Find a Presenter

Tariq Harney 

Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability - Faculty of Science

Tariq is a PhD student at the Institute for Resource Environment and Sustainability at UBC. His research examines how communities in Sicily, Italy, narrate their affective/emotional experiences of water. Tariq holds a Masters of Anthropology from the University of Toronto, where he sought to combine his interests in climate justice, language, politics, and community. Tariq’s interest in climate justice and language comes from his own lived experiences as an immigrant in Australia and Italy, where he found community and learned new languages through food and hockey. Tariq combines his experience in climate justice and passion for language and storytelling in his role as Chief Research Officer at the climate education non-profit Break The Divide, which addresses the growing isolation and hopelessness Canadian youth feel about environmental futures through climate mental health education focused on building emotional resilience by strengthening community bonds.

Rishika Selvakumar 

Interdisciplinary Studies - Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Rishika Selvakumar is a PhD researcher at the University of British Columbia whose work focuses on youth mental health, health economics, and the impacts of climate change on population wellbeing. Her research examines how health systems and mental health are impacted by emerging issues, including climate change and emerging technologies such as AI, with a particular focus on equity, system performance, and climate justice. She uses mixed methods approaches and draws on interdisciplinary training in sustainability, public health, economics, and ethics.

Rishika is currently a Health System Impact Fellow with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA-BC), where she contributes to strengthening mental health systems and advancing evidence-informed policy and practice. Alongside her doctoral work, she has held roles across academia, government, and health systems, including with Fraser Health’s Planetary Health team, where she supported initiatives on sustainable healthcare, air quality, and system adaptation to climate impacts. She has also contributed to policy and program work with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, municipal government in Richmond, and provincial health organizations.

Her climate-related work spans climate change and health economics, mental health impacts of climate change (including eco-anxiety), and health system resilience and adaptation. She has worked with the UBC Climate Hub on climate justice initiatives focused on Indigenous land and data sovereignty, and with community organizations such as Anxiety Canada, where she supported youth engagement and climate anxiety initiatives.

Rishika has extensive experience in teaching and knowledge translation, supporting interdisciplinary learning across health, policy, and professional programs at UBC. She has received multiple recognitions for leadership and community impact, including the BC Achievement Foundation Emerging Leader Award and the Government of British Columbia Medal of Good Citizenship.

Through her work, Rishika brings a systems-oriented and practice-grounded perspective to understanding and addressing the complex intersections of climate change, health systems, and mental wellbeing.

Esther Roorda 

Electrical and Computer Engineering - Faculty of Applied Science

I am PhD Candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering, where my research explores interdisciplinary strategies to develop more sustainable models of computing through education, community and design, focusing in particular on repair.

The computing industry is involved in escalating environmental problems, from the staggering computational requirements and ethical implications of widespread machine learning to fast-growing rates of e-waste production. These are socio-technical problems, involving technical design, economic models, consumer behaviors and policy. My perspective is that effective interdisciplinary sustainability education is key to addressing these types of sociotechnical challenges, and my current research focus is the integration of sustainability into the engineering curriculum. My work also explores repair as a concrete community-based form of climate action, and a way of practicing critical hope in a changing climate.

As a UBC Public Scholar, I am committed to community-engaged sustainability education and research. This approach is informed by my work as a CoLead of the Digital Tattoo Project (a digital literacy collaboration between UBC and UofT), and several years volunteering and teaching digital-literacy skills at the UBC Learning Exchange. I am also a graduate of UBC CTLT’s Certificate of Advanced Teaching and Learning program, and I facilitate CTLT Instructional Skills workshops.

