Thompson Rivers University is a national leader in wildfire research, education, training and innovation, bringing together experts from across disciplines to better understand wildfire and help communities adapt to a changing climate.
TRU professors and researchers can provide expertise on a wide range of wildfire-related topics, including wildfire prediction and behaviour, fire ecology, forest and ecosystem resilience, post-fire impacts, aquatic ecosystems, emergency management and the human dimensions of wildfire and disaster response.
Looking for a wildfire expert? Journalists and others seeking expert commentary or connections with TRU researchers can contact communications@tru.ca.
Dr. Mike Flannigan
Scientific director of the Institute for Wildfire Science, Adaptation, and ResiliencyBC Innovation Research Chair in Predictive Services, Emergency Management and Fire Science, Thompson Rivers University
Faculty of Science
Dr. Flannigan uses machine learning approaches to better model and predict wildfire activity to inform the development of a wildfire early warning system and improve fire management planning and operations.
Dr. Jill Harvey
Canada Research Chair in Fire Ecology
Faculty of Science
Dr. Harvey investigates wildfire and drought as processes driving ecosystem change to help inform forest and fire management practices and enhance resilience in Canada’s forests.
Dr. Lauchlan Fraser
NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Ecosystem Reclamation
Faculty of Science
Dr. Fraser is at the forefront of research that aids in the recovery of disturbed ecosystems. He has led reclamation research relating to soil amendments, biodiversity and climate change, with a particular focus on the Southern Interior of BC.
Dr. Greg Anderson
Interim Dean (School of Nursing) and Professor of Applied Physiology
Professor Greg Anderson’s research interests include occupational health and wellness and the physiology of physically demanding occupations. He has developed and assessed an online learning tool for first responders to improve their personal resilience prior to deployment and published extensively on topics covering occupational and organisational stress and proactive mental health support programmes. He is passionate about improving the well-being of Canadian public safety personnel, their colleagues, organisations, and their families through world-class research and the promotion of evidence-based practices, policies and programmes for all public safety personnel in Canada.
Dr. Mahed Choudhury
Assistant Professor, Environment, Culture and Society (Faculty of Arts)
Dr. Mahed Choudhury’s broadly focuses on the social, cultural, institutional, and policy dimensions of environmental risks, hazards, and disasters, including wildfires. His ongoing research includes equitable and inclusive wildfire evacuation and re-entry in BC and Alberta, transformative learning in reducing wildfire risks and building resilience in BC, and structural determinants of health and climate injustice among youths in Alberta.
Tara Duncan
Professor, Tourism (Faculty of Adventure, Culinary Arts and Tourism )
Professor Tara Duncan’s has expertise in social science related areas, specifically around resilience of individuals and communities. Her work also looks at the role of tourism and wildfire – both as a provider of resources during wildfires (think accommodation for evacuees) but also as recovery and tourism.
Will Garrett-Petts
Professor, Literatures, Languages and Performing Arts (Faculty of Arts)
Will Garrett-Petts leads the Community and Cultural Mapping Research Group at TRU. His research interest in wildfire studies focuses on crisis communication, mapping community resilience, the impacts of wildfire and wildfire mitigation policies on vulnerable populations, and addressing the awareness-to-preparation gap in the wildland-urban interface. His work is supported by a Wawanesa Wildfire Community Resilience Research Grant, by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and by a Michael Smith Health Research BC Grant. More info at firesmart.trubox.ca.
Dr. Thomas Pypker
Professor, Natural Resource Science (Faculty of Science)
Dr. Pypker studies the after-effects of wildfires, particularly as they impact land disturbance and water flows.
Dr. Bala Nikku
Associate Professor, Social Work and Human Service (Faculty of Education and Social Work)
Dr. Nikku studies human interactions with wildfires and other climate disasters in Canada and Asia. His work mainly focuses on understanding peoples’ evacuation choices before, during, and post-disaster stages and how those choices intersect with disaster management policies and practices. Using these research insights, Dr. Nikku advocates for building resilient futures.
Dale Parkes, Architect AIBC
Co-Chair, Associate Teaching Professor, Architectural and Engineering (School of Trades and Technology)
Dale Parkes has expertise in designing wildfire resilient, wood-framed buildings using sustainable techniques that can be applied to both new and existing buildings.
Dr. Soodeh Saberian
Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Economics of Climate Change, Disasters and Inequality (Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics)
Dr. Soodeh Saberian is an environmental and health economist studying the economic and health consequences of climate-related disasters, with a focus on wildfires. Her research examines how wildfire smoke and evacuation exposure affect mental health, air quality, and public health outcomes, with particular attention to disproportionate impacts on rural, remote, and Indigenous communities.
Dr. Emily Studd
Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences (Faculty of Science)
Dr. Studd studies how wildlife populations are impacted and respond to short and long term changes in the environment, including climate change and wildfire.
Amie Schellenberg, RSE
Associate Teaching Professor, Electrical (School of Trades and Technology)
A Red Seal electrician and TRU instructor since 2013, Amie is passionate about improving wildfire resilience in the built environment. Her experience being evacuated during the 2023 Rossmore Lake wildfire inspired her to advance research on fire-resistant building systems. Through partnerships with BC Hydro and RDH Building Sciences, she is using a burn unit to research construction methods that can better protect communities.
Dr. Weiwei Wang
Assistant Professor, Natural Resource Science (Faculty of Science)
Dr. Weiwei Wang models the full spectrum of wildfires across different temporal and spatial scales in Canada, including annual and daily fire activity, landscape- and national-scale burn severity, fire-fuel feedback effects, and community-level fire risk.
