Elena Christy

Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment

University of Waterloo

Elena Christy (she/her) is a project manager and research coordinator specializing in community‑engaged research, stakeholder collaboration, and knowledge mobilization across complex, multi‑partner initiatives. She brings experience supporting interdisciplinary teams, coordinating applied grant-funded research projects, and facilitating partnerships that bridge academic, government, and community contexts. With a background spanning community and international development, participatory design, and applied research, Elena is particularly interested in how transdisciplinary collaboration can drive equitable climate resilience and social change.

Previously, Elena supported stakeholder engagement, communications, and knowledge mobilization at Partners for Action, where she worked closely with researchers and cross-sectoral partners on flood‑risk awareness and climate‑resilience initiatives. Prior to that, she held research project coordination roles at the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture and the Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems; contributed communications and program support to the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Development; and oversaw reporting and evaluation for a CIDA‑funded community development project in rural Western Kenya.

Elena holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University and a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Guelph. She has a collaborative facilitation style, strong organizational skills, and commitment to building thoughtful, equity‑oriented research partnerships—skills she applies to advancing community‑engaged, equity‑informed approaches to flood resilience and climate adaptation.