Katherine V. Gough is Professor of Human Geography at Lund University, Sweden, with a 30-year research focus on housing/home, work/entrepreneurship, youth/elderly geographies, mobility, urbanisation, and climate change across Africa, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. She collaborates with Loughborough University's Clear Climate team on extreme heat mitigation in Ghana and leads the 'Trocha de Paz' project for Colombia's 'Total Peace' agenda. Research Themes Extreme Heat in Ghana Peacebuilding in Colombia Rural-Urban Dynamics Her multidisciplinary approach bridges academia, policy, and communities through projects like VEWEC, REFIT, and Paz Alto Cauca. Current work emphasizes: Climate-resilient housing design Post-conflict governance Informal sector innovation Scientific Engagement: British Academy funded VEWEC and REFIT projects Principal Investigator for Trocha de Paz (Colombia) Her collaborative research strengthens stakeholder networks in: West African urban livelihoods Colombian territorial peacebuilding Tropical climate adaptation
Jampel Dell'Angelo is an Associate Professor with ius promovendi in Water Governance and Politics at the Department of Environmental Policy Analysis, Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He holds concurrent roles as a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley's Ecohydrology Lab, and an Environmental Governance Affiliate Scholar at SESYNC, Maryland. His research focuses on multilevel dimensions of water governance, climate adaptation in African irrigation systems, and transnational land investments' impacts. He leads the EU-funded NEWAVE project, coordinating 15 Early Stage Researchers across 10 institutions. Educated with a dual PhD in Environmental Science (Autonomous University of Barcelona) and International Cooperation (Sapienza University), he also holds advanced degrees from the LSE, Sapienza, Curtin, and the University of Siena. As Editor-in-Chief of World Development , he promotes interdisciplinary research on socio-environmental systems. His work contributes to UN SDGs related to clean water, sustainable cities, and responsible production. Research interests span water grabbing dynamics, socio-ecological resilience, and policy frameworks for equitable resource management. Recent projects address Mediterranean water scarcity solutions and the socio-political implications of global land rushes. He supervises PhD candidates exploring themes like water democracy, agrifood transitions, and environmental justice. Key contributions include pioneering analysis of 'water commons grabbing' and documenting the Global Water Grab Syndrome. His documentary work complements field research, such as Working Together: Research and Water Governance on Mount Kenya . Current projects emphasize innovative governance models and climate-resilient water management in transboundary contexts.
Rafael Pérez-Escamilla is a Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences) and serves as Director of the Office of Public Health Practice, the Global Health Concentration, and the Maternal and Child Health Promotion Track at the Yale School of Public Health. He leads the Yale-Griffin CDC Prevention Research Center with over $70 million in extramural funding, focusing on improving breastfeeding outcomes, maternal-child nutrition, food security, and early childhood development through community health worker interventions. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico City), an MS in Food Science, and a PhD in Nutrition from the University of California, Davis. His postdoctoral training at UC Davis explored the link between nutrition and early childhood development. His research interests emphasize breastfeeding promotion , maternal and child health equity , food security measurement , and implementation science . He co-leads studies in vulnerable communities, including U.S. communities of color, and has published over 340 articles, three books, and numerous technical reports. Key publications from 2024–2025 highlight innovations in addressing food insecurity, hypertension disparities, and the evaluation of global nutrition programs. His work bridges research and practice, advocating for scalable interventions. Awards: Lifetime Achievements Award in Global Nutrition (2020) Elected to U.S. National Academy of Medicine (2019) Doctor Honoris Causa from Universidad de Guadalajara (2016) Patricia Martens Award for Excellence in Breastfeeding Research (2015) As a senior advisor to WHO, UNICEF, and U.S. federal agencies, he collaborates on global nutrition policies and measurement frameworks. His grants fund programs like the FOOD4MOMS initiative and the Criança Feliz Program in Brazil. He mentors students through the Maternal and Child Health Promotion Track and oversees Yale’s Global Health and Public Health Practice initiatives. Active in interdisciplinary teams such as the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF) initiative and the Center for Methods in Implementation and Prevention Science (CMIPS), he promotes collaboration between academia, communities, and policymakers.
