Dr. Hassan Qudrat-Ullah is a Professor at the School of Administrative Studies, York University, and Coordinator of the Certificate in Logistics Management. He holds a PhD in Decision Sciences from NUS Business School and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Carnegie Mellon University. His research focuses on dynamic decision making, system dynamics modeling, energy planning, and interactive learning environments. He teaches courses on quantitative methods, logistics, and decision analysis, informed by global industry experience across 20+ countries. Research interests include sustainability, climate change, systems thinking, and educational applications of decision sciences. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Complexity in Applied Science and Technology and is a member of IEEE, DSI, and the International System Dynamics Society. His work has been published in Energy , Decision Support Systems , and others. Key projects include studies on 'structured-debriefing in dynamic decision making' and renewable energy policies in Africa. His recent articles (2023–2025) address AI integration in energy governance, system dynamics for supply chain resilience, and education for sustainability. Hassan advocates for systems thinking in K-12 education and enjoys traveling (visited 129 countries) and bird-watching.
Professor Jamie Peck is a University Killam Professor and Professor of Geography at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography. He holds the prestigious title of Distinguished University Scholar at UBC and maintains significant international academic affiliations including Visiting Professor at Oxford University's School of Geography and the Environment, Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Manchester, and Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham. Peck received his PhD in Geography from the University of Manchester in 1988 following his BA (Hons) in Geography from the same institution. His distinguished academic career spans positions at the University of Manchester (1989-2000), University of Wisconsin-Madison (2000-2008), and his current position at UBC where he has been a central figure in economic geography and interdisciplinary social science. As an institutional political economist, Professor Peck's research critically examines the spatial dimensions of economic processes, with particular attention to how global phenomena like neoliberalization are constituted through local practices. His work bridges economic geography, urban studies, political economy, and social theory, consistently challenging conventional understandings of market processes and statecraft. Recent research focuses on Chinese state capitalism, especially the Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong's evolving political status, alongside methodological innovations in conjunctural analysis as demonstrated in his 2023 book Variegated Economies . His scholarly output reveals a sustained engagement with the variegated nature of capitalist development across different spatial contexts. Recent publications demonstrate a sophisticated methodological approach combining institutional analysis with extended case methods, emphasizing historical context and spatial specificity while challenging universalizing theoretical claims. His work on Chinese political economy represents a significant departure from conventional Western-centric analyses. University Killam Professor (2025) Lauréat Prix International de Géographie Vautrin Lud ("Nobel de Géographie") (2023) Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada Clarivate Highly Cited, Social Sciences (2014-2024) Distinguished University Scholar, UBC (2017-present) Canada Research Chair in Urban & Regional Political Economy (2008-2022) Professor Peck has supervised numerous doctoral students whose dissertations examine diverse topics including global urban solutions industries, US-Mexico border economies, Rio de Janeiro's 'PACification' processes, and China's experimental economic zones. His supervision approach emphasizes theoretically sophisticated empirical work that connects local case studies to broader political economic processes. His Canada Research Chair position supported extensive research on urban and regional political economy, while his current Killam Professorship funds ongoing work on Chinese political economy and conjunctural analysis methodologies. While not formally affiliated with a specific laboratory, Professor Peck is deeply engaged with multiple scholarly networks through his editorial leadership as Managing Editor of EPA: Economy & Space and co-editor of the Economic Transformations book series. His role as Convenor of the Summer Institute in Economic Geography demonstrates his commitment to fostering scholarly exchange and theoretical development in economic geography as a discipline.
Ameil Joseph is an Associate Professor at McMaster University's School of Social Work, where they contribute to critical scholarship at the intersection of mental health, race, and social justice. Their work examines how ideas about difference, normalcy, sexuality, eugenics, race, ability and mental 'illness' cohere and perform within policy, law and practice, with over a decade of professional experience in mental health settings including supportive housing, settlement services, crisis respite, and forensic community treatment. Education: Ph.D in Social Work, York University (2009-2014) MSW, Wilfrid Laurier University (2005-2007) BA in Psychology, University of Waterloo (1998-2003) Dr. Joseph's research engages with critical mental health, postcolonial theory, critical race theory, and critical disability studies to examine the historical production of ideas about difference. Their scholarship particularly focuses on how these ideas manifest in mental health systems, immigration policy, and criminal justice, with attention to issues of social justice, violence, ethics, and confluence. Their work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical implications, addressing the complex interplay of colonialism, racism, sanism, and eugenics in contemporary social systems. Analysis of Dr. Joseph's recent publications reveals a sustained focus on colonial and eugenic violence within mental health, immigration, and criminal justice systems. Their scholarship consistently examines how racism, sanism, and ableism intersect to produce particular forms of state violence, particularly against racialized immigrants with mental health conditions. Recent work has expanded to address temporal dimensions of oppression, data colonialism, and community responses to grief and loss during the pandemic, demonstrating both theoretical sophistication and practical relevance to current social issues. Scientific Awards: University Scholar 2025 - Recognized for research leadership and impact among eight McMaster professors honored as University Scholars Dr. Joseph has secured significant research funding, including nearly $75,000 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for community-engaged projects addressing social justice issues. Their teaching portfolio includes advanced courses on critical mental health perspectives, race and colonialism in Canadian society, and social justice theory. While specific graduate students aren't listed in available materials, their extensive co-author network suggests active mentorship and collaboration. Dr. Joseph contributes to community-based initiatives in Hamilton addressing racism in healthcare and mental health systems, connecting academic scholarship with practical community responses to systemic issues. Dr. Joseph maintains an active presence in community responses to contemporary challenges, particularly through initiatives addressing grief during the pandemic and systemic racism in healthcare. Their work exemplifies the integration of scholarly rigor with community engagement, demonstrating how academic research can inform and be informed by real-world social justice efforts.
