Our People: The Sustainability Council
The Sustainability Council's members are academics from across the University of Alberta's three colleges and five campuses, representing our interdisciplinary approach to sustainability.
Robert Summers
Academic Director & Office Leadership
Expert in:
- UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Community planning and development
- Environmental policy
Rhonda Breitkreuz
Council Member
Expert in:
- Social policy affecting families
- Child care policy
- Work-family integration and marginalized employment
Read more about Dr. Rhonda Breitkreuz
Ken Caine
Council Member
Expert in:
- Environmental and rural sociology
- Extension Forestry
- Indigenous forest stewardship issues
- Natural resource management in the North
Howie Harshaw
Council Member & Associate Director for the Certificate in Sustainability
Expert in:
- Public policy on outdoor recreation
- Waterfowl management
- Human dimensions of natural resources
Guillermo Hernandez Ramirez
Council Member & Academic Advisor for the Certificate in Sustainability
Expert in:
- Land reclamation
- Carbon and nitrogen cycling in agroecosystems
- Climate change adaptation
- Greenhouse gas mitigation
Anita Dey Nuttall
Council Member
Expert in:
- Science policy
- History of Polar Research Programs
- Geopolitics and security in the North
Greg King
Council Member
Expert in:
- Environmental science
- Paleoecology
- Forest disturbance ecology
- Urban forests
Lianne Lefsrud
Council Member
Expert in:
- Engineering safety and risk management
- Social license to operate
- Technological drivers in oil & gas development
- Organization theory
Candace Nykiforuk
Council Member
Expert in:
- Health Equity
- Population health intervention
- Health geography and health promotion
- Community-engaged research
Arlene Oak
Council Member & Academic Advisor for the Certificate in Sustainability
Expert in:
- Material Culture & Design Studies
- Social Identity through language
- Past and contemporary aspects of creative practice
Matthew Wildcat
Council Member
Expert in:
- First Nations co-governance
- Prairie Indigenous Political Order
- Indigenous Treaties and Agreements
Contact the Sustainability Council
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Summers | Academic Director | 780-492-7162 | robert.summers@ualberta.ca |
| Maja Osmanagić | Operations Director | 780-248-1916 | maja.osmanagic@ualberta.ca |
| Jasmine Farahbakhsh | Project Planner - Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Engagement | 780-248-1959 | jasmine.farahbakhsh@ualberta.ca |
| Apryl Bergstrom | Academic Sustainability Coordinator | 780-492-6876 | apryl@ualberta.ca |
| Shannon Heaney | Project Planner - Special Projects | 780-492-6363 | |
| Evonne Tran | Coordinator, Outreach and Design | 780-492-0043 |
Working Groups and Committees
Sustainable Food Working Group
This team is composed of students, academic staff, support staff and food vendors. Together, they explore ways to create a resilient food system at the University of Alberta. The working group has sponsored undergraduate research projects in the past, as well as sponsoring projects through Community Service-Learning.
Examples of projects
- Food donation program development
- Healthy food campus survey
- Organize a panel discussion
Sustainability Council Representative: Maja Osmanagić (maja.osmanagic@ualberta.ca).
Green Labs Leaders Network
The Green Labs Leaders Network connects lab users who are interested in leading by example and educating the research community about safe and sustainable lab practices. The network provides input into the university's green labs initiatives, develops best practices for greening labs in our local context, and educates other lab users about safe and sustainable lab practices. The network meets quarterly and online.
Sustainability Council Representative: TBD.
Waste Diversion Working Group
The University of Alberta Waste Diversion Working Group is focused on the university’s commitment to divert 90 per cent of waste from landfill and continue to reduce waste per campus user. The working group brings together stakeholders from across the university to collaborate, provide strategic guidance for the activities of these stakeholder groups, and help to develop a comprehensive waste diversion strategy for the university.
The working group's activities incldue: conducting needs assessments, establishing targets for the Zero Waste program, educating the university community, and integrating waste diversion into academia. The working group meets quarterly and online.
Sustainability Council Representative: Jasmine Farahbakhsh (jasmine.farahbakhsh@ualberta.ca).
Energy Transition Leadership Network
The Energy Transition Leadership Network is a group of more than 100 leaders who work in commercial, industrial, non-profit, educational and institutional sectors. They represent organizations who are passionate about the City of Edmonton's energy transition strategy, with members working together to turn ideas into action.
The group meets every four months, with several presentations on various energy related topics and group discussions. Members generate new, innovative solutions and are beginning to move these ideas into action with the goal of influencing hundreds of thousands of Edmontonians.
Meetings also provide an opportunity to strengthen the network of energy transition leaders and help members identify new partners or collaborators to advance their initiatives.
Sustainability Council Representative: Jasmine Farahbakhsh (jasmine.farahbakhsh@ualberta.ca).
Internships
The Sustainability Council runs an internship program that allows students to gain valuable work experience in sustainability. Student Interns typically work with the SC from August to April of each academic year. Please consult the UAlberta Career page for position postings.