Dr. Daniel Carrión is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences. His work bridges climate science , energy transitions , and health equity , focusing on structural inequality’s role in exposure and health disparities. Education: PhD in Environmental Health Sciences (Columbia University, 2019); MPH in Environmental Health Sciences (New York Medical College, 2011); BA in Environmental Studies (Ithaca College, 2008). His research examines how home and neighborhood environments serve as intervention points for climate and health equity . Recent studies include modeling heat vulnerability in U.S. housing, geospatial analysis of lead water lines, and clean cooking interventions in Ghana. Articles span climate change , air pollution , and social determinants , with methodological focus on exposure science and case-crossover designs . Scientific honors include: Senior Fellow, Agents of Change in Environmental Justice (2022) Fellow, New York Academy of Medicine (2022) Senior Fellow, Environmental Leadership Program (2019) He contributes to community service as a member of the New York State Minority Health Council (2016–present) and the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (2018–present). His work integrates satellite data , machine learning , and policy evaluation to address energy insecurity , racial segregation , and climate justice .
Joseph Kangmennaang is an Assistant Professor and Queen's National Scholar in Black Health & Social Change at Queen's University. He holds a PhD from the University of Waterloo, an MA from Western University, and a B.A. from the University of Ghana. His research focuses on the interplay between environment and wellbeing, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and among Black immigrant communities in North America. He employs social theories, participatory methods, and mixed approaches to address health disparities, with a focus on non-communicable diseases, food/water security, and the impact of racism and social change. His courses include HLTH 397 (Globalization and Black Health) and HLTH 495 (Racism and Health). Research areas include immigrant health equity, syndemics, and the role of place in healthcare access. Collaborations with marginalized communities emphasize participatory action and civic engagement. He has published extensively on topics such as climate change impacts on health, HIV/AIDS knowledge among women in Malawi, and the social determinants of wellbeing in Ghana. His work bridges global health challenges with localized solutions, addressing systemic inequities through interdisciplinary partnerships. Notably, he explores how structural factors like migration, remittances, and agroecology affect household welfare and food security in Malawi and Ghana. His recent studies highlight the mental health implications of discrimination among minoritized Canadians during the pandemic and the spatial distribution of diseases like cholera in Tanzania. He advocates for community-driven interventions to promote wellbeing in resource-limited settings.
Dr. Tim Busker is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, specializing in flood and drought early-warning systems and impact-based forecasting. He holds a PhD from VU Amsterdam (2024) and advanced degrees in Earth Surface and Water (Utrecht University) and Earth & Economics (VU Amsterdam). Education: Bachelor’s (cum laude) in Earth & Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (2012–2015) Master’s in Earth Surface and Water, Utrecht University (2015–2017) His research focuses on translating forecasts into actionable warnings for regions like East Africa and Europe. Key interests include: Flood and drought forecasting methodologies Impact-based early action frameworks GIS/remote sensing applications in water management Recent work emphasizes machine learning for food security crises and transboundary flood risk assessments in NW Europe. Projects include JCAR-ATRACE and Resilience nEtwork of Smart Innovative cLImate-adapative rOoftops (RESILIENT). Grants/Projects: 6 active/funded projects, including EU-funded CoastMove ERC (2020–2026) Awards: EGU OSPP Award (2023), IWA-ASPIRE Poster Prize (2019)
