Director,  Partners for Action

Sharmalene is a mixed-methods geographer who is passionate about non-profits and harnessing the resources of academia for community benefit. She worked for several interdisciplinary research centres that aim to advance community well-being and social justice through community partnerships, program evaluations, and learning opportunities, and helped develop the pilot RAIN program to engage communities in stormwater management at Reep Green Solutions. Sharmalene now focuses on multi-hazard resilient retrofits, and equity in climate risk reduction and adaptation.

Research Assistant

Tyler is a Ph.D. Candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering and part of the Structural Timber and Applied Research Team led by Dr. Daniel Lacroix at the University of Waterloo. He led two winning structural design competition submissions, including the top prize in the student category of "Build the (Im)possible," an international competition to increase the visibility of mass timber innovation. His research focuses on the advancement of wood construction as a sustainable alternative to concrete and steel.

Research Assistant

Herry is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Applied Science with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Graduating from the inaugural Architectural Engineering undergraduate program at the University of Waterloo, Herry is dedicated to advancing wood's role in sustainable construction, particularly through utilizing mass timber in building and infrastructure projects. In addition to his academic pursuits, Herry has led winning teams in two structural design competitions aimed at fostering a new wave of environmentally conscious design.

Administration & Research Coordinator

Felicia holds a Master of Environmental Studies in Geography with an interdisciplinary background in international relations, environmental management, and adaptive water resources management. Her research specializes in flood policy, integrated watershed planning, community resilience, and collaborative governance. A system's thinker at heart, Felicia is committed to advancing multi-functional adaptation solutions and community-led decision-making processes that bridge silos, restore relationships between people and ecosystems, and sustain healthy communities. Felicia will begin her PhD studies in Geography in Fall 2025.

Research Assistant

Sheridan is a Bachelor of Science graduate from the Department of Biology. Sheridan is curious about sustainability, and the protection of ecosystems and communities in the face of climate change. While at the University of Waterloo, her studies focused on ecology, conservation, natural hazards, and resource management. Her undergraduate research explored the permanence of temporary wetlands essential to the nesting of the endangered Whooping Crane in Wood Buffalo National Park. As a research assistant, Sheridan supported P4A through research, writing, editing and website design. Sheridan intends to start her graduate studies in Fall 2025.

Former Research Assistant 

Sumana holds a Masters in Climate Change. With an interdisciplinary background in civil engineering, transport planning, and climate change, she has over 6+ years in the field of infrastructure consulting. Sumana specializes in cost-benefit analysis of highway projects and has been involved in several such projects in Africa, India, and the UK funded by leading multilateral donor agencies. Driven by a commitment to building resilience, she is deeply interested in climate adaptation strategies for infrastructure. Sumana's goal is to create connected communities with transportation systems that are both economic and environmentally sustainable.

Former Research Assistant

Benedictus is a Masters in Climate Change graduate from the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo. Benedictus completed a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph, in which he majored in Environmental Economics and Policy. Benedictus has internship experience as a policy analyst for Environment Canada, a researcher for the Ontario Energy Board, and a sustainability analyst in the real estate industry. He holds a special interest in climate governance and adaptation policy. 

Former Research Project Coordinator

Kalindi holds a Master of Climate Change in Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo. Prior to this, she completed a Master of Science in Physics and worked at research institutes in India and Germany. She is inclined towards climate policy analysis and developing action plans that describe projected climate impacts, quantify current and future greenhouse gas emissions, and identify strategies to build adaptive capacity and resiliency. Following her studies, Kalindi joined Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada as a policy analyst.

Former Research Assistant 

Cameron holds a Master of Environmental Studies in Sustainability Management from the University of Waterloo. Her research explored the effectiveness of sustainability standards as governance mechanisms. Her background includes environmental governance, corporate sustainability, and implementing sustainability standards. As a research assistant, Cameron supported P4A by conducting literature reviews, organizing information, and producing communications pieces. Since the completion of her studies, she has worked to advance decarbonization as a Sustainability Analyst with Adaptis.

Former Research Assistant

Rachel holds a Master of Environmental Studies in Sustainability Management (Water) from the University of Waterloo. Her research focused on flood risk communications and natural hazards policy, and she previously worked as a City of Mississauga stormwater drainage intern. As a P4A research assistant, Rachel worked on the Climate Resilient Retrofits and Inclusive Resilience projects. Following the completion of her studies, Rachel joined Public Safety Canada as a policy analyst, supporting policy development for federal flood risk management initiatives.

Former Research Assistant

Monika is a Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria. Monika is curious about clean energy, sustainability, and the application of machine learning to generate data-driven recommendations for energy policy. Her past interdisciplinary research during her Master's in Sustainability Management from the University of Waterloo looked at analyzing net-zero energy performance of a case study office building. Her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering inspires her systems thinking as she expands her perspective to create creative and sustainable energy solutions!

Former Research Assistant

Devon holds a Master of Environmental Studies in Geography and Environmental Management from the University of Waterloo. Her research focused on nature-based solutions in coastal areas, exploring the City of Surrey's Living Dike pilot project as part of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions' Living with Water project. She recently published a paper titled, "Encouraging co-benefits in climate-affected hazard adaptation: Developing and testing a scorecard for project design and evaluation." Since graduating, Devon joined Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada as a policy analyst, supporting environmental and infrastructure policy development.