Charlotte Taylor

School of Community and Regional Planning - Faculty of Applied Science

Charlotte Taylor (she/they) is a community-based energy researcher, climate justice educator, and advocate for equitable climate governance based in Vancouver, Canada. She holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Climate Change Communication and is completing her MA in Planning at the University of British Columbia, situated on the unceded homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. Her research examines the social and institutional conditions shaping community-led renewable energy in BC, with an emphasis on energy justice, participatory governance, and local resilience. Charlotte has worked with the PLACE Lab on equitable energy transitions and the Knowledge Justice Collective on Indigenous Knowledge in global climate assessments. She previously coordinated the Climate Justice Study Collective and supported climate curriculum integration as Academic Advocacy Lead at the Climate Hub at UBC. Charlotte is committed to advancing just, community-centred climate solutions through research, education, and public engagement.

Marina Tornorsam

Geography - Faculty of Arts

Marina is a MSc student in the department of Geography focusing on the intersection of fire, livelihoods and community health using interdisciplinary approaches including remote sensing. She earned an MSc in Environmental Biology at Mahidol University and completed her BSc in Environmental Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara with an emphasis in ecology. Her previous work has centered on community-based natural resource management, fire dynamics and ecosystem services across Southeast Asia, where she collaborated with local, regional and global partners to strengthen participatory approaches towards climate adaptation. She has experience as a co-designer and facilitator for technical and non-technical training workshops on a variety of topics from gender equality and social inclusion to community-based fire management, and she has led initiatives in research, community-led monitoring, restoration and environmental education. These experiences have deepened her passion and commitment to bridging scientific knowledge with traditional knowledge towards practical, community-led solutions.

Esther Roorda 

Electrical and Computer Engineering - Faculty of Applied Science

I am PhD Candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering, where my research explores interdisciplinary strategies to develop more sustainable models of computing through education, community and design, focusing in particular on repair.

The computing industry is involved in escalating environmental problems, from the staggering computational requirements and ethical implications of widespread machine learning to fast-growing rates of e-waste production. These are socio-technical problems, involving technical design, economic models, consumer behaviors and policy. My perspective is that effective interdisciplinary sustainability education is key to addressing these types of sociotechnical challenges, and my current research focus is the integration of sustainability into the engineering curriculum. My work also explores repair as a concrete community-based form of climate action, and a way of practicing critical hope in a changing climate.

As a UBC Public Scholar, I am committed to community-engaged sustainability education and research. This approach is informed by my work as a CoLead of the Digital Tattoo Project (a digital literacy collaboration between UBC and UofT), and several years volunteering and teaching digital-literacy skills at the UBC Learning Exchange. I am also a graduate of UBC CTLT’s Certificate of Advanced Teaching and Learning program, and I facilitate CTLT Instructional Skills workshops.

Amandeep Singh 

College of Graduate Studies - UBC Okanagan

Amandeep Singh is professionally a veterinarian and currently a sustainability scholar advancing his expertise as a PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies (IGS)—Sustainability program at the University of British Columbia. His doctoral research at the Food Systems PRISM Lab is dedicated towards developing actionable pathways to achieve net-zero emissions in the Canadian egg industry by 2050, bridging critical gaps between practice and climate policy, using life cycle assessment (LCA) as core methodology.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Amandeep amassed over six years of impactful work in India as an Assistant Professor of Veterinary Extension and as a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon. In these roles, he established himself as a prolific expert, authoring more than 50 scholarly publications, and earning 12 research grants. His career has been characterized by a deep commitment to applied science, leading to the development of vital resources for the farming community, including digital tools like mobile applications, online courses, and comprehensive information and expert systems.

This unique trajectory, from frontline veterinary service and academic leadership in extension education to cutting-edge sustainability science, equips him with an unparalleled interdisciplinary perspective. His passion lies in applying systems thinking and robust data analysis to promote sustainable, climate-resilient food systems. Outside of the lab, he enjoys exploring the Okanagan outdoors, writing poetry, watching documentaries, and connecting with diverse communities.

