![Waterloo, ON - 17-10-18 Thomas Homer-Dixon for the Tech spotlight magazine, taken at CIGI, Waterloo, on Wed., Oct. 17. [Photo: Peter Lee, Waterloo Region Record staff - story by James Jackson] Waterloo Region Record - shot 3:32:56 PM-17-10-18-Wednesday-Waterloo](https://cascadeinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/17OCT18HomerDixonA0040-cropped-817x1024-circle.jpeg "17OCT18HomerDixonA0040 cropped")
Founder and Executive Director
Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon’s research focuses on threats to global security in the 21st century, including economic instability, climate change, and energy scarcity. He also studies how people, organizations, and societies can better resolve their conflicts and innovate in response to complex problems. He holds a PhD from MIT in international relations, defense and arms control policy, and conflict theory.
Research Director
Dr. Scott Janzwood leads the development and management of the Cascade Institute's research projects. His research focuses on how scientists and policymakers communicate uncertainty and collaborate to address global catastrophic risks, such as climate change, pandemics, and other emerging threats. Scott holds a PhD in Global Governance from the University of Waterloo.
Operations Manager
Dr. Gabriela Vieyra-Balboa manages the Cascade Institute's office and administrative systems. She has been an educator for almost 23 years as an instructor, department director and curriculum designer. She holds a PhD in Humanistic Studies with an emphasis on ethics from Tecnologico de Monterrey and a Masters of Environment and Management from Royal Roads University.
Jordan Bendall
Administrative Assistant
Jordan Bendall is the Cascade Institute’s Administrative Assistant, supporting the team through his expertise in scheduling, communications, and administrative process-building. He holds a BA in English from the University of Victoria with a minor in Professional Writing in Journalism and Publishing.
Fellow, Ultradeep Geothermal
Gordon Brasnett is a fellow with the Cascade Institute Ultradeep Geothermal program. He is a specialist in techno-economic modelling, policy analysis, and risk-assessment frameworks for novel technologies. He holds an MSc in Sustainable Energy Development from the University of Calgary and BSc degrees in Physics and Geophysics from the University of Alberta.
Fellow, Polycrisis
Chris Collins is a Fellow with the Polycrisis program. His research focuses on how political, economic, technological, and demographic trends shape global systems. Prior to joining Cascade, Chris worked in strategy at several major Canadian financial institutions. He also previously worked for a major global health NGO, where he led initiatives to improve healthcare delivery systems in developing countries. He holds a BA and an MA from the University of Toronto.
Fellow, Ultradeep Geothermal
Leighton Gall is the Technical Lead and Indigenous Energy Lead with the Ultradeep Geothermal program. A member of the Métis Nation and a specialist in sustainable geothermal and advanced drilling technologies, he blends his deep Indigenous heritage with a global outlook, enriched by extensive international experience. He holds a Master of Global Management from Royal Roads University.
Fellow, Democracy
Dr. Shandell Houlden is a researcher with the Democracy program. Her work focuses on how polarization intersects with energy transformation and climate change, with attention to governance, communication, and public trust. She holds a PhD in English and Cultural Studies from McMaster University and has published widely on the intersections of power, technology, and education in the digital age.
Fellow, Polycrisis
Dr. Michael Lawrence is a Fellow with the Polycrisis program. He uses complexity science to understand the coevolution of conflict, violence, and social structure, and through this work he has developed expertise on global governance, societal collapse, the psychology of dehumanization, transnational organized crime, and peacebuilding. He holds a PhD in Global Governance from the University of Waterloo.
Director, Geothermal Energy Office (CI-GEO)
Peter Massie leads the Cascade Institute’s Geothermal Energy Office. He has over a decade of experience in a variety of roles within the Canadian federal government. Most recently he managed Techno-Economic Analysis in the Department of Natural Resources Canada, where his team used quantitative tools to assess the contributions of energy technologies to Canada’s net-zero transition. He holds an MA in Sustainable Energy Policy from Carleton University, where he focused on both geothermal and wind energy.
Researcher, Polycrisis
Katherine Matos is a researcher with the Polycrisis program. She is currently completing an MA in Environment and Management at Royal Roads University, where her research focuses on the energy transition. She has over 10 years of experience in environmental studies and project management within the private and public sectors.
David Mitchell
Knowledge Mobilization Lead
David Mitchell leads the Cascade Institute's work of turning research into action. He is an editor with two decades of experience sharpening the prose of change makers, thought leaders, experts, and advocates. He holds an MA in Postcolonial Literature from Dalhousie University.
Fellow, Ultradeep Geothermal
Dr. Rebecca Pearce is the Science Lead with the Ultradeep Geothermal program. Her research focuses on emerging geothermal and drilling technologies and the characterization of geothermal sites. She is an expert in applied magnetotellurics, contributing to projects in Chile, Northern BC and West Antarctica. She holds a PhD in Geophysics from University College London.
