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Our Team

Laura S. Lynes, LLM

President/CEO

Therese Greenwood, MA

Board Chair

Shawn Marshall, PhD

Board Chair

Barrie R. Nault, PhD

Vice Board Chair

Andy Dobson, PhD

Board Member

David Sauchyn, PhD

Board Member

Dr. Igshaan Samuels, PhD

Board Member

Andy Airey, BA

Research Associate

Amica Antonelli, MEDes

Advancement Specialist

Jeff Baker, PhD

Education & Knowledge Mobilization Lead

Avery Bowe, BA

Visual Storyteller/ Communications Coordinator

Tina Elliott, MES

Knowledge Mobilization Specialist

Erin G. Finn

Bookkeeper/ Administration

Marley Kozak, MPlan

Adaptation Programming

Sandra Lunder

Philanthropy Specialist

Heather MacPherson, CPA, CA

Accountant

Alexandra (Ali) Milchina, CPA, CBV

Financial Specialist

Meaghan Nikolic, BA

Communications Specialist

Henry Penn, PhD

Senior Research Fellow

Brooklyn Rushton, MCC

PhD Candidate, Senior Lead, Mountain Communities

Nicolai Semenoff, BA

Project Assistant

Michaela Sidloski, PhD Candidate

Research Associate

Honorary Advisor

Dr. Laura Kosakoski (1985-2020)

Dr. Laura Kosakoski (“LK”), was a friend and colleague of the Resilience Institute. Prior to her death, she had been exploring the possibility of becoming an advisor and possibly co-developing a project on the meaning of resilience. But the universe had other plans for Laura. Sadly, she was caught in an avalanche on January 10, 2020, and passed away the next day. Though unable to be with us physically, her essence remains strong and her passion for the environment and her deep compassion for human and non-humans alike, continues to be a guiding light.

Advisors

Noreen Plain Eagle

Manager of Lands, Piikani Nation

Noreen Plain Eagle is from the Piikani First Nation located in southern Alberta where she has been the Lands Manager since 2016.  She is from one of the oldest Blackfoot families known.  She has seven (7) brothers, three (3) sisters and her parents are the Late Beatrice Big Bull (Potts) and the late Roy Big Bull. She was born and raised on the Piikani Nation where she has lived most of her life with exception attending school in the state of Washington. She achieved a Kanawayihetaytan Askiy (Let Us Take Care of Our Land) Certificate from the University of Saskatchewan and an Achievement Award from NALMA for implementing community programs and creating programs that addressed Rangeland Health.  She is an inspiration and change agent within the community who is working to strengthen Piikani’s resilience to climate change.

Eli Panning-Osendarp

Cammore Folk Fest, Sponsorship and Community Engagement Manager

Eli builds and fosters relationships between the Canmore Folk Festival and the local community. Through meaningful partnerships, grassroots connections, managing our donors and sponsors, Eli ensures the festival thrives as a vibrant celebration deeply rooted in Canmore’s spirit. Eli has a background in the social sciences with expertise in research and project management. Eli served as a program and logistics coordinator with the Resilience Institute and a research assistant at the Banff Canmore Community Foundation where he led the development of a Vital Signs report, providing a snapshot of numerous biocultural indicators to judge the overall wellbeing of the Bow Valley. He received as a Bachelor’s degree in Human Geography

Steven M. Vamosi, PhD

Professor, Population Biology, University of Calgary

Steven is Professor of Population Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary. He is also the Scientific Director of the Biogeoscience Institute, overseeing the vision and mission of the Barrier Lake and RB Miller field stations in Kananaskis Country. Steven is an evolutionary and conservation ecologist with broad interests in the origins, maintenance, and loss of biodiversity. His research focuses on native (and often at-risk) semi-aquatic and aquatic vertebrates in western Canada, with recent work on bull trout in Alberta and the Yukon, Chinook salmon in the Yukon, long-toed salamanders in Alberta, and rough-skinned newts in British Columbia. He has over 65 peer-reviewed publications in a broad range of journals and books and is a long-time Associate Editor for two journals (Journal of Applied Ecology, Ecology and Evolution). Steven is committed to working collaboratively towards a more sustainable future for the lands, plants and animals, and people of Treaty 7 Territory and beyond.

