Professors
Heather MacLean
Professor
Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Systems and Technology Assessment
Vice Dean Strategy, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Daniel Posen
Associate Professor
Canada Research Chair in System-Scale Environmental Impacts of Energy and Transport Technologies
Shoshanna Saxe
Associate Professor
Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Infrastructure
Dean’s Spark Professor, Sustainable Infrastructure
Current Postdoctoral Fellows
Name: Dr. Amirashkan Askari
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen
Topic: Environmental (non)equivalence between Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies and the competing mitigation strategies to combat global warming
Name: Dr. Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe and Dr. Timothy C.Y. Chan (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering)
Topic: Equitable prioritization of active transportation infrastructure in Canadian cities
Name: Dr. Thiago Rodrigues
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen
Topic: Systemic impacts of the petroleum and transportation sectors on the broader energy landscape to inform policy and strategic decision-making in the transition towards sustainable energy systems.
Name: Dr. Emily Nishikawa
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean
Topic: Life cycle assessment (and exploration of other sustainability tools) of CO2 conversion and removal (CCU and CDR) technologies in Canada, such as CO2 electrolysis and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).
Name: Dr. Santiago Zuluaga
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe
Topic: Assessing the potential of Circular Economy strategies for embodied greenhouse gas emission reductions in the built environment.
Current PhD Students
Name: Praveen Siluvai Antony
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen
Current Work: My PhD research broadly focuses on biofuels and public policies. In my first project, I developed a supply chain model for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from canola and estimated Canada’s near-term SAF potential. Specifically, I estimated the number of SAF plants that can be constructed, identified optimal locations, and quantified the life cycle carbon footprint of SAF supplied to the airports. In my current research, I focus on understanding the nature of changes in the carbon intensity of a matured technology in the market by performing a retrospective LCA using corn-ethanol from GREET as a case study.
Name: Nadine Alzaghrini
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Daniel Posen
Current Work: My work focuses on decarbonization strategies for the light-duty vehicles sector in the U.S.
Name: Bo Lin
Supervisor(s): Dr. Timothy C.Y. Chan (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) and Dr. Shoshanna Saxe
Current Work: I am currently focusing on developing quantitative tools to support cycling infrastructure planning. More broadly, my research is at the intersection of analytics, optimization, transportation, and sustainability. I am interested in designing scalable algorithms to improve transportation efficiency and equity, environmental wellness, and the social good.
Name: Angel Badewole
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Brad Saville (Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry)
Current Work: My current work is on life-cycle assessments of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies at low technology readiness levels.
Name: Mengqing Kan
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Daniel Posen
Current Work: Due to my interdisciplinary background in environmental economics, policy, and sustainable business, I am interested in learning how to conduct quantitative analysis to inform policy and decision making for different stakeholders. I am currently investigating CCU pathways and evaluating how the emerging CCU technology can mitigate GHG emissions under different scenarios.
Name: Dijuan Liang
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Daniel Posen
Current Work: I am currently working on evaluating role of large-scale deployment of e-fuels in the U.S. light-duty vehicle fleet to meet the ambitious climate change targets.
Name: Lih Wei Yeow
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Daniel Posen
Current Work: I’m currently assessing the environmental and sustainability implications of decarbonizing the medium- and heavy-duty truck sector from a life cycle perspective.
Name: Miranda Doris
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Marianne Hatzopoulou
Current Work: My current research explores the impact of the upstream oil and gas industry on air quality in Northeast British Columbia to better understand the exposure of nearby local communities.
Name: Christiana Vann
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe
Current Work: My research will investigate the material consumption and related embodied greenhouse gas emissions linked to the construction of low-rise multi-family dwellings (MFD) around the world. The main objective of the research is to compare the MFDs in selected locations to identify factors affecting the sustainability performance of the building stock. This research will aid in the development of pathways for sustainable residential building construction while staying within resource, climate limits and maintaining social well-being.
Name: Emily Farrar
Supervisor(s): Dr. Marianne Hatzopoulou and Dr. Shoshanna Saxe
Current Work: I am interested in understanding pathways to improve air quality, decarbonize the transit sector, and improve community well-being. I am currently investigating how different trajectories of urban growth impact GHG and air quality emissions.
Name: Feras Abdulla
Supervisor(s): Dr. Marianne Hatzopoulou and Dr. Daniel Posen
Current Work: My research aims to evaluate the use of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies in different energy models and across diverse net zero emissions scenarios. My goal is to examine what conditions drive CDR usage, and to identify sectors where emissions reduction and mitigation measures complement or potentially compete with CDR.
