Dr. Kelly R. Munkittrick
Scientific Director

Canada Research Chair in Ecosystem Health Assessment
Canadian Rivers Institute
Professor, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick

Tel: (506) 648-5825
E-mail: krm [at] unbsj [dot] ca

Dr. Kelly Munkittrick was appointed Scientific Director of the Canadian Water Network in March 2011, a position where he leads the development of an innovative network focused on providing clean, safe and sustainable water across Canada and internationally.

Kelly is also the Canada Research Chair in Ecosystem Health Assessment in the Canadian Rivers Institute at the University of New Brunswick, where he assesses the environmental impacts of industrial and agricultural activities and develops methods for environmental effects monitoring and cumulative effects assessment of multiple stressors on aquatic environments.

Kelly received a BSc in fish and wildlife biology in 1980 and an MSc in environmental physiology in 1983, both from the University of Guelph, and completed a PhD in 1988 in the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo.

In 1988 Kelly held a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Guelph, followed by an industrial fellowship at EVS Consultants in North Vancouver, BC from 1989–90. In 1990 he joined the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, where he examined the environmental fate and effects of pulp mill effluents in the Great Lakes, and helped write the National Environmental Effects Monitoring regulations.

Kelly joined the National Water Research Institute as Project Chief in 1996 and led a group of scientists in their Ecosystem Health Assessment Project. Kelly was the Associate Director of the Canadian Rivers Institute between 2001 and 2011, and has sat on international boards for scientific societies, technical experts and has led numerous working groups.

Kelly has helped organize numerous international meetings and workshops and has participated in several expert panels. He has active research projects that assess environmental impacts in Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, the United States and Canada, and he has worked, taught or given invited lectures in more than 25 countries.

• Download Kelly’s CV (pdf file).

Bernadette Conant
Executive Director
Tel.: (519) 888-4567, extension 36171
E-mail: bconant [at] cwn-rce [dot] ca

Bernadette joined the Canadian Water Network as Executive Director in April 2003, having assisted the network in other capacities on and off since its start-up in the summer of 2001.

Before joining CWN, Bernadette was involved in groundwater issues in both Canada and the US for over 17 years, including experience in research, jobs in the public and private sector, and management of University-based research programs funded by government and industry partners. Much of this experience was focused on the practical application of research findings to decision-making for site assessment and remediation at contaminated sites. Over the past few years, she has devoted increasing time and energy to the topic of improving communication of research findings and implications among the academic and various user communities. She is pleased to be able to continue to contribute to this area through her work with CWN.

Bernadette has a degree in Earth Sciences (BSc, 1986) and Hydrogeology (MSc, 1991) from the University of Waterloo. She has made presentations on groundwater and remediation issues at a variety of venues, including invited talks at conferences in Canada, the US and Japan, as well as presentations to both state and regulatory officials in the US. Bernadette has served as a guest lecturer in graduate courses and short courses. She is author of a number of publications, including refereed journals articles, a book chapter, a US EPA report, and conference abstracts and proceedings.

Simon Glauser
Manager of Operations
Tel.: (519) 888-4567, extension 33269
E-mail: sglauser [at] cwn-rce [dot] ca

Simon joined CWN in June 2010. As the Manager of Operations, Simon is responsible for the coordination and implementation of the corporate, reporting, administrative, business and operational support of the Network. He also develops and oversees program evaluations and assists in planning and implementation of CWN strategic and business plans.

Simon began his career in the Ontario Public Service as a policy advisor for the Ministry of the Environment where he conducted research and provided advice on municipal wastewater policies and bi-national Great Lakes water quality strategies. He also spent five years coordinating the Drinking Water Source Protection Program at the Grand River Conservation Authority.

