MA & PhD STUDENTS

POST DOC & RESEARCH ASSOCIATES

ALUMNI

OUR TEAM

Jutta Gutberlet

Jutta is a Professor in the Department of Geography, at the University of Victoria, and the director of the Community-based Research Laboratory (CBRL), created in 2006. She completed her undergraduate studies in Biology at the State University of São Paulo (UNESP) and her Ph.D. in Geography at the University of Tübingen, Germany. Jutta has worked for the United Nations (Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome and in Ecuador) and for a non-governmental research institute (CEDEC) in São Paulo. She has also worked for the University of Tübingen/Germany and the University of Newcastle/Australia.

Jutta’s current research interests are on sustainable livelihoods and community development with a specific focus on participation, co-management and poverty reduction strategies. She is involved in research on waste governance and participatory forms of resource management, particularly in the global South, and she teaches in the fields of Social and Development Geography. For more information, please visit her website.

MA & PhD STUDENTS

Maeva Gauthier

Maeva Gauthier is a PhD Candidate in Geography and Research Assistant for the UNESCO Chair in Community-based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education.

For her PhD, she is using Participatory Video as a tool to engage Arctic communities around global change, such as plastics in the environment and climate change and what it means for the youth in Tuktoyaktuk. She is passionate about ocean sciences, coastal communities, communications, and filmmaking. Originally from Quebec, she moved to Victoria to complete a MSc in Marine Ecology (Univ. of Victoria) after a BSc in biology (Univ. of Quebec in Montreal). Her interest for the poles started with expeditions to the Antarctic and the Arctic in 2009, and she has been going back to the Arctic multiple times ever since. She is also the co-founder of Live It, which provides K-12 online educational content about nature. For more information, visit Maeva's website.

Lusungu Kayani

Lusungu Kayani was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and grew up in the U.S. She received a Master's in Urban Planning from New York University where she was a David Bohnett Fellow in Public Service. Prior to this, Lusungu studied International Affairs at Columbia University. As an urban planner and international development practitioner, Lusungu has experience working with city and local governments in Africa, Asia and Latin America. She served as an advisor with international organizations such as the United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat), Vital Strategies, UNICEF and most recently, with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Her work focuses on the role cities play in ensuring an equitable and sustainable future for our planet, especially through the lens of health and well-being. In recent projects, she has worked to better understand how urban environments specifically support the health and development of children and adolescents.

Lusungu's research interests are focused on the role the informal sector plays in the circular economy, particularly how central the sector is to the development of long-term strategies and roadmaps in rapidly urbanizing cities in Africa. She wants to investigate the economic and ecological contributions of the informal sector and document their efforts through her work. She is also passionate about connecting the opportunities for improved health and well-being of youth through innovations in waste management.

James Roszel

James Roszel embarked on his journey with CBRL in September 2023, concurrent with his doctoral studies in Geography at the University of Victoria. His research focuses on mapping waste commodity value chains with a goal of understanding socio-cultural influences affecting recycling rates for various commodities. This endeavor builds upon CBRL's previous research with in São Paulo, Brazil, broadening engagement with waste pickers to scrap dealers. The project intricately explores the interconnections among economic dynamics, social behaviors, and environmental impacts within waste systems. James aims to glean insights that can steer the development of more sustainable and socially responsible waste management strategies. His collaboration with CBRL underscores his commitment to bridging academia and industry, bolstering capacity within the waste and recycling community to devise practical solutions for the challenges facing communities in São Paulo and beyond.

Hailing from Ontario, Canada, James has been deeply involved in recycling and sustainability initiatives since his youth, starting from collecting cans and newspapers at local recycling depots to engaging in high-level international trade governance discussions. Over the span of more than 20 years at RecycleNet Corporation, James participated in a diverse range of international endeavors aimed at advancing the trade of secondary commodities through collaborative partnerships. Equipped with a Master of Arts in Public Issues Anthropology (2023) from the University of Guelph, James brings a passion for social science-based research, community-based improvement, and international development, enriched by his extensive background in the recycling industry, to the CBRL.

