Student Perspectives - “Rooted in Community: Emerging Engineers for Climate Action and Resilience” with Matilde Cervantes Navarrete

In this episode, co-hosts Matilde Cervantes (PhD candidate and project manager contractor at the CEL Office) and April Vannini (CEL Coordinator) invite you to learn from Engineering MA student, Shukooh Goodarzi and Engineering PhD candidate Kelsey Shaw, who are conducting community-engaged research. Both students are participants in the Students in Community: Engaging Meaningfully for Climate Action and Resilience program, which is generously funded by CEWIL Canada and run through the CEL Office.  About the guests: Shukooh Goodarzi (she/her) is a Master of Engineering student in Industrial Ecology within the Department of Civil Engineering. Her research focuses on urban sustainability, ecological connectivity, and planning. Shukooh ’s project, "Examination of Municipal Park Connectivity and Forest Species Sustainability in North Saanich – A First Approximation," in collaboration with the Diverters Foundation, examines how the fragmentation of urban forest parks affects species distribution and biodiversity. By identifying gaps and opportunities for habitat improvement, the research aims to provide practical recommendations to increase forest ecosystem resilience and to plan for long-term sustainability in the region.   Kelsey Shaw (they/them) is a PhD candidate in Civil Engineering, co-supervised at the University of Victoria in Canada (Public Health and Environmental Engineering Lab) and the Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Sciences and Technology (Management of Excreta, Wastewater and Sludge group) in Switzerland. Their research focuses on climate resilience, public health, and environmental engineering, with a commitment to advancing global sustainability and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They are passionate about addressing cross-cutting challenges to improve sanitation worldwide.  Additional show notes:  This podcast was produced by the University of Victoria’s Community-Engaged Learning Office, part of Co-op and Careers. Special thanks to our guests Shukooh Goodarzi and Kelsey Shaw, and our program funders, CEWIL Canada  If you would like to learn more about community-engaged opportunities that can enrich your life-long learning, email [email protected] or visit our team on campus in the Career Services building beside the UVic Bookstore.  We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.