Name: Davey Elder
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen and Dr. Heather MacLean
Current Work: My research is in energy systems modelling, developing new modelling methods to robustly and quantitatively assess decarbonisation pathways. I am also constructing the Canadian Open Energy model (CANOE), developing backend data aggregation and pre-processing infrastructure.
Name: Keagan Rankin
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe
Current Work: My current research looks at how material efficiency strategies can reduce embodied emissions from infrastructure while still meeting social and economic needs; specifically, I am leveraging data on materials in residential buildings to find forms of housing that can meet rising demand without compromising emissions targets.
Name: Jesse Ward-Bond
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe and Dr. Elias Khalil
Current Work: Understanding the carbon cost of urban infrastructure by combining LCA and remote sensing image analysis.
Name: Shahid Hossaini
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen
Current Work: My research seeks to incorporate critical mineral supply and demand dynamics into energy systems optimization models to assess trade-offs at the mineral criticality – GHG emissions nexus to inform energy, climate, and resource policies in Canada. I will also be contributing towards the development of the Canadian Open Energy model (CANOE).
Current MASc Students
Name: Nerea Rivelle
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe and Dr. Evan Bentz
Current Work: Reducing embodied carbon emissions in traditional reinforced concrete slabs by optimizing the thickness and the compressive strength of the concrete.
Name: Christopher Fitzgibbon
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Daniel Posen
Current Work: Decarbonization of northern energy systems via introduction of energy storage vectors.
Name: Zere Bekzhanova
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe
Current Work: My research will focus on analyzing the impact of building refurbishment on material intensity and related greenhouse gas emissions.
Name: Chaitanya Ahuja
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe and Dr. David Meyer
Current Work: My research seeks to quantify embodied greenhouse gas emissions associated with urban water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure, and identify reduction pathways including urban form design choices.
Name: Nick Martyn
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen
Current Work: Infrastructure Resilience
Name: Jeffrey Sauer
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe and Dr. Daniel Posen
Current Work: Rapid Emissions Reduction Policies and Pathways
Name: Felipe Rashid Zetter Salcedo
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen and Dr. Heather MacLean
Current Work: Modeling future energy system scenarios to design optimal clean energy deployment strategies
Name: Avery Hoffer
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe and Dr. Evan Bentz
Current Work: Determining the optimal building height to minimize embodied GHG emissions per area of inhabitable space.
Name: Diana Zaraza Pena
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Bradley Saville
Current Work: Environmental impact assessment of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage technologies.
Name: Eric Guan
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean
Current Work: Advancing novel techno-economic and life-cycle assessment methodologies for CO2 electrolyzers and assessing candidate communities.
Name: Sebastian Villada Rivera
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen and Dr. Matthew Roorda
Current Work: Modelling peak demand across charging scenarios for Ontario heavy-duty truck fleet electrification.
Name: Tamar Meshulam
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe
Current Work: My research will focus on public spaces and their role in influencing environmental impacts.
Name: Isabella Rudolf-Ferreira
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Bradley Saville
Current Work: I am currently researching the production of biofuels with relation to carbon capture and different feedstocks.
Previous Members
Postdoctoral Fellows
Name: Jean Schmitt
Topic: Environmental impact assessment of electric vehicles; development of the FLAME model; impact assessment of carbon dioxide removal technologies.
Name: Da Huo
Topic: Modeling life cycle GHG emissions and decarbonization pathways for light-duty vehicle fleets
Name: Hatzav Yoffe
Topic: Estimating the carbon footprint required for building cities and establishing greenhouse gas emission budgets towards net-zero construction.