Tanya Trussler is Associate Professor in the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University. Her research examines structural determinants of violent crime, policing practices, crime prevention strategies, and public perceptions of criminal justice systems. Research explores police-community relations across different contexts, including recent projects on rural versus urban policing perceptions in Alberta and religious influences on policing in Pacific Island countries. Methodologically specializes in survey research and comparative analysis. Recipient of multiple research grants including from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and British Columbia's Crime Reduction Research program. Actively presents findings at major conferences including Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Claire Célérier is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, where she holds the Canada Research Chair in Household Finance. Her academic career spans prestigious institutions including the University of Toronto (where she advanced from Assistant to Associate Professor between 2016-2022) and the University of Zurich (2014-2016). She maintains an affiliation with the People's History Lab and actively contributes to academic discourse through conference organization including 'Race, Equity and Public Policy' (2023) and 'Banks, States and the People' (2024). Dr. Célérier's research explores how finance can benefit households through multiple lenses including behavioral economics, asset pricing, and financial history. Her work investigates innovation in finance, diversity and inclusion impacts, and historical perspectives on financial systems. She has developed significant expertise in household finance, banking, and the intersection of finance with social issues, particularly racial disparities in financial markets as demonstrated in her award-winning research on the Freedman's Savings Bank. Her scholarly output shows a clear trajectory from foundational work on security design and investor behavior toward increasingly socially relevant research on financial inclusion, racial equity, and household financial decision-making. Recent publications demonstrate her growing focus on historical contexts of financial systems and their contemporary implications, particularly regarding marginalized communities. Canada Research Chair in Household Finance (2024) Bank of Canada Governor's Award (2022) University of Toronto Top 5% Merit Award (2021) Petro Canada Young Innovators Award Program (2021) Multiple Rotman School of Management Teaching Awards (2019-2021) Ieke van den Burg Prize for Research on Systemic Risk (2015) Dr. Célérier has successfully secured substantial research funding including Insight Development Grants (CAD 54,500), Connaught Research Grant (CAD 10,000), and the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation Grant (EUR 400,000). She mentors several PhD students including Andrada Bilan (2020), Alexey Vasilenko (2023), and Purnoor Tak (Expected 2026), and has supervised numerous master's theses at both University of Toronto and University of Zurich. Her service contributions include Rotman School of Management MBA program committee, executive committee, seminar coordination, and faculty recruiting committee.
Dr. Alex Bigazzi is an Associate Professor and Associate Head (Undergraduate Program) in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC), with a joint appointment in the School of Community and Regional Planning. He leads the REACT Lab, focusing on active transportation, micromobility, and sustainable infrastructure design. His research emphasizes the intersection of physics, physiology, and behavior in active travel, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, and addresses emissions reduction and equitable urban mobility. Bigazzi holds a B.M. in Jazz Saxophone from the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Portland State University. His career includes academic and practical contributions, such as founding the REACT Lab and leading projects on e-bike incentives, air pollution exposure, and infrastructure design. His work has earned awards like the 2024 Wall Legacy Award for inclusive transport design and the 2023 Climate Action Award. He teaches courses on pedestrian/bicycle facility design and capstone projects, mentoring students through UBC’s Civil Engineering programs.
LK Bertram is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Toronto, specializing in 19th-century North American history with a focus on migration, gender, sexuality, and colonialism. Her work bridges academic research and public engagement, particularly through social media algorithms (TikTok, Instagram) for combating digital disinformation. Clio Prize-winning author (2020) 2022 SSHRC Insight Grant recipient Public history campaign curator (9 million+ views) Her research spans colonial institutions, sex work economies, and material culture, with publications on Icelandic diaspora, Arctic militarization, and immigrant food traditions. She teaches courses like HIS199 History and Social Media and HIS417 Histories of Sex Work , emphasizing hands-on learning via exhibitions and artifact workshops. Recent projects explore how social media algorithms can amplify quality historical data, including the viral @socialforscholars initiative. Her work connects historical narratives to contemporary debates on disinformation, cultural appropriation, and legal frameworks.
