David & Joan Lynch School of Engineering Safety & Risk Management
Lianne Lefsrud
Lianne Lefsrud, PhD, PEng
Chair & Associate Professor
David and Joan Lynch School of Engineering Safety and Risk Management
University of Alberta
Dr. Lianne Lefsrud, P.Eng. is an Associate Professor, Engineering Safety and Risk Management, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, at the University of Alberta. She collaborates to address industry issues and contribute to theories of risk management, quantitative and qualitative methods, and understudied empirical contexts.
Professionally, her career spans two decades with senior roles in industry, consulting, and regulation. Prior to returning to academia, she was the Assistant Director Professional Practice with APEGA, an Assistant Director in operations with Canadian National Railway, and worked in construction and oil and gas. Even while not an academic, she remained instrumental in multi-disciplinary collaborations and publishing, to have the greatest possible impact on organizational and regulatory practices in Canada and worldwide. She regularly provides policy and strategy advice to government and industry.
Before joining UofA, she was with the Erb Institute of Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan. As risks are multidisciplinary, she obtained her PhD in Strategic Management and Organization, MSc in Environmental Engineering and Sociology, and BSc in Civil Engineering. For more, see: www.liannelefsrud.com
In her research, she develops enhanced methods of hazard identification and risk management, risk evaluation and social license to operate, and drivers of technology adoption for oil and gas, mining, pipelining, construction, agriculture, and railroading, among other industries. As most risks are multi-disciplinary in nature, Dr. Lefsrud works with researchers in engineering, computer science, business, economics, cognitive psychology, medicine, and environmental sociology. Her multidisciplinary research answers: How can risk management systems be enhanced so that organizations are better equipped to recognize, adapt to and absorb unforeseen events and manage the resulting risks? She has received several international, national, provincial, and university awards for her research.
Over the past six years, as a PI or co-PI, Dr. Lefsrud has received over $2.6 million from 35 research grants from federal agencies, provincial agencies, industry, and University and supervised 45 PDFs, PhDs, Masters & Undergraduate students. She has over 90 published articles, chapters, practice standards, and reports; 68 conference papers; 47 industry keynotes; and 30 interviews. See: Google Scholar
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