Below is a list of faculty that are active in the department, and available to students with course specific questions. If you need administrative support, we encourage you to refer your questions to one of the following;

  • The Chair of the department can address detailed program questions, including program requirements, planning and selection, research opportunities, graduate studies, and more.
  • The Academic Advisor, if available, can offer support including course registration and course load, important dates, academic policies and more.
  • The Academic Deans serve as the academic and administrative anchors to the professors within their Faculties or Schools as well as the students.

Faculty of the Environment, Agriculture and Geography Department:

Contact Information is found in the BU Directory
Dr. Mirella Aoun

Dr. Mirella Aoun

Associate Professor

Dr. Mirella Aoun is Associate Professor in the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS) programs and Scientific Director of the Educational Farm. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from Université Saint-Joseph (Lebanon), a Master’s in Microbial Ecology from Université Claude Bernard, Lyon I (France), and a Ph.D. in Forest Sciences (Plant Genomics) from Université Laval (Canada). She was formerly Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut (AUB), where she coordinated the interdisciplinary Water-Energy-Food-Health Nexus (WEFRAH) research initiative.

Before joining Bishop’s, Dr. Aoun led applied research in organic fruit production at CETAB+ (Centre of Expertise and Technology Transfer in Organic Agriculture, Québec), where she managed the experimental site and served as Lead Principal Investigator in Canada’s Organic Science Cluster II. As a certified agronomist in the province of Québec, she also provided consultancy and professional training in organic horticulture. Earlier in her career, she was awarded the NSERC Visiting Fellowship in Canadian Government Laboratories and conducted postdoctoral research on bioenergy crops at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Her current research focuses on the development of climate-resilient, sustainable production systems for temperate environments. She leads multidisciplinary research initiatives at both provincial and national levels, such as the CANberries project—a nationally recognized initiative that integrates renewable energy and soilless cultivation to enable year-round berry production. Her work bridges agricultural sciences, agtech, and the agroenvironment, and she has developed and taught multiple graduate and undergraduate courses while supervising students and professionals across disciplines.

Dr. Aoun is an active member of several scientific and professional networks. Her academic profiles are available on ResearchGate, Google Scholar, ORCID, and LinkedIn.

Excerpt of Publications (Non-complete list)

Aoun M. 2020. Pesticides’ Impact on Pollinators. In: Leal Filho W., Azul A., Brandli L., Özuyar P., Wall T. (eds) Zero Hunger. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69626-3_38-1

Aoun M. and Manja K. 2020. Effects of photoselective netting systems on Fuji and Jonagold apples in a Mediterranean orchard. Sci. Hort. 263:109104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2019.109104

Manja K. and Aoun M*.  2019. The use of nets for Tree fruit crops and their impact on the production: A review. Sci. Hort. 246C: 110-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.10.050

Aoun M. 2018. Controlling weeds while saving water: Optimizing organic cranberry production. Organic Science Canada. Issue 1: 36.

Aoun M. 2017. Host defense mechanisms during fungal pathogenesis and how these are overcome in susceptible plants: A review. Int. J. Bot.: 13:  82-102. https://doi.org/10.3923/ijb.2017.82.102

Aoun M. 2016. Assessment of mono-plot netting systems for the protection of apple trees without the use of insecticides (French). 30 p.

Laroche M. and Aoun M*. 2013. Scouting calendar for apple production in Quebec (French). Tool used by professionals and producers of apple in Quebec, Canada.

Aoun M. 2013. Potential of heirloom apple varieties for commercial production (French). 40 p.

Aoun M, Jacobi V, Boyle B, and Bernier L. 2010. Identification and monitoring of Ulmus americana transcripts during in vitro interactions with the Dutch elm disease pathogen Ophiostoma novo-ulmi. Physiol. Mol. Plant Pathol 74: 254-266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmpp.2010.04.003

Aoun M, Rioux D, Simard M, Bernier L. 2009. Fungal colonization and host defense reactions in Ulmus americana calli inoculated with Ophiostoma novo-ulmi. Phytopathology 99:642-650. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-99-6-0642

Dr. Darren Bardati

Dr. Darren Bardati

Full Professor

Dr. Bardati earned his PhD and Master’s degrees at McGill University, and a BA Honours in Geography from Bishop’s. Since 1996, he has taught resource and environmental management courses in the Department of Environment, Agriculture and Geography. His research interests revolve around agroecology and sustainable foods systems, adaptation to climate change, and water management. He and his family enjoy living on a small farm where they tend large gardens, save heirloom seeds, and raise a variety of animals.

Dr. Bardati’s Personal website

Dr. Bryan Dale

Associate Professor

Dr. Dale completed both his PhD and MA in Human Geography with a specialization in Environmental Studies from the University of Toronto’s Department of Geography & Planning. His Bachelor’s degree was in Radio and Television Arts from Toronto Metropolitan University. Dr. Dale also completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the Culinaria Research Centre at the University of Toronto Scarborough before joining Bishop’s. His research interests include: food sovereignty, agroecology, climate change, environmental justice, social movements, agriculture, food security, labour and equality in the food system, urban political ecology, and cooperatives and other alternative economic initiatives (especially in food and farming).

