ALANA WESTWOOD
Lab Head & Associate Professor
Dr. Westwood (she/her/elle) brings together ecology and policy to pursue effective solutions to natural resource management challenges. She studies the impacts of forestry and cumulative effects on terrestrial ecosystems and their species, as well as how knowledge moves across the science-policy interface. Taken together, her work supplies the evidence and boundary-spanning tools for sustainable natural resource management.
Find out more about her research and teaching at her personal website, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar. a.westwood[at]dal[dot]ca
REVANT SHARAN
Research Coordinator
Revant Sharan (he/him) is a research coordinator and is responsible for the management and coordination of the Forestry Innovation Transition Trust (FITT) funded grant for the Ecological Forestry Research Initiative (EFRI) as well as managing the Westwood Lab. He is a recent graduate of the Master of Resource and Environmental Management (MREM) program from Dalhousie University and has 10 years of experience managing renewable energy projects. Prior to this, he completed an MBA from the University of Glasgow. He is passionate about the sustainability of the environment and strives to take on the challenges in the field of resource and environmental management head-on. His hobbies include playing team sports and cooking.
More: LinkedIn. revant[at]dal[dot]ca
ALANA LAJOIE-O’MALLEY
Post Doctoral Fellow
Alana (she/her) is an interdisciplinary science and technology studies (STS) researcher examining questions of knowledge production and technical decision-making during environmental controversies. At Westwood Lab, she is leading two of the four research clusters included in the SSHRC-funded project What constitutes “effective” knowledge exchange at the environmental science-policy interface? Alana holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Ottawa (2024) and an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies from the University of Oxford (2009). She also holds both a BA (Hons) and a BSc. from the University of Winnipeg, where she studied physics, political theory, and the history of science. Before returning to university to complete her PhD, she spent a decade as the institutional lead and public face of UWinnipeg’s sustainability efforts and as a supporter/initiator of several community-based environmental initiatives in Manitoba. When not working, Alana is most likely hanging out with her toddler, preferably in the woods.
More: LinkedIn. a.lajoie-omalley[at]dal[dot]ca
BEN COLLISON
Interdisciplinary PhD Candidate
Ben (he/him) is PhD Candidate investigating the effects of industrial-scale forestry on endangered Atlantic salmon watersheds. He holds a Master of Resource & Environmental Management (MREM) degree from Dalhousie University (2021) and a BSc in Environmental Science from the University of Lethbridge (2020). Ben’s fields of study range from ecology to policy, and he is keenly interested in topics such as cumulative effects, riparian-freshwater dynamics, and environmental impact assessment. When he’s not studying watersheds, you can typically find Ben playing golf or out in the wilderness hiking, camping, kayaking and skiing.
More: personal website, LinkedIn, ResearchGate, Google Scholar. b.collison[at]dal[dot]ca
Leanne Li
MES Student
Leanne (any pronouns) is a Masters student in the Masters of Environmental Studies (MES) program at Dalhousie. Their research focuses on the effects of forestry practices and management on wildlife populations. Leanne also holds a BSc (Hons) in Applied Animal Biology from the University of British Columbia. Their undergraduate research investigated the efficacy of seahorse translocations for conservation of endangered seahorses. Leanne is passionate about wildlife ecology and the role people play in wildlife conservation and environmental sustainability. Outside of their studies, you can find Leanne crocheting or adventuring outdoors birding, biking, backpacking and snowboarding.
Rebecca Pietrosanu
Honour’s Student & Research Assistant 2025-2026
Rebecca (she/her) is an undergraduate student at Dalhousie University pursuing a combined Honour’s BSc in Environmental Science and Biology, along with a certificate in Geographic Information Science. She currently works as a Research Assistant in the Westwood Lab and will begin an associated Honour’s project in the upcoming academic year, co-supervised by Dr. Alana Westwood and Ben Collison. Her academic interests focus on habitat restoration, conservation, and ecosystem responses/adaptations to climate change and human disturbances. Outside of her studies, Rebecca enjoys hiking with her dog, travelling, trying new food, and sipping a good beer in the sun.
