Risk Management #397
November 25, 2016
Image from Claus Rebler
This week we’re talking about risks and resources. We speak with Dr. Lianne Lefsrud, Assistant Professor of Engineering Safety and Risk Management in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta, about how engineers think about and evaluate risks, and her research into how language and conversations about resource development have changed over time. Then we'll talk with Dr. David Sauchyn, Research Professor at the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative at the University of Regina about historical patterns of water resources, and how his research is being used for better planning.
The Science for the People team are also pleased to welcome a new guest host into our midst! This episode is hosted by Marion Kilgour, a mechanical engineer and long-time friend and fan of the show. We've got two other great guest hosts working on episodes that will be coming out in a few weeks, so stay tuned for new voices in your ears!
Guests:
- Lianne Lefsrud
- David Sauchyn
Guest Bios
Lianne Lefsrud
Lianne Lefsrud (PhD P.Eng) is an Assistant Professor of Engineering Safety and Risk Management in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta. Just prior, she was with the Erb Institute of Global Sustainable Enterprise, Ross School of Business and School of Natural Resources and Environment, at the University of Michigan. Besides doing internationally award-winning research, she also provides policy and strategy advice to government and industry. Her career spans two decades with senior roles in industry, consulting, and regulation. Prior to returning to academia, she was the Assistant Director Professional Practice with APEGA, Assistant Directory in operations with Canada National Railway, and worked in construction and oil and gas. She has her PhD in Strategic Management and Organization, MSc in Environmental Engineering and Sociology, and BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Alberta.
David Sauchyn
David Sauchyn is a Research Professor at the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan. His main research interests are the climate and hydrology of the past millennium in Canada's western interior and how knowledge of the past can inform scenarios of future climate and water supplies, and planned adaptation to mitigate the impacts of climate change. He has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, books and book chapters, including as lead author "The New Normal: The Canadian Prairies in a Changing Climate". David recently co-directed a five-year interdisciplinary study of the vulnerability of agricultural communities to climate extremes in Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil, and the Canadian Prairies.