Dale, B. (2025). “You want my money? Dance!”: Consumers, the State, and a Just Transition in the Food System. Canadian Food Studies, 12(1): 112-139. https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v12i1.705

Lowitt, K., C.Z. Levkoe, B. Dale, C. Dring, O. Gbejewoh, A. Glaros, H.L. Harrison, C. Knott, P.A. Loring, Z. Mendly-Zambo, K. Patterson, and E. Power. (2025). Advancing Basic Income as a Policy Tool for Food Systems Sustainability. Agriculture and Human Values, 42(2): 773-785. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-024-10654-4

Dale, B. (2023). Food Sovereignty and Agroecology Praxis in a Capitalist Setting: The Need for a Radical Pedagogy. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 50(3): 851–878. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2021.197165

Ruder, S-L, D. James, E. Bowness, T. Robin, and B. Dale. (2022). Canada’s Corporate Food Regime: The Prospects for a Just Transition. In J. Antony, W. Antony, and L. Samuelson (Eds.) Power and Resistance: Critical Thinking about Canadian Social Issues (7th Ed.). Winnipeg and Halifax: Fernwood Publishing.

Dale, B. (2021). Food Sovereignty and the Integral State: Institutionalizing Ecological Farming. Geoforum, 127: 137–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.10.010

Dale, B. and J. Sharma (2021). Feeding the City, Pandemic and Beyond: A Research Brief. Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies, 21(1): 88-93. https://doi.org/10.1525/gfc.2021.21.1.86

Laforge, J.M.L., B. Dale, C.Z. Levkoe, and F. Ahmed (2021). The Future of Agroecology in Canada: Embracing the Politics of Food Sovereignty. The Journal of Rural Studies, 81: 194-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.10.025

Dale, B. (2020). Alliances for Agroecology: From Climate Change to Food System Change. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 44(5): 629-652. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2019.1697787

Kepkiewicz, L. and B. Dale (2019). Keeping ‘our’ Land: Property, Agriculture and Tensions between Indigenous and Settler Visions of Food Sovereignty in Canada. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 46(5): 983-1002. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2018.1439929

Dale, B. (2019). Farming Ecologically: The NFU in Ontario. In Desmarais, A.A. (ed.) Frontline Farmers: How the National Farmers Union Resists Agribusiness and Creates Our New Food Future. Black Point, NS: Fernwood Publishing, pp. 120-139.

Isaac, M.E., R. Isakson, B. Dale, C.Z. Levkoe, S. Hargreaves, V.E. Méndez, H. Wittman, C. Hammelman, J. Langill, A. Martin, E. Nelson, M. Ekers, K. Borden, S. Gagliardi, S. Buchanan, S. Archibald, A. Gálvez Ciani (2018). Agroecology in Canada: Towards an Integration of Agroecological Practice, Movement, and Science. Sustainability, 10,3299: 1-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093299

Dale, B. (2017). Food Sovereignty Struggles in Quebec: Co-optation and Resistance. In Desmarais, A.A., P. Claeys and A. Trauger (eds.) Public Policies for Food Sovereignty: Social Movements and the State. New York: Routledge, pp. 126-143.

Ekers, M., C.Z. Levkoe, S. Walker and B. Dale (2016). Will Work For Food: Agricultural Interns, Apprentices, Volunteers and the Agrarian Question. Agriculture and Human Values, 33(3): 705-720. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-015-9660-5

Dr. Dale’s Personal Website
Dr. Elisabeth Levac

Dr. Elisabeth Levac

Full Professor

Dr. Levac has a Ph.D. in earth sciences from Dalhousie University, a B.Sc. in physical geography and a M. Sc. in earth sciences from the Université du Québec à Montréal. Before coming to Bishop’s, she was a post-doctoral fellow for the Halifax Pollen and Spores Monitoring Experiment at St. Mary’s University. Dr. Levac has been monitoring biogenic aerosols (pollen and spores) in Sherbrooke since 2006, hence she does everything in the wide field of palynology. She is now conducting research into the health impacts of these biogenic aerosols, as well as air pollution, on human health. Ongoing work examines changes in the length of the ragweed allergy season in Sherbrooke.

Dr. Levac is also conducting research on climate change. For her paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic projects, she uses fossil pollen and dinoflagellate cysts to reconstruct air and sea surface temperatures. Her focus is on abrupt climate events that took place during the last deglaciation, such as the Younger Dryas and the 8.2 ka event, around the Maritimes and Newfoundland. She is adjunct professor at McGill and at the Université de Sherbrooke where she regularly supervises master students.

The public is invited to participate in the observation of development phases of trees, such as flowering and leafing out (phenology). This work will help document how the dates of different phases will change over time.