Chloé Boutron

Political Science - Faculty of Arts

Chloé is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science. Her research focuses on the politics of climate policy in fossil fuel-exporting democracies, particularly economic climate policy instruments (e.g., carbon pricing, fossil fuel subsidy reform). Before starting her PhD, Chloé worked to assist ministries of finance in Europe as they sought to incorporate climate change considerations in their decision-making processes.

Nicolas Viens

Sociology - Faculty of Arts

Nicolas Viens is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of British Columbia. His doctoral dissertation examines the political economy of decarbonization, with a focus on state climate governance and its ties with financial and other non-state actors. His research analyzes how public institutions, financial actors, and social groups interact in the development of low-carbon infrastructure and climate-related investments. He explores what these governance arrangements mean for responding to climate change and related environmental challenges, as well as for issues of democratic accountability, inequality, and power imbalances. His work combines environmental and political sociology to highlight key social and ecological challenges within state-led decarbonization initiatives and to identify pathways toward transformative and equitable energy transitions. Nicolas also seeks to bridge academic research and climate policy work; he is involved in policy research on climate governance and active in independent research institutes, particularly by crossing geographic and linguistic barriers in Canada.

Rishika Selvakumar 

Interdisciplinary Studies - Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Rishika Selvakumar is a PhD researcher at the University of British Columbia whose work focuses on youth mental health, health economics, and the impacts of climate change on population wellbeing. Her research examines how health systems and mental health are impacted by emerging issues, including  climate change and emerging technologies such as AI, with a particular focus on equity, system performance, and climate justice. She uses mixed methods approaches and draws on interdisciplinary training in sustainability, public health, economics, and ethics.

Rishika is currently a Health System Impact Fellow with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA-BC), where she contributes to strengthening mental health systems and advancing evidence-informed policy and practice. Alongside her doctoral work, she has held roles across academia, government, and health systems, including with Fraser Health’s Planetary Health team, where she supported initiatives on sustainable healthcare, air quality, and system adaptation to climate impacts. She has also contributed to policy and program work with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, municipal government in Richmond, and provincial health organizations.

Her climate-related work spans climate change and health economics, mental health impacts of climate change (including eco-anxiety), and health system resilience and adaptation. She has worked with the UBC Climate Hub on climate justice initiatives focused on Indigenous land and data sovereignty, and with community organizations such as Anxiety Canada, where she supported youth engagement and climate anxiety initiatives.

Rishika has extensive experience in teaching and knowledge translation, supporting interdisciplinary learning across health, policy, and professional programs at UBC. She has received multiple recognitions for leadership and community impact, including the BC Achievement Foundation Emerging Leader Award and the Government of British Columbia Medal of Good Citizenship.

Through her work, Rishika brings a systems-oriented and practice-grounded perspective to understanding and addressing the complex intersections of climate change, health systems, and mental wellbeing.

Chunyu Pan 

Forest Resources Management - Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship

Chunyu Pan is a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on climate change mitigation, forest and bamboo carbon sequestration, nature-based solutions, life cycle assessment, and carbon markets. He has experience guest lecturing on climate change, forest carbon credits, carbon markets, and nature-based solutions in interdisciplinary academic settings. He has also engaged with international climate policy through his internship with the UNFCCC Secretariat as well as multiple attendances of COP conferences. Chunyu enjoys helping students connect climate science with real-world policy, economics, and sustainability challenges across different fields.

Julia Ruth

Curriculum Studies - Faculty of Education

Julia Ruth is a scientist, AI trainer, and educator who specializes in making climate science relatable for diverse audiences. With a unique background spanning topical climate change research, classroom teaching, and artificial intelligence innovation, she is passionate about transforming complex scientific concepts into engaging, accessible, and meaningful learning experiences.

A current PhD student in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, she holds a Master of Science in Earth Science and a Bachelor of Science in Physics, and has conducted climate research with organizations including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her work has focused on remote sensing, sea ice dynamics, and glaciology, using satellite and field data to better understand Earth’s changing climate.