Name: Alexandre Milovanoff
Thesis title: Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation Pathways for Light-Duty Vehicle Fleets Under Ambitious Climate Targets
Name: Gursans Guven Isin
Topic: Construction Classification System Database for Understanding Resource Use in Building Construction
Name: Nikolaos Kalyviotis
Topic: Embodied emissions in rail infrastructure
Name: Lucas Pereira
Topic: Electricity systems, Construction GHG emissions, Environmental product declarations
Name: Mohammad Nahangi
Topic: Embodied greenhouse gas assessment of a bridge: A comparison of preconstruction Building Information Model and construction records
Name: Baishali Dutta
Topic: Impact of land management and climate change on emissions from bioenergy crops
Name: Caroline Vanderghem Zapata
Topic: Biofuels (various)
PhD
Name: Santiago Zuluaga
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe and Dr. Bryan Karney
Thesis: Exploring the Value of Infrastructure Systems and its Impacts on Decision-Making for Sustainability
Name: Sherry-Ann Ram
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen and Dr. Deborah Tihanyi (Engineering Communication Program)
Thesis: Understanding Sustainability Education Within Undergraduate Engineering at the University of Toronto
Name: Aldrick Arceo
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe and Dr. Heather MacLean
Thesis: Uncertainty in Quantification of Material Use and Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Single-Family Dwellings
Name: Alexandre Milovanoff
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Daniel Posen
Thesis: Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation Pathways for Light-Duty Vehicle Fleets Under Ambitious Climate Targets
Name: Chibulu Luo
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean
Thesis: Sustainable Energy Use in Dar es Salaam: Current Trends, Future Scenarios, and Policy Options
MASc
Name: Weimin Huang
Supervisor(s): Dr. Elias Khalil (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) and Dr. Shoshanna Saxe
Thesis: Image-Based Prediction of Building Attributes with Deep Learning
Name: Aaron Belman Martínez
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Daniel Posen
Thesis: Evolving Electric Vehicle Charging Profiles: A Crucial Consideration for Energy System Models
Name: Melissa Cusack Striepe
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean
Thesis: Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Vehicle Lifespan Caps for Reducing Light-Duty Vehicle Fleet GHG Emissions in the U.S.
Name: Adam Parker
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen
Thesis: Using incremental emission factors to evaluate the greenhouse gas impact of electric vehicle deployment
Name: Bassel Tarabay
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Daniel Posen
Thesis: New Cathodes Now and Recycling Later: Dynamic Scenarios to Reduce Battery Material use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Light-duty Electric Vehicle Adoption in the U.S.
Name: Khashayar Ebrahimi
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe and Dr. Daman Panesar
Thesis: Construction Techniques for Lowering Embodied GHGs: A Review of Prefabrication and 3D Printed Concrete Mix Designs
Name: Daniel Henrique
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen
Thesis: Evaluating the Energy Consumption of Battery Electric Vehicles Under a Diverse and Changing Climate
Name: Bradley Kloostra
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe
Thesis: Understanding Material Stocks in Roads at the City and Multinational Scale
Name: Elise Lagacé
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen and Dr. Heather MacLean
Thesis: Assessing the impact of climate change on electricity planning in Ontario, Canada
Name: Lu Xu
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Daniel Posen
Thesis: Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Conventional and Alternative Heavy-duty Trucks: Literature Review and Harmonization
Name: Tatiana Costa Guimaraes Trindade
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Daniel Posen
Thesis: Water Security and Access to Basic Services: Assessing Urban Vulnerabilities in the Global South
Name: Pia Dimayuga
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe
Thesis: Air transportation as a central component of remote community resilience in northern Ontario, Canada
Name: Amir Maghami
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen and Dr. Daman Panesar
Thesis: A Data-Driven Method to Estimate the On-Site GHG Emissions of Construction Activities in the Planning Phase
Name: Bolaji Olanrewaju
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe and Dr. Daman Panesar
Thesis: A Comparison of Material Quantities Estimates to Onsite Material Use for Bridge Infrastructure Projects
Name: Liz Rivera
Supervisor(s): Dr. Heather MacLean and Dr. Brenda McCabe
Thesis: Evaluation of Energy Efficiency Measures in High-rise Buildings from a Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Perspective
Name: Adrien Roy
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen and Dr. Brenda McCabe
Thesis: Generalizable Approaches for Tracking, Estimating, Optimizing, and Quantifying Uncertainty of Fuel Use in Earthworks Operations
Name: Julian Zaraza
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen
Thesis: Generative Design to Reduce Embodied GHG Emissions of High-Rise Buildings
Name: Madeline Ewing
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen and Dr. Heather MacLean
Thesis: An Evaluation of Alternative Fuel and Powertrain Technologies for Canada’s Long Haul Heavy-duty Vehicle Sector
Name: Yijun Gai
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Posen and Dr. Marianne Hatzopoulou
Thesis: Health and Climate Impacts of Electric Vehicle Deployment – A Case Study of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area
Name: Olugbenga Olubanjo
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shoshanna Saxe
Thesis: Embodied emissions in rail infrastructure: a critical study
MEng
Name: Daniela Aguilar Bodden
Topic: Greenhouse gas inventory for Toronto Water operations
Name: Allison Bennet
Topic: Construction classification system database for understanding resource use in building construction
Name: Ke Sang
Thesis title: A Review of LCA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Results for Biomass Gasification Technologies: A Meta-Analysis
