AV¾ãÀÖ²¿

Dr. Barret Kurylyk, P.Eng. isÌýan Associate Professor in theÌýDepartment of Civil and Resource EngineeringÌýand theÌýÌýat AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ and holds the Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Coastal Water Resources. Barret's research interests are in physical hydrogeology, coastal hydrology, climate change, & environmental heat transfer. Barret recently received a MEOPAR Early Career Award, the AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ President’s Research Excellence Award for Emerging Investigator, the Geological Society of America Kohout Early-Career Award, the IAH-CNC Early Career Hydrogeologist Award, and the Discovery Award for Emerging Professional of Distinction. Barret serves as PresidentÌýof the Canadian Geophysical Union Hydrology Section and as Associate Editor for Geophysical Research Letters.

Sian graduated from Concordia University in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Relations, Community Development. In 2023, Sian completed her Master of Resource & Environmental Management from AV¾ãÀÖ²¿, and her graduate project assessed the commitment of responsible investing strategies to improving environmental conservation. Sian has over 5 years’ experience in community work in Montréal’s Black community spaces. As the Outreach Coordinator, Sian leads community engagement for a project related to the impacts of climate change on groundwater.

Zijie graduated from Hohai University (2020) with a Bachelor's degree in Physical Geography from the School of Hydrology and Water Resources with a thesis focused on environmental flow calculation. In 2023, Zijie earned a Master of Science in Geography from the University of British Columbia, specializing in glacial hydrology and hydrologic modeling.

Zijie recently worked at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. Her primary focus was on simulating natural disasters and extreme weather under various climate scenarios and utilizing remote sensing images for Arctic sea ice analysis.Ìý

Shengchao is a Postdoctoral Fellow, working between AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ and the University of Delaware (Prof. Holly Michael), with his research focused on numerical modeling the submarine groundwater system in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the connection to Prince Edward Island's coastal aquifers. Shengchao completed his PhD in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Hong Kong in 2023 with his research focused on geochemical reactions and solute transport in coastal and deltaic groundwater flow systems, and a Bachelor of Engineering (mining engineering) from the China University of Mining and Technology in 2017.

Yihao is a visiting PhD Candidate from the China Agricultural University in Beijing with support from the China Scholarship Council. Yihao mainly studies the coupled migration of water, heat, and salt in seasonally frozen soil, and has contributed to the development of coupled numerical hydrology models for cold regions. Yihao's research has applications for agriculture and soil/water conservation engineering. Yihao has been actively involved in many aspects of research including, computer coding, experimental design, and data acquisition and analysis.

Aida received a Master's Degree in Coastal Environmental Engineering from the University of Tehran in 2016. Aida's MSc thesis addressed the characteristics and environmental effects of coastal upwelling in the Gulf of Oman through numerical modeling. Aida's PhD research focuses on the numerical modeling of estuarine hydrodynamics and thermal regimes under present and future climate conditions in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. This work includes a combination of field work and numerical modeling. Aida holds a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship.

Julia completed an environmental science degree at Western University. Julia's PhD research focuses on the the hydrogeology and hydrology of Sable Island and the influence of a changing marine environment. The field component of this project includes time-domain EM geophysics, wave and tide monitoring, piezometer and well installation and monitoring, and using temperature to trace groundwater fluxes. Julia's project also involves state-of-the-art modeling of ocean-aquifer exchanges. Julia is funded through the MEOPAR NCE as well as through Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarships (MASc and PhD), NSERC Scholarships (CGSM and PGSD), and Killlam Scholarships (MASc and PhD). Julia received a MEOPAR Training Award, the Don Gray Scholarship and Don Gray Paper Award from the Canadian Geophysical Union, the Canadian Water Resources Association Dillon Scholarship, and a Graduate Student Research Grant from the Geological Society of America.

Kathryn graduated from AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ in 2019 with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and from St. Francis Xavier University in 2016 with a Diploma in Engineering. Kathryn transferred from a MASc to a PhD in 2021, with PhD research focusing on investigating estuarine warming and cold-water habitat loss due to climate change in coastal rivers within Nova Scotia and PEI. Kathryn is mapping estuarine water temperature patterns using drone surveys, temperature loggers, and fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing and analysing these datasets through numerical modelling. Kathryn is funded through the AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ ASPIRE program, a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship (Doctoral), and the Ocean Frontier Institute Opportunities Fund. In 2020, Kathryn received the Geological Society of America Schlemon Scholarship in Environmental and Engineering Geology and an On To the Future Award. In 2021, Kathryn received the Nova Scotia Salmon Association Scholarship and a Geological Society of America Graduate Student Grant.

