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EUC Impact Report 2025-2026

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EUC Impact Report

2025-2026

Land Acknowledgement

First Nations peoples have lived on this part of Turtle Island for millennia, stewarding the land, the water and all that contributes to life in this region. Today, the culture and presence of First Nations, Inuit and M茅tis peoples enrich the lands and people of this territory.

More than two centuries ago, the Mississauga people welcomed settlers to this territory, providing sustenance and engaging in trade and commerce. Between 1781 and 1820, eight treaties were signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, who opened their territory to settlement. Today, 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus is located on Toronto Purchase Treaty, No. 13 lands and is situated on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee.

Treaty history is foundational, and it is our collective responsibility to honour the land, as we honour and respect those who have gone before us, those who are here and those who have yet to come. We are grateful for the opportunity to be learning, working and thriving on this land, and we commit to learn the truth and be active in the process of reconciliation.

Message from the Dean

The world continues to grapple with accelerating environmental crises, deepening social inequities, and a troubling retreat from the evidence-based policy commitments our planet urgently needs. In this context, the work of our Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) at 91亚色 has never been more vital. Our resolve, as ever, remains firm.

This EUC Impact Report 2025/26 celebrates our commitment to research excellence and the tangible impact it generates for people and the planet. It showcases the individual and collective contributions of EUC faculty, students, and staff whose scholarship is advancing sustainability and social justice across the globe 鈥� across 33 countries, through 50 sponsored projects, and with an annual research income of approximately $11 million.

Dean Alice Hovorka

Notably, EUC punches well above its weight in international research rankings. In the QS Subject Rankings for Geography, 91亚色 rose from 12th in Canada for Academic Reputation in 2020 to 6th place in 2025, finishing 4th in Canada and 2nd in Ontario overall. In the Shanghai Rankings, 91亚色 Geography climbed from 12th in Canada in 2020 to 5th in Canada and within the top 76鈥�100 globally by 2025. These are not abstract metrics 鈥� they reflect the sustained, high-quality scholarship of our faculty members, 75% of whom have served as Principal Investigators on external tri-council grants 鈥� spanning SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR 鈥� over the past five years with a success rate of 54% on grant applications.

Moreover, EUC's research reaches far beyond the walls of our Faculty 鈥� into communities, policy chambers, and international partnerships. The International Ecological Footprint Learning Lab is refining how humanity measures its demands on nature. The Energy Modelling Hub is guiding Canada toward a net-zero economy. The AV-STEC project is enabling climate adaptation in vulnerable communities across two continents. And the rebuilding of Scotty Creek Research Station 鈥� Canada's first Indigenous-led research station 鈥� exemplifies our researchers鈥� deep commitment to community-centered, decolonial science. This year alone, EUC researchers appeared in 169 print media pieces, 122 radio and television features, and published 45 op-eds, bringing our scholarship directly to public audiences.

Finally, EUC's research culture thrives because of the extraordinary community that sustains it. Our graduate student body of over 200 full-time researchers brings a rare energy to the Faculty: most arrive as accomplished professionals, thinkers, and activists for whom research is a vocation, not just an academic exercise. Paired with personalized assistance from our research office, a robust suite of funding pathways, and peer-based support, our researchers are equipped to translate ideas into impact.

Despite the headwinds of our times, EUC remains steadfast in its mission. The stories within this report are a testament to what becomes possible when a small, mission-driven faculty commits fully 鈥� to science and scholarship, to communities, and to the future. We are proud of what our community has built, and we are energized by the work still ahead.

Dean Alice J. Hovorka
Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change

EUC at a glance

Climate Action Research

Environmental challenges require bold thinking, collaborative action, and research that drives real-world impact. Across local and global communities, EUC researchers are developing innovative approaches to climate resilience, sustainable energy, biodiversity conservation, and environmental decision-making.

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Collaborative initiative integrates Indigenous knowledge into polar bear conservation in Ontario

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An art installation

EUC-CEH seminar series explore how diverse forms of life and nonlife shape our past, present, and future

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A phone used in a forest

Using iPhone LiDAR scans for mixed forest mensuration

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Researching Inequity, Advancing Belonging

Creating a more just future requires confronting systemic inequities while amplifying community-led solutions. EUC scholars examine the intersections of race, gender, migration, identity, labour, and belonging to better understand鈥攁nd transform鈥攖he systems that shape our societies.

