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Distinguished Lecture in Emerging & Systemic Risks

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Lecture 16

The role of tourism and social/cultural capital in building resilience to disasters

Professor Sanjay Nepal Geography and Environmental Management Department, University of Waterloo

Professor Brent Doberstein Geography and Environmental Management Department, University of Waterloo

Dr. Erin O’Connell Lecturer and Associate Chair, Geography and Environmental Management Department, University of Waterloo

VIRTUAL SESSION 16 | June 20, 2024, THURSDAY ​12 PM-1 PM EDT

Dr. Sanjay Nepal is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo. His research is focused on tourism, conservation, and communities.

Dr. Brent Doberstein is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo and the past acting director of the Masters of Climate Change and Graduate Diploma in Climate Risk Management programs. He has been engaged in hazard, disaster, and climate change adaptation teaching and research in Canada and abroad for over twenty years.

Dr. Erin O’Connell is a Lecturer and Associate Chair of undergraduate studies in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo. Her research focuses on hazard risk reduction and building more sustainable and resilient communities, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia.

Lecture 15

Emergencies and Animal Response

Cheryl Rogers

Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team (CDART) Founder

VIRTUAL SESSION 15 | APRIL 18 2024, THURSDAY ​12 PM-1 PM EDT

Cheryl is a founder of CDART (Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team) and has deployed to Firestorm in 2003, Katrina in 2005 and Fort McMurray in 2016 as well as many smaller local emergencies. She is the CDART liaison with the BC government and represented CDART as part of the earthquake consultation with Henry Renteria.

The Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team (CDART) provides disaster response services for domesticated animals. They rescue, shelter and care for pets and livestock during disasters/emergencies when people are forced to evacuate and cannot care for their own animals.

CDART began in 2003 after the wildfires in Barriere, Kamloops and Kelowna. They deployed to those fires as Noah's Wish volunteers but decided they needed a group of specially-trained, dedicated volunteers from/for Canada.

Lecture 14

Intersecting injustices and competing narratives for climate change

Terry Cannon

Emeritus Research Fellow ​ Institute of Development Studies at University of Sussex, UK ​ Honorary Professor at University College London

HYBRID SESSION 14 | MARCH 21, 2024, THURSDAY ​12 PM-1 PM EDT

Terry Cannon is a specialist in disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change, with particular expertise in rural livelihoods, community-based adaptation, and in vulnerability analysis for disaster risk reduction (DRR). He has pioneered the understanding of vulnerability analysis and social protection in the context of disasters as part of frameworks for risk reduction and adaptation to climate change. This has recently extended to assessment of the significance of culture as a factor in understanding people’s and organizations’ attitude to risk (relating to climate change and disasters). In 2014 he was lead editor of the IFRC World Disasters Report 2014 focus on culture and risk, has participated in a number of conferences and workshops to advocate for this ‘missing link’ in DRR. He is also part of a research group that is challenging the terminology of ‘community’ and ‘community-based’, which is used uncritically and not leading to helpful interventions.
He was leader of a DFID project to promote science for climate change in South Asia, with workshops in India and Nepal and support for young scientists to be published. Before that he was director of the DFID supported Strengthening Climate Resilience project at IDS that worked on the integration of climate change adaptation with disaster risk reduction and development. This included the emergence of new thinking on how specific forms of adaptation can emerge in the development context. He has also acted in an advisory consultancy to the IFRC Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment process in relation to climate change and urbanisation (2010-13) and its integration into community assessments of vulnerability. Participatory methods are being explored to assess how relevant these are to allocations of adaptation funding, including through social protection. A similar approach is being taken in research in Bangladesh and India, especially on diversification of rural livelihoods and potential for cyclone disaster preparedness. He also supports the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), based at Independent University, Bangladesh where he provides training and advice on adaptation to climate change.

Lecture 13

Harnessing the Power of OpenAI in Emergency, Crisis, and Risk Assessment through Geospatial Data Analytics Copilot

Dr. Mojgan A. Jadidi

Associate Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2024, 12PM-1PM EST

Lecture 12

Our Approach to Space Situational Awareness (SSA): Image Analyses & Compression

Dr. Regina Lee

Professor, Space Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2024, 12PM-1PM EST

Lecture 11

Emerging Pedestrian Safety Risks  

Pioneering Tactical Urban Planning and Sidewalk Robot-Pedestrian Simulations

Dr. Gunho Sohn

Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Inaugural Director of Mobility Innovation Centre (MOVE)

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY NOVEMBER 16, 2023, 12PM-1PM EST

Lecture 10

Pandemic Urbanism

Dr. Harris Ali

Professor, Department of Sociology, York University

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY September 21, 2023, 12PM-1PM EST

Lecture 9

Coordinating Ontario’s Poultry Industry’s Response to Disease through Preparedness and Prevention

Maggy Watson

Operations Lead at the Feather Board Command Centre (FBCC)

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY JULY 20, 2023, 12PM-1PM EST

Lecture 8

Heatwave Preparation in a High-Rise Community

Lidia Ferreira

Community Engagement Specialist, Community Resilience to Extreme Weather (CREW)

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY JUNE 15, 2023, 12PM-1PM EST

Lecture 7

Five Leadership Principles for the New Generation of Emergency Managers

Ed Conley

Author, Speaker, and Crisis Management Coach

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY MAY 18, 2023, 12PM-1PM EST

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Lecture 6

Forecasting COVID Using a Hurricane Model

Taha Jaffer

Head of Wholesale Banking and Global Treasury AI , Scotiabank

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2023, 12PM-1PM EST

Recording of lecture 6

Lecture 5

Fire and Floods in Our Own Backyard: Examining Climate Change Displacement and Internal Migration in Canada

Dr. Yvonne Su

Assistant Professor

Department of Equity Studies

Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies 

York University

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY MARCH 16 12PM-1PM EST

Lecture 4

Forward Looking Climate Change Vulnerability and Resiliency Planning in the Electricity Sector

Dave Baumken

Consultant, Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resiliency

Adjunct Professor, Disaster & Emergency Management   

York University

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16 12PM-1PM EST

Lecture 3

Rethinking Vulnerability

Dr. Jason von Meding, Associate Professor​

Rinker School of Construction Management​

Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience​

University of Florida

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY JANUARY 19, 12PM-1PM EST

Lecture 2

Solar Storms and Their Impacts on Society and Technological Systems

Dr. Afshin Rezaei-Zare, Associate Professor

Electric Engineering and Computer Science, Department

York University

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY DECEMBER 15, 12PM-1PM EST

Lecture 1

Preparedness for Nuclear Conflicts: Reuse of former nuclear bunkers in Canada

Dr. Jack Rozdilski, Associate Professor

Disaster and Emergency Management

School of Administrative Studies

Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

York University

VIRTUAL , THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 12PM-1PM