Meet the scholars

Sustainability Scholars work on a wide range of applied research projects across sectors and disciplines. Meet past Scholars and learn more about their projects and partner organizations.

2026 Scholars

Megan MacDonald

Meg MacDonald (she/her) is a Master’s student in the Department of Geography at the University of Victoria. She has a BA in Environmental Governance from the University of Guelph, where her undergraduate research experience focused on decolonizing place narratives and Indigenous histories. Her current research interests include northern energy geographies, energy justices, and local energy politics. Through the Sustainability Scholars Program, she is working with the District of Oak Bay on a project titled Strengthening Community-based Climate Action in Oak Bay.

Mehdi Hosseini Dehaghani

Mehdi is a PhD student in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Victoria, bridging the fields of Public Administration and Sociology. He has a strong background in Urban Planning and is interested in the relationship between communities, local governance, and contemporary social and environmental challenges.

Through the UVic Sustainability Scholars Program, Mehdi is working with Peninsula Streams Society to examine municipal shoreline protection policies across the Capital Regional District and develop recommendations for more resilient, nature-based shoreline governance. The project is titled: Benchmarking Shoreline Resilience: A Cross-Municipal Review of Shoreline Protection Policies in the Capital Region.

Qwulipulwut

My name is Qwulipulwut, I am a member of Cowichan Tribes and a Master's student in Social Work at the University of Victoria. My background is in Indigenous justice, restorative justice, and community-based social work. This summer, I am conducting research with Reciprocity Trust on the Cowichan Tribes v. Canada decision, exploring frameworks within the project: Practicing Reciprocity: Exploring Community-Led Frameworks for Complementary Coexistence of Land Interests in the Wake of the Tl’uqtinus decision (2025 BCSC 1490).

Anh Chau

Trâm Anh is a Vietnamese Master's student in Pacific and Asian Studies who is working with UVic's Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability, Residence Services and Facilities Management teams on project: Advancing Zero-Waste Strategies in Student Housing: Improving Sorting Practices and Supporting Behaviour Change. Drawing on her diverse cultural experience and academic knowledge, Trâm Anh devotes herself to engaging with students living on campus, supporting their waste-sorting practices, and improving the accessibility and inclusiveness of the sorting program in UVic's student housing.

Adam Wicks

Adam Wicks is a PhD candidate in Geography at UVIC, where his research focuses on climate-impact modelling and extreme weather. He brings over a decade of experience as a GIS specialist and data analyst across municipal, federal, and Indigenous projects. Adam is working on project Nature-Based Solutions and Natural Asset Management with the Friends of Bowker Creek Society to develop an economic valuation of the watershed's ecosystem services.

Olivia Blumenthal

Olivia Blumenthal is a PhD student in Anthropology with a background studying nitrogen-cycling soil microbial communities in agro-ecosystems. She is passionate about challenging the art / science binary. Through the Sustainability Scholars Program she is working with the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society to understand the ecological and socioeconomic implications of mitigating agricultural phosphorous runoff in a salmon-bearing, sub-watershed in Quw'utsun territory.

Ivana Medina

Ivana Medina (she/her) is a Master of Public Administration student at the University of Victoria. Originally from Mexico, she has worked on implementing international cooperation projects with the objective of preventing marine plastic pollution in the Pacific Ocean through circular economy approaches.

Through the UVic Sustainability Scholars Program, she is collaborating with Surfrider Foundation Canada to examine upstream solutions to marine plastic pollution for municipal governments in the Capital Regional District and develop campaign materials to push these items forward on the political and public agenda. The project is entitled: Plastic Reduction Campaign Research and Applied Analysis in Greater Victoria.

Walter Homewood

Walter is a PhD candidate in the University of Victoria's School of Environmental Studies working out of the Sellemah Ethnoecology Lab. As a UVic Sustainability Scholar he is contributing to the development of an Indigenous-led cumulative effects management approach for Saanich Inlet with Pauquachin First Nation and the Saanich Inlet Forum. Walter's background is in archaeology and his current research is on the application of cumulative effects frameworks to cultural heritage.

Caitlin Feeley

Caitlin is a second-year Master’s student in Sociology at UVic. Her previous research experience has been at the intersections of decolonization and the environmental sector, with a focus on supporting ENGOs to build stronger relationships with Indigenous communities.

