Within the USI, Brent is responsible for forging partnerships between industry and UBC to further UBC’s research and technology demonstration mission and realize solutions to industry challenges. Brent is also Director of Strategic Initiatives in UBC’s Office of the Vice President Research & International. In his over 25 years experience in the research and innovation sector, Brent has served as Assistant Deputy Minister, Technology Research and Innovation in the BC government; led the B.C. Advanced Systems Institute; and held positions with MacMillan Bloedel, the Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada and others.  Brent is a member of the Governance Committee for the Innovative Clean Energy Fund and Chairman of NSERC's Synergy Awards for Innovation Selection Committee

As one of two Academic Directors, Steve is charged with securing partnerships with the clean technology sector to both meet UBC’s GHG emission targets and aspirations to exploit its physical infrastructure as a living laboratory of clean technology. As an example, Steve was instrumental in securing the Nexterra-UBC Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Project. He is a professor of Materials Engineering and has served as Head of that department as well as Senior Associate Dean and Dean Pro-Tem/Acting Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science.

James Tansey
Academic Director, Research and Strategic Partnerships

James is the Executive Director of ISIS and leads the Sauder School of Business’s activities on sustainability and social innovation.  James’ research activities cover a number of areas including social enterprise, climate change, and the social impacts and acceptability of new technologies. Prior to joining UBC, James was based in the UK as a lecturer in Science and Technology Studies and deputy director of the James Martin Institute for Science and Civilization with the Said Business School in Oxford. He is the founder of Offsetters Clean Technology.

Iain Evans
Manager, Research and Strategic Partnerships