The LEaders in wAter anD watERshed Sustainability (the LEADERS) program hosted by the Beaty Water Research Centre (BWRC) is lead by Dr. Stephen Brown, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry & School of Environmental Studies. The program is funded ($1.65M over six years) through the NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) and was launched in 2018.
“The program will support 72 Highly Qualified Personnel (HQPs) over six years. It is currently supported by eleven researchers and fifteen stakeholders from diverse disciplines and expertise provide cutting-edge training to the next generation of water professionals.” Said Dr. Brown.
The first cohort of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQPs) to the program were recruited earlier this year through a competitive application process and includes nine graduate students from the Departments of Civil Engineering, Biology, Environmental Studies and Geography & Planning. On July 16th-17th, these students participated in the first LEADERS research symposium and training workshop. In this year’s Symposium, students showcased their research and had the opportunity to receive feedback from leading researchers in disciplines such as engineering, chemistry, biology, policy studies, business and public health. The day after the symposium, a group of 25 students also participated in a workshops dedicated to learning field methods in ground water and surface water at the Kennedy Field Station.
This year’s symposium attracted over 60 participants and the keynote speaker was Dr. Wenwei Ren, the Water Practice Head of WWF-China and Adjunct Professor at Queen’s University and Tongji University in China. He spoke to the audience about WWF-China’s water practice strategy and its role in China’s Environmental Governance.
Dr. Pascale Champagne, one of the eleven faculty researchers who support the LEADERS program and the Director of the BWRC said, “The Centre encourages collaborative interdisciplinary research, education and outreach, and the LEADERS program and the Symposium truly embodies our vision.”
LEADERS students at the Kennedy Field Station
LEADERS Students respond to audience questions on their research
LEADERS students Sarah Lavallee and Madeleine Kelly
LEADERS students doing a groundwater workshop at the Kennedy Field Station
BWRC students Nicole Woodcock, Liam Price and Corinna Dally-Starna
LEADERS student David Blair (Civil Engineering) presents his research
LEADERS student Francois Daudelin (Civil Engineering) presents his research
Faculty and students discuss emerging contaminants of interest in water
Faculty and students discuss the implications of climate change on water