Hayden graduated from AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ with a MASc in Civil Engineering (2019) and a BSc in Earth Science (2017). Hayden's masters research focused on the remediation of contaminated sediment and water at the Boat Harbour treatment facility in Pictou, Nova Scotia. Hayden's PhD research is focused on the geotechnical and hydrogeologic characterization of coastal and agricultural sediments impacted by surface and subsurface saltwater intrusion resulting from the ongoing dike realignment in Truro, Nova Scotia. Hayden is using geophysical techniques, groundwater chemical analysis, geomorphological assessments, and sediment characterization to identify saltwater intrusion dynamics that may be transferable to low elevation coastal zones. Hayden’s research is funded through the NSERC-CREATE (ASPIRE) program, and a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship (Doctoral). Hayden was awarded the G.G. Meyerhof Graduate Fellowship (2021, 2022), the Donald Stanley Award for Best Environmental Engineering paper (2022), and the Canadian Society for Agricultural and Forest Meteorology StudentÌýPosterÌýAward (2023). Hayden has held a part-time teaching appointment in the Department of Civil and Resource Engineering at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ since 2020.Ìý

Bay holds a BSc in Earth Sciences and GIS Certificate from AV¾ãÀÖ²¿, and a MSc in Geography from the Université du Québec à Rimouski. Her masters research focused on wintertime coastal erosion on the North Shore of the St Lawrence Estuary and the impacts of warm, icefoot-free winters. Bay's PhD research is concerned with monitoring and modeling hydrogeological processes in permafrost coastal zones, incorporating field sampling, remote sensing, and numerical modelling methods. Since 2018, Bay has been involved in coastal dynamics research in and around northern communities. Her current field site is near Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Bay is supported by an NSERC PGSD Award and funding from Polar Knowledge Canada. Bay’s research is co-supervised by Dr Julia Guimond.Ìý

Bailey Strong earned an engineering diploma from Cape Breton University in 2016, followed by a Bachelor of Civil Engineering in 2019 and a Master of Applied Science in 2022, both from AV¾ãÀÖ²¿. Bailey's doctoral research focuses on evaluating the potential use of subsurface wastewater treatment systems for remote cold regions, aiming to contribute to wastewater treatment guidelines for these communities. Employing numerical modeling and high-performance computing, Bailey is investigating the impact of freeze-thaw processes on the behavior and safety of these systems, taking into account both current and future climate conditions. Bailey's research is co-supervised by Dr. Barret Kurylyk and Dr. Rob Jamieson. He is supported by an NSERC PGSD scholarship.

Nicole graduated from AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ in 2020 with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and in 2023 with a master's degree. Nicole's MASc research was focusing on saltwater intrusion in agricultural dykelands along the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. Nicole's PhD research will investigate the impacts of saltwater intrusion and relationships to geochemistry along the eastern shore of Nova Scotia using both field and modelling methods. Nicole is funded through an NSERC Alliance as well as through a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship, NSERC CGSD Scholarship, and Killlam Scholarship. Nicole is also helping part-time with administration, lab oversight, and field campaigns.

In 2023, Summer graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Environmental Science (Geology focus). Her undergraduate thesis, supervised by Dr. Sean Griffin, focused on modeling the small-scale effects of grass species on major soil properties and soil hydrology. As an undergraduate, she gained a variety of research experiences in vadose zone hydrology, geochemistry, and restoration ecology under the supervision of Dr. Daniella Rempe, Dr. Phil Bennet, and Dr. Shalene Jha. In 2023, Summer received the Groundwater Field Methods Award for her work during Hydrogeology Field Camp in the Yucatán Peninsula. Summer’s MASc research focuses on modeling contaminant transport in seasonally frozen and permafrost vadose zone environments. Her work is currently funded in part by the Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship.

Audrey is studying civil engineering at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿, and anticipates graduating in the spring of 2025. Audrey worked for the lab as a part-time research assistant during the 2024 winter term, investigating spatiotemporal drought patterns and the impacts of climate change on groundwater recharge. Audrey has joined the lab full time for the summer 2024 term as an NSERC USRA recipient. Her summer work is focused on studying groundwater level fluctuations in Cape Breton to infer groundwater recharge dynamics in different aquifers.. She continues to be interested in climate change effects on water resources engineering in Atlantic Canada.Ìý

Ryan is studying Environmental Engineering at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿. Ryan was an NSERC USRA recipient in the summer of 2022 where he investigated groundwater discharge into highland rivers in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Over the summer 2023 field season as a second-time NSERC USRA receipient, Ryan assisted with conducting field work to investigate warming rivers and associated impacts on salmon habitat. Ryan’s work and studies are motivated by his curiosity of natural sciences and his enthusiasm for being active outdoors.

