The Montreal, Québec office of Future Earth hosts the Executive Director.
The founding of Future Earth in Montreal was a collaboration between Montréal International, the Fonds de recherche du Québec and Montreal’s academic institutions (Concordia University, McGill University, Université de Montréal, UQAM, INRS, ÉTS, Polytechnique), and the Ouranos climate research consortium.
Canadian Hub Staff
Andréa Ventimiglia
Science Editor & Advancement Officer, Sustainability in the Digital Age & Future Earth
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Andréa currently employs her wide complement of skills in research, analysis, editing and evaluation as Science Editor and Advancement Officer for both Future Earth and Sustainability in the Digital Age. Her approach to writing and fundraising is rooted in her diverse professional experience spanning program evaluation, international development, freelance science writing, and laboratory research. Prior to joining Future Earth, Ms. Ventimiglia worked as a science program evaluator helping to measure and valorize the societal impact of research and research funding. She holds a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Waterloo, and a Masters in Journalism from Carleton University.
Jennifer Garard
Research Manager, Sustainability in the Digital Age
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Jennifer Garard brings an interdisciplinary background to the role of Research Manager, where she coordinates, advances, and oversees all research-related activities at Sustainability in the Digital Age. For two years, Jennifer was a Science Officer at Future Earth, acting as liaison to the Advisory Committee, engaging in projects such as the Global Risks Perceptions initiative, and coordinating the Futures CoLab project. Prior to this, Jennifer was a researcher with the working group Scientific Assessments, Ethics, and Public Policy at Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change in Berlin, Germany, and an intern with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity Health and Biodiversity Cross-Cutting Initiative. She holds a BSc in Environmental Science from McGill University, specializing in Biodiversity and Conservation (2008), a Master of Environmental Assessment from Concordia University (2013), and a PhD from the Technische Universität Berlin (“Stakeholder Engagement at the Science-Policy Interface,” 2018).
Mi Lin
Postdoctoral Researcher, Science-based Pathways for Sustainability & Sustainability in the Digital Age
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Mi is from Zhenjiang, southeast China where she graduated from Nanjing University (NJU) and attained a Master's degree from Peking University (PKU) in environmental sciences and engineering. Earlier this year (2020), she completed her PhD in natural resource sciences at McGill University with a focus on the issue of groundwater depletion and the promotion of resilient water-secure systems. Prior to joining Future Earth, Mi served for UNDP Ecosystem and Biodiversity team working on project coordination and knowledge management, including facilitating high-level events and dialogues (e.g. World Wildlife Day, Nature for life hub), developing and managing online public portals (e.g. PANORAMA solutions), and supporting science-based policy analysis on nature-based solutions at country-level. She is also a member of the Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science Institute and Resilience Alliance Young Scholars society. In Future Earth, Mi will contribute to the development of biodiversity and sustainability pathways through two on-going projects: Science-based Pathways for Sustainability (SBPS) & the Sustainability in the Digital Age initiative (SDA). She is also a part of first cohort of trainees in the LEADs program (Leadership in Environmental and Digital innovation for Sustainability), a joint initiative of Concordia University, Sustainability in the Digital Age and other collaborators. Mi has been passionate about international sustainable development since she was a student journalist at PKU where she interviewed Nobel Laureates and international leaders. Throughout her studies, she has set up multiple volunteer teams to empower people and protect the environment. She has also launched several innovative projects designed to improve social well-being and protect Nature, including a mobile app for recording individual carbon footprints. Mi is also an amateur musician who has been playing the Guzheng (Chinese zither) for over twenty years.
Marie d'Acremont
Coordinator, Future Earth Montreal Hub & Sustainability in the Digital Age
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Marie d'Acremont coordinates the administrative activities of the hub (including human resources, finance and general administration), whilst acting as university partnerships liaison and translator of external communications. She holds a BSc in Sociology from Kingston University, London UK and an MSc in Environmental Sciences from l'Université du Québec à Montréal.
Alyson Surveyer
Hub Manager and Head of Global Operations, Canada
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Alyson Surveyer is the Future Earth Montreal Hub Manager and Head of Global Operations. Prior to this role, Alyson worked at Future Earth on urban issues. She holds a Bachelor’s degree with honours and Masters degree in chemical engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal. Her Masters was completed at the International Reference Center for Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services (CIRAIG), in collaboration with Rolls-Royce Canada. The thesis investigated alternative fuels for gas turbines in a 2020 global electricity generation perspective. Before joining Future Earth she worked as a consultant in sustainable development for clients in the private and public sectors and was coordinator of the Inter-university Research Center in High Performance Polymers and Composites (CREPEC), where she had diverse mandates such as to heighten industry-university collaborations as well as the reach and visibility of its members. Alyson was also a course lecturer from 2014-2016 at HEC Montréal in sustainability and operations management. Alyson’s career objective is to build a strong and diverse community of researchers, government officials, and industries that will develop and put in motion production systems and policies to achieve global sustainable patterns. She truly believes that Future Earth will pave the way.