Research Links:

Côté, J.-N., Levac, E., Germain, M., Lavigne, E., 2024. Projected risk and vulnerability to heat waves for Montreal, Quebec, using Gaussian Processes. Sustainable Cities and Society 116 (2024) 105907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2024.105907

Côté, J.-N., Germain, M., Levac, E., Lavigne, E. 2024. Vulnerability assessment of heat waves within a risk framework using artificial intelligence. Science of the Total Environment 912 (2024) 169355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169355

Levac, E., Courtemanche, B., Martel, J.-F., 2022. Contrôle des PEEE dans les lacs de l’Estrie: Une méthode efficace pour le myriophylle à épis. Vecteur Environnement, June 2022, pages 24-25.

Khan, A.H., Levac, E., VanGuelphen, L., Pohle, G., Chmura, G.L., 2018. The Effect of Global Climate Change on the Future Distribution of Economically Important Macroalgae (Seaweeds) on the NW Atlantic. FACETS, vol. 3: 275-286 DOI: 10.1139/facets-2017-0091.

Levac, E., Sandercombe, S., Chmura, G.L., 2018. The Younger Dryas in palynological records from the northern Northwest Atlantic: Does the terrestrial record lag the marine and air records? Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol. 490: 269-279.

Levac, E., Lewis, Stretch,V., Duchesne, K., Neulieb, T., 2015. Evidence for meltwater drainage via the St. Lawrence River Valley in marine cores from the Laurentian Channel at the time of the Younger Dryas. Global Planetary Change 130: 47-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2015.04.002.

Neulieb, T., Levac, E., Southon, J., Lewis, C.F.M., Chmura, G.L.., Pendea, F., 2013. Potential pitfalls of pollen dating, Radiocarbon, vol. 55, Nr 2–3, p 1142-1155. 10.2458/azu_js_rc.55.16274

Khan, A.H., Levac, E., Chmura, G.L. 2013. Future sea surface temperatures in large marine ecosystems of the Northwest Atlantic. ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) Journal of Marine Science; vol. 70, no 5, p. 915-921. doi:10.1093/icesjms/fst002

Levac, E. 2012 International Literature Review of Prediction Methods of Airborne Pollen Concentrations. Environment Canada Research Contract K4B20-11-0422. March 2012. 110 pages.

Lewis, C.F.M., Miller, A.A.L., Levac, E., Piper, D.J.W., Sonnichsen, G.V. 2012. Lake Agassiz outburst age and routing by Labrador Current and the 8.2 cal ka cold event. Quaternary International, vol. 260, pages 83-97. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2011.08.023

Levac, E., Stretch, V., Sandercombe, S., Ashley, A., 2011. A pollen calendar for the main allergenic pollen types in the borough of Lennoxville (Sherbrooke), Quebec. Journal of Eastern Townships Studies, vol. 37, pages 43-62.

Levac, E., Lewis, C.F.M., Miller, A.A.L. 2011. The Impact of the Final Lake Agassiz Flood Recorded in Northeast Newfoundland and Northern Scotian Shelves Based on Century-Scale Palynological Data. Abrupt Climate Change: Mechanisms, Patterns, and Impacts Geophysical Monograph Series 193. pages 139-159. doi:10.1029/2010GM001051.

Anderson, T.W., Levac, E., Lewis, C.F.M., 2007. Cooling in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and estuary region at 9.7 to 7.2 14C ka: palynological response to the PBO and 8.2 ka cal BP cold events, Laurentide Ice Sheet air mass circulation and enhanced freshwater runoff. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, volume 246, pages 75-100. Special issue: Late Quaternary North American meltwater and floods to the Atlantic Ocean: evidence and impacts.

Mudie, P.J., Rochon, A., Prins, M., Soenarjo, D., Troelstra, S., Levac, E., Scott, D.B., Roncaglia, L., Kuijpers, A., 2006. Late Pleistocene-Holocene marine geology of Nares Strait: palaeoceanography from foraminifer and dinoflagellate cysts, sedimentology and stable isotopes. Polarforschung, volume 74, pages 169-183.

Levac, E., 2003. Palynological records from Bay of Islands, Newfoundland: direct correlation of Holocene paleoceanographic and climatic changes. Palynology, vol. 27, 135-154.

Mudie, P.J., Rochon, A. and Levac, E. 2002. Palynological records of red tides in Canada: past trends and implications for the future. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol. 180, p. 159-186.

Levac, E., 2001. High resolution Holocene palynological records from the Scotian Shelf. Marine Micropaleontology, vol. 43, p.179-197.

Levac, E., de Vernal, A., Blake, W. Jr. 2001. Holocene palynology of cores from the North Water Polynya, Baffin Bay. Journal of Quaternary Science, vol. 16, p. 353-363.

Dr. Levac’s Personal Website
Dr. Jane Morrison

Dr. Jane Morrison

Assistant Professor

Dr. Morrison earned her PhD at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (BarcelonaTech) in Agroecology and her MSc at McGill University in Integrated Water Resources Management. She holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with an Environmental Engineering Minor, also from McGill University. She undertook a year of funded post-doctoral research at Bishop’s University (supervisor: Dr. D. Bardati), and won the prestigious NSERC and FRQNT awards, before being hired as BU’s Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems program’s Strategic Innovation Faculty member.

