Devon Cantwell-Chavez (she/her/hers)

I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Ottawa in the Department of Political Studies. My dissertation studies global city climate governance norms with a specific focus the implications of city climate actions on residents. I specifically focus on climate action plans (CAPs), green spaces, transit (micro and macro), and pedestrian infrastructure using case studies of four global mega-cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Seoul. I use a broad set of methods in my dissertation including interviews, ethnography, spatial ethnography/grounded visualization, GIS analysis, archival research, policy document analysis. Before grad school, I had a career in K-12 STEM education.

Obed Asamoah

I come from Sefwi Anyinabrim, a small forest community in the Western North Region of Ghana. Having spent my childhood in various forest communities within this region, I developed a deep appreciation for the forest, as it was the foundation of my family's livelihood. However, as I grew older, I witnessed a rapid expansion of forest industries in my village. The number of timber production companies soon outstripped the available forest resources, severely impacting the livelihoods of local people. This realization ignited my passion for forestry. I enrolled in a Bachelor of Science program in Renewable Natural Resources, majoring in Forest Resources Management. After completing my undergraduate studies, I aspired to gain a broader, global perspective on environmental sustainability. This ambition led me to the Czech Republic, where I earned a Master’s degree in International Development with a specialization in Environmental Science. My commitment to research and teaching in forest science remained unwavering, and I pursued a Ph.D. in Forest Science and Technology at the University of Eastern Finland. My doctoral research focused on the sustainable utilization of non-timber forest products and their potential role in poverty alleviation in Ghana. I chose this topic in response to the high poverty levels in my community, recognizing that sustainable forest management could significantly improve local livelihoods. I take great pride in the knowledge and skills I have acquired, which I aim to apply in the service of sustainable forestry. As the saying goes, "When the last plant dies, the last animal also dies." The forest remains a critical pillar in preserving our environment, sequestering carbon, and mitigating climate change.

Kaleigh McIntosh (She/Her/Hers)

I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University. My doctoral research explores how relationships across stakeholders in the governance of socioecological settings contribute to developing long-term resilience. My research focuses on stakeholders in the Wolastoq Valley in New Brunswick, Canada using a set of case studies to critically assess the relationships between diverse stakeholders in the watershed and their contribution to resilience efforts. In doing so, I examine how long-term collaborative governance relationships with a diverse and inclusive set of stakeholders can contribute to resilience of complex socioecological setting like the Wolastoq Valley.

I completed my BA in Political Science at Carleton University and my Master of Arts in Development Studies at York University. My MA field research and thesis examined community-based climate adaptation and the contributions of community-based groups in South Tarawa, Kiribati to national and international civil society adaptation, and disaster risk reduction policies and practice. Throughout my academic career I have been driven to understand climate adaptation and resilience efforts from the perspective of who is, or is not, involved and how that contributes to broader questions of social and environmental justice, and addressing needs of complex socioecological settings.