In addition to research, Julia brings extensive teaching experience across formal and informal settings. She has taught middle school science full-time, developed interdisciplinary climate change curriculum, and created original courses in physics, astronomy, and earth science. Her teaching emphasizes critical thinking, real-world data, and interdisciplinary connections that help students see the relevance of science in their everyday lives.

Beyond the classroom, Julia trains various generative artificial intelligence models in physics and Earth science. She has been contracted to test models, including ChatGPT and Grok, for scientific inaccuracies to further improve the capabilities of these models. These opportunities have instilled in her a passion for AI. Julia is dedicated to empowering students to think critically about climate science and to see themselves as active participants in shaping a more sustainable future.

Nicolas Viens

Sociology - Faculty of Arts

Nicolas Viens is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of British Columbia. His doctoral dissertation examines the political economy of decarbonization, with a focus on state climate governance and its ties with financial and other non-state actors. His research analyzes how public institutions, financial actors, and social groups interact in the development of low-carbon infrastructure and climate-related investments. He explores what these governance arrangements mean for responding to climate change and related environmental challenges, as well as for issues of democratic accountability, inequality, and power imbalances. His work combines environmental and political sociology to highlight key social and ecological challenges within state-led decarbonization initiatives and to identify pathways toward transformative and equitable energy transitions. Nicolas also seeks to bridge academic research and climate policy work; he is involved in policy research on climate governance and active in independent research institutes, particularly by crossing geographic and linguistic barriers in Canada.

Cassandra Chanen

Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences - Faculty of Science

Cassandra is a PhD student in Atmospheric Science studying Antarctic climate variability over the past 2000 years. As a paleoclimate scientist, her work places anthropogenic climate change in the context of long-term natural variability. She has a strong background in climate and atmospheric physics and is experienced at communicating climate science and debunking climate-myths to audiences ranging from middle school students to field experts.

Nicolas Viens

Sociology - Faculty of Arts

Nicolas Viens is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of British Columbia. His doctoral dissertation examines the political economy of decarbonization, with a focus on state climate governance and its ties with financial and other non-state actors. His research analyzes how public institutions, financial actors, and social groups interact in the development of low-carbon infrastructure and climate-related investments. He explores what these governance arrangements mean for responding to climate change and related environmental challenges, as well as for issues of democratic accountability, inequality, and power imbalances. His work combines environmental and political sociology to highlight key social and ecological challenges within state-led decarbonization initiatives and to identify pathways toward transformative and equitable energy transitions. Nicolas also seeks to bridge academic research and climate policy work; he is involved in policy research on climate governance and active in independent research institutes, particularly by crossing geographic and linguistic barriers in Canada.

Charlotte Taylor

School of Community and Regional Planning - Faculty of Applied Science

Charlotte Taylor (she/they) is a community-based energy researcher, climate justice educator, and advocate for equitable climate governance based in Vancouver, Canada. She holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Climate Change Communication and is completing her MA in Planning at the University of British Columbia, situated on the unceded homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. Her research examines the social and institutional conditions shaping community-led renewable energy in BC, with an emphasis on energy justice, participatory governance, and local resilience. Charlotte has worked with the PLACE Lab on equitable energy transitions and the Knowledge Justice Collective on Indigenous Knowledge in global climate assessments. She previously coordinated the Climate Justice Study Collective and supported climate curriculum integration as Academic Advocacy Lead at the Climate Hub at UBC. Charlotte is committed to advancing just, community-centred climate solutions through research, education, and public engagement.

Cassandra Chanen

Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences - Faculty of Science

Cassandra is a PhD student in Atmospheric Science studying Antarctic climate variability over the past 2000 years. As a paleoclimate scientist, her work places anthropogenic climate change in the context of long-term natural variability. She has a strong background in climate and atmospheric physics and is experienced at communicating climate science and debunking climate-myths to audiences ranging from middle school students to field experts.

