Previous ESRG Members
Alan Diduck, Professor Emeritus
Prior to joining UWinnipeg, I was a lawyer and Executive Director of Community Legal Education Association, a social profit organization providing public legal education and information services. My research deals with community engagement and environmental governance, particularly environmental impact assessment. An important focus of my work is the learning implications of community engagement and the consequences for social aspects of sustainability. I study non-formal, informal, and social learning and different types of outcomes, including cognitive, value, behavioral, relational, and institutional change. My work covers various levels of social organization (e.g., individuals, groups, and organizations) and different aspects of social sustainability (e.g., adaptive capacity, environmental justice, and socio-political empowerment).
Lila Asher (2023-2025)
Hi! I’m Lila (she/they) and I’m in the MA stream of the Master of Environment and Social Change program here at the University of Winnipeg. I hold a Master of City Planning from the University of Manitoba and a BA in Equity Studies and Environmental Studies from the University of Toronto. I grew up in Louisville, KY and have family coast to coast in the US. As a settler scholar, activist, and (hopefully some day!) planning practitioner, I strive to ensure my work is accountable to Indigenous leadership and decolonial goals. My research interests centre around climate resilience, Indigenous self-determination, collaborative governance, and urban contexts. I’m excited to be contributing to the CANSTORE project during my time with ESRG. View completed thesis here.
Olivia Kehler (2022-2025)
My name is Olivia Kehler, and I am pursuing a Master of Arts in Environmental and Social Change. I hold a BA in International Development Studies from The University of Winnipeg. Much of my work experience to date is in the not-for-profit sector working with youth and young adults. I also have experience with GIS and with organizations focused on food security. My thesis project explores the concept of ‘empowerment’ in participatory research involving Indigenous peoples and communities in Canada. View completed thesis here.
Olivia Kehler (2022-2025)
Hello! My name is Sara Sawatsky (she/her), and I am a Senior Research Assistant with the Environment and Society Research Group. I recently completed my Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Sociology at the University of Winnipeg, where I continue to work various teaching and research positions. My years of experience working as a Teaching Assistant for quantitative research methods has inspired many of my personal research interests, including decolonizing the colonial curriculum in Canada’s education system and decolonizing research methodologies. My current work in the lab focuses on the interactions between climate change adaptation and culture. I am grateful for the opportunity to explore my interest in the sociocultural determinants of environmental challenges under meaningful mentorship and collaboration with a group of outstanding researchers.
Mohammad Anas Shoebullah Khan (2022-2024)
Hello! My name is Anas (he/him) and I am a graduate student in the Master in Environmental and Social Change (MESC) program at the University of Winnipeg. I am originally from a small coastal town in Gujarat, India. My undergraduate degree was in law, and I also hold a diploma in Human Rights. I have previously worked as a Senior Associate with the Centre for Civil Society, India – a New Delhi based public policy think tank. My work primarily included policy advocacy, training and outreach on key environmental policy projects focusing on forest rights in India, and on making a case for rights-based regulatory governance of small-scale fisheries. I also teach a module on environmental policy as part of the Centre for Civil Society’s introductory course in public policy. My research interests include rights-based conservation, natural resource management, public policy, and regulatory governance. View completed thesis here.
Annie Martel (2022-2024)
Taanshi! My name is Annie Martel (she/her/elle), I am a Red River Métis woman. I am from a small Métis community, traditionally known as the Rat River Settlement, now known as St-Pierre-Jolys. I am currently in my first year the MESC program, completing a Master of Arts. I recently completed my Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Mount Allison University. My personal research interests are focused on Indigenous knowledges, climate change, and climate adaptation. My current proposed research will focus on characterizing Métis knowledge across both English and French-speaking Michif communities in Southeastern Manitoba (including my own community) to better understand the risks and opportunities to respond to climate change in a holistic and culturally appropriate manner. The project will help understand the linkages between colonization, land-use, and capacity to respond to climate impacts while also developing climate adaptation planning approaches based on Métis knowledges. I am grateful to be back in my community and back on my homelands after being away for several years, and I am looking forward to learning more and reclaiming my own community’s history and knowledge! View completed thesis here.
Kaydon Nanuraq Laurin (2023-2024)
Good day. My name is Kaydon Nanuraq Laurin. Nanuraq is my Inuktitut name, which translates to polar bear skin/hide. I am both French and an urban Inuk, with roots in St. Anne, Manitoba and Whale Cove (Tikiraqjuaq), Nunavut – a member of the Voisey family. I am currently the Youth Representative on the Manitoba Inuit Association’s Board of Directors and on the Government of Manitoba’s Indigenous Inclusion Directorate Advisory Council (Department of Education). I am also currently completing my BA in Sustainable Environmental Resource Systems at the University of Winnipeg. Upon graduating, I am interested in pursuing a JD with a focus on incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (what Inuit have always known to be true) into my practice. I am honoured to assist the archival work that is being undertaken by the Environment and Society Research Group in partnership with Eagle Lake First Nation.
