There are few silver linings to the intersecting crises of climate change and a global pandemic. However, in working publicly and behind the scenes with our Environment community I have seen our best and brightest step forward with leadership to meet this moment. Each of us has our own story of stepping up when needed. These stories are important. They signal a strength and determination to come together and face uncertainty with courage and purpose.
It’s these stories we want to share in our seventh issue of ENVision. Stories about leadership, hope, blazing a new path and how we have been able to assess, recalculate, and create a complete 180° shift in how we work and relate to others. This ENVision shares but a few examples of how we not only adapt to the times we are living in, but transform into the type of leaders who are able to use what we’ve been given to become architects of a new vision.
Caivan Communities co-founders and CEOs Frank Cairo and Troy van Haastrech are two leaders who have a vision for the purpose and impact of their work. As developers and philanthropists, they are literally building a better future. Sharing our vision for more thoughtful and purposeful cities of the future, they have made a ground-breaking $1 million donation to the Faculty of Environment. This gift is the seed investment for the Future Cities Initiative Δ Program.
This winter we were honoured to welcome Dr. Julian Agyeman as the 2020 TD Walter Bean Professor in the Environment. As special guest at the TD Walter Bean Lecture in the Environment, Dr. Agyeman explored the connection between urban planning and social equity as hundreds joined the event virtually.
As International Women’s Day (March 8th) approaches we have a new Environment student-led organization inviting female researchers of all ages across campus to mentor and support each other. Waterloo Women Leading Academia was funded by a Waterloo Environment Student Endowment Fund (WESEF) grant, and let by students Vasundhara Saravade and Blessing Ajayi. Their hope is fostering a new generation of confident leaders. Find out more about the initiative which is now accepting both mentors and mentees.
As researcher in the Faculty of Environment and a Canada Research Chair in Energy Transitions Juan Moreno-Cruz points out with everything else going on, it’s easy to forget the climate crisis. But climate change is still out there and it’s only getting stronger. Riskier solutions to manage climate change, such as Geoengineering, now on the table. As a climate leader, Moreno-Cruz asks how do we proceed safely and equitably in these uncharted waters?
We are also pleased to bring yet another skilled leader into the Environment fold. Julie Wright, formerly of the SDG-focused, Waterloo Global Science Initiative, took over the leadership role of director at Partners 4 Action. We caught up with her and asked her a few questions about our climate risk, and where she plans on taking the organization in the future.
Finally, I would also like to acknowledge everyone in the Faculty of Environment community. To see so many of our alumni reconnect, and come together to give back through their class gift is humbling. It is wonderful to reconnect virtually for now, and read some of our alumni’s updates through the class notes. Your perseverance and dedication to our shared vision of a more environmentally sustainable, and socially equitable world is more important than ever. I couldn’t be prouder.
Jean Andrey
Dean, Faculty of Environment