Kirthana Singh Khurana

Peter A. Allard School of Law

Kirthana is a PhD student at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia. As an Affiliated Research Scholar with the Canada Climate Law Initiative, she authored a Climate Risk and Governance Guide for directors in Canada’s technology sector (2025). She has contributed to emerging scholarship at the intersection of AI and climate governance, including research on algorithmic sustainability and AI-supported emissions measurement and disclosure.

Kirthana has previously worked with the Yale Initiative on Sustainable Finance, Yale Center for Business and the Environment on projects examining corporate net-zero commitments and ESG regulation in the United States. She brings more than 2.5 years of teaching experience as an Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean (Academic Affairs) at Jindal Global Law School and as a Lecturer at Jindal Global Business School, India, where she taught courses on corporate law, securities regulation, corporate social responsibility, and corporate sustainability. At UBC, she has served as a Teaching Assistant in the Law and Society Program within the Faculty of Arts for three terms.

Kirthana holds an LL.M. degree from Yale Law School, a Master of Corporate Law degree from the University of Cambridge, and B.Com (Honours) and LL.B. degrees from the University of Delhi. Her research interests include corporate law, law and technology, AI governance, corporate sustainability, and climate change laws.

Aida Mohajeri

Department of Educational Studies - Faculty of Education

Aida is a PhD student in Educational Studies and a settler on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. Her dissertation examines higher education, unsustainability, and systemic inequities. She is also a Graduate Research Assistant at the Centre for Climate Justice, contributing to the projects Addressing Intersecting Crises: Climate, Housing, and Compounding Health Vulnerabilities for Senior Tenants and Living with Schizophrenia in a Changing Climate: Housing, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Health Risks. Aida holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University and a BA from Villanova University. Her professional experience spans research, policy, and education in the non-profit and government sectors.

Tariq Harney 

Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability - Faculty of Science

Tariq is a PhD student at the Institute for Resource Environment and Sustainability at UBC. His research examines how communities in Sicily, Italy, narrate their affective/emotional experiences of water. Tariq holds a Masters of Anthropology from the University of Toronto, where he sought to combine his interests in climate justice, language, politics, and community. Tariq’s interest in climate justice and language comes from his own lived experiences as an immigrant in Australia and Italy, where he found community and learned new languages through food and hockey. Tariq combines his experience in climate justice and passion for language and storytelling in his role as Chief Research Officer at the climate education non-profit Break The Divide, which addresses the growing isolation and hopelessness Canadian youth feel about environmental futures through climate mental health education focused on building emotional resilience by strengthening community bonds.

Chunyu Pan 

Forest Resources Management - Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship

Chunyu Pan is a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on climate change mitigation, forest and bamboo carbon sequestration, nature-based solutions, life cycle assessment, and carbon markets. He has experience guest lecturing on climate change, forest carbon credits, carbon markets, and nature-based solutions in interdisciplinary academic settings. He has also engaged with international climate policy through his internship with the UNFCCC Secretariat as well as multiple attendances of COP conferences. Chunyu enjoys helping students connect climate science with real-world policy, economics, and sustainability challenges across different fields.

Kirthana Singh Khurana

Peter A. Allard School of Law

Kirthana is a PhD student at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia. As an Affiliated Research Scholar with the Canada Climate Law Initiative, she authored a Climate Risk and Governance Guide for directors in Canada’s technology sector (2025). She has contributed to emerging scholarship at the intersection of AI and climate governance, including research on algorithmic sustainability and AI-supported emissions measurement and disclosure.

Kirthana has previously worked with the Yale Initiative on Sustainable Finance, Yale Center for Business and the Environment on projects examining corporate net-zero commitments and ESG regulation in the United States. She brings more than 2.5 years of teaching experience as an Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean (Academic Affairs) at Jindal Global Law School and as a Lecturer at Jindal Global Business School, India, where she taught courses on corporate law, securities regulation, corporate social responsibility, and corporate sustainability. At UBC, she has served as a Teaching Assistant in the Law and Society Program within the Faculty of Arts for three terms.