Dr. Morrison’s research interests include: sustainable agriculture, agroecology and resilient food systems. Dr. Morrison’s current research aims to improve the sustainability of the agricultural sector by connecting with the local organic farming community in order to understand the current state of the industry, share and mobilize knowledge about best practices, highlight the greatest obstacles for farmers, and determine how farmers can be better supported.

Publications

Morrison, J., Izquierdo, J., Hernández Plaza, E., & González-Andújar, J. L. (2021). The Attractiveness of Five Common Mediterranean Weeds to Pollinators. Agronomy, 11(7), 1314. DOI: 10.3390/agronomy11071314

Blaix, C., Moonen, A. C., Dostatny, D. F., Izquierdo, J., Le Corff, J., Morrison, J., Von Redwitz, C., Schumacher, M., & Westerman, P. R. (2018). Quantification of regulating ecosystem services provided by weeds in annual cropping systems using a systematic map approach. Weed Research, 58(3), 151-164. DOI:10.1111/wre.12303

Morrison, J., Izquierdo, J., Plaza, E. H., & González-Andújar, J. L. (2017). The role of field margins in supporting wild bees in Mediterranean cereal agroecosystems: Which biotic and abiotic factors are important? Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 247, 216-224. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2017.06.047

Morrison, J., Izquierdo, J., Hernández Plaza, M. E., & González Andújar, J. L. (2017). The role of weeds in field margins in supporting wild pollinators in Mediterranean cereal agroecosystems. In M. R. Hernando & A. Z. Aznárez (Eds.), Proceedings of the XVI Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Malherbología: Pamplona-Iruña, October 25-27, 2017. Universidad Pública de Navarra/Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa, 2017. ISBN: 978-84-9769-327-1

Morrison, J., & Friedler, E. (2015). A critical review of methods used to obtain flow patterns and volumes of individual domestic water using appliances. Urban Water Journal, 12(4), 328-343. DOI: 10.1080/1573062X.2014.900090

Morrison, J., Madramootoo, C. A., & Chikhaoui, M. (2014). Modeling agricultural land drainage under spring snowmelt conditions with DRAINMOD. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 41(4), 275-284. DOI: 10.1139/cjce-2013-0416

Morrison, J., Madramootoo, C. A., & Chikhaoui, M. (2013). Modeling the influence of tile drainage flow and tile spacing on phosphorus losses from two agricultural fields in southern Québec. Water Quality Research Journal, 48(3), 279-293. DOI: 10.2166/wqrjc.2013.053

Madramootoo, C. A., & Morrison, J. (2013). Advances and challenges with micro-irrigation. Irrigation and Drainage, 62(3), 255-261. DOI: 10.1002/ird.1704

Dr. Juan Francisco Nunez

Dr. Juan Francisco Núñez

Assistant Professor

Dr. Núñez earned his Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) at Université de Sherbrooke. He also holds a Master’s degree in business administration from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) of Mexico. His research focuses on supply chain collaboration, value chain sustainability, green supply chain management, fairtrade, and fair labour. As a practitioner, Dr. Núñez accumulates over twenty years of experience in logistics, transportation, and procurement in the private and public sectors.

Núñez, J.F. and Santa-Eulalia, L.A. (2023). Logistics collaboration in vehicle manufacturing: case studies with a triadic perspective, International Journal of Logistics, forthcoming.

Rhnima, A., Richard, P., Núñez, J.F. y Pousa, C.E. (2016). El conflicto trabajo-familia como factor de riesgo y el apoyo social del supervisor como factor protector del agotamiento profesional, CIENCIA ergo-sum, 23(3), 205-218. https://www.redalyc.org/journal/104/10448076005/10448076005.pdf

Mesly, O., De la Orden, C., y Núñez, J.F. (2016). Las acciones de participación preferente en España. ¿Un caso de depredación financiera? – Análisis exploratorio con el método Delphi, Economía, XXXIX (37), enero-junio, 77-99 http://www.saber.ula.ve/handle/123456789/42333

Pousa, C.E. and Núñez, J.F. (2014). Why do consumers buy Fair Trade products? An evolutionary perspective using the Theory of Consumption Values, Journal of Management and Sustainability, 4(2), 1-11. https://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jms/article/view/34837

Rhnima, A. y Núñez, J.F. (2014). La articulación empleo-familia: análisis del apoyo social como factor regulador, CIENCIA ergo-sum, 21(1) marzo-junio, 9-20. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/104/10429976002.pdf

Núñez, J.F. et Pousa, C.E. (2013). Les produits équitables : une analyse de leur évolution sous la perspective des valeurs du consommateur. (In) R. Chaves (dir.), Actes du 4e congrès international de recherche en économie sociale du CIRIEC. Anvers, Belgique, 24-26 octobre. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2434849

