Jangho Yang is an Assistant Professor of Management Science and Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Before joining the University of Waterloo, he completed his Ph.D. at the New School for Social Research and then undertook a postdoctoral research position at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on information-theoretic approaches, power-law behavior, firm-level productivity and investment, and Bayesian multilevel modeling. In particular, he specializes in applying complex system frameworks, such as maximum entropy modeling and power law modeling, to economic data on technological change.
Affiliate researcher, University of Waterloo
Rodrigo Costa is an Assistant Professor in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, whose research employs computational simulations to investigate how communities’ physical, economic, and social systems interact and exacerbate disaster risk and inequalities. He uses agent-based simulations to help decision-makers better understand and address post-disaster unmet needs. Costa’s work has been recognized with the 2021 Best Graduate Paper Award by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute for his paper titled ‘Agent-based Model for Post-earthquake Housing Recovery’ and is a co-PI in the Center of Excellence for Equitable and Climate Resilient Housing funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
David Porreca, Associate Professor and Chair of Classical Studies, and Co-Director of Medieval Studies at University of Waterloo, researches Medieval intellectual history, especially the pagan Classical tradition in the Christian Middle Ages. In addition, he has become interested in ancient and Medieval magic, astrology, alchemy, palaeography, manuscript transmission and glosses, and produced a new English translated the Latin astral magic text known as Picatrix in 2019. In parallel to his interest in intellectual history, he has begun examining the dynamics of the rise, flourishing and downfall of complex societies, such as ancient Roman civilization, especially with regard to the impact of resource depletion on these processes. David joined WICI's Steering Committee in 2022.
Marek Stastna, Associate Dean of Computing and Professor of Applied Mathematics is an applied mathematician by training (PhD, Waterloo 2001). His applied mathematics interests are rooted in the descriptions of nonlinear waves, whether analytical (perturbation theory, variational methods) or numerical. His post PhD career has covered a broad range of application topics, with coastal oceans and large lakes the primary focus. He has made occasional forays into climate modeling, hydrology and other porous media problems. He enjoys developing numerical models, and has been involved in large, MPI based models, GPU based models as well as data analysis methods meant for a non-technical audience.
David Porreca is an Associate Professor and Chair in the Department of Classical Studies and the Co-Director of Medieval Studies Undergraduate Program, at University of Waterloo. David's research interests broadly involve Medieval intellectual history, especially the reception of the pagan Classical tradition in the Christian Middle Ages.
Bruce MacVicar, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is interested in complex systems related to alluvial rivers where the form of the river is determined by a complex interplay between flow shear stress and turbulence, sediment transport, vegetation growth, and the development of bedforms like riff
Simone Philpot is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Lab for Environmental Assessment and Policy at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia. Simone merges systems modelling and qualitative research techniques to examine environmental management and planning issues. She also works to integratea range of real-world decision motivators into decision support systems.
Dr. Lisa Aultman-Hall is Professor and Chair of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. After graduating in 1996 with a Ph.D.
Rebecca Saari is an Assistant Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her research team builds models to inform sustainable engineering and sustainable decisions and seeks to quantify the linkages between air quality, energy, climate, and equity.