Brooklyn Rushton, MCC, PhD

Candidate and Sustainable Tourism Professional

Brooklyn Rushton is a PhD Candidate at Wilfrid Laurier University and sustainable tourism professional with a focus on finding innovative and community-based solutions to sustainability challenges. With a background in wildlife biology and conservation and additional qualifications in regenerative destination management and climate change adaptation, she adeptly combines academic insight with practical application. Her approach is characterized by a systems-thinking perspective, addressing complex issues, and contributing to meaningful policy and community-oriented changes.

Rasha Hassan

Events and Communications Manager Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo

Rasha is the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo’s Events and Communications Manager. She is passionate about promoting inclusivity and celebrating diversity, and she has experience planning memorable events that unite people from different backgrounds. Rasha is committed to using the power of events to promote harmony and an appreciation for diversity. She has a great awareness of cultural quirks and a passion for crafting unique experiences. Having experience working in different countries and different fields including finance, administration, and event planning, Rasha has honed a skill set that includes meticulous planning, seamless execution, and effective communication with diverse stakeholders.

Bala Nikku, PhD

Associate Professor, School of Social Work and Human Service, Faculty of Education and Social Work, Thompson Rivers University

Dr. Bala Nikku (he/him) currently lives, works, and plays on the traditional, unceded Secwepemcul’ecw territory in Kamloops with his wife and two daughters. Bala was born in Budithi village in Andhra Pradesh, India, where his parents, siblings, and extended family live. Bala is a social work faculty member at Thompson Rivers University who is passionate about understanding and nurturing community resilience to disasters. Before coming to Canada in 2018 from Asia, Bala worked with communities and taught in schools of social work in Nepal, India, and Malaysia. He held adjunct positions in Thailand and was a COFUND Senior Research Fellow of IHRR at Durham University, UK, in 2016. Bala leads two SSHRC-funded research projects to understand maker spaces and circular economies, making cultures, disaster patterns, community choices, and ecological changes catalyzed by natural and political disasters. Bala’s research, grounded in community science approaches, co-produces insights about practices of human displacement and the choices people make when rebuilding their lives after natural disasters. Bala came to The Resilience Institute as a project participant and coordinator of the Voices of Resilience BC project where he explored, learned, and shared about his own personal understandings of resilience and how to build it. 

Kansie Fox

Environmental Protection Manager, Blood Tribe Land Management

Kansie Fox, or Apaitsitapiakii (Weasel woman), is Blackfoot (from Kainai / Blood Tribe) and Dine (from the Navajo Nation) and was raised on the Blood Reservation. Her father is Richard Fox Jr. and her late mother is Mary Ann Fox. She is blessed with raising her two amazing teenagers who reside with her in Lethbridge. Kansie is the Environmental Protection Manager with the Blood Tribe Land Management Department on the Blood Reserve. Her work involves communicating with Chief and Council, the Blood Tribe community, Kainai Ecosystem Protection Association, the Blackfoot Confederacy and environmental organizations and institutions to protect and sustainably manage Tribal lands. Kansie graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah with a Bachelors degree in Conservation Biology. She has completed the National Aboriginal Land Managers Association Professional the Kainai Ecosystem Protection Association.

Sarah Roberts

Senior Fundraising Lead at Circle Economy | Fundraising Advisor

Sarah Roberts is an enthusiastic and successful independent consultant fundraising for outstanding causes with 20 years experience fundraising for outstanding causes, including MSF and Greenpeace, and New Energy Nexus. Sarah’s fundraising efforts have enabled positive social change across a range of environmental and social issues all over the world, in particular in Australia, Brazil, China, India, SE Asia, South Africa, UK, Netherlands, and Switzerland. Sarah is a passionate advocate for practical, community-focused solutions to environmental issues. For example, she is actively engaged in growing and protecting solar in Australia through her leadership on the Solar Citizens Board. Sarah is thrilled to support the Resilience Institute as an advisor helping to further our mission through championing indigenous knowledge systems and weaving traditional owners’ stories of resilience and adaptation to the climate movement.

