The Government of Canada announced the recipients of one of the country’s highest academic honours — the new Canada Research Chairs. We are pleased to share Dr. Amelia Clarke and Dr. Helen Jarvie are newly appointed and Dr. Kelsey Leonard has been renewed.
From breathtaking landscapes and incredible wildlife encounters to unforgettable moments with new people and communities, Environment students captured the very best of their local and international field experiences this year. Now we need your help to crown the top three winners!
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.
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.
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.
Big moves. New chapters. Familiar names. Explore the latest updates from your classmates, then submit your own news to be featured in a future issue of Class Notes.
Homecoming 2026 brought Environment alumni together for milestone reunions, class gatherings, Faculty events and plenty of opportunities to reconnect.
A warm welcome to our 600+ new undergraduate and graduate students! Whether you are a new or returning student, we want to support you in your transition to campus. Start by reviewing campus resources.
Congratulations to Samantha Bray, a PhD student in Geography and Environmental Management, for winning the P.E.O. Scholar Award to advance her research focusing on destination stewardship, where public, private and civil sectors collaborate to protect the existing community and environment.
The Government of Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) recently announced new grant recipients, with 12 Faculty of Environment researchers awarded funding. Congratulations to Amelia Clarke, Cameron McCordic, Janice Barry, Andrea Collins, Michelle Rutty, Steffanie Scott, Jason Thistlethwaite, Julie Bernard, Leia Minaker, Joe (Zhu) Qian, Stephen Quilley and Nancy Worth.