interdisciplinary climate scientist who tackles questions at the intersection of climate science, marine science, and public policy. He holds appointments in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Department of Geography, and Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries.

Our lab seeks to understand the population genetic structure of temperate and boreal trees, and the evolutionary dynamics that have resulted in that structure. We are particularly interested in the extent of local adaptation to climate in tree populations, the phenotypic traits and genes involved in local adaptation, and the capacity of those populations to adapt to new climates. To investigate this question we are using genomic tools as well as phenotypic data from common gardens and controlled environment experiments.

Werner Antweiler is an expert on international trade and environmental economics. He approaches ecological problems, like climate change, air and water pollution and solid waste management, from a business perspective.  

Michael Brauer joined the UBC faculty in 1991 in the Department of Medicine. He was an inaugural member of the Occupational Hygiene Program, Director of the School of Environmental Health (2003-2008) and the Occupational and Environmental Health co-lead in SPPH (2011-2014). He holds associate appointments in the Division of Respiratory Medicine and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at UBC and is an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington.

Naoko’s expertise lies in the area of multiphase reaction engineering with emphasis on fluidized beds. Some current projects include: CO2 capture; biomass gasification and pyrolysis; chemical looping combustion; pyrolysis product utilization including bio-oil and biochar applications; and biofuels. In particular, she is involved in utilizing biomass through production of liquid fuel from biomass waste, developing biochar for capacitive deionization, tar reduction in biomass gasifiers.

Dr Godin's research focuses on transient absorption spectroscopy/microscopy to determine the charge carrier dynamics of materials for solar energy conversion; photochemistry and photophysics; carbon-based photocatalytic materials; sustainable energy and material production. He joined The University of British Columbia in July 2018, after spending nearly three years in London, UK. His interests have always been rooted in photochemistry, and now he leads the Solar Energy Conversion and Spectroscopy group.

I am a Professor in Environmental and Resource Economics at UBC.  My research spans two main themes: 1) the economics of wildlife conservation, and 2) the economics of urban transportation.

Kathryn Harrison is Professor of Political Science. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario, Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Political Science from MIT, and a PhD in Political Science from UBC.

John Janmaat is a Professor of economics and Head of the Economics, Philosophy and Political Science Department at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus.

Milind Kandlikar is Professor at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (SPPGA). He is the former Director of the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES). His work focuses on the intersection of technology innovation, human development and the global environment. His current projects include cross-national comparisons of regulation of agricultural biotechnology; air quality in Indian cities; risks and benefits of nanotechnology; new technologies for sustainable transportation; and development and climate change.

Dr. Carol Liao is Associate Professor at the UBC Allard School of Law and the UBC Sauder Distinguished Fellow of the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics at the UBC Sauder School of Business. Her research focuses on corporate law and sustainability, climate governance, gender and racial justice. Dr.

Resolving essential questions about human action, social change, and the social role of the classroom is my current research and teaching focus. Answers are emerging to the foregoing question through the implementation of diverse, and sometimes experimental, ways of contributing to the sustainability movement. A recent book, entitled “Adaptive Education: An Inquiry-based Institution,” establishes an innovative pedagogy. I began the serious testing of the attendant theories and concepts immediately.