Research delves into the dreams and realities of refugee resettlement in Canada

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91亚色 research calls for more accessible cities

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Funding expands arts-based HIV prevention program led by 91亚色

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Learning through Discovery 

At EUC, teaching and research come together. Through hands-on research, field experiences, mentorship opportunities, and experiential learning, students work alongside faculty to generate new knowledge and tackle pressing environmental and social challenges.

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EUC Peer Mentor Program and Green Career Fair foster academic student training and professional development

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A woman using a net to catch bee in the forest

Farm decisions, policy tools, and wild bee conservation

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IPEE course highlights land-based learning and practice,
collaborative and critical engagement

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Aerial view of Maloca

 Living Innovation & Impact 

EUC's living labs bridge research, creativity, and community engagement. These spaces invite students, researchers, artists, and partners to co-create solutions that address environmental and social challenges while reimagining how we learn, live, and collaborate.

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32nd Eco-Arts and Media Festival takes place March 2 to 6

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91亚色 and University of Iceland researchers launch National Ecological Footprint & Biocapacity Accounts 2026

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An aerial view of a river

Mapping flood exposure inequities across river basins in Southern Ontario

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Celebrating Excellence

The strength of EUC is reflected in the achievements of its students, faculty, researchers, and staff. Through awards, publications, media recognition, and scholarly contributions, our community continues to advance knowledge and create meaningful change.

These talented people offer their expertise and skills that impact our EUC community positively and well beyond.

- Alice J. Hovorka, Dean & Professor
A portrait picture of the awardee

Ilan Kapoor聽has been inducted into the聽Royal Society of Canada聽(RSC), joining the Academy of Social Sciences as part of its Class of 2025. Internationally recognized for his critical work in global politics and development studies, his research has helped establish two influential subfields: postcolonial and psychoanalytic development studies.

A portrait picture of the awardee

Sheila Colla was celebrated with including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Award for Science Promotion, the Ontario Nature Education Award, the Entomological Society of Canada C. Gordon Hewitt Award, and the King Charles III Coronation Medal. Recently, a native plant garden聽was established to honour Colla鈥檚 legacy as conservation scientist.

A portrait picture of the awardee

Andil Gosine聽received a聽 for his work on Coolie Cr茅ole: Art for and against 'Us' (January鈥揓une 2026). His research considers issues of representation and its burdens, through examination of contemporary Caribbean visual arts.

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Muna-Udbi Ali received a Dean鈥檚 Teaching Award in recognition of her interdisciplinary approach to the diverse fields of Black studies, critical race studies, Black feminist studies, queer studies, environmental justice, public pedagogy, and public policy (specifically immigration, refugee, health and welfare policies). Her current research and teaching interests focus on 鈥�The future of Black hiring commitments on campus.鈥�

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Eric Miller received a Dean鈥檚 Teaching Award in recognition of his dynamic approach to teaching economics of environmental issues and public policy which includes the scope of natural resource economics, environmental economics, and ecological economics. He has developed and taught courses in Ecological Footprint Accounting and Ecological Footprint Analytics and has directed the work of the that produces the .

A portrait picture of the awardee

Joshua Thienpont received a Dean鈥檚 Teaching Award in聽 recognition of his innovative approach to teaching the science of a changing climate. 聽Through the course's learning lab activities, students are able to conduct climate modelling to assess how human influence may contribute to different climate scenarios 鈥� and how those scenarios could impact biodiversity.

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Raju Das聽received a Distinguished Achievement Award in Political Economy for the Twenty-First Century from the World Association for Political Economy for his book "

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Ute Lehrer has been appointed as a Mercator Fellow as part of the DFG-funded research project . Gesellschaftliche Transformation und r盲umliche Materialisierung des Wohnens (Everyday Change: Social Transformation and the Spatial Materialisation of Housing). The Mercator Fellowship is awarded to scholars with an outstanding international academic profile who contribute their expertise to collaborative research projects

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Lisa Myers聽was awarded an聽聽by the Canada Council for the Arts for her artistic and cultural endeavours to promote Indigenous languages.

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Adedibu Sunny Akingboye has been awarded a Connected Minds Postdoctoral Fellowship at 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC). Collaborating with Adeyemi Olusola, his research focuses on advancing climate resilience by integrating artificial intelligence, geophysics, and geotechnical engineering.