Núñez, J.F. y Berthelot, S. (2012). Los programas y sellos de certificación en comercio justo: una lectura neo-institucional con ilustraciones canadienses, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, no 75, 301-320. http://ciriec-revistaeconomia.es/wp-content/uploads/CIRIEC_7513_Nunez_y_Berthelotot.pdf

Núñez, J.F. (2011). Compte rendu de l’ouvrage « Commerce équitable, les défis de la solidarité dans les échanges internationaux », (In) Lemay, J-F., Favreau, L. et C. Maldidier (2010), PUQ, Économie et Solidarités, 41(1-2), 128-131. https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/es/1900-v1-n1-es067/1008825ar.pdf

Núñez, J.F. et Berthelot, S. (2011). Vers un modèle de coordination des acteurs du commerce équitable. (In) R. Chaves (dir.), Actes du 3e congrès international de recherche en économie sociale du CIRIEC. Valladolid, Espagne, 6-8 avril. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373043568

Dr. Matthew Peros

Dr. Matthew Peros

Full Professor – Dean of Social Sciences & Interim Associate Vice-Principal Research

Dr. Peros received his Ph.D. in geography from the University of Toronto, his M.Sc. from York University (also in geography), and his B.Sc. in archaeological sciences and geography from the University of Toronto. His graduate work focused on environmental change and prehistoric human adaptations in Cuba. Following the completion of his Ph.D., Dr. Peros moved to the Laboratory for Paleoclimatology and Climatology at the University of Ottawa, where he researched arctic climate change under the direction of Dr. Konrad Gajewski.

Dr. Peros’s current research involves studying the history of hurricane impacts in the Caribbean, and prehistoric environmental-human interactions in North America. He also serves as President of the Canadian Quaternary Association (CANQUA) and he is the Director of the graduate-level Micro-program in Climate Change at Bishop’s University.

Dr. Peros is a broadly trained physical geographer working at the interface between the climatological, ecological, and archaeological sciences. His research seeks to answer fundamental questions within two broad areas: (1) what have been the driving forces behind climate and landscape change during the Late Quaternary? and (2), how has the natural environment constrained/provided opportunities for cultural and biological change? To address questions in these areas, he uses a field- and laboratory-based approach, integrating information derived from geological (e.g., sedimentological, geochemical) and paleoecological (e.g., palynological) investigations with archaeological data. At present, his regional specializations include eastern Canada, the Caribbean, and northeastern China.

Climate and Environmental Change Research Laboratory website.

Peros, M.C., Collins, S., Agosta G’Meiner, A., Reinhardt, E., and F. M. Pupo. (2017). Multistage 8.2 kyr event revealed through high-resolution XRF core scanning of Cuban sinkhole sediments. Geophysical Research Letters, 44, doi:10.1002/2017GL074369

Oliva, F., Peros, M.C., and Viau, A. (2017). A review of the spatial distribution of and analytical techniques used in paleotempestological studies in the North Atlantic Basin. Progress in Physical Geography, 1:1-20.

Peros, M.C., Gregory, B.R., Matos, F., Reinhardt, E.G., and Desloges, J.P. (2015). Late Holocene record of lagoon evolution, climate change, and hurricane strikes from south-eastern Cuba. The Holocene, 25: 1483-1497.

Munoz, S., Gajewski, K., Peros, M.C. (2010). Synchronous environmental and cultural change in the prehistory of the northeastern United States. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107: 22008-22013.

Peros, M.C., Gajewski, K. (2008). Holocene climate and vegetation change on Victoria Island, western Canadian Arctic. Quaternary Science Reviews, 27: 235-249.

Dr. Vivian Valencia

Dr. Vivian Valencia

Associate Professor, Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Action Research Chair

Vivian earned a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Columbia University, a master’s degree in Environmental Health from Johns Hopkins University, as well as a BS in Biology and a BA in French from University of Florida. Previously, she was a postdoctoral Research Fellow in Agroecology and Food System Sustainability at the University of Michigan. She also conducted a short research stay both at McGill University and Wurzburg University as a P.R.I.M.E. Research Fellow. Vivian is also a guest lecturer at Wageningen University & Research (The Netherlands), where she was formerly Assistant Professor at the Farming Systems Ecology group.

Vivian is active in the policy, diplomacy, and social entrepreneurship spheres, where she collaborates with diverse actors to support a coherent transformation towards a more sustainable and resilient society. She is a former member of the Advisory Council of the Global Diplomacy Lab; a BMW Responsible Leader; alumna of several programs of the Bosch Foundation; alumna of the Managing Global Governance Training Program of the German Development Institute (DIE); and alumna of German Federal Foreign Office “International Futures” Training for International Diplomats. Vivian’s research and professional career have been supported by the National Geographic Society, PRIME Fellowship of the DAAD and Marie Curie Programme of the European Commission, Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship, among others.