Hazim Ismail

Born in Kuala Lumpur, raised in Dover and Skudai, Hazim Ismail completed their BA Anthropology at the University of Winnipeg, and MA Anthropology at the University of Toronto, with a Collaborative Masters Specialization in Contemporary East and Southeast Asian Studies. Their research explores underrepresented, invisibilized communities in post National Sword policy plastic waste governance in the Klang Valley, Malaysia region, particularly relations between formal plastic waste trade state, corporate entities, racialized valley residents and migrant labour. They are especially interested in how this translates to policy and advocacy work at the national level.

Hazim’s experience stems from 11 years of grassroots community work in the intersections of migrant labour rights and ecological stewardship. They have served on the boards of Sexuality Education Resource Centre Manitoba (SERC), Planned Parenthood Toronto, chairing the Bylaw and Policy Committee, and Maggie’s Toronto Sex Worker Action Project. They’ve served as project manager and community planner for Water Allies water stewardship research team, community asset mapping for the municipal government of Toronto (through which they authored The Community Playbook, a guidebook for community development in the Greater Toronto Area, the provincial government of Manitoba, Social Planning Toronto, and Ontario Council for Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI).

**John Mba-Wuni Wuntah**

Wuni graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Ghana in 2020. He is interested in food waste recovery and the circular economy processes. His interest in the circular economy started after his involvement with the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, at the University of Ghana as a research assistant. Wuni’s desire is to critically explore how institutions of higher learning in developing countries, as model societies, can lead the quest for a circular economy at different levels and in varying contexts.

**Fabio Luiz Cardozo**

Fabio, resident of the East Zone of São Paulo, Historian, Master's student in Sustainability at the University of São Paulo (USP). He brings extensive experiences in capacity building and technical advice for grassroots and community groups focused on cooperatives, solidarity economy and entrepreneurship with priority for waste pickers. He has worked in public bodies with the implementation of Municipal Selective Collection programs (City Halls of São Paulo, Maua, Taboão da Serra and Itapeva), with private companies (Braskem, FESP/SEBRAE), with NGOs (Unisol Brasil, Instituto GEA, Instituto ECOAR, I&T, GAIA, Coopcent-ABC) and in research projects (CIDA funded *Projeto Brasil Canada (*FEUSP/Agencia CIDA). He is currently a researcher at FIPE (Fundação Instituto de Pesquisas Econômicas) in São Paulo, modeling the socio-technical project for the Consortia funded by Caixa Econômica Federal -CEF, in the Mogiana region of SP and Oeste Mineiro-CIAS. He has worked together with PUC / SP university on a project with the homeless population and autonomous waste pickers in the central region of SP. He is a member of the Cooperativa Mãos Verdes of technicians and educators and a co-director of consulting firm LC-Consultoria Socioambiental. Fabio is currently developing his MA thesis at the University of Sao Paulo. He is developing a study of post-consumer plastic packaging that is not recyclable with several waste picker cooperatives in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo.

**Bita Ebrahimi**

We all deserve to live a decent life. I started to develop this concern, specifically with regard to the places we are inhabiting, as I have learned to observe more carefully. This is why I spent almost a decade studying and researching the cities as the places that encompass our lives and shape the quality of that.
Born in Isfahan, Iran, Bita curiously chose to gain her bachelor’s in Urban Planning from the Art University of Isfahan. Then, she pursued her MA in Urban Design at Art University, Tehran. Since 2016, she has been a member of the “Virtual Reality and Emerging Technologies Lab” at the Art University of Tehran.
After years of studying and working, I came to the belief that participatory approaches are the most advantageous in helping us to further the edges of our knowledge. In doing so, technology, specifically VR, has a lot to offer to our research in facilitating the ways of participation. Now, as a masters student in the Geography department at UVIC, delving deeper into the use of tech, I am utilizing the potential of VR to understand waste pickers’ daily life in their workplaces to increase awareness and contribute to the betterment of their lives.