Jessica Edinborough (2023-2024)
Hi! My name is Jessica (she/her) and I am a research assistant with the Environment and Society Research Group. I’m currently an undergraduate student studying in the department of Environmental Studies and Sciences. I originally wanted to focus on biology during my first year of university, but I really enjoyed the environmental courses that I took in my second year of university, and now I am working towards finishing a BA in Sustainable Environmental Resource Systems! I am happy to continue my work at the lab and I am looking forward to the various projects I will be working on this summer.
Emily Unger, MES (2021-2023)
Hello! My name is Emily Unger (she/her). I am a graduate student in the Environment and Society Research Group (ESRG), working towards attaining my Masters in Environment here at the U of W. Since completing my Bachelor of Environmental Studies in 2020, I have had a keen interest in environmental governance and resource management. Advised by Dr. Bullock, my research follows a collaborative approach, working with Eagle Lake First Nation. The research collaboration presently focuses on renewable energy, co-management resource agreements, and community capacity building. I have been fortunate to be able to take part in this community collaborative research, and hope to continue developing a meaningful and long-term relationship with Eagle Lake First Nation as I continue my role as a student researcher at the ESRG. View completed thesis here.
Patrick Carty, MES (2021-2023)
Howdy! My name is Patrick (he/him). I am a graduate student in the Master of Environmental and Social Change program at the University of Winnipeg and am currently working on the CLAND project with the Environment and Society Research Group. I have a BSc in Biology from the U of W and am a certified Arborist. I was born in Kenora, Ontario, and my roots in the Canadian Shield have led to a deep appreciation for the boreal forest. My research is focused on advancing Indigenous-led forestry initiatives in First Nations communities in northern Manitoba. Through this research, I hope to assist First Nations in managing their forest resources, gain a better understanding of forestry policy in Manitoba and make recommendations for policy reform. I am grateful to be a part of the ESRG, where I can conduct exciting research with a supportive and diverse group of colleagues! View completed thesis here.
Emma Nurse (2023)
Hi! My name is Emma Nurse, I am working towards finishing a BA in Environmental Studies: Sustainable Urban Environments. I am especially focused on community empowerment and capacity building to achieve greater urban sustainability, as well as supporting food sovereignty within urban and rural Canadian contexts. I am currently assisting with a project on community forestry in Canada and expanding on the scope of community forestry literature within Manitoba. I am incredibly grateful and excited to be a new research assistant to the Environment and Society Research Group (ESRG), and to be able to learn from and collaborate with academics from different disciplines.
Ana Sofía Robledo Romero (2023)
Hi! / Hola! My name is Ana Sofia, I’m currently an undergraduate student in the BA of Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development in Mexico, where I´m originally from. I am here in Winnipeg for the summer as a Mitacs Globalink research intern. My interests lean towards the study of socio-ecological systems and social movements such as feminism and the struggle for the recognition of indigenous rights. During this summer, I’m so happy to be collaborating with the team on the CLAND project and to engage in the research field.
Alex Mattocks, B.Sc. (2020-2021)
Alex Mattocks was a Senior Research Assistant with the Environment and Society Research Group. Her work focused on the Climate Learning and Adaptation for Northern Development (C-LAND) project, and other general research with the ESRG.
Avery Letkemann, B.A. (2020-2021)
Avery was a Senior Research Assistant and Research Coordinator with the Environment and Society Research Group. Her work with the ESRG focused on the Climate Learning and Adaptation for Northern Development (C-LAND) project.
Karla Sewell, B.Sc. (2019-2021)
Karla was a Senior Research Assistant with the Environment and Society Research Group. Her work focused on partnerships and capacity building with Indigenous communities.
Jonathan Luedee, PhD (2019-2020)
Jonathan is a Faculty of Arts and Science Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto. He was postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences at The University of Winnipeg and a member of the Environment & Society Research Group (ESRG) from 2019 – 2020.
Kaya Lange, Mitacs Intern (Summer 2019)
Kaya was a Mitacs Globalink Research Intern with the Environmental and Society Research Group. Kaya is from the Leuphana University Lueneburg in Germany, where she studied Environmental Science and Economics. Kaya’s work supported the ESRG on multiple projects, including the C-LAND project.
Julia Antonyshyn, B.A. (2018-2020)
Julia was a Senior Research Assistant with the Environment and Society Research Group.
Thesis: The evolving role of trust in Innu-Provincial natural resource relationships
Yihang She, Mitacs Intern (Summer 2018)
Yihang was a Mitacs Globalink Research Intern with the Environmental and Society Research Group. Yihang is from Nanjing University in China, where he majored in Geographic Information Science. Yihang’s work with the ESRG focused on Forest-Community Innovation Networks.
Miranda Hamilton, B.Sc. (2016-2020)
Miranda was a Senior Research Assistant with the Environment and Society Research Group.
Thesis: An institutional analysis of the Portage Community Pasture as a common property resource
ESRG 