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Dr. Reiko Omoto (PhD ’13) is a professor, researcher, farmer and lifelong learner whose work bridges scientific research and the knowledge of people who live and work closest to the land and sea. From fisheries and food systems to rural sustainability, her research across Japan, Southeast Asia and United States explores how global approaches can learn from local knowledge and lived experience. 

Adam Clark (BAS ’06, MArch ’09) has created a bridge between Waterloo classrooms and real-world city building. Through years of collaboration as a project client, guest lecturer, critic and mentor, the City of Kitchener urban designer has given students opportunities to tackle active planning challenges while bringing their research and ideas into municipal decision-making. That relationship has contributed to projects including Growing Together, Kitchener’s award-winning framework for growth around its ION light rail stations.  

Dr. Kate Linden (PhD ’18) is an ecological economist, educator and community-engaged researcher challenging conventional ideas about how we define progress. Now an associate professor at Cape Breton University, she works alongside communities on issues ranging from rural aging to ecological footprints. Across her work, she returns to the same idea: lasting change depends less on speed and optimization than on care, relationships and the communities that sustain them. 

Douglas Jones (BES ’93) has spent his career reimagining where and how children learn. As principal of Limehouse Public School, he has helped embed outdoor and sustainability-focused learning throughout school life, building on an interest first sparked during a Waterloo co-op term in outdoor education. His leadership has helped Limehouse earn EcoSchools Platinum certification for five consecutive years while influencing educators and school leaders well beyond his own school.  

Jo Fitzgibbons (MES ’19) is a planner and researcher turning environmental research into practical change in Canadian cities. She currently works in urban ecology with the City of Vancouver where she demonstrates how research, community knowledge and municipal practice can work together to create more room for nature in growing cities. 

KEEN Footwear is a long-standing partner of the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Environment, helping students turn environmental knowledge into action through scholarships, internships and experiential learning. 

From changing how children learn about the world around them to rethinking how cities grow, strengthening connections between research and practice and investing in the next generation of environmental leaders, the 2026 Faculty of Environment Alumni Award recipients demonstrate the many ways knowledge can create change when put into action.

Tracy Tran, an Honours Planning student, reflects on her friendships and how they are one of the lasting benefits of an Orientation experience that helped turn a new campus into a community. 

Under bright autumn skies and the buzz of conversation, the Faculty of Environment community gathered on the EV3 Green for its annual Fall Food Truck Social; a celebration of connection, conversation, and great tastes.

The dean of the Faculty of Environment, Bruce Frayne,  reflects on 2024’s achievements, including the launch of Environment 2035, transformative student experiences, and groundbreaking initiatives like the Future Cities Institute. He expresses gratitude to the community and leadership for their resilience and collaboration. Looking ahead to 2025, he shares optimism for a sustainable and equitable future.