Vanessa Schweizer

Vanessa Schweizer is an Associate Professor at the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability at the University of Waterloo. She holds cross-appointments in Geography and Environmental Management, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, and Systems Design Engineering. She is also affiliated with the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation, Waterloo Climate Institute, and Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University.

• PhD in Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University (2010)
• Masters in Environmental Studies, The Evergreen State College (2007)
• BSc (Hons) in Physics, University of Nevada (2001)

Her research focuses on collective decision-making processes, including scenario design, foresight, uncertainty analysis, and interdisciplinary knowledge integration for environmental and climate change challenges. Current projects explore systematic scenario development, path dependencies in social-technological systems, and integrative frameworks for sustainability research.

The five most recent publications span environmental scenarios, climate modeling, and policy frameworks. These works emphasize cross-level analysis, uncertainty management, and interdisciplinary collaboration, reflecting her expertise in linking qualitative foresight methods with quantitative climate research.

Scientific Awards

• Diamond Ranking from Synthese (2014)
• Environmental Research Letters 'Highlights of 2012' selection
• Link Foundation Energy Fellowship (2008-2010)
• Henry Luce Foundation Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship (2005-2007)

Vanessa Schweizer teaches interdisciplinary courses on collaboration, creative thinking, and complex problem-solving, including INTEG 121, INTEG 251, INTEG 452, and INTEG 441. She has contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fifth Assessment Report.