UBC experts on flooding impacts and recovery

Media Advisories

UBC experts are available to comment on flooding and extreme weather in B.C.

Climate science and natural disasters

Dr. Younes Alila
Professor, Department of Forest Resources Management
Email: younes.alila@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

Dr. Lori Daniels
Professor, Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences
Email: lori.daniels@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Interactions of fire and rain to contribute to debris, floods and landslides

Dr. Simon Donner
Professor, Department of Geography
Email: simon.donner@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  •  Climate change science, extreme events and climate policy

Brett Gilley (he/him)
Associate Professor of Teaching, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
Tel: 604-719-9423
Email: bgilley@eoas.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Floods, tsunamis, landslides and natural disasters

Dr. Kevin Hanna
Associate Professor, Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences (Okanagan campus)
Tel: 250-807-9265
Email: kevin.hanna@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Environmental impact assessment, natural resources management, energy systems and resources

Dr. Scott McDougall
Assistant Professor, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
Email: smcdouga@eoas.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Landslides
  • Landslide-generated waves/tsunamis
  • Shoreline erosion
  • Tailings dam breaches
  • Mine waste failures

Dr. John Richardson
Professor, Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences
Email: john.richardson@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Effects of flooding on streams and lakes, water quality and debris torrents
  • Impacts of excess water on slopes
  • Urban impacts of drainage patterns and loss of natural stream networks in many parts of the Lower Mainland

Dr. Stephen Sheppard
Professor and Director of Bachelor of Urban Forestry Program
Faculty of Forestry
Email: stephen.sheppard@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Future climate change scenarios
  • Local climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation

Dr. Rachel White
Assistant Professor, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
Tel: 604-230-3504
Email: rwhite@eoas.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Climate change and the role of climate change in extreme weather, including heat waves, and extreme rainfall and flooding

Crisis management and recovery

Dr. Shahria Alam
Professor, School of Engineering (Okanagan campus)
Email: shahria.alam@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Bridge engineering
  • Seismic retrofitting
  • Seismic rehabilitation of steel, concrete, masonry
  • Seismic analysis and building design

Dr. Nemy Banthia
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Senior Canada Research Chair in Infrastructure Rehabilitation
Email: banthia@civil.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English, Hindi, French

  • Resilient concrete infrastructure and structural strengthening
  • Sensors for structural health monitoring and for prediction of conditions that cause structural collapses
  • Low carbon building materials and achieving carbon neutrality in infrastructure
  • 3D printing and additive manufacturing for rapid construction
  • Performance of buried infrastructure such as sewerage pipes

Dr. Jennifer Baumbusch
Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Email: jennifer.baumbusch@nursing.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Special considerations for supporting older people and people with disabilities in climate crises

Dr. Roger Beckie
Professor, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
Tel: 604-822-6462
Email: rbeckie@eoas.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Groundwater flow, and contamination due to flooding, and mitigation
  • Mine drainage
  • Construction dewatering

Dr. Ronaldo L. Aoki Cerri
Associate Professor, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Email: ronaldo.cerri@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Dairy production and reproduction
  • Director of the Dairy Education and Research Centre (Agassiz)

Dr. Jonathan Fannin
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Email: jonathan.fannin@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Mudslides and soil erosion impact on roads, railways and forestry

Dr. Trevor Heaver
Emeritus Professor, Sauder School of Business
Email: trevor.heaver@sauder.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Supply chain disruption
  • Transportation business, transport policy, international shipping, ports, logistics

Dr. Philippe Le Billon
Professor, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
Email: philippe.lebillon@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English, French

  • Post-disaster reconstruction, political and economic dimensions, conflicts, corruption
  • Climate change mitigation perspectives and initiatives

Dr. Kees Lokman
Associate Professor, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Email: klokman@sala.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

Dr. Kh Md Nahiduzzaman
Visiting Professor, School of Engineering (Okanagan campus)
E-mail: Kh.Nahiduzzaman@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Flood non-structural mitigation
  • Flood resilience and inclusive governance

Dr. Ryan Reynolds (he/him)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Community and Regional Planning
Tel: 604-396-2979
Email: ryan.reynolds@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

Jeremy Stone
PhD student, School of Community and Regional Planning
Email: jeremy@recoveryandrelief.org
Interview language(s): English

  • Economic disruption, economic recovery, rural recovery and recovery justice

Dr. Dwayne Tannant
Professor, School of Engineering (Okanagan campus)
Tel: 250-807-8067
Email: dwayne.tannant@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Geotechnical engineering, geohazards, rock support, rockfall mitigation, excavations in rock

Alexa Tanner
PhD student, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability
Email: alexa.tanner@ires.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Risk perceptions, evacuation, decision making, multi-hazard risks and emergency management

Dr. Babak Tosarkani
Assistant Professor, School of Engineering (Okanagan campus)
Email: babak.tosarkani@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English, Farsi

  • Operations and supply chain management under uncertainty

Dr. James Vercammen (he/him)
Professor, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Email: james.vercammen@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English

  • Potential impacts on agricultural commodity prices, food prices, agricultural markets, agricultural production risk

Contact

Lou Corpuz-Bosshart
UBC Media Relations
Tel: 604-822-2048
Cel: 604-999-0473
Email: lou.bosshart@ubc.ca