Keynote Speaker
Dr. Brendan Murphy
Assistant Professor, School of Environmental Science, Simon Fraser University
Topic: post-wildfire hydrogeomorphology, exploring the cascading effects of natural hazards and unveiling innovative techniques and tools for pre-fire risk assessments
Dr. Brendan Murphy is an Assistant Professor in the School of Environmental Science at Simon Fraser University whose interdisciplinary wildfire-related research incorporates hydrology, geomorphology, and ecology. His work focuses largely on the aftereffects of wildfires with an overarching objective of improving predictions of cascading post-fire natural hazards (e.g., flooding and debris flows) and advancing our ability to assess and mitigate these risks before fires even occur. He currently leads active research projects across western Canada and the US, including in BC, California, Utah, and Colorado.
Dr. Nandita Basu
Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo
Topic: Solutionscapes for Sustainable Food-Water-Energy Futures
Dr. Nandita Basu is a Tier I Canada Research Chair of Global Water Sustainability and Ecohydrology, and a Professor in the Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo. She is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, winner of the Joanne Simpson Medal, and former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Hydrology. Nandita is an environmental engineer who uses data science and process modelling to explore how human actions degrade water quality, and design strategies to mitigate such impacts. She leads multiple large initiatives, including a recently funded $6M grant on nature-based solutions in agricultural landscapes.