Simon holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, where his research focused on sustainability of natural resource-based communities. Simon is currently pursuing his Master of Business Administration at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Dr. Katrina Goreham Hitchman
Manager of Strategic Programs
Tel: (519) 888-4567, extension 37853
E-mail: khitchman [at] cwn-rce [dot] ca

Katrina joined the Canadian Water Network in February 2009 to assist in the development and management of CWN partnership-based programs, particularly the evolving research consortia. Since that time, she has been active in many aspects of consortia operations, from coordinating meetings to acting as a point of contact for a diverse array of consortia participants. Recently, Katrina conducted a comparative organizational analysis examining the organizational structure and functions of Canadian and international organizations that share CWN’s mandate of using research to inform practice and policy. As CWN continues to explore consortia-based models for putting its research to work, she will focus on the development of knowledge translation tools for researchers and research users, evaluating the success of CWN programs, and pursing opportunities to enhance CWN’s profile as a leading knowledge translation and brokering organization.

After finishing her Honours Bachelor of Arts degree at Mount Allison University, Katrina completed her master’s and PhD degrees in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the University of Waterloo. In her spare time, Katrina enjoys jogging, weight training, and cottaging. Her next challenges are to master gluten-free baking and become a competent produce gardener.

Janice Levangie
Programs Development Coordinator
Tel: (519) 888-4567, extension 31144
E-mail: jlevangie [at] cwn-rce [dot] ca

Janice joined CWN in September 2010. She is currently assisting in the development and support of CWN’s Strategic Partnership Programs. She has previously examined methods to evaluate the impact of research on policy and practice, including the use of surveys, interviews and case studies. She recently conducted case studies highlighting examples of CWN and Environment Canada research that have successfully influenced policy and practice.

Janice completed her BEng at Dalhousie University and MASc in environmental engineering and international development from the University of Guelph. Her master’s research focused on drinking water safety in First Nations communities, using an inter-disciplinary approach. Her research made her curious about how to close the gap between what we know and what we do. Janice previously worked as an engineering assistant at Conestoga-Rovers & Associates, focusing on reducing environmental risks from agricultural practices and nutrient management.

Stacey McFadzen
Manager, Events and Student Programs
Tel: (519) 888-4567, extension 33288
E-mail: smcfadzen [at] cwn-rce [dot] ca

Seven years of partnership in an event management company took Stacey to the US, Europe, the Caribbean and Central America. Her company managed events and projects ranging from the Ontario Winter Games to corporate marketing strategies and sales incentive programs.

After a thrilling but exhausting stint in Turin sourcing accommodations and other services for some of the Canadian and US Olympic teams at the 2006 Winter Olympics, she decided it was time for a change and joined the Canadian Water Network in June 2006.

Stacey is a graduate from the University of Guelph. Following her degree, she obtained her Certificate in Human Resources Management and worked for several years in the HR field, specializing in recruitment and training and development. That experience was a good stepping stone towards exciting things to come in her career.

Stacey is the Canadian Water Network’s Manager, Events and Student Programs.

Gail Meyer
Office Administrator
Tel: (519) 888-4567, extension 36367
E-mail: gmeyer [at] cwn-rce [dot] ca

Gail joined CWN in August 2007 as office administrator. She is CWN’s corpus callosum, connecting the network’s left and right hemispheres, and serves as the conduit between the network’s researchers, partners and staff.

Before joining CWN, Gail held a variety of administrative and management positions in both the public and private sectors. She spent 15 years in municipal government, starting as an executive assistant to the CEO, and progressing to human resources officer specializing in employee relations. She also worked for seven years in the insurance industry in the actuarial division. She attended the University of Waterloo for four years to complete an Honours BA, followed by three years to earn a diploma in municipal administration through Queen’s University. Gail’s diverse skills, organizational flair and varied background make her an exceptional office administrator and an extraordinary asset to CWN.

Georgia Mulholland
Finance Manager
Tel: (519) 888-4567, extension 36056
E-mail: gmulholland [at] cwn-rce [dot] ca

Georgia has the distinction of being CWN’s longest-serving staff member, having been with the network almost since its inception. Before joining CWN in March 2002 as finance manger, Georgia held a variety of accounting and management accounting positions with organizations including Stelco, Litton Systems, Boeing Canada, Ontario Hydro and COM DEV International.

Georgia is responsible for financial reporting and the management and preparation of CWN’s financial statements. Georgia also maintains close working relationships with University of Waterloo, CWN’s host institution. She is a certified management accountant, holds a BA from the University of Waterloo and a BBA diploma from Niagara College. Georgia is an avid hiker — when not at CWN, look for her on the hiking trails.