Dr. Vivian Valencia leads a research and teaching program that combines her unique multidisciplinary background in ecology, agriculture, and public health to support a radical redesign of food systems. Vivian’s research aims to find real life solution to the dual biodiversity loss and climate crises by identifying and analyzing lighthouses—also known as bright spots and positive outliers. Lighthouses are extraordinary, real-life cases of food and farming systems that show what more sustainable futures may look like. By studying these extraordinary cases we can learn how they came to be and find ways to amplify their positive impacts, while also providing inspiration and contributing to more positive narratives about our collective future.

Silva-Galicia, A.,** Valencia, V., Arrollo-Rodriguez, V. Ceccon, E., 2022. Weight-of-evidence approach for assessing agroforestry contributions to restore key ecosystem services in tropical dry forests. Agroforestry Systems. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.wur.nl/10.1007/s10457-022-00794-z

Kennedy Freeman, K.**, Valencia, V., Marzaroli, J., and van Zanten H. 2022. Digital traceability to enhance circular food systems and reach agriculture emissions targets. Outlook on Agriculture, 51(4), 414–422. https://doi.org/10.1177/00307270221133854

Kennedy Freeman, K.**, Valencia, V., Baraldo, J., Schulte, van Zanten H., 2022. R. On-farm circular technologies for enhanced sustainability: The case of Uruguay. Journal of Cleaner Production. 372(133470) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133470

Valencia, V*., Bennett, E., Altieri, M., Nicholls, C., Pas Schriver, A., & Schulte, R. P. O. 2022. Learning from future successes: Mainstreaming disruptive solutions for the transition to sustainable farming systems. Environmental Research Letters 17 051002 DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/ac6ad9

Valencia, V*., Jones, A., Wittman, H., Blesh, J. 2021. Public policies for agricultural diversification: Implications for gender equality. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 5:718449.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.718449

Harvey, C., Pritts, A., Zwetsloot, M., Jansen, K., Pulleman, M., Armbrecht, I., Avelino, J., …, Valencia, V*. 2021. Transformation of coffee-growing landscapes across Latin America. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 41:62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-021-00712-0 Featured in Sci Dev Net

Care, D., Bernstein, M., Chapman, M., Diaz-Reviriego, I., Dressler, G., Felipe-Lucia, M., Friis, C., … Valencia, V., Zaehringer, J. 2021. Creating leadership collectives for sustainability transformations. Sustainability Science 16, 703-708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-021-00909-y

Silva-Galicia, A.,** Valencia, V., Moreno-Calles, A., Arrollo-Rodriguez, V. Ceccon, E., 2020. Agroforestry contributes to restore key ecosystem services in tropical dry forests. One Earth. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3669389

Valencia, V*., Wittman, H., Blesh, J. 2019. Structuring Markets for Resilient Farming Systems. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 39:25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-019-0572-4

Valencia, V*., L. García-Barrios, E. J. Sterling, P. West, A. Meza-Jimenez, and S. Naeem. 2018. Smallholder response to environmental change: Impacts of coffee leaf rust in a forest frontier in Mexico. Land Use Policy 79 (December): 463–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.08.020.

Barrios, E., Valencia, V., Jonsson, M., Brauman, A., Hairiah, K., Mortimer, P., Okubo, S. 2018. Contribution of trees to the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management. 14:1, 1-16, DOI:10.1080/21513732.2017.1399167

Valencia, V*., S. Naeem, L. García-Barrios, P. West, and E. J. Sterling. 2016. Conservation of tree species of late succession and conservation concern in coffee agroforestry systems. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 219:32–41.

Valencia, V*., P. West, E. J. Sterling, L. García-Barrios, and S. Naeem. 2015. The use of farmers’ knowledge in coffee agroforestry management: Implications for the conservation of tree biodiversity. Ecosphere 6:art122.

Valencia, V*., L. García-Barrios, P. West, E. J. Sterling, and S. Naeem. 2014. The role of coffee agroforestry in the conservation of tree diversity and community composition of native forests in a Biosphere Reserve. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 189:154–163.

*corresponding author/ **led by supervised student

Chapters and books

Valencia, V., Wittman, H., Blesh, J., 2021. Chapter 11: Public Food Procurement for Farm System Diversification. In: Swensson, L., Tartanac, F., Hunter, D., Schneider, S. (Eds.), Public Food Procurement for Sustainable Food Systems and Healthy Diets–Volume 1. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7960en

García-Barrios, L., Cruz-Morales, J., Braasch, M., Dechnik-Vázquez, Y., Gutiérrez-Navarro, A., Meza-Jiménez, A., Rivera-Núñez, T., Speelman, E., Trujillo-Díaz, G., Valencia, V., Zabala, A., 2020. Challenges for Rural Livelihoods, Participatory Agroforestry, and Biodiversity Conservation in a Neotropical Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. In: García-Barrios, Luís (Ed.), Participatory Biodiversity Conservation. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 69–89.

Echaniz G., Garibay, V., Lopez, M., Valencia, V. Health Impact Assessment for Atmospheric Air Pollutants. 2007. National Institute of Ecology. México D.F., México. ISBN 978-607-8246-35-9.