Ian Goldberg is a Professor at the Cheriton School of Computer Science , University of Waterloo, Canada. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Privacy Enhancing Technologies and leads the Cryptography, Security, and Privacy (CrySP) group . He is affiliated with the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute and the Institute for Quantum Computing . Research Focus: Security, privacy, and privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) for the Internet, including Off-the-Record (OTR) Messaging , censorship resistance , private information retrieval , and zero-knowledge proofs . Recent Publications: His work addresses metadata protection , deniable authentication , and secure multi-party computation , with applications to anonymous communication and censorship resistance. Scientific Awards: Canada Research Chair in Privacy Enhancing Technologies Students: He advises current and former PhD/Master’s students in projects like Lox , PRSONA , Walkie-Talkie , and SkypeMorph . Notable advisees include Sajin Sasy (Privacy-Preserving Communications), Justin Tracey (PETs Development), and Tao Wang (Website Fingerprinting Defenses). Labs & Teams: Goldberg is a core member of the CrySP group and contributes to the Tor Project and Off-the-Record Messaging open-source initiatives. His research bridges theoretical and applied cryptography, with deployments in real-world systems like Tor and PIR protocols.
Adèle Garnier is an Associate Professor at the Department of Geography, Université Laval's Faculty of Forestry, Geography and Geomatics. She serves as Director of undergraduate geography programs and the certificate in sustainable tourism. Her research focuses on political geography, migration dynamics, and humanitarian governance, particularly examining refugee labor market participation, temporary migration policies, and technological impacts on immigration systems. Education : PhD in Political Science (Macquarie University/Universität Leipzig, 2012), MA in Political Science (Universität Leipzig, 2006), Diploma in Political Science (Paris, 2002) Her research integrates political geography , migration studies , and geographies of inequality , analyzing power structures in migration governance. Recent work explores Canada's digitalization of immigration, multiscalar impacts of refugee policies, and settler-colonial migration frameworks. Current research trends focus on technological governance of migration , refugee resettlement , and marketization of humanitarian services , with interdisciplinary approaches bridging political science and geography. Research Units : Graduate School of International Studies (ESEI), Immigration Research Team (ERIQA), Cultures-Arts-Societies Center (CELAT) Collaborations : Study Group on Ethnic Relations (Flers), Center for Refugee Studies (York University), Peace Research Institute Oslo She supervises graduate students in geography and co-leads multiple funded projects, including Liberating Migrant Labour (2023-2030) and digital migration governance research (2023-2028).
David B. MacDonald is a full Professor of Political Science at the University of Guelph's Department of Political Science, housed within the College of Social & Applied Human Sciences. He holds an honorary academic position at the University of Auckland and previously taught at the University of Otago and ESCP Business School in Paris. His research focuses on Indigenous-settler relations, genocide studies, decolonization, and comparative politics in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. He has held significant grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), including principal investigator roles on projects like 'Complex Sovereignties' and 'Bi-Nationalism as Reconciliation.' Education: PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics (2001). Key publications include The Sleeping Giant Awakens (2019) and co-authored textbooks like Comparative Politics (2020). He is North American series editor for Palgrave Macmillan's Global Political Sociology. Research interests emphasize settler colonialism, Indigenous sovereignty, and truth and reconciliation processes. He has contributed to policy discussions, including advising the Canadian Senate on the National Council for Reconciliation. His work bridges academic scholarship with activism, aiming to address systemic inequalities and promote Indigenous rights. SSHRC Grants: Over $200k in grants since 2008, focusing on Indigenous self-determination and colonialism. Publications: 4 sole-authored books; 31 refereed articles; numerous edited volumes. Awards: Shortlisted for the John McMenemy Prize (2013, 2017).
Rodney Harrison is a Reader in Archaeology, Heritage and Museum Studies at the UCL Institute of Archaeology, University College London. He serves as the founding editor of the Journal of Contemporary Archaeology and has been Vice President of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies since 2012. His research focuses on critical heritage studies, contemporary archaeology, and future-making practices in heritage contexts. Harrison's work challenges traditional boundaries between past, present, and future in heritage discourse, emphasizing how heritage functions as a future-oriented practice. His research spans cultural and natural heritage, exploring connections between heritage conservation and other material legacy management systems, including nuclear waste disposal. Harrison leads the major international 'Heritage Futures' research program funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. This project represents one of the largest critical, comparative ethnographic studies of heritage practices, examining how different forms of heritage function as distinctive future-making practices across diverse contexts. His scholarly contributions include more than a dozen books and over 60 peer-reviewed articles. Notable publications include Collecting, Ordering, Governing: Museums, Anthropology and Liberal Government (2016), Heritage: Critical Approaches (2013), Reassembling the Collection (2013), Understanding the Politics of Heritage (2011), and The Heritage Reader (2008). Harrison's work consistently engages with critical theory, challenging conventional heritage frameworks and exploring innovative approaches to understanding how material and cultural legacies shape future possibilities. His research has significant implications for heritage policy, conservation practice, and theoretical developments in critical heritage studies.