More: LinkedIn. r.pietrosanu@dal.ca
Adlie Leviten-Reid
Honour’s Student & Research Assistant 2025-2026
Adlie (she/her) is an undergraduate student pursuing a combined honours degree in Environment, Sustainability, and Society (ESS) and Economics, with a minor in Indigenous Studies. She is working as a research assistant for a project based around ‘just-transition’, led by Alana Lajoie-O’Malley. Adlie will continue working with Alana Lajoie-O’Malley and Alana Westwood to write her honours thesis, also related to ‘just-transition’. Her academic interests revolve around exploring sustainable resource distribution and production methods that foster equity and care. Outside of her academics, Adlie enjoys spending time at the beach, soaking up the sun, swimming, reading, and dancing.
More: adlielevitenreid[at]dal[dot]ca
Westwood Lab Alumni
SAMANTHA CHU
MES Student 2023-2025
Sam (she/her) graduated from the Master of Environmental Studies (MES) program at Dalhousie University. Sam’s research surrounds knowledge exchange and forestry. Specifically, understanding how industry foresters engage in knowledge exchange and preferences for receiving knowledge. Her undergraduate Honours degree, also from Dalhousie, is in Management and Sustainability. During her undergrad, Sam conducted thesis research, alongside primary researcher Manjulika Robertson, on interference in environmental studies and sciences and the influence of social identity factors. Sam loves to climb and enjoys anything that involves the outdoors and good food.
More: Linkedin. sm.chu[at]dal[dot]ca
ALI MACKELLAR
MES Student 2022-2024
Ali (they/them) is a genderfluid white settler living as an uninvited guest on unceded Skwxwú7mesh territory. They completed their Master’s in the School of Resources and Environmental Studies with the Westwood lab. They previously completed an interdisciplinary B.A.&Sc with honours at Quest University Canada. Ali is interested in work that merges their personal lived experiences with their academic and work histories. They are working on research at the junction of resource extractive industries and queer communities with an emphasis on grounding their research in queer and trans theory that takes a trauma-informed approach to community-based research.
Contact via the Westwood Lab.
SASHA MINES
Honour’s Thesis Student & Research Assistant
Sasha (she/her) was an undergraduate student at Dalhousie University pursuing a Combined Honours in Sustainability, and Law, Justice and Society. After completing two co-op terms with the Canadian Wildlife Service, she worked with Dr. Westwood and Manjulika Robertson to complete an Honour’s Thesis related to the Species at Risk Act and the role of legal tools in mitigating species loss. She is currently coordinating the Mines, Mines, Mines and More Mines project examining the interactions between mining and impact assessment systems in Canada. She is deeply interested in the science-policy interface, Indigenous governance, and the social and political responses to climate change. Outside of the academic context, Sasha enjoys cooking, knitting, and getting outdoors.
More: sasha.mmines[at]dal[dot]ca
MANJULIKA ROBERTSON
Research Coordinator & MES Student, 2020-23
As a research associate, Manjulika (she/her) was responsible for the coordination of the SSHRC-funded grant “What constitutes effective knowledge exchange at the environmental science-policy interface?” as well as managing the Westwood Lab. Her research interests include science communication, policy, and sustainable environmental management. Manjulika’s MES thesis (2020-2022) research focused on ‘interference in science’ in the Canadian context and its impacts. Previously, she completed a BA in Communications at the University of Ottawa and four co-op terms in federal government departments. In her free time Manjulika can be found outside hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, or at the local coffee shop.
More: LinkedIn. ResearchGate. manjulika.robertson[at]dal[dot]ca
JACKIE SATURNO
Research Associate, 2020-22
Jackie (she/her) has previously worked in the Westwood lab as a Research Associate and Project Coordinator for the Western Boreal Initiative (WBI), a collaboration between provinces, territories, and First Nations governments. She primarily worked on a knowledge synthesis that focuses on bridging Indigenous Knowledge with Western Science for caribou conservation efforts. She has enjoyed being apart of the Westwood lab to conduct applicable research, helping to set the foundation of a newly formed lab, working with inspiring people, and receiving invaluable mentoring from Dr. Alana Westwood.