**Joseph Minor**

Joseph Minor, a master's student in our Community-based Research Lab, is passionate about food waste and will be exploring the community dimensions of waste reduction strategies using a community based research approach. This includes exploring the ways in which community groups actively participate in waste reduction and diversion techniques like separating recyclable materials or recovering food waste. Public and private institutions have the great opportunity to promote a localized circular economy by creating avenues and markets for the valuable materials in the waste stream. Further, using community based research highlights the ways in which we as academics can break down the 'ivory tower' and make the knowledge production processes more accessible. Joe comes from Connecticut, US where he got his bachelor degree in German and Geography while working to recover and redistribute food from university dining services to local communities in need. Green, local initiatives are key to creating a sustainable, more connected community!

Danae ZachariDanae joined the CBRL in 2018 and is currently working towards her MA in Human Geography. She has called various places home, including Lamia in Greece, Vancouver and for the past eight years Victoria, the traditional and primarily unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples. She has a strong interest in critical and de-colonial approaches to research and community engagement with a focus on community and environmental health. Danae is especially interested in critical pedagogy, co-production of knowledge and Participatory Action Research approaches. For her graduate research, she is working with the Koforidua Zongo community in Ghana to better understand Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). The research will also examine the relationship between WASH and Waste Management (WM) challenges within the community and how they relate to people’s health, with hopes to bring about WASH and WM-related solutions. She is looking forward to her next visit to Koforidua in the summer of 2020 and is grateful for the opportunity to work with everyone at the UVic CBR lab. — **Danae Zachari**

Danae is working towards her MA in Human Geography, and has a strong interest in critical and de-colonial approaches to research and community engagement, with a focus on health equity and environmental justice. Danae is especially interested in critical pedagogy, co-production of knowledge and Participatory Action Research approaches.
For her graduate research, she is working with the Koforidua Zongo community in Ghana to explore factors that foster sustainable livelihoods and enable individuals and the community to thrive. The study aims to capture the material, cultural and relational aspects that provide social cohesion and promote health and wellbeing. Danae plans to engage participants through the use of semi-structured conversations and photo-narratives, to learn from their lived experiences and perspectives on what promotes quality of life.

Sam Rae Harriss

Sam is nearing the end of her undergraduate degree double majoring in Human Geography and Political Science, and is currently completing her honors thesis under the supervision of Jutta Gutberlet. Her studies, personal travels, and specific interests in sustainability, power relations, workers’ rights, and planning have inspired her honors research, studying community-based waste management solutions in Turkey. Within her research Sam aims to focus on issues of labor rights, circular economy, and participatory governance and planning in order to explore solutions. Sam is looking forward to continuing to learn about the multifaceted and complex issue of waste management and excited about contributing to the research being done in the Community-Based Research Laboratory.

Lili Munn

Lili (she/her) is going into the final year of her undergrad at UVic in Geography with a minor in Indigenous Studies. She grew up and lives on unceded lands and water of the lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÁNEĆ peoples. Lili is interested in how community-based research practices can make tangible concepts like intersectional sustainability and circular economies. In September, she will begin her honors project working with the Diverters Foundation in Victoria on strategies that can be used to empower local waste pickers and diverters in the DF in a way that benefits their work and reduces the social and economic barriers faced by this community. She is excited to be developing this research in partnership with the DF and for the opportunity to conduct research with this organization.

POST-DOC & research associates

2023-2025

**Isabella de Carvalho Vallin**

Isabella is a Ph.D. student in the Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences (PROCAM) at the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil, with an ongoing sandwich period as a visiting Ph.D. student at the UVic. She holds a Master's degree in Science and a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Management. She is a researcher at the Center for Research on Organizations, Society and Sustainability (USP) and the Community Based Research Laboratory (CBRL/UVic). She conducts research on climate justice, environmental justice, and solid waste, with a particular focus on plastic pollution. Furthermore, she works with social movements and educational initiatives through university outreach with waste pickers.
**Isabella de Carvalho Vallin**
ResearchGate | LinkedIn