Kirthana holds an LL.M. degree from Yale Law School, a Master of Corporate Law degree from the University of Cambridge, and B.Com (Honours) and LL.B. degrees from the University of Delhi. Her research interests include corporate law, law and technology, AI governance, corporate sustainability, and climate change laws.

Julia Ruth

Curriculum Studies - Faculty of Education

Julia Ruth is a scientist, AI trainer, and educator who specializes in making climate science relatable for diverse audiences. With a unique background spanning topical climate change research, classroom teaching, and artificial intelligence innovation, she is passionate about transforming complex scientific concepts into engaging, accessible, and meaningful learning experiences.

A current PhD student in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, she holds a Master of Science in Earth Science and a Bachelor of Science in Physics, and has conducted climate research with organizations including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her work has focused on remote sensing, sea ice dynamics, and glaciology, using satellite and field data to better understand Earth’s changing climate.

In addition to research, Julia brings extensive teaching experience across formal and informal settings. She has taught middle school science full-time, developed interdisciplinary climate change curriculum, and created original courses in physics, astronomy, and earth science. Her teaching emphasizes critical thinking, real-world data, and interdisciplinary connections that help students see the relevance of science in their everyday lives.

Beyond the classroom, Julia trains various generative artificial intelligence models in physics and Earth science. She has been contracted to test models, including ChatGPT and Grok, for scientific inaccuracies to further improve the capabilities of these models. These opportunities have instilled in her a passion for AI. Julia is dedicated to empowering students to think critically about climate science and to see themselves as active participants in shaping a more sustainable future.

Amandeep Singh 

College of Graduate Studies - UBC Okanagan

Amandeep Singh is professionally a veterinarian and currently a sustainability scholar advancing his expertise as a PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies (IGS)—Sustainability program at the University of British Columbia. His doctoral research at the Food Systems PRISM Lab is dedicated towards developing actionable pathways to achieve net-zero emissions in the Canadian egg industry by 2050, bridging critical gaps between practice and climate policy, using life cycle assessment (LCA) as core methodology.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Amandeep amassed over six years of impactful work in India as an Assistant Professor of Veterinary Extension and as a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon. In these roles, he established himself as a prolific expert, authoring more than 50 scholarly publications, and earning 12 research grants. His career has been characterized by a deep commitment to applied science, leading to the development of vital resources for the farming community, including digital tools like mobile applications, online courses, and comprehensive information and expert systems.

This unique trajectory, from frontline veterinary service and academic leadership in extension education to cutting-edge sustainability science, equips him with an unparalleled interdisciplinary perspective. His passion lies in applying systems thinking and robust data analysis to promote sustainable, climate-resilient food systems. Outside of the lab, he enjoys exploring the Okanagan outdoors, writing poetry, watching documentaries, and connecting with diverse communities.

Kirthana Singh Khurana

Peter A. Allard School of Law

Kirthana is a PhD student at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia. As an Affiliated Research Scholar with the Canada Climate Law Initiative, she authored a Climate Risk and Governance Guide for directors in Canada’s technology sector (2025). She has contributed to emerging scholarship at the intersection of AI and climate governance, including research on algorithmic sustainability and AI-supported emissions measurement and disclosure.

Kirthana has previously worked with the Yale Initiative on Sustainable Finance, Yale Center for Business and the Environment on projects examining corporate net-zero commitments and ESG regulation in the United States. She brings more than 2.5 years of teaching experience as an Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean (Academic Affairs) at Jindal Global Law School and as a Lecturer at Jindal Global Business School, India, where she taught courses on corporate law, securities regulation, corporate social responsibility, and corporate sustainability. At UBC, she has served as a Teaching Assistant in the Law and Society Program within the Faculty of Arts for three terms.