Professor Mustapha Sheikh is Chair in Islamic Thought and Muslim Societies at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds. He is Co-Director of the Iqbal Centre for Critical Muslim Studies and actively contributes to interdisciplinary research on Muslim intellectual history, Islamic law, and contemporary socio-political issues affecting Muslim communities globally. His educational background includes a DPhil in Theology and Religion from the University of Oxford, an MSt in the Study of Religions (Oxford), a BA in Arabic and Islamic Law, and a BSc in Project Management from University College London. His academic journey reflects a deep integration of traditional Islamic scholarship and rigorous Western academic training. Sheikh's research is centered on two interrelated strands: first, Islamic intellectual and legal history, particularly revivalist and reformist movements in the Ottoman and early modern Islamic world; second, the socio-scientific analysis of contemporary Muslim societies, including Islamophobia, Islamic finance, food and water security, and decolonial studies. His seminal work Ottoman Puritanism and Its Discontents (Oxford University Press, 2016) has significantly reshaped scholarly understanding of the Qadizadeli movement and Taymiyyan influences in Ottoman thought. He is a pioneer in advancing Critical Muslim Studies as a post-Orientalist framework for rethinking Islamic tradition. His recent publications reveal a strong interdisciplinary trend, combining Islamic legal theory with social justice, environmental security, and political economy. Themes such as intersectional oppression, decoloniality, and ethical finance recur across his work, reflecting a commitment to justice-oriented scholarship. He frequently collaborates with scholars across disciplines and geographies, particularly in the Global South. Member, British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) Member, British Association of Islamic Studies (BRAIS) Board Member, (In)Justice International Professor Sheikh actively supervises PhD students and has successfully guided over 20 doctoral candidates to completion. His research is supported by collaborations across institutions, including the University of Punjab (where he is a Visiting Professor) and Harper Adams University. He is currently co-editing volumes on global injustice and Islamic finance, and working on a book about healing racial trauma from an Islamic psycho-spiritual perspective. He leads and participates in numerous research groups, including the Arabic History group and the Centre for Religion and Public Life, and is deeply involved in public engagement through talks, webinars, and podcasts addressing Islamophobia, women’s rights under Shari’a, and decolonising knowledge.
Dawn Martin-Hill , Professor Emeritus in Indigenous Studies at McMaster University , is Canada’s first Indigenous cultural anthropologist and the founder of McMaster’s Indigenous Studies Program (1992). She also holds the role of Academic Co-Chair of the Indigenous Education Council and has served as Director of Indigenous Studies since 1998. A Mohawk scholar residing at Six Nations of the Grand River, she integrates Indigenous knowledge systems with Western science to address critical issues of water security, health, and sovereignty. Education & Training: PhD, Cultural Anthropology Research Interests: Dr. Martin-Hill’s work centres on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) , community-driven water security , and Indigenous methodologies . Her flagship program Ohneganos co-creates bilingual tools—apps, VR, water sensors, Indigenous mapping, films, and podcasts—to empower First Nations in monitoring and managing water resources. She explores intersections of climate change, maternal health, mental health, and Indigenous governance . Research Impact: Spanning hydrology, medical anthropology, and digital health, her recent publications address urgent issues such as water insecurity’s impact on maternal mental health , climate-driven hydrological extremes , and digital mental-health tools for Indigenous youth . Collectively, her work advances decolonizing methodologies and supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Scientific Awards & Honours: Inaugural Fulbright Indigenous Canada–U.S. Scholar Award Inaugural Chair, CIHR-IPH Secretariat on Traditional Medicine in Health Research Outstanding Teaching Award, Aboriginal Consortium 2022 University of Oklahoma International Water Prize Oklahoma Universities Water Technologies Award Princeton Book Award for forthcoming Ohneganos volume Funding & Training: Principal Investigator on four Global Water Futures grants that have supported over 30 graduate students and nine Indigenous Studies undergraduates , plus 45 secondary First Nations students receiving McMaster certificates. She has served as co-investigator on CIHR-IPH ARHNets Center funding 80+ First Nations, Métis, and Inuit graduate students . Leadership & Service: Member of the UNESCO Hydrology Committee for Canada , board member of CIHR Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health and CIHR Anti-Racism Committee , former Chair of the CIHR College of Reviewers. She spearheaded the McPherson Chair in Indigenous Studies and secured multiple Indigenous student scholarships and bursaries.
