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 the Deputy Chair for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Commission for Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP). She previously served as the Chair for Theme for Governance, Equity, and Rights (TGER) under CEESP as well. 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/).

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.

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.

Kenzie McCallum (she/her) is a Masters of Environmental Studies (MES) Student in the school for Resource and Environmental Studies. In 2024 she completed a Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie University in Sustainability and Marine Biology, with a keen focus on climate change education and community engagement. During her undergrad and subsequent years, she was involved with different projects involving renewable energy and community engagement as well as a focus on climate change knowledge sharing with youth. She has a number of research interests including climate change resilience, community energy, knowledge co-production and climate justice. Under the Supervision of Dr. Melanie Zurba, she is working on a Master’s Thesis in collaboration with CANSTOREnergy focused on renewable energy development with Yukon College and First Nations.

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.

Marleina (she/her) is a Master of Resource and Environmental Management (MREM) candidate at Dalhousie University, supervised by Dr. Melanie Zurba. Her research examines Indigenous equity ownership in renewable energy projects, integrating her background in economics with her interest in advancing renewable energy and a commitment to a just transition. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (with Distinction) majoring in Business Economics and Law from the University of Alberta, as well as a Certificate in International Learning and a Certificate in Sustainability. She has experience working for both Canadian provincial and federal governments, as well as the German Research Institute for Sustainability. Marleina is currently completing Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Training through the CLIMAtlantic Institute and is passionate about expanding her expertise in community-engaged research and collaborative approaches to sustainability.

Dr Meetha Ram (He/Him) is a social scientist working on interdisciplinary research involving communities and other stakeholders. Through interdisciplinary research approaches, his research aims to contribute new scientific knowledge on existing social, environmental, and political issues and their collaborative, sustainable solutions. He is a Mitacs Post-Doctoral Fellow in collaboration with industry partner Second Harvest, working under the supervision of Dr Melanie Zurba. He holds an interdisciplinary PhD in Environmental Sustainability and Wellbeing from the University of Ferrara, Italy; an MPhil in Sociology from Huazhong Agricultural University, China; and an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan. His research aligns long-term sustainability frameworks and environmental goals, contributions, emerging challenges, and ways forward towards sustainability and sustainable development. He works on food waste, best-before dates, sustainable consumption, waste management and the SDGs, climate-induced migration, nature-based approaches, internal migration and women’s empowerment, international migration and labor integration, sustainability communication, youth studies and non-profits. With non-profits and community organizations/groups collaborations, he works for community engagement, youth and women empowerment by human rights education, sustainability knowledge, promoting peace and tolerance and meaningful engagement of youth, women, civil society and other social groups. In his current postdoctoral research, he focuses on examining the interpretations of best-before dates, using a food justice and food security lens and aligning with the SDGs, CIF, and long-term sustainable consumption.

Dr. Navya Vikraman Nair (she/her) is a transdisciplinary sustainability scholar and Ocean Frontier Institute Postdoctoral Fellow working collaboratively with the Community-Engaged CoLab under the supervision of Dr. Melanie Zurba and the Future of Marine Ecosystems Research Group with Dr. Derek Tittensor at Dalhousie University. She is also affiliated with the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria, where she is also a recipient of the Centre for Global Studies–POLIS Fellowship, and with the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo through the Vulnerability to Viability (V2V): Global Partnership project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada. Navya completed her interdisciplinary PhD in Sustainability Management (Water) at the University of Waterloo, Canada, where her research explored the interconnections between blue carbon ecosystems, water quality, small-scale fisheries, and coastal social-ecological governance in India through participatory and community-centered approaches. She is also involved in collaborative sustainability initiatives across Canada, Europe, and South Asia through international fellowships and interdisciplinary research partnerships. With a background in civil and environmental engineering, her work integrates systems thinking, ecological understanding, and qualitative social science methods. Her broader interests include sustainability transitions, climate adaptation, environmental governance, participatory research, Indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge systems, coastal resilience, and justice-oriented sustainability pathways.

Rachel is a current MMM (Master of Marine Management) student who holds a BA Honours in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University. During her internship with Ocean Week Halifax, she took part in numerous activities and learned how powerful community engagement is for marine conservation. Her graduate project focuses on the role social media platforms play in spreading ecological grief and/or ecological optimism.

Adesoji is a current Master of Environmental Studies (MES) student in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies. He completed his MSc in Environmental Biology with a specialization in Plant Ecology in August 2026 from the University of Ibadan, where his project focused on the conservation status and threats to calabash trees in peri-urban Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. He completed his honours in 2023, also at the same university, specializing in Crop Protection and Environmental Biology. Throughout his undergraduate and subsequent years, Adesoji has enjoyed educating the community on Climate Change, as he owns an initiative where he educates marginalized communities, especially children, while also volunteering for leadership organizations for impactful projects. He enjoys integrating communities and their knowledge into conservation conversations.

Adesoji’s interests lie in Community Engagement, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Biodiversity Conservation, and Climate Change Education. Under the supervision of Dr. Melanie Zurba, he will be working on a Master’s Thesis in collaboration with CANSTOREnergy focused on renewable energy development and community engagement in the Yukon and Hamilton

Michelyn Carmody (she/her) is currently pursuing a Masters of Environmental Studies (MES) at Dalhousie University’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies. In 2024, she completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Victoria, with concentrations in Environmental Studies, Indigenous Studies, and Business. Growing up in Banff National Park helped shape her research interests, which include land use agreements, resource management, and negotiation processes between First Nations and governments. Under the supervision of Dr. Melanie Zurba, Michelyn is conducting her master’s thesis research in collaboration with CANSTOREnergy.