Joseph Braun

Documentary Filmmaker

Joseph has spent the whole of his career crafting stories that resonate with the public. He specializes in telling stories that humanize cultures, causes, and brands. Director of the soon-to-be-released feature documentary film “Ticking Time Bomb: The Truth Behind Takata Airbags,” Braun’s film and TV journey launched in Hollywood more than 20 years ago. There, he began his career in post-production, working on hit episodic dramas, such as NBC’s “Third Watch,” the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning “ER,” and FOX’s hit American teen drama, “The OC.” Braun is the founding producer of the Atlanta-based Best 30 Seconds Productions, creating documentary films, immersive podcasts, as well as short-form commercials for national brands. Braun is intent on utilizing his considerable directorial and production experience to tell stories that humanize the dilemmas and choices we face to save our future.

John Colvin, PhD

University of Oxford, Environmental Change Institute / Emerald Network

A consultant and researcher in integrated and adaptive approaches to sustainable development. Dr. Colvin’s expertise is in social and institutional learning processes, including monitoring and evaluation, particularly in the context of climate change adaptation, water resources governance, ecosystem services, sustainable livelihoods and sustainable urban development. A former UK policy maker, he has over 14 years experience of working in international development for a variety of organisations including bilaterals, multilaterals, government ministries, research institutes and NGOs. A specific area of expertise is in multi-stakeholder participatory processes underpinning social innovation, systemic intermediation and inter & trans-disciplinary research practices. 

Nikolaus Demiantschuk

Partner, DBH Law

Nick has been with DBH Law for almost 30 years practicing in the areas of financing, commercial real estate and real estate development and corporate and commercial law. He is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s law school, and has been a panel member for the Legal Education Society of Alberta and a lecturer for the Alberta Bar Admission Course. He is also the Honourary Consul General for the Republic of Austria in Alberta.

Fiona Jones

Alberta, Canada

Fiona is a sustainability professional with 40 years of experience in private industry in the financial and energy sectors. A graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, Fiona has held roles in financial risk management and governance, compliance and ethics, climate change and energy policy, climate risk disclosure, and, most recently, led the Sustainabilty team for a large integrated oil company. She believes that, at its core, organizational sustainability is about a company’s ability to understand, respond, and adapt to a changing external environment and in doing so remain relevant, and generate value, regardless of which version of the future unfolds.  In that role she developed and integrated long-term climate change scenarios and risk assessment into the corporate strategic planning process, producing Canada’s first corporate strategic climate risk disclosure report. She has also advised the Carbon Disclosure Project and accounting standards boards on oil and gas climate change risk disclosure. A systems thinker that thrives on complex issues, non-linear concepts and “wicked” challenges, she has participated in multiple alliances and other engagement with ENGO’s and civil society to advance progressive policy and social change.

Philip A. Loring, PhD

Global Director of Human Dimensions Science for The Nature Conservancy

Dr. Philip Loring works as the Global Director of Human Dimensions Science for The Nature Conservancy. He is an interdisciplinary social scientist, storyteller, and educator with interests in stewardship, food systems, climate, and justice. Dr. Lorings academic training is in anthropology, ecology, and cross-cultural studies, and he has extensive experience convening and funding diverse communities of practice and deploying participatory, solution-oriented research. Dr. Loring is also a widely published and cited academic, with over 60 peer-reviewed papers appearing in top journals such as Nature Sustainability and Biological Conservation. His goal is to help communities around the world envision, implement, and communicate radical, system-level change.