Reports

Schulte, R. P. O., Creamer, R. E., Freeman, K. K., Wheeler, I., Debernardini, M., Valencia, V., van Zanten, H. H. E., & Freed, E. K. (2021). Indicators of Success: Workshop 1 Report. Prepared by Wageningen University & Research for Deloitte Consulting LLP, in the context of the 100 Million Farmers initiative of the World Economic Forum. Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Valencia, V., Koppelmäki, K., Morrow, O., de Vrieze, A. G. M., van Wagenberg, C. P. A., Bos-Brouwers, H. E. J., Schulte, R., Wiskerke, J. S. C. 2020. Framework for “Circularity by Design”: Working Paper M1.1. Framework & Governance. Wageningen University & Research.

Blogs and magazine articles

Osorio, D. and Valencia, V. 2022. COP15 à Montréal sur la biodiversité Les crises du climat et de la biodiversité sont liées. La Presse. https://www.lapresse.ca/debats/opinions/2022-12-03/cop15-a-montreal-sur-la-biodiversite/les-crises-du-climat-et-de-la-biodiversite-sont-liees.php

Estrada-Carmona, E., Groot, J., Talsma, E., Valencia, V., Remans, R. 2021. Education: An invaluable power tool for trackling global crises. Thrive blog.

Bernstein, M. J., Chapman, M., Díaz-Reviriego, I., Dressler, G., Felipe-Lucia, M., Friis, C., … Valencia, V., Zaehringer, J. 2020. Collaborating with care in virtual sessions.

Estrada-Carmona, E., Groot, J., Talsma, E., Valencia, V., Remans, R. 2020. WUR and CGIAR working together to equip future researchers, managers and leaders to address challenges in multifunctional foodscapes. Thrive blog.

Valencia, V. 2015. Global Diplomacy Lab: Atelier to explore the meaning of diplomacy. Training for International Diplomats Yearbook: 62-63. German Federal Foreign Office, Berlin, Germany. https://diplomatie.alumniportal.com/fileadmin/diplomatie/multimedia/Jahresheft_2015/index.html

Part-time Faculty of the Environment, Agriculture and Geography Department:

Mr. Bruno Courtemanche

Bruno Courtemanche

Contract Faculty

Sensor and sensor platform design, light scattering, data clustering, remote sensing oceanography, remote sensing of the cryosphere, limnology, invasive species monitoring.

Currently working on his PhD, Mr. Courtemanche earned his Bachelor’s and Masters degrees at Université de Sherbrooke. His current research focuses on underwater light scattering and microwave scattering. Co-owner and founder of RS Conception inc., M. Courtemanche is working with federal agencies, Sherbrooke University and the private sector to create the next cutting edge sensors and sensors platforms.

Currently teaches:

  • ESG 126: Introduction to human geography
  • ESG 262: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
  • ESG 263: Introduction to remote sensing
  • ESG 362: Advanced Geographic Information Systems
Ms. Jennifer Downing

Jennifer Downing

Contract Faculty

Ms. Downing holds a M.Ed. from Bishop’s and a Permaculture Design Certificate from the Permaculture Education Center, in Nashville, TN. She has knowledge and experience in growing food, raising animals, saving seeds, and permaculture landscape design. She has held community workshops on gardening and taught permaculture to smallholder women farmers in Malawi. She currently teaches AGR171 – Permaculture Design I: Permaculture Principles and AGR172 – Permaculture Design II: Permaculture Projects.

Dr. Jen Gobby

Dr. Jen Gobby

Contract Faculty

Dr. Jen Gobby is a transdisciplinary social scientist with a PhD in Renewable Resources and a B.A. in Environmental Studies, both from McGill University. She teaches at Bishop’s and at McGill’s Bieler School of Environment. Her research is focused on climate policy, climate justice, social transformation and Indigenous – settler relations in social movements in Canada. She is the author of the book More Powerful Together: Conversations with Climate Activists and Indigenous Land Defenders, the founder of the Mud Girls Natural Building Collective and Director of Research for the Frontlines.

Dr. Gobby’s Personal Website

Adjunct Professors of the Environment, Agriculture and Geography Department:

Dr. Nicholas Devillers

Dr. Nicholas Devillers

Adjunct Professor

Nicholas Devillers, PhD (Animal Science, Rennes) is a Research Scientist at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre in Sherbrooke (adjacent to Bishop’s University). His specialty is human-animal relationship, sustainable animal husbandry, and animal welfare.

Dr. Devillers’s Info on the Government of Canada’s website
Dr. Leanne Idzerda

Dr. Leanne Idzerda

Adjunct Professor

Leanne Idzerda holds a PhD from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, an MSc from Ottawa University, and a dual BAH degree in International Development and Psychology from Queen’s University. She also has a passion and interest in global health and development and holds a graduate certificate from the United Nations University and Tufts University in Delivery Science for International Nutrition as well as an International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance. Her expertise are in population health and nutrition, urban agriculture, and sustainable food systems in developing countries. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Laval University with the School of Land Management and Regional Planning where she is working on how to integrate urban agriculture into community programming in order to promote the health and nutrition of Canadian populations.

