Lab

Welcome to Behaviour Energy Environment Research (BEER) Lab! We are a research group studying diverse energy related challenges. Please find our backgrounds and research areas below.

Current group members and staff

Bavisha Thurairajah

B.A. International Development Studies, M.A. Geography, Ph.D. student

Bavisha is a PhD student in the Geography Department at McGill university. Her doctoral research focuses on investigating the impacts of energy poverty among older Canadians using quantitative and qualitative methods. She is also interested in examining the various approaches to measuring energy poverty in Canada and how they each capture the phenomenon.

Research focus: energy poverty, healthy aging, housing as a social determinant of health.

Carlos Gorraez Meraz

B.Sc. Naval Science, M.Sc. Information Security, M.A. National Security, M.A. Env & Mgmt candidate

Carlos has experience in strategic leadership and planning, with expertise in national and information security. His research explored a multidimensional perspective of national power in Latin America integrating sustainable development considerations. He is now interested in renewable energy systems within the energy transition context, particularly on the social aspects of geothermal systems.

Research focus: social acceptance of renewable energy, geothermal energy, energy transition, sustainable development.

Grace Li

B.Sc. in Mathematics, M.Sc. Statistics, Ph.D.

Grace's research encompasses various areas of quantitative methodology and family demography. It aims to understand the production of inequality in the changing family system by adopting a longitudinal perspective that highlights the roles of long-term life trajectories. Grace worked on measuring multi-dimensional concept energy poverty and building models to explorecomplex factors contributing to energy poverty situation in Canada.

Research focus: quantitative methods, inequality, energy poverty.

Jofri Isaac

B.Sc. Zoology, M.A. Env & Mgmt

Jofri is a systems researcher with over 8 years of experience in complex systems. His work includes facilitating extensive stakeholder collaboration to promote climate-resilient agriculture and building networks for social enterprises in India. His recent work, using a participatory approach, focuses on analyzing local food systems, advancing energy transitions in social housing, conducting energy policy analysis, and improving watershed planning.

Research focus: systems thinking, policy analysis, energy poverty, participatory methods.

Katherine Matos

B.Sc. Industrial Eng, M.A. Env & Mgmt candidate

Katherine is an industrial engineer with a decade of experience in environmental impact assessment studies. She has a strong interest in exploring actions to address the environmental challenges that humanity faces. Her current research explores how EV charging infrastructure can support the energy transition.

Research focus: energy transition, electric vehicle, climate change, polycrisis.

Laurianne Debanné

B.Sc. Environmental Sciences, M.A. Geography,

Ph.D. student

Laurianne is a Ph.D. student in Geography at McGill University. Through her doctoral research, she is exploring the lived experience of households facing energy poverty and identifying inclusive policies to address energy poverty within a just energy transition. Laurianne is also working as a research assistant with Dr. Das to compare the energy-related content of national surveys across G7 countries.

Research focus: energy poverty, healthy housing, energy justice, community-based research.

Morgan Mackie

B.Sc. Geology, M.A. Env & Mgmt candidate

Morgan’s background is in geophysical field operations and construction. His fascination with the natural world led to him earning a BSc. in Geology from the University of Calgary. He is currently researching ways to help achieve a just transition for Alberta oil workers as Canada moves toward an energy transition.

Research focus: just transitions, energy transition.

Robbi Humble

B.A., Hons. International Development Studies, M.A. Interdisciplinary Studies

Based in Regina, SK (Treaty 4 territory), Robbi’s research interests focus on the social processes needed for equitable sustainability and energy transitions. Supported by the Community Housing Canada research partnership, Robbi’s MA research explores how community housing stakeholders are shaping future housing and energy pathways through their decisions about the community housing building stock.

Research Focus: retrofit decision-making, non-profit housing, systems change, community and stakeholder engagement.

Raymond Belmonte

B.Sc. Chemistry, M.A. Env & Mgmt

Raymond is a public engagement specialist with 10 years of experience in making safe spaces where environmental action can happen. Collaborative and adaptable, his work with non-profits and the Federal public service showcases includes the organization of events and forums where people can feel empowered to take environmental action. His research examined how the intentions to perform pro-environmental behaviours were formed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research focus: pro-environmental behaviours, public engagement, health.

Shabnam Edalatnia

B.Sc. Earth Science, M.Sc. Structural geology,

M.A. Env & Mgmt

Shabnam is a researcher with specialized knowledge in building benchmarking, performance assessment, decarbonization strategies, retrofitting, and cost-benefit analysis. She is passionate about improving energy efficiency in the community housing sector through retrofit projects to address climate change and promote sustainability. Her research focuses on energy benchmarking and retrofit assessment in BC's community housing sector.

Research focus: community housing, energy benchmarking, building performance, retrofitting, cost-benefit assessment.

Group alumni

Annet Tugaine

M.A. Environment and management.

Devyani Singh Ph.D.

Post-doctoral research assistant.

Lindsey Bertrand

M.A. Communication.

Michael Davis

M.A.in Professional communication

Timo Schaefer Ph.D.

Post-doctoral research assistant.

Waheema Asghar

Research assistant.

Research & consulting

In our highly interconnected world, I strongly believe that collaboration is the key to making a difference. I also work across disciplines and sectors and believe diverse engagement can lead to the best solutions. If you are interested in discussing more, I invite you to get in touch with me.

Research

Consulting

Prospective students & post-docs

I welcome discussions with highly motivated individuals who are interested in energy and sustainability research. For further information, click here.

What's new?

New research publication led by Prof. Riva (McGill) "Energy poverty: an overlooked determinant of health and climate resilience in Canada", where we explore, for the first time in the Canadian context, the association between energy poverty and health.

Coming up: Lecture at the University of Alberta: Canada's Households and the Zero Carbon Transition