Ross completed his masters in coastal engineering at the University of Ottawa. Ross has a variety of experience in work with coastal systems, having done research at Saint Mary's University and worked in consulting. Ross's research focussed on the modelling of saltmarsh plant behaviour, applying computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to in-situ coastal vegetation as a part of a larger project developing Canadian design guideline document for nature-based solutions (NBS). As a research assistant, Ross was performing numerical modelling work, writing reports, and assisting with fieldwork. Ross now works for Shoreplan Engineering in Toronto.

Christiane is currently a part-time research associate and part-time instructor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences. Her research focuses on the development of physically-based models for simulating groundwater flow and solute transport.

Christiane earned her Ph.D. in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from the American University of Beirut in 2016. From 2017 to 2022, she served as an Assistant Professor in Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics at the Saint-Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon. In January 2023, she joined UniLaSalle in Rennes, France, assuming the role of Assistant Professor in Hydraulics and contributing to the research team CYCLANN. Before her academic roles, Christiane gained practical experience as a design engineer at the multinational firm Black & Veatch in their New York office between 2007 and 2009.

Saeideh was an Ocean Frontier Institute’s Visiting Fellow in our lab. She conducted collaborative research that focused on predicting the effect of marine climate change on seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers using deep learning models. Saeideh completed her PhD in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Tabriz in 2016 with her research focused on conceptual model uncertainty in groundwater modeling. Following her PhD, she worked as a Research Assistant Professor at the Water Research Institute, Iran. Saeideh now works as a groundwater modeler for Stantec.

Julia was a National Science Foundation Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow. Julia's postdoctoral research used field and modeling techniques to investigate how global climate change-driven permafrost thaw impacts the exchange between coastal aquifers and the ocean. Julia completed a PhD at the University of Delaware in 2020 with a focus on interactions between coastal wetland hydrology and biogeochemistry to better predict ecosystem response to sea-level rise, and a BS from Brown University in 2013 with a focus on leaf wax isotopes as a paleoclimate proxy. is now an Assistant Scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Susi was a studying climate change in the subsurface and future scenarios for geothermal potential, groundwater quality, permafrost thaw and groundwater-dependent ecosystems.

Having worked at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, the Research Institute of Humanity and Nature in Kyoto, Japan and at the University of California San Diego, Susi's trans-disciplinary research combines physics, geospatial data science and hydrogeology. A common thread in this work is also the use of large geospatial datasets and the development of tools for decision making that incorporate the built and natural environment proposing engineering solutions to heat disparities. has launched aÌýÌýin a new position atÌýKarlsruhe Institute of Technology in fall 2022.

Aaron was an Ocean Frontier Institute International Postdoctoral Fellow with a research focus on combining field work and numerical modeling to investigate ocean-aquifer interactions in mega-tidal coastal settings, as well as the effects of contaminated submarine groundwater discharge on coastal water quality. Aaron completed his PhD at the University of Calgary with a focus on snowmelt infiltration and groundwater recharge in the Canadian Prairies, and an MSc at Western University looking at permafrost thaw in sub-arctic peatlands. is now an Assistant Professor at Syracuse University.

Joe was an Ocean Frontier Institute International Postdoctoral Fellow, working between the Centre for Water Resources Studies at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ and the Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and studying the hydrogeochemistry of salt marshes in the North Atlantic. is now a faculty member at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Igor was an OFI PDF, working between AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, Germany. Igor's project uses a combination of field observations, remote sensing and numerical modelling to quantify long-term effects of tropical cyclones on groundwater nutrient export to the north-western Atlantic Ocean.

Igor completed his PhD in University of Calgary in 2018 on integrating terrain analysis, on-site monitoring of hydrological processes, and geochemical data for characterisation of groundwater recharge in the prairies. Igor's other degrees include MSc in Applied Environmental Geoscience from University of Tübingen and Degree with Honours in Geoecology from Lomonosov Moscow State University. Igor now works as a Senior Hydrogeologist at WSP Golder on a variety of applied tasks, including development of geological and numerical groundwater flow models across multiple scales.

