Dr. Garrett Richards - Strategies for Short-Term Partnered Research Projects
Dr. Garrett Richards works at the intersection of environmental policy and community-based research. He leads collaborative, real-world projects with partner organizations, focusing on climate change, renewable energy, and sustainability. In TRANSECTS, he contributes to continuing education for transdisciplinary competencies.
Kristina Penn - Implementing Calls to Action Toward Reconciliation in Graduate Research
Kristina Penn is a PhD candidate in Geography at the University of Calgary. She received an MSc in Geography from the University of Calgary and a BSc in Geography from the University of Toronto. Kristina's doctoral research studies the water balance of Łù’àn Män (Kluane Lake), which is the largest lake in the Yukon Territory. Her study was informed by and addresses the questions of local Kluane residents and First Nation members about water resource security, current water sources for the lake, and future changes in the resource availability and their impacts. Kristina has brought perspectives and lessons from her research to the national and international research communities through participation in an international field school, serving on university faculty and graduate student committees, and as co-chair on an Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) working group. Kristina is currently the Chair of APECS Canada, and Vice-President of Girls* on Ice Canada, where she co-founded the Yukon Expedition.
At the June speaker series, Kristina Penn discusses the process, challenges, and successes of leading a community-based and community-engaged PhD research project in the physical sciences.
Kwanele Siyengo - Navigating my TransD Journey
Kwanele Siyengo is a TILL alumni and peer mentor Alumni with TRANSECTS! She has been fortunate enough to be in the TRANSECTS network for 3 years now and it truly shaped a huge part of her transdisciplinary journey in her personal as well as in her professional life. Though her transdisciplinary journey has not been a smooth one, it has been one that has been connecting dots and lines along the way! Kwanele has a passion for ecology and a strong natural science background from her undergraduate honour’s year. Although she enjoyed this work, she knew something was missing! During her master’s at Rhodes University in South Africa, things took an unexpected but transformative turn when her work focused on Social Learning for catchment management. This shift was very intimidating to say the least, but participation in the first mini TILL cemented her confidence and affirmed the path that she was on in many ways!
Kwanele has since embraced Transdisciplinarity in most of the things that she does and is involved in! She has a deep passion and appreciation for platforms where science education, youth mentorship, and community engagement meet! Kwanele is also an advocate for self-care through her learnings from the TILLS and has since woven these lessons into her personal and professional life. These attributes made her the perfect fit to be the first peer mentor in the 2024 TILL. In this role, she had an incredible time sharing her learning, navigating an intercultural space, and meeting shared responsibility holders doing amazing work in the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere region. Currently, she works as a learning associate with small scale communal farmers, where she continues to practice and promote transdisciplinary approaches!
In this talk, Kwanele reflects on her journey through TRANSECTS and how transdisciplinarity is not linear, even for a TILL alumni. She zooms in on the opportunities and challenges that have come with navigating the transdisciplinary space and being in the TRANSECTS network, highlighting how collaboration across disciplines and communities requires courage and humility. Her reflections offer insights on the importance of continually learning, re learning and unlearning in these dynamic environments we all find ourselves in!
Dr. John Boakye-Danquah - Transdisciplinary Pathways to Social Equity
Dr. John Boakye Danquah is an interdisciplinary social science researcher whose research focuses on environmental governance, social and cumulative impacts assessment, and advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within scientific research and the natural resource sectors. John’s career has spanned roles in federal and municipal governments, academia, and non-profit sectors across Canada, Japan, and Ghana, providing him with a broad perspective on global and local challenges. As a Research Social Planner with the City of Calgary, John supports the design, implementation, and reporting of social research across different teams. John is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Saskatchewan’s School of Environment and Sustainability and a sessional instructor at McMaster University’s Academic Sustainability Program, where he contributes to educating and mentoring future sustainability leaders. In the October speaker series, John draws on his experiences working in research, policy, and programming to highlight some myths, resistance, and challenges to advancing social equity in organizational and scientific contexts, and the implications for doing transdisciplinary work.
Dr. Erik Aschenbrand - Narrating Human-Nature Relationships with UNESCO BRs
Dr. Erik Aschenbrand is a professor of International Nature Conservation and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development. Erik has extensive experience in the management of protected areas - he led a department of the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve, served the Reinhardswald Nature Park as executive director, and worked as a tourism and regional development staff member at the Bavarian Forest National Park. In TRANSECTS, Erik is a co-applicant and enthusiastic promoter of the project, as it provides meaningful exchange not only for students but also for practitioners from biosphere reserves, thus contributing substantially to the idea of a World network of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. At the November Speaker Series, Erik introduces himself as the new TRANSECTS Country Co-Director for Germany and presents on some of his recent work in Biosphere Reserves.
