IASSIST and CARTO 2024 - Speakers

Wednesday Plenary:
From Big Data to Dirt Research: Mapping Canadian Energy Transitions in City, Field, and Forest

Associate Professor; Canada Research Chair in Geospatial Humanities, University of Prince Edward Island. Director, GeoREACH Lab

Josh MacFadyen’s research focuses on energy transitions and traditional energy carriers in Canada, and he leads the GeoREACH lab at UPEI which supports Geospatial Research in Atlantic Canadian History. His first monograph, Flax Americana: A History of the Fibre and Oil that Covered a Continent, was published by McGill-Queens University Press; his most recent monograph is Time Flies: A History of Prince Edward Island from the Air, a new book with Island Studies Press that examines land use change on PEI using aerial photographs.

Thursday Plenary:
Community-University Partnered Research: Roles, Power and Practical Stages for Equitably Sharing and Generating Knowledge

Associate Professor; School for Resource and Environmental Studies, College of Sustainability, Dalhousie University. Head, Community-Engaged Colab

Melanie Zurba mentors students and works with postdocs, visiting scholars, and fellows on many projects in collaboration with community partners through her Community-Engaged CoLab. Such projects have focused on climate change, youth engagement, protected areas, and biodiversity conservation – all with a connection to fostering equity and collaboration in relation to environmental governance. Dr. Zurba also focuses on advancing research methodologies, including advancing participatory methods, working with the arts sector, and co-developing principles for equitable research. Her work also connections regional and international policy, and she hold the Chair in Governance, Equity and Rights within the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Commission for Environmental, Economic and Social Policy.