Justin Bourque

A proud Metis with family lineage throughout Northeast Alberta dating back to 1850’s. Justin has a multi-faceted history in Alberta’s energy industry and in community development, paired with his traditional upbringing as a Métis trapper in Northeast Alberta, has instilled a deep respect for governance, environmental stewardship, and cultural integrity while creating opportunity today with tomorrow in mind. Owner of Âsokan Generational Developments – A consultancy firm focused on building bridges and capacity between Industry and Indigenous Community as well as Traditional Teachings Inc. – a land-based learning provider with a focus on providing youth programing that weaves traditional and western knowledge. Justin has a proven track record and is a campion for Indigenous development with a passion for the land.

Elliot Fox

Indigenous Community Liaison

Elliot Fox has a wealth of firsthand experience and knowledge in natural resource conservation and sustainable land use. As a member of the Kainai (Blood Tribe) First Nation, Elliot works with TRI to facilitate the development and implementation of local action plans to prepare to address climate change and adaptation, utilizing Traditional Indigenous Ecological Knowledge combined with western science. Elliot has supported TRI’s Fire with Fire program in building climate adaptation capacity through the integration of Indigenous, local, and scientific knowledge of fire management. Elliot has close to three decades of experience as a fish, wildlife, forestry, rangeland and climate adaptation technician and as a land manager with the Kainai and Piikani First Nations.  Elliot is a graduate of the Renewable Resource Management (Environmental Science) Program at Lethbridge College. He is a board member with the Southern Alberta Chapter of CPAWS and a member of the Kainai Ecosystem Protection Association (KEPA) Steering Committee.

Laura S. Lynes, LLM

President/CEO

Laura has decades of leadership experience in the not-for- profit and post-secondary sectors. As TRI’s co-founder she is the lead architect on TRI’s vision and programming. She holds a Master of Law with distinction in Climate Change Law & Policy and a Master’s degree in Intercultural and International Communication and received a Jane Goodall Fellowship for her thesis work on perceptions on the inclusion of large carnivores in communities.

Therese Greenwood, MA

Board Chair

Therese brings a diverse set of leadership, communications, and journalism skills to her role as a board member at TRI. She has more than two decades of experience in strategic communications, media, public engagement, and stakeholder relations with public sector organizations in Ontario and Alberta, and has worked as a consultant, editor, reporter, broadcaster, and journalism teacher. Previously, Therese was the Executive Director of the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo, and a Chief Relationship Officer with the Wood Buffalo Housing & Development Corporation. She is an award-winning author and communication leader. Her memoir What You Take With You: Wildfire, Family, and the Road Home, published by University of Alberta Press, was a Finalist for the Alberta Book Publishing Awards. Therese holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Queen’s University. She received the Executive Certificate in Public Sector Leadership and the Advanced Executive Certificate in General Management from Queen’s University.

Shawn Marshall, PhD

Board Chair

Shawn brings valuable expertise in climate change science and research to his role as a board member at TRI.  He is a glaciologist and climatologist with broad interests in Earth and environmental sciences, having studied glacier-climate processes and glacier response to climate change in western and Arctic Canada, Iceland, and Greenland. He served as a Canada Research Chair in Climate Change at the University of Calgary from 2007-2017. Shawn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Geophysics and Astronomy from the University of British Columbia.  In his current role as Chief Scientific Officer for Environment and Climate Change Canada, he provides advice on how to encourage a culture of scientific excellence, harness opportunities for partnerships and collaboration with external researchers and networks, and leverage external science perspectives on science priorities.

Barrie R. Nault, PhD

Vice Board Chair

Dr. Nault’s research and expertise in technology as it relates to climate change diversifies and broadens TRI’s driving philosophy. Dr. Nault is the Vice Board Chair at TRI and currently serves as the Distinguished Research Professor at the Haskayne School of Business and Director of the Informatics Research Centre at the University of Calgary. He studies the productivity of information technology; environmental incentives for new technology conversion; use of the Smart Grid; ownership, incentives, and investment in virtual organizations and supply chains; and net-neutrality and digital piracy. He was previously on faculty at The Ohio State University, the University of California, and the University of Alberta and has also worked as an Information Systems Department Editor for Management Science. He received a Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from the University of British Columbia. Dr. Nault is a Distinguished Fellow of the INFORMS Information Systems Society.

