Risa Sargent

Dr. Risa Sargent is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Land and Food Systems. Her research focuses on ecological interactions between plants and pollinators, particularly in agro-ecosystems and urban environments, addressing global change impacts. She leads projects like PERCS (Perennial Plant Restoration for Carbon Sequestration), exploring carbon sequestration and biodiversity co-benefits in agricultural landscapes. Her work integrates field experiments, meta-analysis, and phylogenetic tools to study adaptation and ecosystem services.

Education: Ph.D. from UBC, postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley. She advises graduate students (e.g., Batoule Hyjazie, Jens Ulrich) and has mentored numerous alumni now in academia, government, and policy. Current projects include urban pollinator studies, pesticide effects on bees, and perennial planting networks for carbon sequestration.

Research spans invasive species management, biological control efficacy, and climate-driven phenological shifts. Collaborations with non-profits and government agencies aim to translate findings into sustainable agricultural practices and policy.

Labs/Teams: Plant-Pollinator and Global Change Lab (PPGC) focuses on evolutionary ecology principles applied to global change pressures. PERCS involves interdisciplinary teams across Canadian universities and organizations.