Tammara Soma

Dr. Tammara Soma is an Associate Professor at Simon Fraser University's School of Resource & Environmental Management and Co-Founder of the Food Systems Lab. Her work focuses on food system planning, waste management, circular economy, and social innovation in the Global North and South. She holds a PhD in Urban Planning from the University of Toronto and has received prestigious awards including the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Doctoral Scholarship and SSHRC Top 5 Storyteller finalist distinction.

• BES (Honors) in Environmental Studies, York University
• MSc in Urban and Regional Planning, University of Toronto
• PhD in Urban Planning, University of Toronto
• Professional certifications: MCIP (Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners), RPP (Registered Professional Planner)

Her research spans food waste reduction, community food assessments, digital agriculture ethics, and repair economy infrastructures. Recent studies explore app-based food loss measurement, intertidal food access during pandemics, and bioplastic packaging in circular economies. She leads international collaborations like the Commission for Environmental Cooperation project with U.S., Mexico, and Canada teams.

Dr. Soma's scientific accolades include:

• 2014 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Doctoral Scholar
• Joseph Armand Bombardier SSHRC CGS Doctoral Fellow
• IDRC Doctoral Award recipient
• SSHRC Top 5 Storyteller finalist

Her work is supported by SSHRC New Frontiers, Trans-Atlantic Platform, and Insight grants, plus the Weston Foundation's Seeding Food Innovation Grant. She contributes to national strategies through the U.S. National Academies of Science committee on consumer food waste reduction.