Andy Dobson, PhD

Board Member

Andy brings over three decades of experience in academic research to his role as a board member at TRI. He is a world-renowned epidemiologist and professor at Princeton University whose work extends to the ecology and economics of land-use change, wildlife-human interactions and ecotourism. His primary research is concerned with the ecology of infectious diseases and the conservation of endangered and threatened species. He also works on the interaction between climate variability and the transmission of pathogens in muskoxen and caribou in the Canadian Arctic. Andy holds a PhD in Ornithology from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology and Applied Entomology from Imperial College London. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Imperial College London and Princeton University and has served as a visiting professor at Cornell University and Aix-Marseille. Andy is a graduate of the Aldo Leopold science communications program and is an elected Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science.

David Sauchyn, PhD

Board Member

Dave has decades of expertise in paleoclimate science, hydrology, and climate change in Canada and serves as a board member at TRI. He is currently the director of the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative (PARC), a research center at the University of Regina studying climate change effects and adaptation in the Canadian prairies and has been a professor of Geography and Environmental Studies for over 40 years. Dave has been the principal investigator of more than 50 research projects and has written or co-authored more than 140 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and more than 100 other publications. He has given almost 500 invited presentations on the aspect of climate change. Dave was the coordinating lead author of the Prairie Provinces chapter in the Government of Canada’s Regional Perspectives Report that was released in 2020. He has a PhD in Geography, a MA in Geography with a focus on Arctic and Alpine research.

Dr Igshaan Samuels, PhD

Board Member

Dr Igshaan Samuels is a specialist researcher in rangeland ecology and management within the Range and Forage Sciences unit of the Agricultural Research Council in South Africa. He holds a PhD in Botany from the University of Cape Town and has worked in dryland pastoral landscapes for 20 years. His research focuses on the dynamics of pastoralism on Indigenous lands, climate change adaptation and plant-animal interactions, particularly in the arid zone, and has led several international and national projects under these themes. He has supervised more than 40 post graduate students and published several papers on the qualitative and quantitative aspects of pastoralism and rangeland ecology. Dr Samuels is the Global Co-chair for the International Support Group for the United Nations declared International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026. He is also a member of the International Rangeland Congress continuing committee representing Africa south of the Sahara. He has been involved in policy evaluation and development at local, national, and international levels and is currently leading the development of South Africa’s Veld (Rangeland) Management Strategy and the finalisation of South Africa Range and Forage policy.

Andy Airey, BA

Research Associate

Andy Airey is a graduate student at the University of Calgary, currently pursuing their MA in Political Science in the area of land-human and Indigenous-settler relations. Andy received their BA from the University of Calgary in International Indigenous Studies and Global Development Studies and has researched abroad with the Indigenous Ainu Nation of Hokkaido, Japan, as well as conducted local community development projects with Banff National Park. Andy has published with Louisiana Choctaw/Creole scholars Dr. Andrew Jolivette and Dr. Rain Prud’homme-Cranford, and maintains strong reciprocal relationships with diverse Nation members across Treaty 6 and 7, as well with as the land itself. Andy identifies the Elbow River as their foremost teacher and partner in research.

Amica Antonelli, MEDes

Advancement Specialist

Amica is passionate about progressive approaches to sustainable community development, sustainable agriculture, and ecological restoration. She has expertise in leadership, environmental planning, communications, and community outreach. With over 20 years of experience in the fields of resource management and community planning, she has worked on resource management projects in British Columbia, Alberta, and South Africa. Amica has a Master’s degree in Environmental Design. She provides advancement and communications support for TRI.