Yashar was an Ocean Frontier Institute International Postdoctoral Fellow, working between the Centre for Water Resources Studies (and Chemistry Department) at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ and the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. Yashar’s PDF research utilized an interdisciplinary combination of theory, numerical simulations and experimental techniques to design, develop, and deploy novel plasmonic fiber-optic sensors for monitoring physical and chemical properties of coastal zones. Previously, Yashar worked on plasmonic nanostructures and their applications in spectroscopy, photothermal therapy, and water desalination, as well as novel light sources and optical pulse propagation in nonlinear fibers. Yashar is now a Scientist/Instructor with ACENET.

Allie graduated from Acadia University with a Certificate of Applied Science in 2019, and fromÌýAV¾ãÀÖ²¿ with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. Allie was formerly an undergraduate research assistant in our lab (2021). Allie is from Nova Scotia and is passionate about water resources engineering and climate change. Allie completed her Master's thesis in our lab in 2024. Her research was supported through the Atlantic Ecosystems Initiative (Environment and Climate Change Canada) and was focused on coastal nutrient transport in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Watershed. Allie received an On to the Future Award from the Geological Society of America, a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship, and a Gillespie Scholarship. She is now working as a research associate in the Centre for Water Resources Studies at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿.

Connor's MASc work involved investigating the hydrogeological performance of passive wastewater treatment systems in theÌýNorthwest Territories. This work used numerical modelling to couple cold-regions groundwater models with contaminant fate and transport processes to characterize present and future environmental and human health risks related to the contamination of northern water resources from subsurface disposal of wastewater effluent. Connor was funded through the AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ ASPIRE program, a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship, and a Weston Family Award in Northern Research. Connor is now a hydrogeologist with BGC Engineering.

Jason KarisAllen graduated from AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ in 2018 with a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering and from Saint Mary's UniversityÌýin 2015Ìýwith a Bachelor of Science. Jason's MASc thesis explored the temperature patterns found within anthropologically perturbed estuarine environments over tidal and dial cycles. Jason received an NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship in 2020 and the Campbell Scientific Award for Best Student Poster in Hydrology from the Canadian Geophysical Union in 2020. Jason now works as an environmental engineer with GEMTEC Consulting Engineers and Scientists.

Ray is a BSc Earth Sciences and MASc Civil Engineering graduate from AV¾ãÀÖ²¿. Ray's MASc research focused on utilizing multiple hydrogeological tracers to assess groundwater-borne harbour contamination in Mabou, Nova Scotia. Field methods included the use of piezometers, radon, seepage meters, and temperature-depth profiles. As a MASc student, Ray was supported in part through an NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship and was the President of the IAH-CNC Early-Career Hydrogeologists' Network. Ray now works with BGC Engineering with a focus on mine hydrogeology.

Kiera graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Biology in 2017, and a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering in 2020, both from the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. Kiera's MASc research addressed coastal erosion on islands off the north coast of PEI. This work asssessed the hydrodynamics and morphodynamics of these systems using an RTK drone, GNSS equipment, wave buoys, wave loggers, and ADCPs. Kiera was funded through a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship, an NSERC scholarship (CGSM), and MEOPAR. In 2020, Kiera received theÌý Meyerhof Graduate Scholarship and a MEOPAR Training Award. Kiera is now a medical student at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿.

Sofija received a Bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Calgary with an Honors Thesis focused on groundwater contributions to the Elbow River in Alberta. Sofija's MASc work addressed the hydrogeology of Lennox Island, PEI; the project considered how the freshwater lens in the aquifer is affected by coastal erosion and other processes. Sofija's field and modeling work involved freshwater lens mapping (geophysical surveying), drone surveys, well monitoring, and numerical monitoring to assess the future state of groundwater for this island due to threats from sea-level rise, erosion, changing recharge, and storm surges. Sofija is now a geologist with BGC Engineering.

ColleenÌýcompleted a degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering at McGill University and recently completed a Master of Applied Science. Colleen research focused on evaluating a low-cost methane sensor for atmospheric monitoring applications. Colleen is now an Environmental Professional with Halifax Regional Municipality.

Ryan's MASc (co-supervised with Rob Jamieson) focused on the impact of sea-level rise on contaminant loading from coastal onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). Field work (groundwater table mapping, water quality monitoring) and GIS and numerical modelling were combined to predict OWTS performance as well as downstream water quality. Ryan was funded through the Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship program and the Killam Trust. In 2021, Ryan received a Graduate Student Research Grant from the Geological Society of America. Ryan also served as the President of the IAH-CNC Early Career Hydrogeologists' Network and is now a hydrogeologist with CBCL Consulting.

