Dr. Zurba’s (she/her) work focuses on projects that are developed and implemented in collaboration with communities. She has worked with Indigenous and other equity-deserving communities in Canada and other regions on projects focusing on co-management of species, protected areas, forest tenure, water regulation, food sovereignty, health promotion and wellbeing, and land-based learning and curriculum development. Her work has also contributes to public discussion on what “reconciliation” means in Canada, as well as the development of principles for equitable research in universities and other institutions. Dr. Zurba maintains a role in global policy development as Chair for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Commission for Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) Theme for Governance, Equity, and Rights (TGER). In additional to traditional social science approaches, participatory methodologies, humanities, and the arts are important in Dr. Zurba’s research and play an important role in building meaningful connections within and among communities and with nature. She also contributes to art-environment discourse through art writing, curatorial practice, and her personal art practice (https://melaniezurba.wordpress.com/).

Aden (he/him) completed his Master of Environmental Studies under the supervision of Dr. Melanie Zurba. Aden now holds the position of full-time Research Associate in the Colab focused on supporting the Learning for Governance (LfG) initiative. He graduated his undergraduate degree with a Bachelor of International Development Studies, with a specific emphasis in Environment and Development from the University of Guelph. Aden has always been interested in and concerned with the well-being of both human beings and the environment. He is particularly interested in the relationship between humans and the natural environment. His current research interests are related to understanding the human experiences of environmental issues, the importance of Indigenous knowledge and governance, and community-engagement. His master’s thesis focused on Indigenous Peoples inclusion/influence in environmental governance decision-making processes, and explores the stories and experiences of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples globally.

Jess (she / her) is currently pursuing an interdisciplinary PhD at Dalhousie University, working within the Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures (SNF) project and under the supervision of Dr. Melanie Zurba and Dr. Jörn Schmidt. As a social science practitioner, she has been working collaboratively with communities and civil society groups at the local, national and international scales on research, policy and action for equitable and effective environmental governance for over 15 years. The main focus of this collaborative work has been Indigenous-and community-led and engaged governance. She has lived throughout the southeastern United States, as well as in Tanzania and Switzerland. Her undergraduate (New College of Florida) and master’s (Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University) theses focused on collaborative governance of marine and coastal resources. As a Fulbright scholar, she researched and co-developed resources on human-rights based conservation approaches, including in relation to equitable power- and knowledge-sharing. In her PhD research, Jess will be exploring learning processes and outcomes in relation to governance and knowledge co-production.

Michael is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of New Brunswick under the supervision of Dr. David Busolo and Dr. Melanie Zurba. He holds a Master of Science degree in Epidemiology from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa and a Bachelor of Science degree in Public health and Nursing from Catholic University College in Ghana. Michael worked in his home country- Ghana, as a registered nurse and clinical research associate in South Africa, where he was involved in clinical research on cancer prevention and control. Michael has a particular interest in the potential for interdisciplinary approaches to reducing health disparities among immigrants and refugees. His doctoral research focuses on using community-based participatory research approaches to understand the nature-based program’s role in improving Syrian youth’s health and well-being.

Ahmad is pursuing his Interdisciplinary PhD at Dalhousie University under the supervision of Dr. Melanie Zurba and Dr. Sherry Pictou. Ahmad completed his Master of Environmental Studies through the Community-Engaged CoLab as well. With background both in the natural and social sciences, he is interested in interdisciplinary approaches to environmental crises. Ahmad completed his Bachelor of Science with majors in Environmental Sciences and Sociology and a minor in Political Science at Forman Christian College in Lahore. His research interests lie primarily in the socio-political dimensions of the environment with a close focus on issues of environmental justice and equity, Indigenous governance, climate change, and community participation in decision-making. In the Community-Engaged CoLab, his research focuses on designing participatory governance frameworks in collaboration with IPO Kua’aina Ulu ‘Auamo (KUA)  in Hawai’i.

Sophie Boardman (they/she) is a returning lab member who spent the past 2 years serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at a community health center. She is excited to return to Dalhousie to pursue her Master of Environmental Studies under the supervision of Dr. Melanie Zurba working with the Conservation through Reconciliation (CRP) partnership. Sophie completed her Combined Honours Degree in Environment, Sustainability, Society (ESS) and Environmental Science at Dalhousie University in 2020. Dr. Melanie Zurba supervised her Honours Thesis which explored the Indigenous Circle of Experts (ICE) governance outcomes of social learning through their work with Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). Sophie has community engaged work and research experience in Mi’kma’ki and Cambodia. Her masters will be exploring Indigenous and stakeholder relationships around the governance of IPCAs across Canada.

Kristin Levy (she/her) is a Master of Environmental Studies (MES) student in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies. In 2021 she completed a Bachelor of Community Planning at the University of Northern British Columbia. Kristin has worked as a university research assistant and as a local government intern in relation to several projects that were relevant to rural community development, community planning, and environmental protection. Kristin’s main areas of interest often relate to human geography and nature-based climate change adaptation. She carries a special focus toward how people arrange landscapes and make collaborative decisions that affect ecosystems and social equity. Kristin has taken an interdisciplinary approach to developing her work along her thesis journey and is excited to now join the Community Engaged Co-Lab under the supervision of Dr. Melanie Zurba. Kristin is currently working on research that focuses on the recently emerging approach of Natural Asset Management across Atlantic Canada.

Kateryna is pursuing her MES through the coLab. She completed her Bachelor in International Relations at the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, Ukraine. She lives in Halifax and has also worked in the Community Engaged Co-Lab as an intern funded by Mitacs, a nonprofit Canadian research organization. She deals with analyzing the spaces created for dialogue around environmental issues that can contribute towards marginalization and tries to find the ways in which discourses can be altered to restore social justice. She studies how Ukrainian-Canadians have adapted to Canada after migrating in the XIX-XX centuries, precisely how they make nature a medium of expressing their nostalgia in the folk culture and try to recreate their homeland while cultivating foreign soil. As a huge number of Ukrainians cross the Canadian border and people of Ukrainian origin feel magnetized towards their root, this topic is gaining new meanings.

Jessica Steele (she/her) is pursuing a Master of Resource Management in the Coastal and Marine Management program at the University Centre of the Westfjords (University of Akureyri) in Iceland. Under the supervision of Dr. Melanie Zurba, she is completing her thesis work with the Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures Project exploring the role of Inuit-led art in knowledge co-production to protect Nunatsiavut’s coasts. Jessica completed a BSc in Biology (Specialization in Marine Biology) from the University of Victoria in 2015 and has a wide range of experience in research, environmental management, climate policy, science education, and youth engagement, having worked across Canada as well as abroad. Most recently, Jessica worked with səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), upholding the Nation’s Rights through co-management initiatives and Consultation on environmental assessment projects. Jessica’s research interests are broad and interdisciplinary and include applied ocean conservation, the ocean-climate nexus, climate adaptation, community-led research, knowledge co-production, and justice and equity in research and conservation.

Antonella (she/her) is a current student of the Masters of Environmental Studies. She obtained her Honours degree in International Relations and Anthropology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito in her homeland, Ecuador. During her studies at USFQ, she was involved in different projects with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in the Amazon and the Andes. Her line of interest in research is decolonial studies, critical studies, environmental justice, and indigenous land rights.