Esther Roorda 

Electrical and Computer Engineering - Faculty of Applied Science

I am PhD Candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering, where my research explores interdisciplinary strategies to develop more sustainable models of computing through education, community and design, focusing in particular on repair.

The computing industry is involved in escalating environmental problems, from the staggering computational requirements and ethical implications of widespread machine learning to fast-growing rates of e-waste production. These are socio-technical problems, involving technical design, economic models, consumer behaviors and policy. My perspective is that effective interdisciplinary sustainability education is key to addressing these types of sociotechnical challenges, and my current research focus is the integration of sustainability into the engineering curriculum. My work also explores repair as a concrete community-based form of climate action, and a way of practicing critical hope in a changing climate.

As a UBC Public Scholar, I am committed to community-engaged sustainability education and research. This approach is informed by my work as a CoLead of the Digital Tattoo Project (a digital literacy collaboration between UBC and UofT), and several years volunteering and teaching digital-literacy skills at the UBC Learning Exchange. I am also a graduate of UBC CTLT’s Certificate of Advanced Teaching and Learning program, and I facilitate CTLT Instructional Skills workshops.

Marina Tornorsam

Geography - Faculty of Arts

Marina is a MSc student in the department of Geography focusing on the intersection of fire, livelihoods and community health using interdisciplinary approaches including remote sensing. She earned an MSc in Environmental Biology at Mahidol University and completed her BSc in Environmental Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara with an emphasis in ecology. Her previous work has centered on community-based natural resource management, fire dynamics and ecosystem services across Southeast Asia, where she collaborated with local, regional and global partners to strengthen participatory approaches towards climate adaptation. She has experience as a co-designer and facilitator for technical and non-technical training workshops on a variety of topics from gender equality and social inclusion to community-based fire management, and she has led initiatives in research, community-led monitoring, restoration and environmental education. These experiences have deepened her passion and commitment to bridging scientific knowledge with traditional knowledge towards practical, community-led solutions.

Rishika Selvakumar 

Interdisciplinary Studies - Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Rishika Selvakumar is a PhD researcher at the University of British Columbia whose work focuses on youth mental health, health economics, and the impacts of climate change on population wellbeing. Her research examines how health systems and mental health are impacted by emerging issues, including  climate change and emerging technologies such as AI, with a particular focus on equity, system performance, and climate justice. She uses mixed methods approaches and draws on interdisciplinary training in sustainability, public health, economics, and ethics.

Rishika is currently a Health System Impact Fellow with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA-BC), where she contributes to strengthening mental health systems and advancing evidence-informed policy and practice. Alongside her doctoral work, she has held roles across academia, government, and health systems, including with Fraser Health’s Planetary Health team, where she supported initiatives on sustainable healthcare, air quality, and system adaptation to climate impacts. She has also contributed to policy and program work with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, municipal government in Richmond, and provincial health organizations.

Her climate-related work spans climate change and health economics, mental health impacts of climate change (including eco-anxiety), and health system resilience and adaptation. She has worked with the UBC Climate Hub on climate justice initiatives focused on Indigenous land and data sovereignty, and with community organizations such as Anxiety Canada, where she supported youth engagement and climate anxiety initiatives.

Rishika has extensive experience in teaching and knowledge translation, supporting interdisciplinary learning across health, policy, and professional programs at UBC. She has received multiple recognitions for leadership and community impact, including the BC Achievement Foundation Emerging Leader Award and the Government of British Columbia Medal of Good Citizenship.

Through her work, Rishika brings a systems-oriented and practice-grounded perspective to understanding and addressing the complex intersections of climate change, health systems, and mental wellbeing.