**Lenin Alfonso Morales**

Na! Nuegambi ! (Hi in Gunadule Language [Panamá & Colombia]). Lenín is Gunadule and a PhD student in the Department of Environmental Health at the Universidade de São Paulo (USP-Brazil). His work focuses on the Gunadule indigenous people from the Comarca Gunayala in Panama, where one of the island communities was forced to relocate to the mainland due to climate change. Through his proposed participatory research project, Lenín aims to investigate the Nexus water, energy, and food as they relate to the Gunadule people's environment and livelihood. Furthermore, Lenín holds a bachelor’s degree in water and environmental management from the Universidad de Panamá (UP-Panamá), as well as a master’s degree in environmental education from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG-Brazil)
**Lenin Morales**
LinkedIn

**Carolina Carvalho**

Carolina has a PhD in Environmental Planning (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, Brazil), with a research period at the Royal Institute of Technology (Tekniska Kunliga högskolan - KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden. She did a postdoc research using Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) applied to urban governance, at the Public Health Faculty (University of Sao Paulo) and Aalto University, Espoo, Finland. She was a visiting researcher at the University of Birmingham (UK), in 2022-2023.
Currently, she is a researcher at the Institute of Environment and Energy, of São Paulo University and founder of the Comunidades Vivas - Mapeamento Participativo, an initiative that brings participatory mapping as a tool for urban planning improvements, focusing on citizen engagement for better and healthy cities www.comunidadesvivas.com.br.
**Carolina Carvalho**
LinkedIn | Instagram

**Ana Maria Castro**

Ana is a PhD student in Hydraulic Engineering and Sanitation at the University of São Paulo (USP) and a visiting researcher at the CBRL. She is currently studying the integration of waste pickers in waste management and its contribution to a just transition to the circular economy. She is an environmental engineer with an MSc in Hydraulic Engineering and Sanitation. She has experience in projects about household waste management, selective collection, environmental education and the inclusion of waste pickers. She is currently a researcher in the Solid Waste Study and Research Group (NEPER-USP) and a member of the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) Young Professionals Group.
**Ana Maria Rodrigues Costa de Castro**
ResearchGate | LinkedIn | ORCID | Lattes

**Charles Amartey**

Charles was born and raised in Accra, a city known for its intriguing blend of cultures. He was always interested in the ways that art might be incorporated into many contexts and how different artistic concepts may coexist in one work. As an artist, he creates fictitious and abstract works of art by fusing scientific concepts with artistic expression. His work also emphasizes the great diversity of life on Earth as well as the beauty and intricacy of ecosystems. depicting a range of species in his artwork to highlight how all life is intertwined, from microbes to plants and animals. displaying at Ghanaian museums and galleries and in the United Kingdom, respectively. He attended the prestigious Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where he earned his bachelor's degree in fine arts. He was also a member of the BlaxTARLINES Community, a Kumasi, Ghana-based incubator for contemporary experimental art. Charles, a Ghanaian bio artist, is presently pursuing an MFA at the University of Victoria.

**Kosar Movahedi**

Kosar Movahedi is a visual artist and communications designer.
Kosar holds an MFA in Visual Arts from the University of Victoria, Victoria, BC and a BSc in Architecture from University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Their work has resulted in solo and group exhibitions
in Canada, Iran and the UK.

**Angela Hinostroza**

Angela Hinostroza holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication Arts and Sciences with a focus on Advertising from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. Over the past six years, she has worked for the Canada Peru Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Embassy of Canada, focusing on communication and marketing strategies to strengthen the ties between Canada and Peru. She has also actively participated in various art exhibitions that promote sustainable concepts and is happy to be involved with the CBRLab projects.

Sayed Mohammad Nazim UddinDr. Uddin is currently working as a Visiting Research Associate in the CBRL-UVic and managing research projects in Bangladesh on 'Waste and Sanitation Hazards in Rohingya Refugee camps' and 'Livelihood and Health Status of … — **Sayed Mohammad Nazim Uddin**