Dr. Helen Jensen

Helen Jensen

Adjunct Professor

Helen Jensen holds a PhD in Biology from McGill University and an M.Sc. as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Ottawa. During her doctoral research, she studied the evolution and disease resistance of barley varieties in Morocco, in collaboration with researchers and agricultural producers in the Taounate region. Helen has been with USC Canada since 2013 (now called SeedChange), contributing to the implementation of The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security. She works on participatory plant breeding and participatory variety trial networks to develop varieties adapted to the needs of organic and ecological producers.

Dr. Paul Manning

Dr. Paul Manning

Adjunct Professor

Paul Manning, earned his PhD in Zoology from the University of Oxford and his B.Sc Agriculture (Environmental and Plant Science) from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Dalhousie University where he researches a wide-range of ecological questions that focus on insects in agroecosystems. His core research questions ask how agricultural practices impact insect communities and how these impacts affect the health and functioning of agroecosystems. Dr. Manning also has strong interests in: citizen science (i.e. involving interested members of the public in research), science communication, and student mentorship.

Dr. Manning’s Personal Website

Faculty of the Environmental Science Program:

Our B.Sc. Environmental Science program depends on courses and contributions from the following faculty members in the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics:

Dr. Patrick Bergeron

Dr. Patrick Bergeron

Associate Professor – Biology and Biochemistry

Dr. Patrick Bergeron is an associate professor in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology at McGill and his PhD in Evolutionary Biology and Behavioural Ecology at the Université de Sherbrooke. He was also a postdoctoral fellow in population genetics at Dartmouth College (NH) and in biostatistics and epidemiology at the CRCHUS. His main research themes focus on life-history trade-offs and behavioral ecology.

Dr. Bergeron’s Personal Website
Dr. Marylène Boulet

Dr. Marylène Boulet

Senior Instructor – Biology and Biochemistry

Dr. Alexandre Drouin

Dr. Alexandre Drouin

Associate Professor – Chemistry

Dr. Alexandre Drouin was born in Arthabasca, Quebec. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in organic chemistry at the Université de Sherbrooke under the supervision of Dr. Jean Lessard and Dr. Claude Spino. His research was aimed at the development of the rearrangement of N-heterosubstituted lactams. He then moved to the Université catholique de Louvain, in Belgium, as an ARC-FNRS postdoctoral research fellow, where he worked on the total synthesis of polycavernoside A and the development of a new methodology for the hydroamination of unactivated alkenes, under the supervision of Dr. István Markó. After two years in Belgium, he came back in Sherbrooke where he joined Tranzyme Pharma as an NSERC postdoctoral scientist and worked on the development of new drugs for gastrointestinal diseases. He finally joined Bishop’s University in September 2012 as an assistant professor where he teaches all organic chemistry courses and labs.

Dr. Valerio Faraoni

Dr. Valerio Faraoni

Full Professor – Physics and Astronomy

Valerio Faraoni earned a BSc in Physics (Laurea in Fisica) at the University of Pavia, Italy, and an MSc and PhD (1991) in Astrophysics under the supervision of Prof. George F.R. Ellis at the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy.

Dr. Michael Richardson

Dr. Michael Richardson

Associate Professor – Biology and Biochemistry

Dr. Michael Richardson is Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. He teaches a variety of courses including Introductory Biology, Ichthyology and Herpetology, Ornithology and Mammalogy, Comparative Anatomy, Freshwater Biology, Animal Behaviour, and Introduction to Evolution and Ecology. His undergraduate and graduate training was in Wildlife Biology from the Macdonald Campus of McGill University. Michael’s graduate research involved using goldfish (Carassius auratus) as a model for better understanding how exotic fish become established in local lakes and ponds, and the impacts they have on native ecosystems.

Dr. Jade Savage

Dr. Jade Savage

Full Professor – Biology and Biochemistry

Dr. Jade Savage completed her bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1998 and her PhD in Entomology in 2004 at McGill University. She joined the Department of Biological Sciences at Bishop’s University in July 2004. She has travelled extensively, throughout North America and abroad, to take part in conferences and research field expeditions in Canada, the United States, Costa Rica, Australia, and Sweden. Dr. Savage was recently awarded four grants from NSERC and FQRNT totalling $108,485 to pursue her work on the systematics and biodiversity of Diptera (true flies).

Dr. Brad Willms

Dr. Brad Willms

Associate Professor – Mathematics

Dr. Willms is not only a mathematics professor; he is also passionate about sports. Dr. Willms serve as the academic advisor for Sports Studies students.

Dr. Dale Wood

Dr. Dale Wood

Associate Professor – Chemistry

Dr. Wood is Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Bishop’s University and Adjunct Professor at Université de Sherbrooke. He earned his Bachelor of Science and PhD in Chemistry at University of New Brunswick. His primary field of research is main-group inorganic chemistry.