Caitlin is working with the Gorge Waterway Action Society (GWAS), who have been preserving and enhancing the Gorge Waterway for the past 36 years, to research and recount their origin story. To do so, she is conducting a historical review of GWAS' archival materials and interviewing key players in the organization. The goal of this project is to tell the engaging story of GWAS’ origins and the current voices of today who are committed to seeing the Gorge thrive. The project is entitled: Tides of Change: The Growth of an Environmental Advocacy Group on the Gorge Waterway.

Saman Samadi

Saman Samadi is a PhD candidate in Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria, where his research focuses on water quality and environmental systems. This summer, Saman is working with the Saanich Inlet Forum and Malahat Nation on the project Historic Ecological Baseline of the Saanich Inlet and Surrounding Watersheds, helping compile and analyze historical and ecological information to support Indigenous-led restoration planning and informed watershed stewardship.

Jen Kostuchuk

Jen Kostuchuk is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology. Her research examines the social, economic, and personal motivators for pursuing employment in the green sector. Beyond academia, she contributes to organizations dedicated to addressing climate change and advancing labour standards across the province through applied and community-engaged research. This summer, she is working with the Synergy Foundation to help develop a curriculum for a Green Trades Microcredential. The goal of this project is to provide accessible and actionable guidance to help trades businesses operate more sustainably.

Ethan Fortin

Ethan is a Master's student in Sociology with a background in entomology, researching the interconnections between today's social and ecological crises. This summer he is working with the UVic Campus Community Garden to conduct a biodiversity survey comparing insect populations in the garden's native plant plots to other areas on campus. In so doing, they hope to discover land use and planting practices to be implemented in the garden and elsewhere at UVic to promote ecosystem health and sustainability.

Marcel Ramirez La Torre

Originally from Peru, I am a PhD candidate in Public Administration at the University of Victoria with more than 20 years of experience in policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and research synthesis across academic, governmental, Indigenous, and international settings. My interest in this project grows from a deep commitment to supporting local communities in Canada and learning more about the realities, knowledge, and priorities of First Nations.

This summer, I am working with the Okanagan Nation Alliance on project: Advancing Nature-Based Investment for Watershed Security in the Syilx Territory for Headwater Protection and Restoration conducting applied research related to nature-based investment opportunities for watershed security in Syilx Territory.

Phoenix Anderson

Phoenix is a Master of Public Administration candidate with roots in Geography and Environmental Studies. She is a passionate nature lover, creative, and idealist visionary for alternative futures and collective prosperity. Her research interests hope to bridge sustainable development, intergenerational justice, and climate legislation.

Phoenix is currently working with the City of Victoria on a comprehensive report to identify how to leverage energy benchmarking data to encourage better building performance management. Through research, community engagement, and problem-solving, the project will result in actionable recommendations for municipal policy makers.

Nathan Champion

Nathan is a project manager from Aotearoa New Zealand completing an MBA in Sustainable Innovation. His internship at Synergy Foundation is focused on building a Green Trades Toolkit which helps trades businesses in BC embed sustainable thinking into their day-to-day operations. The toolkit covers low-carbon and circular operations, guidance on operational efficiencies, construction and demolition (C&D) waste diversion strategies, water-saving measures, and local resources for sourcing sustainable materials.

Ben Paquette-Struger

Ben Paquette-Struger is a PhD student in Geography at the University of Victoria currently completing a Sustainability Scholars placement with NatuR&D and the Peninsula Streams Society. His summer project, the RUSH Aquifer Project, involves building an integrated assessment of groundwater health on the Saanich Peninsula — combining spatial mapping, water licence analysis, fish habitat data, and long-term groundwater level trends to tell the story of what is happening beneath our feet on W̱SÁNEĆ and lək̓ʷəŋən territories. Ben's work aims to make complex water science accessible to everyday audiences through interactive maps and public storytelling tools.

Jake Dingwall

Jake Dingwall is a Master's student in the Department of Biology at the University of Victoria. He has a B.Sc in Earth and Ocean Sciences from the University of Victoria where his undergraduate research focused on conservation of Arctic whales through soundscape management. His current research focuses on Pacific herring ecology with the Pacific Salmon Foundation. In the Sustainability Scholars Program, he is working with the Tsawout First Nations to better understand clam population dynamics and the contaminant burden. The project is titled Tsawout First Nation clam population assessment for sustainable Food, Social, and Ceremonial harvest.

2025 Scholars

Learn more about the 2025 Sustainability Scholars.

2024 Scholars

Click here to view the 2024 Sustainability Scholars.