Dr. Uddin is currently working as a Visiting Research Associate in the CBRL-UVic and managing research projects in Bangladesh on 'Waste and Sanitation Hazards in Rohingya Refugee camps' and 'Livelihood and Health Status of Waste Pickers in Dhaka.' He has also been teaching as a Sessional Lecturer at UVic's Geography since 2017. He worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow with Jutta Gutberlet during 2016 and 2018 and involved in several research projects in the fields of Environmental Health. Moreover, he is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences at Asian University for Women (AUW) in Bangladesh. AUW is the first of its kind: a fully independent regional institution dedicated to women's education and leadership development—global in outlook (American Style liberal arts and science) but rooted in the context and aspirations of the people of Asia. With an International Research Funding from Action Contre la Faim (ACF) International France, Dr. Nazim completed his Ph.D. from the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), China. Additionally, he held Research Project Manager and performed graduate supervision and mentoring during his Ph.D. tenure at USTB. He has more than 15 years of experience in research, teaching, scientific supervision, and mentoring, development, and implementation. Over 40 scientific peer-reviewed journal articles, international conference proceedings, technical reports and guidelines, policy briefs, and compendium have already been published by him in the fields of Environmental Health, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Waste Management, Wastewater Treatment, Humanitarian Science and Engineering.

Pre-2023

Leandro Giatti Leandro Giatti is an associate professor at the School of Public Health – University of São Paulo (USP). He is a biologist and PhD in Public Health. Giatti has international expertise with sustainability and public health, health promotion, and participatory research approaches. His experience characterizes through interdisciplinary studies and with the main efforts dedicated to socioenvironmental vulnerable groups. He is a member of the Institute of Advanced Studies at USP, and associate editor of the journal Ambiente & Sociedade (SCIELO). In his academic research projects, he has advised thesis and dissertations of graduate students and also has supervised post-doctoral partners. — **Leandro Giatti**

Leandro Giatti is an associate professor at the School of Public Health – University of São Paulo (USP). He is a biologist and PhD in Public Health. Giatti has international expertise with sustainability and public health, health promotion, and participatory research approaches. His experience characterizes through interdisciplinary studies and with the main efforts dedicated to socioenvironmental vulnerable groups. He is a member of the Institute of Advanced Studies at USP, and associate editor of the journal Ambiente & Sociedade (SCIELO). In his academic research projects, he has advised thesis and dissertations of graduate students and also has supervised post-doctoral partners.

Crystal Tremblay Crystal completed her MA in 2007 and PhD in 2013 with the CBRL, working as a Research Assistant with the Participatory Sustainable Waste Management project in Brazil and other local projects with the binning community in Victoria an… — **Crystal Tremblay**

Crystal completed her MA in 2007 and PhD in 2013 with the CBRL, working as a Research Assistant with the Participatory Sustainable Waste Management project in Brazil and other local projects with the binning community in Victoria and Vancouver. Her work has been strongly rooted in the investigation of innovations in community-driven development, participatory governance and public policy related to waste, sanitation and water with informal and underserved communities in urban Canada, Brazil, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. The integration of creative visual methodologies, and use of participatory video in particular, has been at the heart of her research and engagement approach. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Special Advisor on Community Engaged Scholarship at the University of Victoria. She has published widely on topics related to community university research partnerships, training in community-based research, social innovation and participatory policy in water and waste governance. for more information please visit her website: www.crystaltremblay.com

ALUMNI

Andre RedivoAndre Redivo is a geographer who did his undergraduate at the University of Brasilia. He has a strong background in GIS, spatial database management and spatial analysis. He worked as a consultant for several UN agencies such as UNDP, UNESCO and PAHO, as well as in the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil and in the Brazilian Ministries of Environment, Tourism, Transport and Justice. His work aimed to support decision makers within the Brazilian government through the development of applications and methodologies based on open source software in order to subsidize the elaboration of public policies. Currently he is a Masters student at the University of Victoria, interested in the waste pickers cooperatives and the global carbon market. — **Andre Redivo**

Andre is a geographer who did his undergraduate at the University of Brasilia. He has a strong background in GIS, spatial database management and spatial analysis. He worked as a consultant for several UN agencies such as UNDP, UNESCO and PAHO, as well as in the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil and in the Brazilian Ministries of Environment, Tourism, Transport and Justice. His work aimed to support decision makers within the Brazilian government through the development of applications and methodologies based on open source software in order to subsidize the elaboration of public policies. Currently he is a Masters student at the University of Victoria, interested in the waste pickers cooperatives and the global carbon market.