Fellow, Polycrisis
Dr. Simone Philpot is a Fellow with the Polycrisis program. She combines systems modeling with qualitative research, focusing on conflict modeling and decision analysis. She has previously applied her expertise to water resources management, aggregate mining, and marine shipping. She holds a PhD in Geography and Environmental Management, from the University of Waterloo.
Fellow, Polycrisis
Dr. Megan Shipman is a Fellow with the Polycrisis program. Her expertise in neural circuitry, complex behaviour, and biomedical science informs her current research on global health systems and their interactions with global crises. She holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Vermont.
Fellow, Ultradeep Geothermal
Emily Smejkal is the Policy Lead with the Cascade Institute Geothermal Energy Office (CI-GEO) and the Ultradeep Geothermal program. She is a specialist in Canadian geothermal geology and geothermal policy. She holds a BSc in Geology and Earth Science from the University of Calgary. She is the Vice President of Geothermal Canada.
RESIDENT FELLOWS
Jaigris Hodson
Resident Fellow, Democracy
Dr. Jaigris Hodson is the Canada Research Chair in Digital Communication for the Public Interest and an Associate Interdisciplinary Studies Professor at Royal Roads University. Her SSHRC and CIHR funded research examines the ways that misinformation can be mitigated through digital communication efforts. She holds a PhD from York University.
Julie MacArthur
Resident Fellow, Energy Systems
Dr. Julie MacArthur is the Canada Research Chair in Reimagining Capitalism and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Management at Royal Roads University. She is an expert in the political economy of just energy transitions, with a particular focus on the potential and role of radical democratization for transformative system change. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Simon Fraser University.
AFFILIATED RESEARCHERS
Ysaline Bacon
Ysaline Bacon is a researcher with the Ultradeep Geothermal program. Her research combines field studies, resource assessment, and reservoir modeling to support the energy transition in remote northern communities. She is a master’s student in Earth Sciences and Renewable Energy at INRS (Quebec, Canada) and Reykjavik University (Iceland), focusing on the deep geothermal potential of Baker Lake community in Nunavut.
Guy Brodsky
Geothermal
Guy Brodsky is a researcher with the Cascade Institute Ultradeep Geothermal program. He is an energy policy professional focused on climate solutions that address affordability and equity concerns. He specializes in distributed energy resources and regulatory innovation for electricity systems. He holds a Master's in Public Policy in Sustainable Energy Policy from Carleton University and has experience at Natural Resources Canada, building decarbonization, and residential solar.
Stephanie Cortinovis
Stephanie Cortinovis is a researcher with the Ultradeep Geothermal program. She is completing her Ph.D. in Global Governance at the University of Waterloo. Her research focuses on carbon dioxide removal technology governance and energy transitions in the context of deep uncertainty and the climate crisis.
Princess Cosalan
Princess Sharlynne Cosalan is a researcher with the Ultradeep Geothermal program. She is currently completing an MSc in Earth Sciences at Simon Fraser University where her research focuses on volcanic crisis management, where she leverages geophysics to enhance our understanding and preparedness for volcanic events.
Ian Graham
Dr. Ian Graham is a researcher supporting the Ultradeep Geothermal program and Permafrost Carbon program. A former IT and business consultant, he has held management and leadership positions at the Bank of Montreal, University of Toronto, and small Toronto-based startups, as well as research positions with the National Research Council. He holds a PhD in Physics from McGill University.
Luke Kemp
Dr. Luke Kemp is affiliated with the Polycrisis program. He is a Research Affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) at the University of Cambridge where he researches the history and future of extreme global risk. His research has been covered by media outlets such as the New York Times, the BBC and the New Yorker. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the Australian National University.
David Last
Dr. David Last is affiliated with the Democracy program. He served 30 years with the Canadian Army and teaches political science at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston. He is Secretary to the International Society of Military Sciences and academic advisor on Senior Enlisted Leader education. Research interests include grey zone threats, hybrid warfare, nonviolence, and conflict management. He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics.
Lina Madaj
Dr. Lina Madaj is a researcher with the Permafrost Carbon program. She is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands where her research focuses on the carbon released into the ocean by coastal permafrost thaw. Lina holds a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Bremen, Germany.
Edward (Ted) Parson
Visiting Fellow
Dr. Edward (Ted) Parson Edward A. (Ted) Parson, is a Distinguished Dan and Rae Emmett Professor of Environmental Law and Faculty Director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the University of California, Los Angeles. Parson studies international environmental law and policy, the societal impacts and governance of disruptive technologies including geoengineering and artificial intelligence, and the political economy of regulation.
