Collaborations

Research Collaborations & Partnerships

Our research group maintains strong collaborative relationships with academic institutions, government agencies, industry partners, and international researchers.

🎓 Academic Collaborators

University of Calgary

Dr. Angus Chu - Civil Engineering
Collaborative research on bioretention cells, permeable pavements, and LID technologies
Profile

Dr. Jianxun He - Civil Engineering
Water quality modeling, urban hydrology, and watershed management
Profile

University of Victoria

Dr. Rishi Gupta - Civil Engineering
Sustainable construction materials, green infrastructure
Profile

Dr. Rustom Bhiladvala - Mechanical Engineering
Sensor development for environmental monitoring
Profile

Dr. Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya - Civil Engineering
Green roof systems and building envelope performance
Profile

McMaster University

Long-standing collaboration on environmental hydraulics and water quality modeling

International Partners

• National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan - Hydrological modeling
• IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Netherlands - Urban water management
• Springer Nature - Book series editor for environmental sustainability

🏛️ Government & Municipal Partners

City of Vancouver

Urban Forestry & Climate Change Project
Three-year research partnership on rainwater tree trenches and urban heat island mitigation
Funded by Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions

Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS)

Major research funding for climate adaptation strategies in urban environments

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

Discovery Grant support for fundamental research in environmental informatics

City of Victoria

Stormwater management infrastructure assessment and optimization

🏢 Industry Partnerships

Environmental Consulting Firms

Collaboration on:

• LID design and implementation
• Stormwater management strategies
• Water quality assessment and monitoring
• Cold climate performance evaluation

Technology Companies

Partnership opportunities in:

• Environmental sensor development
• Data analytics and modeling platforms
• Remote sensing applications
• Decision support systems

Construction & Materials Industry

Research collaborations on:

• Permeable pavement materials
• Green infrastructure products
• Performance testing and certification

🤝 Collaboration Opportunities

We welcome new collaborative partnerships in the following areas:

For Academic Researchers

• Joint research projects and publications
• Student co-supervision (Master’s and Ph.D.)
• Shared facilities and equipment
• Conference organization and special sessions
• Visiting scholar exchanges

For Government Agencies

• Applied research on policy-relevant questions
• Technical consulting and expert advice
• Data analysis and modeling support
• Technology transfer and implementation
• Workshop and training programs

For Industry Partners

• Product development and testing
• Field demonstration projects
• Technology validation studies
• Graduate student internships
• Collaborative funding applications (Mitacs, NSERC Alliance)

For International Collaborators

• Joint funding applications
• Student exchange programs
• Collaborative publications
• Virtual research seminars
• International conference collaborations

📊 Current & Recent Collaborative Projects

Urban Forestry for Climate Adaptation (2022-2025)

• Partners: City of Vancouver, University of Calgary, PICS
• Funding: Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions
• Focus: Designing urban forests to combat extreme heat using rainwater tree trenches

HAL Project: Hydraulic Analysis of LID Systems (2018-2023)

• Partners: University of Calgary, City of Calgary
• Focus: Performance evaluation of bioretention cells and permeable pavements in cold climates

Stormwater Microbial Contamination (2020-2024)

• Partners: University of Calgary, Health Canada
• Focus: Occurrence and virulence of waterborne pathogens in urban stormwater

Green Infrastructure Sensors (2021-2024)

• Partners: UVic Mechanical Engineering, Environmental consultancies
• Focus: Development of biomass monitoring sensors for vegetated LID systems

🌍 Professional Networks

Editorial Boards

• Watershed Ecology and the Environment (Elsevier)
• Water (MDPI)
• Sustainability (MDPI)
• Frontiers in Sustainable Cities
• Frontiers in Water
• Environmental Systems Research
• Journal of Environmental Informatics

Professional Organizations

• Canadian Society of Civil Engineering (CSCE)
• International Association of Hydrology Sciences (IAHS)
• International Society of Environmental Information Systems (ISEIS)
• Engineers and Geoscientists BC

📬 Interested in Collaborating?

We’re always open to exploring new partnerships and collaborative opportunities!

Contact Information

Dr. Caterina Valeo
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
University of Victoria
📧 valeo@uvic.ca

What to Include in Your Initial Email:

1. Brief description of your organization/research group
2. Proposed collaboration topic or area
3. Potential funding sources (if applicable)
4. Timeline and expected outcomes
5. Your contact information