Abdolzaher GhezeljehAbdolzaher or Zaher grew up in Iran and moved to Victoria to pursue his Masters in Geography with Prof. Jutta Gutberlet. He has always enjoyed learning about ecology and community planning, however became particularly attracted w… — **Abdolzaher (Zaher) Ghezeljeh**

Abdolzaher or Zaher grew up in Iran and moved to Victoria to pursue his Masters in Geography with Prof. Jutta Gutberlet. He has always enjoyed learning about ecology and community planning, however became particularly attracted with urban agriculture during his master’s degree at the University of Allameh Tabatabai in Iran. Moreover, his bachelor and master’s degrees were urban and regional planning in Guilan and Allameh Tabatabi Universities respectively. For his Masters with Jutta Gutberlet, he will continue urban agriculture in community and city in order to improving sustainability of the cities.

Dare SholankeDare Sholanke is from Nigeria. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and Toxicology (B.EMT) from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. He is currently developing his Masters thesis in the… — **Dare Sholanke**

Dare Sholanke is from Nigeria. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and Toxicology (B.EMT) from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. He is currently developing his Masters thesis in the department of Geography. His research interests include waste management, resource management, environmental pollution, and land use planning. He is working on a case study mapping waste governance with waste pickers (binners) in Vancouver and Montreal.

Katlyn KeatsKatlyn is extremely passionate about the environment and the ocean. Growing up in Winnipeg, it has always been her dream to move to the west coast to pursue a career in marine conservation. After completing her undergraduate degree in En… — **Katlyn Keats**

Katlyn is extremely passionate about the environment and the ocean. Growing up in Winnipeg, it has always been her dream to move to the west coast to pursue a career in marine conservation. After completing her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science with a focus in Conservation and Biodiversity at the University of Manitoba in 2014, she spent some time in Kenya and Indonesia volunteering in various community outreach and conservation projects. She has a passion for travelling to new places, being outdoors and exploring with her dog.
For her Masters in Geography, she focused on the issue of plastic waste along coastal regions in the Global South. She worked with communities to create more awareness around the issues associated with plastic in the marine environment, and organized beach clean-ups, with the aim to drive policy change in those areas. She is also a member of the Society for Ecological Restoration and Surfrider Foundation here on Vancouver Island.

Christine ToddChristine is a Pakeha, New Zealander, mum and PhD student in social and cultural geography. She has spent the last ten years living in Australia, California, and now Vancouver Island. Her research draws on quantum, post-human, de-colonial and Indigenous theory to rethink relational space as qualitative, vibrational and conscious. Relationality is about being more-than-rational, (feeling) humans in more-than-binary relationships with human and more-than-human, vital, regenerative, living worlds. Quantum, relational space, tells its own vibrational story, as a convergence of living, quantum stories, opening space for just being. Christine's research looks to examples of communal "travel" space (classroom, campus, neighbourhood, village, co-living, hotel) through this quantum, relational lens. It asks how they are constructed and where wholistic relationality (and local connectivity) is cultivated or ignored. — **Christine Todd**

Christine is a Pakeha (settler), New Zealander, mum and PhD student in critical human geography. She has lived and worked in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, California, and Vancouver Island on the traditional territories of the Ngati Whatua, Yugambeh, Kumeyaay, Lekwungen and Wsanec peoples. Her research draws on Indigenous theory to reconsider the role of geography in the structured repossession of Indigenous lands, resources and cultures. She is also a research assistant in the GIF (Geographic Indigenous Futures) lab, looking at Indigenous actions and responses to Climate Change.

Juliana AmauchiBefore coming to Canada and settled in Victoria to pursue further education at the University of Victoria, Juliana has completed her first degree in Nutrition in the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) with 5 years of working exper… — **Juliana Amauchi**

Before coming to Canada and settled in Victoria to pursue further education at the University of Victoria, Juliana has completed her first degree in Nutrition in the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) with 5 years of working experience at her native country, Brazil. Juliana joined CBRL recently in 2018 as a research assistant while she continues to pursue her second bachelor degree in (BA)Geography. Because of her deep interest in waste management, sustainability of natural resources, and social justice, Juliana has been volunteering at the UVSS Food Bank & Free Store, as well as recently started to become engaged in events at the local Repair Cafe. After obtaining her current BA degree, Juliana plans to continue pursuing her passion for research in Geography by becoming a Masters student, with the research focus on advocating, promoting, and expanding the local Repair Cafe project to make it more accessible for the students and faculty members in the University of Victoria.

