Project team

Michael Drescher headshot

Michael Drescher

Project Director and Lead Principal Investigator; Associate Professor, School of Planning, Faculty of Environment

Michael Drescher is a terrestrial ecologist by training working in green infrastructure planning as an environmental social scientist. 

Maria Strack headshot

Maria Strack

Co-Principal Investigator; Professor, Canada Research Chair, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment

Maria Strack is a physical geographer by training and an expert in wetland hydrology and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Derek Robinson headshot

Derek Robinson

Co-Principal Investigator; Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment

Derek Robinson is a trained physical geographer with specializations in remote sensing and carbon modelling. 

Dawn Parker headshot

Dawn Parker

Co-Principal Investigator; Professor, School of Planning, Faculty of Environment

Dawn Parker is a computational social scientist with specialization in housing markets and an internationally recognized expert in land systems modelling.

 Rebecca Rooney headshot

Rebecca Rooney

Co-Principal Investigator; Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science

Rebecca Rooney is a trained aquatic biologist with specialization in environmental toxicology. 

Bruce MacVicar headshot

Bruce MacVicar

Co-Principal Investigator; Associate Professor Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering

Bruce MacVicar is an expert in hydraulic engineering and fluvial geomorphology. 

Profile photo of Harriet Bigas

Harriet Bigas

Project Manager

Harriet Bigas is the project manager of RISE.

Profile photo of Kwabena Owusu

Kwabena Owusu

Postdoctoral scholar, School of Planning, Faculty of Environment

Kwaben Owusu is a mathematical modeller by training and a postdoctoral scholar on RISE.  

Gab Izma

Gab Izma

Postdoctoral scholar, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science

Gab Izma is a postdoctoral scholar on RISE with a background in ecotoxicology and biomonitoring or urban systems.

Profile photo of Hazem Ahmed

Hazem Ahmed

Ph.D. candidate, School of Planning, Faculty of Environment

Hazem Ahmed is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Planning under the supervision of Dawn Parker.

Adam Skoyles headshot

Adam Skoyles

Ph.D. candidate, School of Planning, Faculty of Environment

Adam Skyoles is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Planning under the supervision of Michael Drescher.

Thiruni Thirimanne headshot

Thiruni Thirimanne

Ph.D. candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering

Thiruni Thirimanne is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering under the supervision of Bruce MacVicar.

Foruzan Ramezanian

Foruzan Ramezanian

Ph.D. candidate, School of Planning, Faculty of Environment

Foruzan Ramezanian is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Planning under the supervision of Michael Drescher.

Profile photo of Brandon Giura

Brandon Giura

Ph.D. candidate, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment

Brandon Giura is a Ph.D candidate in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management under the supervision of Derek Robinson. 

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Chenxi Liu

Research Assistant, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment

Chenxi Liu is a Research Assistant in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management under the supervision of Derek Robinson.

Profile photo of Rayden Laliberte

Rayden Laliberte

Master's (M.Sc.) student, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment

Rayden Laliberte is a Master's (M.Sc.) student in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management under the supervision of Maria Strack.

Profile photo of Nurudeen Issifu

Nurudeen Issifu

Master's (M.A.) student, School of Planning, Faculty of Environment

Nurudeen Issifu is a Master’s (M.A.) student in the School of Planning under the supervision of Dawn Parker.

Profile photo of Jesse St. John-Parker

Jesse St. John-Parker

Master’s (M.Sc.) student, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering

Jesse St. John-Parker is a Master’s student under the supervision of Bruce MacVicar.

Profile photo of Hayden Lam

Hayden Lam

Master’s (M.Sc.) student, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment

Hayden Lam is a Master's student under the supervision of Derek Robinson. 

Alexa Michiyo Rigonan

Alexa Michiyo Rigonan

Undergraduate student and research assistant, School of Planning, Faculty of Environment

Alexa Michiyo Rigonan is an undergraduate research assistant in the School of Planning, Faculty of Environment under the supervision of Michael Drescher.

Profile photo of Abby Shin

Abby Shin

Bachelor’s (BES) student, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability (SERS), Faculty of Environment

Abby Shin is an undergraduate research assistant working under the supervision of Michael Drescher.

Past team members

Profile photo of Akshara Withanage

Akshara Withanage

Graduate (M.Sc.), Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faulty of Environment

Akshara Withanage is a Master's (M.Sc.) graduate from the Department of Geography and Environmental Management under the supervision of Maria Strack.

Liahm Ruest headshot

Liahm Ruest

Graduate (M.Sc.), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science

Liahm Ruest is an M.Sc. graduate (2025) from the Department of Biology under the supervision of Rebecca Rooney.

Profile photo of Justin Yu

Justin Yu

Graduate (B.Sc.), Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science

Justin Yu is a graduate (B.Sc.) of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science.

Profile photo of Micheal Glazyrin

Micheal Glazyrin

Co-op student, School of Planning, Faculty of Environment

Micheal Glazyrin worked as an undergraduate co-op student in the School of Planning, Faculty of Environment under the supervision of Dawn Parker.

Profile photo of Kayla Martin

Kayla Martin

Research Technician

Kayla Martin worked as a Research Technician with the Wetland Soils and Greenhouse Gas Exchange Lab under the supervision of Maria Strack.

Profile photo of Syd Higgins

Syd Higgins

Bachelor’s (B.Sc.) student, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science

Syd Higgins worked an undergraduate co-op student in the Wetlands Soils and Greenhouse Gas Exchange Lab under the supervision of Maria Strack.