More: LinkedIn & Researchgate. jacquelynsaturno[at]gmail[dot]com
RILEY SCANLAN
MES Student, 2021-23
Riley (they/them) graduated from the Environmental Studies program at Dalhousie University. Passionate about solutions-oriented research, Riley’s thesis examined past disturbances in Cape Breton National Park to determine areas most in need of forest restoration to increase connectivity and benefit various species at risk. During Riley’s undergraduate studies at Acadia University, they created a GIS layer, corroborated with ground truthing, to identify and map old growth stands throughout the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. Though their academic interests revolve around Acadian Forest ecology, Riley’s personal hobbies include cooking for a crowd, reading and playing outdoors.
More: LinkedIn. rl767974[at]dal[dot]ca
Mary Legorburu
Honour’s Student & Research Assistant 2024-2025
Mary (she/they) was a research assistant and an undergraduate Honour’s student working in the Westwood Lab. They completed a BA in Environmental Science and Gender & Women’s Studies at Dalhousie University and certificates in Geographic Information Science and Environmental Impact Assessment.
Throughout their degree, they have been particularly interested in applications of spatial analysis to ecology and understanding anthropogenic caused disturbances to wildlife habitats. Mary completed an Honour’s project co-supervised by Dr. Westwood and Ben Collison. In her free time, they like to paint, bird watch, and hike.
More: LinkedIn. mary.legorburu[at]dal[dot]ca
ROSIE BLEYER
Honour’s Student & Research Assistant, 2023-2024
Rosie (she/her) completed her undergraduate degree BSc in Environmental Science from Dalhousie University. She previously worked with Dr. Westwood and Ben Collison as a Research Assistant and will complete an attached honours project in the upcoming academic year. Rosie minored in Indigenous Studies and is planning to complete certificates in Geographic Information Science and Environmental Impact Assessment. She is an avid reader and plant-based cook who loves making a mess in the kitchen or exploring the east coast with friends!
More: LinkedIn. rosiebleyer[at]dal[dot]ca
GENEVA BAHEN
Honour’s Thesis Student, 2022-23
Geneva (she/her) was an undergraduate student pursuing a BSc in Environmental Science and Sustainability (Combined Honours). Throughout her studies, she developed research interests in biodiversity, habitat suitability, and spatial analysis. For her thesis, she created a species distribution model to understand the habitat suitability of a keystone species on Cape Breton Island (Unama’ki), the American beaver. Beyond academia, Geneva enjoys riding her bike, playing cards, camping, and exploring the outdoors.
More: LinkedIn. geneva[at]dal[dot]ca
JAMES STEPHENS
Research Assistant, 2023-2024
James (he/him) is a Professional Appraiser and Agrologist working towards the mainstream integration of ecological benefits into the market valuation of land. James is currently investigating how carbon sequestration models may benefit the appraisal profession and landowners as a MSc. Forestry candidate at the University of New Brunswick Forest Management Laboratory (https://unbformanlab.ca/). He has a BSc. In Environmental Science from the University of Guelph, an Advanced Degree in GIS from the Nova Scotia Community College’s Centre for Geographic Sciences, and a Diploma in Urban Land Economics from the University of British Columbia.
More: LinkedIn. james.stephens[at]unb[dot]ca
KIMBERLY KLENK
Research Assistant, 2020-23
Kim (she/her) worked at the Westwood lab as a research assistant contributing to a variety of projects. Her two main contributions were 1) assisting the Dalhousie-Carleton-Natural Resources Canada research team on knowledge exchange in the forest sector, and 2) leading the second stage of a systematic map focused on the bridging of Indigenous and Western spatial knowledge for caribou conservation efforts. In her free time, Kim enjoys camping, spending time with her dog, and exploring the world through books and travel.
GIANINA GIACOSA
Research Assistant, 2020-21
Gianina’s (she/her) thesis focused on analyzing air pollution from pulp and paper mills in Atlantic Canada complying with regulations. Previously, she completed a MSc in Energy Engineering in Universidad de la Republica (Uruguay) with a thesis focused on solar energy forecast from satellite images. Her interests include applying her background in atmospheric sciences to address environmental challenges such as air pollution dispersion and the inclusion of clean energy.
More: gianina.giacosa[at]dal[dot]ca
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