Alicia FallAlicia joined the CBRL in 2017 to provide research support through a work study position at the University of Victoria. Alicia is working toward a BSc in Geography with a minor in Economics. She has always had a passion for learning about… — Alicia Fall

Alicia joined the CBRL in 2017 as a research assistant. She is working toward a BSc in Geography with a minor in Economics, at UVic. She has always had a passion for learning about human relationships with the environment and has been involved with various community-based initiatives. As a result of these experiences, she has taken particular interest in the management of water and waste resources. She spent the summer of 2014 working for Engineering and Environmental Services with the Cowichan Valley Regional District, gaining insight into some of the intense challenges facing Vancouver Island. In 2016 she worked with the POLIS Water Sustainability Project, as well as with the BC Housing Community Development program. In 2017 she volunteered at VerdEnergia, an agro-forestry restoration project in Costa Rica. Currently she coordinates the UVic Ecological Restoration Volunteer Network. She is keen to join the community of people working creatively for environmental and economic justice and resilience.

Hilary Ho Hilary moved from Singapore to pursue her master’s in the department of anthropology at UVIC. During her fieldwork in the Island of Sumba and Flores in Indonesia she witnessed the health and social impacts caused by waste generated from go… — Hilary Ho

Hilary moved from Singapore to pursue her master’s in the department of anthropology at UVIC. During her fieldwork in the Island of Sumba and Flores in Indonesia she witnessed the health and social impacts caused by waste generated from gold and manganese mining. This made her critical of dominant political and economic structures and waste management.
As a member of the Community-based Research Laboratory (CBRL), Hilary advocates for alternative forms of resource distribution and responsible waste recovery through the circular economy. During her work at CBRL she will look at Binners (waste pickers) in Victoria. It is her goal to understand how the community contributes to resource recovery and to understand the challenges Binners face in their work. By working closely with Binners in Victoria, Hilary hopes to break down negative perceptions of Binners in order to attain a more equitable work environment.

Olivia Martin-SpisakOlivia is in her final year of a Bachelor of Arts in geography with a concentration in urban health and development and a minor in global development studies. She grew up in California and lived abroad in the Philippines and Belg… — **Olivia Martin-Spisak**

Olivia is in her final year of a Bachelor of Arts in geography with a concentration in urban health and development and a minor in global development studies. She grew up in California and lived abroad in the Philippines and Belgium before moving to Victoria for university. Going forward she would like to pursue a career in grassroots and community-based development. She is interested in studies of political ecology, migration and refugees, feminist theory, and social justice. She is currently a work study student collaborating with the study on 'plastic waste and informal recycling' in the Community-based Research Lab.

Sasha MoskySasha joined the CBRL in 2018 as a research assistant. She is working towards a double major in Environmental Studies and Geography with a concentration in Urban Health and Development. Her interests revolve around relationships between p… — Sasha Mosky

Sasha joined the CBRL in 2018 as a research assistant. She is working towards a double major in Environmental Studies and Geography with a concentration in Urban Health and Development. Her interests revolve around relationships between people and the environment and is particularly interested in sustainability and human/nature hybridity within cities. Sasha became interested in PSWM during an internship with New Delhi based NGO PRIA (Participatory Research in Asia) where she contributed to a study involving waste pickers and solid waste management. She is grateful for the opportunity to integrate this international experience with the CBRL team at UVic.

Ana RamezaniAna completed her undergraduate studies in Human Geography at Simon Fraser University. She joined the CBRL lab in 2017 to assist with research projects. Her research interests include health hazards associated with recycling and handling… — **Ana Ramezani**

Ana completed her undergraduate studies in Human Geography at Simon Fraser University. She joined the CBRL lab in 2017 to assist with research projects. Her research interests include health hazards associated with recycling and handling waste and ways to improve the health and safety of waste pickers.