Leila M. Harris is a Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), holding dual appointments in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) and the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice (GRSJ). She co-directs UBC’s Program on Water Governance and is affiliated with the Department of Geography and the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies. Her work focuses on environmental governance, water equity, and social justice, particularly in marginalized communities across Africa, South Asia, and Turkey. Harris’s research examines the intersection of environmental issues with inequality, gender, and ethnicity. Key projects include analyzing non-material dimensions of water insecurity (emotions, trust, belonging), water governance shifts in South Africa, Brazil, and Canada, and the socio-political impacts of emerging water testing technologies. She has led international research networks like the SSHRC-funded WaTERS program and contributed to policy briefs on water governance in Ghana, South Africa, and British Columbia. Her scholarship bridges feminist political ecology, critical development studies, and postcolonial theory. Recent work explores participatory methods, water justice in Indigenous contexts, and the human right to water. Harris has advised on water policy reforms in Canada and globally, emphasizing equity and marginalized community voices. Education: PhD (Geography), University of British Columbia (2002) Lab/Teams: Program on Water Governance, EDGES Collaborative
Moses Okumu is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work and affiliated with the Center for African Studies at the University of Illinois. His research focuses on the intersection of mental health, digital health interventions, and humanitarian challenges affecting refugee youth in Uganda, particularly in urban slums like Kampala. Key research areas: mental health promotion, climate change impacts on refugee populations, eHealth literacy, and sexual/reproductive health. Collaborates on topics like social-ecological vulnerability, virtual reality therapeutic tools, and resource scarcity in humanitarian settings. His work includes qualitative studies, randomized controlled trials, and thematic analyses addressing health disparities in displaced communities. Media contributions highlight condom use trends among refugee teens and digital mental health solutions.
Jacqui Webster is a Professor of Public Health at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), leading the WHO Collaborating Centre on Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development. She serves as the Secretariat for the South Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers Alliance (SPCNMOA) and continues collaborating with The George Institute for Global Health on salt reduction research. Key Grants: NHMRC Investigator Grant (Leadership 2), NHMRC IDEAS Grant, Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases grants Collaborations: Fiji National University, Deakin University, University of Sydney, UNSW, Northwestern University Her research focuses on reducing cardio-metabolic diseases through food/water security programs and salt reduction policies. Recent articles analyze potassium-enriched salt adoption barriers, global water sodium standards, ultra-processed food impacts in Fiji, and pandemic-related dietary shifts in Australia. She authored the public health-themed book Two Bugs on Bikes (Hembury Books 2025) based on her cycling journey across Europe and Africa. At UTS, she mentors early-career researchers and supports strategic operations for the WHO Collaborating Centre.
Megan Konar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on water resources, virtual water trade, and the intersection of food systems with climate change and sustainability. She has contributed to interdisciplinary studies on groundwater depletion, supply chain resilience, and the socio-hydrological dimensions of water scarcity. Her work bridges engineering, environmental science, and policy analysis. Notable research areas include analyzing virtual water flows in global trade networks, evaluating the impacts of climate shocks on agricultural systems (e.g., in Zambia and China), and assessing resilience in US agri-food transportation infrastructure. She leads projects on food-energy-water nexus dynamics and has developed datasets mapping food flows and irrigation patterns across the United States and China. Key Awards: AGU Fellow (2024) James B. Macelwane Medal (2024) NSF CAREER Award (2019) Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize (2022) Her collaborative research extends to global partnerships, addressing water governance challenges and sustainable development goals. Recent work highlights the dual pressures of groundwater depletion and contamination in China, resilience strategies in perishable food networks, and equity considerations in wasted food models.
David Konisky serves as Associate Dean for Research and Lynton K. Caldwell Professor at Indiana University's Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. His expertise spans environmental/energy justice, regulatory policy, and public opinion on climate issues, with research appearing in top journals including Nature Energy and PNAS. Education: Ph.D. in Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006 M.E.M. and M.A., Yale University, 1998 A.B. in History and Environmental Studies, Washington University in St. Louis, 1995 Research Focus: Konisky pioneers energy justice frameworks examining how environmental policies impact marginalized communities. His work connects federalism with regulatory compliance , analyzes public attitudes on energy transitions, and measures equity dimensions in climate solutions through interdisciplinary methods spanning political science and environmental health. Publication Trends: Recent work (2020-2025) reveals persistent energy insecurity disparities during crises like the pandemic, quantifies health impacts from excess emissions , and exposes environmental racism in regulatory enforcement. His research increasingly integrates extreme heat vulnerability with energy policy, highlighting utility disconnection risks for vulnerable populations. Scientific Recognition: Elected to National Academy of Public Administration (2023) Lynton K. Caldwell Professorship appointment (2022) World Citizen Prize in Environmental Performance (2022) Don K. Price Book Award for Failed Promises (2015) Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Politics (2024) Grants and Leadership: Konisky directs the Energy Justice Lab with University of Pennsylvania, securing major funding from NSF, EPA, DOE, and Sloan Foundation. His seven books include Power Lines: The Human Costs of American Energy in Transition (2024) and foundational work on environmental justice policy. Research Infrastructure: As co-director of the Energy Justice Lab, he leads interdisciplinary teams developing metrics for equitable energy transitions, with current projects tracking utility disconnections during extreme heat events and solar adoption barriers for low-income households.
