Past Speakers

Sustainability Lecture Series

Launched in 2019-20, this lecture series brings together local expertise and global innovation across all fields of sustainability. Meet scholars from the University of Alberta and beyond in fields ranging from engineering to ecology, public health to poetry, native studies to nanotechnology.

2022-23 Speakers
Speakers Talk Title Other info
Jason Syxivay Building Equity in Planning Practice ---
Maria D'Orsogna Saving Italy from Big Oil ---
John Robinson Normalizing Sustainability: beyond behaviour change Watch Recording
Paul Galpern Precision agriculture meets precision sustainability: the merits of making fields messy Watch Recording
Greg King The Stories That Trees Tell: Insights into urban environments and beyond from tree-rings Watch Recording
Aamir Jamal The Gate Keepers: Engaging Men in Gender Justice and Girls Education in Northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan Watch Recording
Daniel Rainham Healthcare in a Climate Crisis: The Need for Sustainable Health Systems

Watch Recording

Madiha Nawaz, David Crosby Does Coffee have a future? Recording not available 
Sean Stepchuk Municipal Grassroots Environmental Activism with Waste Free Edmonton Watch Recording
Gopal Dayaneni Beyond Counting Carbon: Universities, communities and the climate crisis Watch Recording
2021-22 Speakers
Speakers Talk Title Other info
Ashlee Cunsolo Hidden Waste: Lean construction for sustainability Watch Recording
Jude Kong Estimating and predicting greenhouse gas emissions from tailing ponds Watch Recording
Sherilee Harper
Climate Change and Public Health (new IPCC report)
Watch Recording
Stephanie Chute - Ibsen Dishing the Dirt on Soil Invertebrates and Sustainability Watch Recording
Theresa May (not former UK PM) ------- Recording not available
Stephanie Kelton How can we afford the future we must build together? Watch Recording
Val Napoleon Indigenous Law and Public Legal Education Watch Recording
Kate Raworth Doughnut Economics for Thriving Communities with Ben Geselbrecht Recording not available
Climate Change Theatre Action Climate Change Theatre Action - UAlberta Recording not available
Peter Victor Managing without Growth: Slower by Design, not Disaster Watch Recording
Aditi Mayer Decolonial Approaches to Land, Labor, & Fashion with Aditi Mayer Recording not available
Steven Hoffman, Sherilee Harper Intersections of COVID-19 and the climate emergency Watch Recording

 

Jessica Vandenberghe , Ginger Gibson Engineering community benefits: local engagement in practice Watch Recording
Edmonton Mayoral Candidate Climate Debate ------- Watch Recording
Catherine Potvin Visit an ancient tropical forest Watch Recording
2020-21 Speakers
Speakers Talk Title Other info
Carrie Armstrong Indigenous Healing Plants Watch Recording
Fahrook Hamzeh Hidden Waste: Lean construction for sustainability Recording not available
Kira Hunt Biomimicry: Design inspired by nature Watch Recording
Tanya Kalmanovitch Tar Sands Songbook Watch Recording
Michael Robidoux Land-based Food Security in Northern Indigenous Communities Watch Recording
Geeta Belas Bridging the Gender Gap with Design Watch Recording
Kari Marie Norgaard Salmon and Acorns Feed Our People Recording not available
PearlAnn Reichwein The Banff School of Fine Arts and the Public University Watch Recording
Ashley Dawson Green Capitalist Realism, CO2lonialism, and the Urban Climate Insurgency Watch Recording
Kristof Van Assche The Route to Reinvention Watch Recording
Joëlle Saey-Volckrick and Nick von Andrian Degrowth in the Time of COVID-19 Watch Recording
Corey Trepanier Into the Arctic Recording not available
Soorayan Mookerjea and Malaika Collette COP Hack: Student Engagement

Recording#1

Recording#2

Tang Lee Synergy and Creativity in a Pandemic World Watch Recording
Chelsea Miya, Oliver Rossier and Geoffrey Rockwell (moderators) Right Research book launch Recording not available
Aneri Garg and Justine Karst Ecosystem restoration in coral reefs and boreal forests Watch Recording
2019-20 Speakers
Speaker Talk Title Other info
Mél Hogan Genomic Media / Sustainable DNA Recording not available
Sheikh Abdul Aziz The Green Sheikh Recording not available
Patrick Mahon Perilous Voyages: Art, environment and the search for a global commons Recording not available
Debra Marquart Beautiful Trouble: Imagining sustainable energy futures Recording not available
Selena Couture & Stefano Muneroni Climate Change Theatre Action Recording not available
Lars Hallstrom No Canary, No Coal Mine: Understanding sustainability for rural communities in Alberta Recording not available
Tiffany Higgins Infrastructure, Fish and Indigenous & Traditional Peoples in Brazil's Amazon Recording not available
Victor Lieffers Forest Sustainability: Policy, social values and climate change Watch Recording
Dwayne Donald Homo Economics and Forgetful Curriculum Watch Recording
Mary Beckie Moving Beyond Organic? Ecological farming and local food trends in Alberta Watch Recording
Diana Leong Anchoring the Climate Commons - Slave Ship Earth Recording not available
Brent Swallow, Juanita Gnanapragasam, Aaron Paquette Green Drinks: Food and Climate Change Recording not available
Sourayan Mookerjea, Kerry Constabile, Angele Alook, Carrie Karsgaard, Mike Bonanno COP 101: Understanding the UN Climate Talks Recording not available
Sheena Wilson,
Natalie Loveless, Kirby Calvert
Energy In/Out of Place Recording not available

Sustainability Speaker Series

"An innovative speaker can revolutionize how we see the world." The University of Alberta's Sustainability Speaker Series brings renowned leaders from all over the world to speak on sustainability issues such as climate change, just development, clean tech and pollution. Lectures are free and open to the public, including alumni and community members.

Year Speakers
2021–22 Stephanie Kelton
2020–21 Lizzie O'Shea
2019–20 Ian Mauro Vien Truong
2018–19 Bea Johnson Tom Murphy Amy Luers James Balog
2017–18 Shalini Kantayya George Kourounis
2016–17 Laurence C. Smith Manulani Aluli-Meyer
2015–16 Majora Carter Sheila Watt-Cloutier
2014–15 Tzeporah Berman Edward Burtynsky
2013–14 Paul Hawken Severn Cullis-Suzuki
2012–13 Thomas Homer Dixon Raj Patel Adria Vasil
2011–12 Bill McKibben Annie Leonard

Julian Agyeman

Winona LaDuke Maude Barlow