Jeff Baker, PhD

Education & Knowledge Mobilization Lead

Jeff is a Métis educator and scholar who employs participatory and Indigenous methodologies to explore the transformative possibilities that exist at the intersection of Indigenous and Western scientific ways of knowing. Prior to joining TRI, Jeff held the position of Chair in Indigenous Education at the University of Saskatchewan and also worked for the Cree community of Mistawasis Nêhiyawak as a Senior Policy Analyst and Indigenous Food Sovereignty Specialist. Jeff’s work balances issues of equity with those of sustainability, and is largely informed by his diverse ancestry and wealth of experience living and working in cross-cultural contexts within Canada and abroad. Jeff was born in Uranium City, SK, and currently resides in the village of Marcelin, SK.

Avery Bowe, BA

Visual Storyteller/Communication Coordinator

Avery Bowe has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with distinction from the University of Alberta. In academia, Avery is interested in the intersections of the arts and sciences and how an interdisciplinary approach can help us find new directions in confronting complex issues like climate change. As a Visual Storyteller at TRI, Avery uses graphic design and illustration to communicate TRI’s work to the public and to help develop an image that reflects the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of TRI’s programs. 

Tina Elliott, MES

Knowledge Mobilization Specialist

Tina is passionate about working collaboratively toward a sustainable, equitable future and promoting equity, agency, and empowerment through a feminist and social justice lens. TRI’s programs benefit from her interpersonal skills and thoughtful consideration of lived experiences as well as her experience in frontline, community-based agencies. Tina has previously served as an Executive Director and a Volunteer and Communications Coordinator at Prairie Harm Reduction in Saskatoon. She was a Program Support officer at the University of Saskatchewan and a Research Assistant at PROGRESS Laboratory. Tina has a background in Women’s and Gender Studies and holds a Master’s degree in Environment and Sustainability from the University of Saskatchewan. Through her master’s research, she focused on developing a post-disaster learning framework and community guidebook that focuses on the social dimensions of lived disaster experiences.

Erin G. Finn

Bookkeeper/Administration

With over a decade of administration experience, Erin founded her own Bookkeeping firm in 2023. She was brought onto TRI’s finance team to ensure a seamless flow of the financial framework, as well as strengthening back-end administrative systems to promote efficiency. Erin is both a dedicated business owner and a mother of two little girls. Erin is excited to be a part of the collaborative change that TRI is making.

Marley Kozak, MPlan

Adaptation Programming

Marley has close to a decade of experience in public engagement, stakeholder collaboration, and community-focused work. Marley supports several initiatives at The Resilience Institute, including Roots for Resilience in partnership with the  Canadian Red Cross. She has previously served as a Community-Based Monitoring Program Coordinator and a Stakeholder and Aboriginal Relations Coordinator with Alberta Environment and Parks, as well as an Aboriginal Participation Analyst with a former provincial environmental monitoring agency. In her work, she seeks to build respectful, mutually beneficial relationships with a diverse group of partners, including Indigenous communities, governments, academia, environmental interest groups, and industry, to address major trends, issues and knowledge gaps related to the condition of the environment. She has collaborated with partners to develop and implement community-based monitoring programs, knowledge co-production and citizen science initiatives to enhance environmental stewardship and build climate change resiliency and adaptation in communities. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental and Regional Planning and an Aboriginal Relations Leadership Certificate. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Governance.

Sandra Lunder

Philanthropy Specialist

Sandra brings a holistic perspective to TRI’s philanthropic goals by developing sponsor and donor partnerships to create positive, impactful change. She leads our fund development initiatives with  a wealth of experience in annual giving, major gifts, capital campaigns and donor relations. Sandra has a background in business and social work with over 20 years of experience in fund development and team management. She has worked with organizations such as Youth Central, Alberta Health Services, and the Calgary Stampede Foundation.  

Heather MacPherson, CPA, CA

Accountant

Heather earned her Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta in 2002 and obtained her CPA designation in January 2005. With over 12 years of experience running her own successful accounting practice, Heather excels in providing tailored financial guidance, strategic planning, and tax expertise. Known for her attention to detail and ability to simplify complex financial matters, she brings clarity and confidence to her clients’ finances. Living in Canmore with her husband and two active sons, Heather enjoys the balance of a busy professional life with the outdoor adventures that mountain living offers, whether it’s biking, hiking, or skiing.

