Collaborations
Research Collaborations & Partnerships
The research program includes collaborations with academic colleagues, municipalities, public agencies, and industry partners working on urban hydrology, water quality, monitoring, and green infrastructure.
🎓 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
Collaborative work in environmental hydraulics and water quality modelling
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)
Research funding support for climate adaptation work 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
Potential collaborations may include:
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?
Potential collaborators are welcome to get in touch about projects that align with the group’s research areas.
Contact Information
Dr. Caterina Valeo
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
University of Victoria
📧 valeo@uvic.ca
What to Include in Your Initial Email:
- Brief description of your organization/research group
- Proposed collaboration topic or area
- Potential funding sources (if applicable)
- Timeline and expected outcomes
- Your contact information
📢 Areas of Current Interest
The group is especially interested in collaborations related to:
- Climate Change Adaptation - Urban infrastructure resilience
- Green Infrastructure - LID technologies and long-term monitoring
- Smart Cities - Sensors and data analysis for water systems
- Indigenous Communities - Water security and sustainable management
- Global South - Urban water challenges in developing regions
Please include a short description of your research or project when reaching out.