Water Institute researcher recognized with prestigious honour
The Royal Society of Canada welcomes Dr. Laura Hug as part of the latest cohort of RSC College members
University Relations
Water Institute researcher, Dr. Laura Hug, is being recognized as a new member of the RSC College.
“Recognition from the RSC is an outstanding acknowledgement of research excellence,” says Dr. Charmaine Dean, vice-president of Research and International at Waterloo. “This year’s awardees from Waterloo have made significant contributions in the areas of artificial intelligence and environmental microbiology, crucial fields of scientific discovery that will dramatically impact future generations. At Waterloo, we are proud to lead the charge in addressing complex global challenges through our Global Futures framework. Congratulations to Dr. Hug on her outstanding achievements.”
Founded in 1882, the RSC comprises the Academy of Arts and Humanities, Academy of Social Sciences, Academy of Science and the RSC College. The RSC recognizes excellence, advises the government and the larger society, and promotes a culture of knowledge and innovation in Canada and with other national academies around the world.
Hug, a professor and Canada Research Chair in the Faculty of Science, is joining more than 100 Waterloo researchers who have been inducted as fellows and RSC College members since 1958.
She will join 103 new fellows and 55 new members of the RSC College who will be inducted at a ceremony held during the 2024 Celebration of Excellence and Engagement conference in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 8.
Hug represents the outstanding Waterloo researchers who are committed to solving the most pressing challenges of our time. They continue to build on the University’s strengths while delivering new directions and solutions needed for humanity to thrive in a complex future. Learn about their academic and industry contributions as they join the incoming cohorts of the RSC fellows and the new members of the RSC College.
Waterloo's new Royal Society of Canada College Member
Dr. Laura Hug is a professor in the Department of Biology and a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Microbiology. Her research seeks to define microbial diversity and function at contaminated sites, primarily at municipal landfills, that could often have hundreds or thousands of different species.
Hug is also the principal investigator of the Mitigation of Methane Emission Hot Spots from Municipal Landfills project, funded through the Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Climate Action and Awareness Fund.
Landfills contribute 20 per cent of Canada’s methane emissions and a priority target for emission reduction. As part of the five-year interdisciplinary research project, Hug and her team assess the impact of hot spots associated with Canadian landfill infrastructures and improve how we measure greenhouse gases. By creating these tools, cities can more effectively monitor and cut down on landfill emissions, and help Canada achieve its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
As an internationally recognized scholar in environmental microbiology, Hug’s work has been featured in major news outlets including the New York Times and The Atlantic. In 2023, she served as a science expert for TFO and BBC Radio. Hug’s research aims to expand our understanding of the tree of life and the impact that human activities have on the environment. Her work using a meta-omics (DNA, RNA and protein) approach on landfill microbiomes has contributed to real-world solutions for anthropogenic environmental impacts.
Hug is also associated with the Canadian Society for Microbiologists, the American Society for Microbiology and the International Society for Microbial Ecology.
Learn more about Hug on the Department of Biology website.