Joe Petrik
Communications Manager
Tel: (519) 888-4567, extension 37709
E-mail: jpetrik [at] cwn-rce [dot] ca

Joe joined CWN as communications manager in December 2009. He is responsible for writing about CWN’s research, the researchers, partners and students, as well as preparing material for and managing the production of CWN’s print and online publications.

Before joining CWN, Joe worked for three years as a scientific writing and communications research associate at the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy, five years in a similar position with a public health research centre at the University of Kentucky and two years as the publications manager at the International Institute for Sustainable Development in Winnipeg.

He has a BSc in ecology and evolution, an MSC in zoology and an MA in journalism from the University of Western Ontario.

Lyle Schneider
Web and Database Specialist
Tel: (519) 888-4567, extension 33266
E-mail: lschneider [at] cwn-rce [dot] ca

Lyle joined the Canadian Water Network in September 2011. As the network’s web and database specialist, Lyle’s tasks include the design, build and implementation of new web applications, day-to-day management of the organization’s IT infrastructure, and IT support for CWN’s staff, researchers and partners.

Before joining CWN, Lyle worked for three years as an engineering consultant, where he integrated industry-standard manufacturing execution systems into large manufacturing environments. During this time, Lyle had the opportunity to consult in a variety of industries, including automotive, food and beverage, steel, and solar.

Lyle holds an Bachelor of Science Honours degree in mechatronics engineering from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Science Horizons Intern

Elizabeth Shantz
Science Horizons Intern
Tel: (519) 888-4567, extension 31144
E-mail: eshantz [at] cwn-rce [dot] ca

Elizabeth joined the Canadian Water Network as a Science Horizons intern in September 2011. She is conducting a research project that investigates strategies to enhance researcher engagement in knowledge translation and brokering activities.

Elizabeth holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and English from the University of Guelph, and a Master of Applied Science degree in industrial organizational psychology from the University of Waterloo. Elizabeth has worked previously as an intern at the Canadian Water Network, conducting an analysis of the organizational structure and functions of intermediary organizations in knowledge translation and knowledge brokering. She has also pursued numerous organizational consulting and workshop facilitation projects during her academic career. When not at work, Elizabeth enjoys baking and playing ultimate frisbee.

CWN Advisor

Dr. Grahame Farquhar
CWN Advisor
fark [at] uwaterloo [dot] ca

Grahame has been involved with CWN since 2000, having assisted with the preparation of the proposal initially submitted to NCE to establish the network, then assisting with CWN’s management until 2005. Since that time, he has served as a part-time advisor.

Grahame is a professional engineer who received his BASc in civil engineering from the University of Waterloo in 1964 and his PhD from the University of Wisconsin in 1968. He was a faculty member in Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Waterloo until retirement and now holds the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus. His research focused on wastewater treatment, solid waste management and remediation of contaminated groundwater. In 1982, he received the University of Waterloo Distinguished Teacher Award.

Grahame is a hopelessly addicted downhill skier and a dedicated grandpa.

Former Scientific Director

Dr. Mark R. Servos
Canada Research Chair in Water Quality Protection
Professor, Department of Biology, University of Waterloo

Mark was the Scientific Director of the Canadian Water Network between 2003 and 2011.

Mark is the Canada Research Chair in Water Quality Protection in the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo. His research program and teaching are related to the science underlying risk assessment and management of emerging threats to water quality.

He received a BSc in fishery biology in 1981 and an MSc in aquatic science in 1983, both from the University of Guelph. He completed his PhD in 1988 in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Manitoba.

From 1988 to 1989, Mark worked with the Lakes Research Branch of Environment Canada as a Research Scientist. He then joined the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, where he examined the environmental fate and effects of contaminants such as polychlorinated dioxins, co-planar PCBs and pulp mill effluents in the Great Lakes.

Mark joined the National Water Research Institute as Project Chief in 1996, and led a group of scientists studying exposure and effects of priority substances. He has helped organize numerous international meetings and workshops and has participated in several expert panels in this field. He plays an active role in several major international societies, including the International Association of Great Lakes Research (President 1995) and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (President 2001).