Jeffrey Monaghan is an Associate Professor at the Institute for Criminology and Criminal Justice (ICCJ) at Carleton University. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Queen’s University and serves on the editorial board of Criminological Encounters . His research focuses on the intersections of policing, surveillance, and systemic inequality, with a particular emphasis on settler colonialism, Indigenous movements, and the global expansion of security practices. Monaghan teaches courses on criminological theories, policing, and justice frameworks. His work examines how security and policing practices criminalize marginalized communities, especially Indigenous peoples and social movements resisting extractive development. Key projects include analyses of counterterrorism strategies, disability injustice in criminal systems, and the securitization of Canadian foreign aid. He has authored/co-authored books like Security Aid: Canada and the Development Regime of Security and Policing Indigenous Movements , and edited volumes such as Protests in the Information Age . Monaghan’s research integrates critical criminology, colonial studies, and sociolegal analysis. He is cross-appointed to Carleton’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the School of Canadian and Indigenous Studies, amplifying interdisciplinary engagement with security governance and social justice issues.
Elmira Hassanzadeh is an Associate Professor at the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering , Polytechnique Montréal, with a focus on integrated water resource modeling and management under climate and anthropogenic changes. She is affiliated with the Global Institute for Water Security (University of Saskatchewan) and the Experimental and Digital Water Flow Engineering Group (GENIE EAU) . Education: PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Saskatchewan Postdoctoral Fellow, McGill University Research interests include climate change impact assessment, socio-hydrological modeling, stakeholder engagement in water management, and sustainable development of water systems in cold regions. Her work emphasizes decision-making under uncertainty and adaptive strategies for ungauged basins. Recent publications (2024–2020) span coastal flood hazard modeling, climate-driven hydrological changes in tropical and Canadian watersheds, evaluation of agricultural practices under warming climates, and integrated approaches to water quality and system dynamics. Keywords include Hydrology , Climate Change , Water Security , and Socio-Hydrology . Supervision: She has mentored 15+ graduate students in projects related to Lake Urmia, Saskatchewan River Basin, and climate adaptation in Africa and the Pacific.
Shauna Brail is Professor and Director at the Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto Mississauga, with cross-appointments at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. As an economic geographer and urban planner, her research examines urban transformation through economic, social, and technological change, particularly focusing on platform economy impacts, mobility innovation, and governance shifts in 21st-century cities. Education: PhD in Geography (University of Toronto), MA in Urban Planning (University of British Columbia), BA in Urban Studies/Geography (University of Toronto). Leadership Roles: Former Associate Director of Mobility Network, Director of Urban Studies Program, Associate Director of Partnerships & Outreach at School of Cities, and Interim Director of Master of Urban Innovation. Her work appears in top journals across geography, urban planning, and urban studies . Recent publications analyze pandemic impacts on cities, platform economy regulation, public housing finance models, and autonomous vehicle governance. She advises governments and civic organizations on housing, transportation, and digital platform policy while serving on editorial boards for Applied Geography , Progress in Economic Geography , and Canadian Geographies . Academic partnerships include collaborations with researchers like Tara Vinodrai, Ben Donald, and international scholars. Her current projects examine post-pandemic urban recovery, mobility-as-a-service business models, and equitable transportation technology implementation across Canadian cities.
Mark Lewis is the Kennedy Chair in Mathematical Biology at the University of Victoria, holding joint appointments in the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Biology. His research focuses on spatial ecology and mathematical modeling, addressing ecological challenges such as animal movement, invasive species, and disease dynamics. Lewis earned his D.Phil. in Mathematical Biology from the University of Oxford and has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society UK. His work integrates mathematical analysis, field studies, and interdisciplinary approaches to solve ecological problems. Current projects include modeling polar bear populations, cyanobacteria dynamics, and the impact of climate change on wildlife. Lewis supervises students across both UVic and his former University of Alberta lab. Education: D.Phil. in Mathematics (Mathematical Biology), University of Oxford Awards: Royal Society Fellowship, CRM-Fields-PIMS Prize, and Okubo Prize Key Research Areas: Animal movement modeling, aquatic ecology, wildlife disease, and invasive species management Publications highlight his contributions to understanding disease spread, parasite dynamics, and ecological responses to environmental changes. Lewis collaborates widely, applying mathematical tools to real-world conservation and health challenges.