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Ximena Martinez Trabucco received a SSHRC postdoctoral fellwship in June 2025, under the supervision of Carlota McAllister. She is a scholar of land, Indigeneity, and environmental justice in the south-central Andean region (the Chilean, Peruvian, and Bolivian border). Her research deals with ethnic political identities, multicultural policies, and land rights in Northern Chile.

A portrait picture of the awardee

Roger Keil聽补苍诲听Linda Peake听飞别谤别 honored by the CITY Institute for their significant contributions to the field of urban studies. Both served as directors of the CITY Institute and were instrumental towards institution-building, engaged scholarship, and student mentorship.

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Carli Melo聽received the EUC PhD Dissertation Field Research Award in Winter 2025 and was recently a recipient聽聽for her article on "COVID, coup, and crises of social reproduction: exploring the effects of Myanmar's polycrisis on migrant workers in global seafood production networks in Thailand."

A portrait picture of the awardee

Natalie Wood聽won the 2025聽Michael Baptista Essay Prize聽for her paper, "Tidal Relations: Pelagic theories of the Black Atlantic." Her prize-winning essay explores ocean-based theories detailing how Black scholars and artists analyze and respond to anti-Black racism, environmental harm, and Eurocentric power systems through the historical significance of the Atlantic Ocean and the Middle Passage.

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Laurence Butet-Roch聽was one of the recipients of the聽Governor General Gold Medals聽in 2025 in recognition of her outstanding scholastic achievements. Her doctoral research focused on the visual representation of Aamjiwnaang First Nation and its experience of environmental injustice in Canadian news outlets.

A portrait picture of the awardee

Maureen Owino won the . Since 2007, Owino has been an active organizer and advocate for immigrants, refugees, women, and youth with HIV/AIDS in Toro She has been an active volunteer in many organizations including board membership of the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP), Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN), HIV Legal Clinic of Ontario (HALCO) and a steering committee member of the Toronto HIV Network.

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Melvin Chan won a Susan Mann Dissertation Scholarship for the 2025-26 academic year, awarded to assist outstanding 91亚色 doctoral students who have made significant progress on the research and writing of their dissertations to facilitate timely degree completion. He also received a Culture and Animals Foundation (CAF) grant for his project 鈥�Rescuing Rabbits: An Institutional Etho-Ethnography of Rabbit Welfare and Advocacy in British Columbia.鈥� The grant supports Chan in advancing his dissertation, enabling him to write portions of his monograph, continue analyzing his data, and present findings at academic and scholarly events.

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Grace Pawliw-Fry, Geography MA, has won the 91亚色 Thesis Prize for 2026! Their thesis, 鈥�Teetering on the Edge of Surplus: Neurodivergent Work, Social Reproduction, and Bodyminds in the Ontario Labour Market鈥� won the Paul Simpson-Housley Award for the best master鈥檚 thesis in the Graduate Program in Geography in 2025-26 and was then nominated to FGS for the university-wide Thesis Prize competition.

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Publications

EUC faculty and students have published a number of scholarly books and journal articles in 2025/2026.

edited 产测听Raju Das, Robert Latham and David Fasenfest, Brill 2026

Edited 产测听Valerie Preston,聽John Shields, and Tara Bedard
McGill-Queen's University Press, 2026

Edited By Alison L. Bain, Lynda Johnston, Chen Misgav, Joseli M. Silva

产测听Cole Webber聽and Philip Zigman
Between the Lines, 2026

Edited by Nicholas A. Phelps,聽Roger Keil,聽Paul Maginn Routledge, 2025

Editorial Essay 产测听Zachary Dark, Laurence Butet-Roch, Melvin Chan, Karl Petschke, Laura Tanguay, Sarah Urquhart

Edited by Manneke Budiman and Abidin Kusno

Palgrave Macmillan, 2025

by Raju Das

Brill, 2025

by聽Alison Bain聽and Julie Podmore
Routledge, 2025

by Fred Schwartz and
Amit Praharaj

Independently Published, 2025

by Sarah Levy
CRC Press, 2025

听(2025)

产测听William C. Found

Davolrem International, 2025

McGill-Queen鈥檚 University Press, 2025

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