Lianne Lefsrud

Lianne Lefsrud serves as Associate Professor and Risk, Innovation, and Sustainability Chair (RISC) in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Engineering. Her interdisciplinary research bridges engineering, social sciences, and policy to transform risk management practices across energy, mining, construction, and railroading industries, directly influencing regulations, building codes, and industry operations for sustainable development.

Her academic credentials include:

• BSc in Civil Engineering (Cooperative Program), University of Alberta (1994)
• MSc in Interdisciplinary Civil & Environmental Engineering and Sociology, University of Alberta (1996)
• PhD in Strategic Management and Organization, Alberta School of Business (2014)

Dr. Lefsrud's research centers on risk management frameworks for sustainability challenges. She examines hazard identification, social license to operate, and technology adoption drivers in high-hazard industries, with emphasis on prospective risk assessment (e.g., hydrogen infrastructure design) and retrospective analysis (e.g., microplastic pollution impacts). Her work integrates circular economy principles into energy systems while addressing unintended consequences across UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate heavy focus on machine learning applications for rail and construction safety, hydrogen infrastructure risk analysis, and science denial mitigation. Key patterns show cross-industry adaptation of AI for incident prediction, regulatory gap analysis for emerging energy systems, and socio-technical approaches to reconcile sustainability goals with operational realities.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Erb Post-Doctoral Fellowship (University of Michigan)
• Dow Sustainability Research Fellowship (Ross School of Business)

Dr. Lefsrud mentors graduate students through industry-integrated projects like her Sustainable Design course where teams generated patents and city solutions. Her research secures Alberta Innovates funding with 1:4 industrial-to-federal matching, collaborating with Suncor, Transport Canada, and Canadian Standards Association. Grants target practical implementations including railcar inspection systems and hydrogen safety protocols.

She co-founded Insight Risk Systems and leads the Lefsrud Lab, prioritizing inclusive teams with under-represented groups (women, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S+, neurodiverse) to tackle 'wicked problems' in sustainability. The lab leverages interdisciplinary partnerships across engineering, computer science, psychology, and environmental sociology for real-world risk management solutions.