Brady Deaton, Jr. is a Professor and McCain Family Chair in Food Security at the University of Guelph's Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics. Holding a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University, he has served as President of the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society and as an editor for the Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics. His leadership spans teaching, research, and outreach programs, with recognition including the University of Guelph's Teaching Excellence Award (2010), Ontario Agricultural College's Distinguished Extension Award (2018), and the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society's Outstanding Journal Article Award (2021). Ph.D., Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University Deaton's research focuses on food security, land tenure, and water sharing arrangements, particularly in Indigenous communities. His recent work examines farmland price dynamics, climate change impacts, and policy frameworks for sustainable agricultural systems. Collaborative projects with students like Nicholas Bannon and Jamie Naylor highlight his mentorship in empirical studies. Key trends in his publications include: (1) Farmland valuation and rental market analysis; (2) Climate vulnerability in agricultural economics; (3) Water governance and intergovernmental collaboration; and (4) Policy evaluation for food security. His work on First Nations water sharing arrangements and heir property dynamics underscores cross-disciplinary engagement with legal, social, and environmental economics. Fellow of the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society (2023) Outstanding Journal Article Award (2021) Distinguished Extension Award (2018) Teaching Excellence Award (2010) Deaton's advisory roles include mentoring graduate researchers on topics like climate risk and tenant stewardship. His projects, such as the Ontario Farmland Value and Rental Value Survey (funded by OMAFRA), integrate applied economics with public policy. Collaborative teams at the University of Guelph and USDA Forest Service demonstrate his multisector approach to addressing food security and land management challenges.
Pilar Riaño-Alcalá is a Professor at the Social Justice Institute (SJI) within the Faculty of Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She is also a Faculty Associate in the Department of Anthropology at UBC and a Senior Fellow at the Maria Sibylla Merian Center for Advanced Latin American Studies (CALAS). As co-lead of the Transformative Memory International Network, she directs major SSHRC-funded research on memory, violence, and social repair. Her academic and public intellectual work is deeply collaborative with Black and Indigenous communities in Colombia and transnational peace initiatives. Fields of Research: Witnessing and lived experiences of political violence, war, and genocide Landscapes and practices of memory and social repair Ecologies of absence and presence in memory work Epistemic justice and relational methodologies Sound memory, oral history, and social practice art Forced migration and transnational diaspora organizing Her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on transformative memory, especially through the voices of marginalized communities such as the Wayuu and the cantadoras of the Atrato River. Her work bridges academic research with public art, most notably through her two-decade collaboration with artist Suzanne Lacy on The Skin of Memory . The thematic trends in her articles show a deep commitment to decolonial methodologies, community-based knowledge production, and the integration of artistic practices in memory and justice work. Scientific Awards: Senior Fellow, CALAS, 2021 Academic Writing Fellow, Bellagio Center, Rockefeller Foundation, 2019 Faculty Fellow in Residence, Liu Institute for Global Issues, UBC, 2009–2015 Advising and Grants: Riaño-Alcalá has supervised numerous PhD and MA students at UBC, focusing on themes of decolonial solidarity, environmental justice, and memory. She currently leads three major research projects: Transformative Memory: An International Network (SSHRC Partnership Grant), Exhumations and Burial in Colombia , and Sacred Responsibilities to Water: Indigenous Knowledge Exchanges, Canada-Colombia . Her advising reflects a strong commitment to interdisciplinary, community-engaged scholarship, particularly with Indigenous and diasporic communities. Labs and Networks: She co-directs the Transformative Memory International Network, a transnational research collective that fosters collaborative memory practices across Latin America, Canada, and Europe. Her work is deeply embedded in community-university partnerships and public scholarship, including multimedia exhibitions and collaborative publications.