Amandeep Singh 

College of Graduate Studies - UBC Okanagan

Amandeep Singh is professionally a veterinarian and currently a sustainability scholar advancing his expertise as a PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies (IGS)—Sustainability program at the University of British Columbia. His doctoral research at the Food Systems PRISM Lab is dedicated towards developing actionable pathways to achieve net-zero emissions in the Canadian egg industry by 2050, bridging critical gaps between practice and climate policy, using life cycle assessment (LCA) as core methodology.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Amandeep amassed over six years of impactful work in India as an Assistant Professor of Veterinary Extension and as a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon. In these roles, he established himself as a prolific expert, authoring more than 50 scholarly publications, and earning 12 research grants. His career has been characterized by a deep commitment to applied science, leading to the development of vital resources for the farming community, including digital tools like mobile applications, online courses, and comprehensive information and expert systems.

This unique trajectory, from frontline veterinary service and academic leadership in extension education to cutting-edge sustainability science, equips him with an unparalleled interdisciplinary perspective. His passion lies in applying systems thinking and robust data analysis to promote sustainable, climate-resilient food systems. Outside of the lab, he enjoys exploring the Okanagan outdoors, writing poetry, watching documentaries, and connecting with diverse communities.

Charlotte Taylor

School of Community and Regional Planning - Faculty of Applied Science

Charlotte Taylor (she/they) is a community-based energy researcher, climate justice educator, and advocate for equitable climate governance based in Vancouver, Canada. She holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Climate Change Communication and is completing her MA in Planning at the University of British Columbia, situated on the unceded homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. Her research examines the social and institutional conditions shaping community-led renewable energy in BC, with an emphasis on energy justice, participatory governance, and local resilience. Charlotte has worked with the PLACE Lab on equitable energy transitions and the Knowledge Justice Collective on Indigenous Knowledge in global climate assessments. She previously coordinated the Climate Justice Study Collective and supported climate curriculum integration as Academic Advocacy Lead at the Climate Hub at UBC. Charlotte is committed to advancing just, community-centred climate solutions through research, education, and public engagement.

Marina Tornorsam

Geography - Faculty of Arts

Marina is a MSc student in the department of Geography focusing on the intersection of fire, livelihoods and community health using interdisciplinary approaches including remote sensing. She earned an MSc in Environmental Biology at Mahidol University and completed her BSc in Environmental Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara with an emphasis in ecology. Her previous work has centered on community-based natural resource management, fire dynamics and ecosystem services across Southeast Asia, where she collaborated with local, regional and global partners to strengthen participatory approaches towards climate adaptation. She has experience as a co-designer and facilitator for technical and non-technical training workshops on a variety of topics from gender equality and social inclusion to community-based fire management, and she has led initiatives in research, community-led monitoring, restoration and environmental education. These experiences have deepened her passion and commitment to bridging scientific knowledge with traditional knowledge towards practical, community-led solutions.

Chunyu Pan 

Forest Resources Management - Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship

Chunyu Pan is a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on climate change mitigation, forest and bamboo carbon sequestration, nature-based solutions, life cycle assessment, and carbon markets. He has experience guest lecturing on climate change, forest carbon credits, carbon markets, and nature-based solutions in interdisciplinary academic settings. He has also engaged with international climate policy through his internship with the UNFCCC Secretariat as well as multiple attendances of COP conferences. Chunyu enjoys helping students connect climate science with real-world policy, economics, and sustainability challenges across different fields.

Tariq Harney 

Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability - Faculty of Science

Tariq is a PhD student at the Institute for Resource Environment and Sustainability at UBC. His research examines how communities in Sicily, Italy, narrate their affective/emotional experiences of water. Tariq holds a Masters of Anthropology from the University of Toronto, where he sought to combine his interests in climate justice, language, politics, and community. Tariq’s interest in climate justice and language comes from his own lived experiences as an immigrant in Australia and Italy, where he found community and learned new languages through food and hockey. Tariq combines his experience in climate justice and passion for language and storytelling in his role as Chief Research Officer at the climate education non-profit Break The Divide, which addresses the growing isolation and hopelessness Canadian youth feel about environmental futures through climate mental health education focused on building emotional resilience by strengthening community bonds.