I am a transdisciplinary sustainability scholar broadly interested in the study of how change happens within complex systems. After completing my PhD in Community Sustainability at Michigan State University, I began a Postdoctoral Scholar position at the University of Waterloo’s School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, supported by SSHRC’s Canada Impact+ Research Training Award (CIRTA).
My research spans three main areas: (i) energy justice, focusing on the uptake of solar systems for energy access in Indigenous and traditional Amazonian communities; (ii) futures research, focusing on participatory scenario planning to envision positive futures and actionable transformation pathways; (iii) transdisciplinary research, specializing in the design, facilitation, and evaluation of participatory processes of knowledge co-production.
In collaboration with Profs. Marta Berbés-Blázquez and Sarah Burch, my postdoctoral project investigates the conditions and mechanisms of amplification that allow community-led climate solutions to facilitate broader sustainability transformations in just and equitable ways. Methodologically, my work is grounded in a reflexive approach, drawing on deep experience with qualitative methodologies and workshop facilitation. I am also an active member with the Society for Social-Ecological Systems and the Resilience Alliance.
To learn more about my work, see my publications on Google Scholar or visit my website. Feel free to reach me at lembi@uwaterloo.ca