Nancy Goucher is a Knowledge Mobilization Specialist at the University of Waterloo’s Water Institute. She supports the Microplastics Fingerprinting project, a multidisciplinary initiative involving over 30 faculty members, graduate students, and staff working together to address the environmental challenges of microplastic pollution. Nancy plays a key role in bridging research and action for the project, bringing together the team’s diverse expertise to create innovative solutions for addressing this critical issue.
Her work spans several critical areas, including:
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Communication, dissemination, and outreach: Nancy leads efforts to translate scientific outcomes into accessible language and shares findings through the project website, newsletters, and reports, ensuring broader engagement and understanding.
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Partnership development and management: She fosters and maintains relationships with project partners and stakeholders, enabling research collaborations and identifying opportunities to mobilize findings for real-world impact.
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Identification of science-policy opportunities: Nancy supports research efforts under Work Package 4 (WP4) which focuses on developing risk mitigation strategies and identifying policy opportunities to reduce microplastic pollution. Nancy has represented the project at high-profile meetings, including the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations and Great Lakes Executive Committee meetings.
Nancy’s passion for protecting water and ecosystem integrity has been a driving force throughout her 16-year career in strategic water management and policy. In the mid-2010s, she played a pivotal role in securing Canada’s ban on microbeads in pharmaceutical products, a milestone achieved when public awareness of plastic pollution was just beginning to grow.
Her dedication to advancing sustainable water policies and her expertise in mobilizing research ensure that the Microplastics Fingerprinting project’s insights contribute meaningfully to addressing one of today’s most pressing environmental challenges.