Alexandra (Ali) Milchina, CPA, CBV,

Financial Specialist

Alexandra is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator in Calgary, Alberta. She is an accounting and finance professional with diverse work experience ranging from financial planning and analysis, asset and liability valuation, forensic accounting, and public accounting. Alexandra has been involved in preparing expert witness reports and financial models to quantify economic damages in litigation. In more recent years she prepared calculations and reports to estimate the environmental liabilities associated with the abandonment, remediation and reclamation of oil and gas wells and facilities throughout Western Canada. Alexandra is a lover of the outdoors. She enjoys hiking, biking, running, and the odd cold plunge in a mountain lake.

Meaghan Nikolic, BA

Communication Specialist

Meaghan is a communications and marketing professional with over six years of experience developing and executing effective communications campaigns and strategies. A graduate of the University of Calgary with dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communications and Political Science, she has successfully managed print and digital marketing efforts, collaborated on recruitment and retention initiatives, and overseen brand consistency. Meaghan is passionate about driving impactful initiatives and committed to fostering strong connections.

Dr. Henry (Harry) Penn, PhD

Senior Research Fellow

With both professional and lived experience in northern and remote environments, Harry brings a unique community-focused approach to his work. An advocate for open communication, Harry makes collaboration the foundation of his project management approach and focuses on creating opportunities for youth and underrepresented groups in research. In his role at TRI as a Research Fellow, Harry develops and coordinates TRI’s research engagements related to climate change and sustainability, fosters inter-institutional relationships with a focus on creating trans-disciplinary research programs, and coordinates TRI’s existing programs and activities. He has over a decade of experience developing and leading community-based participatory research and infrastructure projects to address food-water-energy security and climate resilience in rural and remote locations across the Circumpolar North. Harry was previously a manager of the Kluane Lake Research Station and Science and Sustainability Program Manager at the Arctic Institute of North America (AINA). At the AINA, he was responsible for an experimental facility that tested major investments in new technologies and developed good practices for lowering the environmental footprint of remote research station facilities across the circumpolar north. His experience includes strategic planning, climate mitigation and energy, infrastructure planning, delivery, operations, and maintenance. Harry holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Civil Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Loughborough University.

Brooklyn Rushton, MCC

PhD Candidate Senior Lead, Mountain Communities

Brooklyn Rushton is a dedicated sustainability professional, focused on discovering transformative, community-centered solutions to society’s most pressing sustainability challenges. With a diverse background in wildlife conservation, regenerative tourism, strategic planning, and climate change adaptation, she adeptly combines academic insight with practical application. She holds a Master’s degree in Climate Change from the University of Waterloo and is currently working on completing a PhD at Wilfrid Laurier University, focused on regenerative tourism transformations in Canada’s mountain regions. With a specific passion for the mountains, Brooklyn is committed to reshaping how mountain communities connect with the natural world and envision a collective future impacted by climate change.

Nicolai Semenoff, BA

Project Assistant

Nicolai studied philosophy and human geography at the University of Calgary. Through his background in urban geography, he has gained valuable insights into the connections between built and natural environments. For more than ten years, Nicolai has volunteered in responsible waste management with the Calgary Folk Music Festival’s eco-initiatives. Since graduating, he has focused on transitioning academic and volunteer experience towards food sovereignty projects to make a positive impact and encourage food system resilience in his local and surrounding communities. His current work focuses on co-creating an organic waste diversion program with the Piikani Nation Secondary school.

Michaela Sidloski, PhD Candidate

Research Associate

Michaela Sidloski is a PhD Candidate in Environment and Sustainability at the University of Saskatchewan on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. In her research, she is examining how intersectional feminist theory can be applied in community climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning processes to produce more effective, just, and equitable outcomes. With an educational background in Regional and Urban Planning, she draws on specializations in cartography, GIS, and critical community-engaged scholarship in her work. Above all else, Michaela is passionate about learning, unlearning, and relearning; she strives to approach every situation as a student, inside the classroom and beyond.