Hanzhi completed a Bachelor's Degree in Groundwater Science and Engineering (Guilin University of Technology, China). Hanzhi's MEng thesis addressed the dynamics of freshwater lenses (freshwater aquifers) underlying small islands and the impacts of island geometry and sea-level rise. Hanzhi used the integrated finite element model, SUTRA, to simulate coupled density-driven flow and transport dynamics and applied several analytical solutions to conduct a sensitivity analysis. Hanzhi now works with Parsons Corporation in Toronto.

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Naomi is studying Civil Engineering at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿. She is an NSERC USRA recipient for summer 2024 and is helping with monitoring water temperature in newly developed thermal refuges and tracking the associated impacts on fish habitat. Naomi has enjoyed studying water resources topics in the past three years and is excited to learn how the equations from class represent real-life processes in Nova Scotia.

Kieran Muller recently completed the third year of the environmental engineering program at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ and is presently a co-op research assistant in our lab. He is orginally from South Africa and lived in Qatar for several years. His main research project involves installation of coastal groundwater monitoring systems and geophysical imaging to map saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers.

Sarah is studyingÌýCivil Engineering at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ and completed her Diploma of Engineering in Spring 2021. Sarah was an NSERC USRA recipient for summer 2023 and assisted with conducting field work and data processing for several coastal hydrogeology field campaigns around the Maritimes. From Prince Edward Island, Sarah loves exploring outside and is interested in coastal issues impacting the Atlantic Canada region.

Abi graduated in 2023 from AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ with an Environmental Engineering degree and an interest in pursuing further studies in coastal water resources. Abi moved from England to Nova Scotia in her youth, growing up on the shores of the Annapolis River Estuary and getting involved with habitat monitoring and restoration projects with a local ENGO. Abi joined our lab in winter 2023 part time to complete a research credit course with a focus on the impacts of Hurricane Fiona on coastal systems in Basin Head, PEI and assisted with other projects as a research assistant.Ìý

Maddy graduated from Acadia University with a Bachelor of Applied Science and from AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ with a Bachelor of Engineering in Environmental Engineering in 2024. Maddy was an NSERC USRA recipient for summer 2022 when she worked as a research assistant on coastal hydrology projects with a research focus on groundwater in small islands. Maddy is from Nova Scotia and is passionate about climate change adaptation and being outdoors. She now works with the Nova Scotia Salmon Association with a focus on salmon habitat and river restoration.

Maddie graduated with a Bachelor's in Engineering in Civil Engineering in 2023 and worked in our lab in 2021 as a 3^rdÌýyear Civil Engineering student. Maddie is passionate about ocean and coastal research and the application of engineering research and practice to address the effects of climate change on aquatic systems. Maddie was an NSERC USRA recipient for summer 2021 and engaged on research projects investigating water temperature dynamics in rivers and estuaries. She is now a Master's student at the University of New Brunswick.

Gavin is an Earth Science graduate from AV¾ãÀÖ²¿. Before joining our lab, Gavin worked with the Juneau Icefield Research Program in Alaska, the Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic), and the Saskatchewan Geological Survey. After leaving our lab, Gavin completed a Master’s degree in hydrogeology at McGill University. He is a now a hydrogeologist with Waterline Resources Inc.

Sanjana was a Mitacs Globalink Intern from India and formerly an undergraduate student in the Information Science and Engineering program at the BMS College of Engineering in Bangalore. Sanjana has expertise in computer science, cloud computing, and data analysis, and her summer (2019) project focused on the development and application of a computer program to estimate groundwater recharge rates from groundwater hydrographs using the water table fluctuation method. Sanjana also assisted in controller programming for new sensors under development in the lab. After leaving our lab, Sanjana completed a Master's degree at the University of SouthernÌýCalifornia (Los Angeles).

Shaswata was a Mitacs Globalink Intern from the Department of Civil Engineering, Jadavpur University, India. Shaswata worked on several related ‘heat as a groundwater tracer’ projects, including code development and field data collection. Shaswata previously held a Science Academies’ Summer Research Fellowship to study saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers. After completing an undergraduate degree, Shaswata finished his Master's degree at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and is now a PhD candidate at Texas A&M University.

Megan was a Mitacs Globalink Intern fromÌýUniversidad Internacional near Mexico City. In the summer of 2018, Megan designed, built, and installed multi-level stream- and pond-bed temperature sensor rods for tracing vertical groundwater fluxes. Megan's primary field site was Sable Island where the groundwater-sourced ponds are rapidly shrinking. Megan now works internationally on coral reef restoration initiatives.