Stephen Sheppard, Forestry/Applied Sciences
Dr. Stephen Sheppard is a Professor in the Department of Forest Resources Management and the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.  He is Director of CALP, a research group which applies environmental psychology methods, visualization, and spatial analysis to planning and community engagement on climate change and sustainability. Dr. Sheppard chairs the social mobilization research theme at the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, and has overseen the planning and design of UBC’s new BC Hydro Decision Theatre in the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability.  Using novel technologies, it fosters collaboration among scientists, managers, stakeholders and policy-makers in moving to sustainable neighbourhoods, both on campus and as an agent of change in the community. 

Laurel Schafer, Science

Dr. Laurel Schafer is Professor in the Department of Chemistry, specializing in the development of new catalysts for polymerization and organic synthesis. Dr. Schafer is focused on the development of new catalysts prepared from inexpensive early transition metals of low toxicity. In addition, Dr. Schafer’s research group is an active participant in “Laboratory Greening” within the Department of Chemistry.  She has also established the CFI funded UBC3D, an interdisciplinary research facility promoting research excellence from hetero- and homogeneous catalysis through to biocatalysis.  Using this centre as a Living Laboratory, she aims to leverage UBC expertise in order to collaboratively develop novel catalytic solutions to local and global synthetic challenges.  

Mark Johnson, Science/CfIS

Dr. Mark Johnson is an ecohydrologist with research interests in watershed biogeochemistry and carbon cycling issues. Ecohydrology is an emerging, interdisciplinary field that uses a water-in-ecosystem approach to address applied sustainability-related research questions. Dr. Johnson is engaging in several applied research questions through the UBC USI Sustainability Research Fellowship in conjunction with UBC as a Living Lab. These initial research collaborations include a study of water quality transformations in the CIRS building, and collaborations with the UBC Farm to investigate biochar use in agricultural soils.