Current members

Graduate Students + Post-doctoral researchers:

Shashini Deegala(she/her) MSc Student

Shashini Deegala is an Analytical Chemist from Sri Lanka with a background in environmental science. She completed her BSc (Hons) degree in Environmental Science and her Master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Throughout her academic and research career, Shashini has developed experience in reverse osmosis (RO) system optimization, microfluidic analysis, and the development of analytical methods for monitoring and treating water systems. She is currently pursuing an MSc in Chemistry. Guided by the belief that science should serve, not harm, the environment, her current research focuses on applying advanced analytical techniques to understand and prevent biofouling in water treatment systems, to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly strategies for RO membrane fouling. Outside the lab, Shashini enjoys spending time in nature, hiking through forests, and appreciating the quiet and stillness of the natural surroundings.

Maria Eduarda Muraro (she/her) MSc Student

Maria Eduarda is a Chemical Engineer from Brazil with over four years of experience across a variety of industrial and laboratory settings. She has worked in quality control labs within the brewery industry, chemical manufacturing companies, and materials lab, first as a chemical technician and later as a quality analyst. After spending some time buried in paperwork and internal audits, she realized she missed the hands-on lab work and the experimental research, something she had enjoyed during her projects in her technical course in Chemistry and her undergraduate studies. Currently, she is pursuing her MSc in Chemistry and is involved in a collaborative project between the Green Safe Water Lab and Dr. McIndoe’s group. Her research focuses on using catalysis for the removal of “forever chemicals” (PFAS) from water. Just as she loved to do in her hometown in southern Brazil, she now spends her free time outdoors, hiking and discovering the beautiful natural spots Victoria has to offer.

Georgia Douglas (she/they) PhD Candidate

Georgia was born in Toronto, ON, and grew up in the surrounding suburbs. In 2016, she moved to Montreal, QC to complete her undergraduate studies at McGill University. In the summer of 2019, she joined the Moores group and developed a passion for green chemistry. Her projects focused on the mechanochemical synthesis of phosphorus-containing materials, including nickel phosphide nanoparticles used as hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts. After two years with the Moores group, she graduated from McGill with a BSc degree in Environment and Atmosphere Chemistry. In January 2022, Georgia joined the University of Victoria’s Green Safe Water Lab to start her MSc degree. In 2023, Georgia transferred into the doctoral program and become a PhD candidate. The overall focus of her research is to develop a colorimetric sensor for arsenic contamination in drinking water for low-resource contexts. Georgia has first developed a synthesis method for chitosan-based biopolymers to act as the base of her work’s arsenic sensor. From here, her research will entail tuning the hydrogels to act as a sensitive and selective detection method through an established colorimetric reaction. Georgia is a NSERC CREATE in Water and Sanitation for Low-resource Contexts trainee and a CGS-D scholar. Outside of the lab, Georgia enjoys hiking, reading, and skiing.

Kirsten Aasen (she/her) PhD Candidate

Kirsten is an almost 26-year-old PhD student who likes to dance. She has been told that that sentence won’t age well but refuses to change it as it seems to accurately encapsulate the PhD experience – a moment that apparently ends yet feels like it never will. Kirsten grew up where most people grew up in British Columbia (a suburb outside Vancouver) then promptly left for the vast, unknown province of Ontario where she completed an undergrad in Forensics at the University of Windsor (or as her dad likes to call it, U Dub). Here she s l o w l y realized her love for blood spatter analysis started and ended with Dexter (the 2006 crime drama tv series that took America’s breath away), and thus began her journey in material chemistry with the Rondeau-Gagne Group.
Thanks to this experience, today, Kirsten finds herself in the Green Safe Water Lab where she explores the power of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) in membrane distillation – synthetically and computationally. Synthetically, she investigates more sustainable membrane formation approaches through mechanochemical routes and biomass-derived materials. Computationally, she watches YouTube videos on molecular dynamics and takes courses on statistical mechanics (all in the hope of one day simulating a membrane distillation system accurately enough that she can more efficiently answer the one question anyone really cares about – is this worth it?).

Hayley Smith (she/her) PhD Candidate

Born in Edmonton, AB, Hayley is a Chemical Engineer with 4+ years of experience spanning production optimization, chemical plant and refinery systems management. She worked with Ecolab across North America, where she supported with feasibility study reviews, design modifications and water treatment improvement activities for clients spanning across the petrochemical, utilities and energy sectors. Passionate about research and sustainable environmental solutions, Hayley joined the Green Safe Water lab in January 2021. Her PhD research focuses on the characterization and optimization of extraction methods for alginate-based plastics to advance the development of higher-value biodegradable materials. She has also spent time developing safe chemical alternatives to mitigate biofouling for water treatment. Outside of work, Hayley loves coffee, her dog Molson and spends her free time hiking, swimming and exploring the outdoors.

Dr. Luiz Henrique Correa (he/him) Post-Doctoral Fellow

Dr. Luiz, an environmental engineer from Brazil and a Ph.D. alumnus in Civil Engineering from UVic’s Green Safe Water Lab, has a rich background in water and wastewater treatment, renewable energy, and environmental consulting. He has contributed to projects at Masdar Institute in the UAE (2018), United Experts in Belgium (2019), and PureBlue Water in the Netherlands (2020), focusing on renewable energy, nutrient recovery, and wastewater treatment, respectively. Awarded the 2022 Green Talents Award, he worked with MSR Solutions Inc. on water and wastewater treatment systems in Canada (2022-2023) and collaborated with Boreal Light GmbH on solar desalination projects in Germany (2023). Currently, Dr. Luiz is advancing research in membrane biofouling prevention for reverse osmosis systems at UVic, aiming to make sustainable biocides for safe drinking water a reality, marking a significant breakthrough in the desalination industry. His project ultimately promotes water conservation, equitable access to clean water, and solutions for water-scarce communities in Canada and globally through the development and application of a platform to optimize and upscale safe and green anti-biofouling agents to prevent biofouling in drinking water RO system applications. Beyond research, Luiz enjoys traveling, hiking, Marvel movies, and singing.

Dr. Chris Tremblay (he/him) PhD Candidate

Chris is a highly serious chemist who started his PhD in the Green Safe Water Lab after losing a bet with an esoteric hooded man in the woods of northern British Columbia. Before this fated event would change the course of his life forever, he spent his childhood days in the mountains of interior BC, growing up in the small town of Fruitvale. After having enough of the so-called “small-town culture”, he moved to Calgary to pursue an undergrad degree in Chemistry. He worked under the supervision of Dr. Kimura-Hara for his undergrad thesis, but soon realized that cattle herding was not his strong suit and if he remained any longer his “British Columbia-ness” would surely be exposed. An expected turn of events led him to the University of Victoria to work on highly durable platinum electrocatalysts under the supervision of Heather Buckley. After striking up a bargain with the German government to synthesize one million platinum electrocatalysts, he has since begun a year-long DAAD funded Ph.D exchange at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy in Freiburg im Breisgau. Armed with a barely functioning gravel bike, a pair of skis and a very limited German vocabulary, he seeks to synthesize the most durable platinum electrocatalyst of all time. His devious plan is to use rare earth metals as alloying agents, and then characterize their degradation using near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Dr. Grace Tieman (she/her)

I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta where I completed my Bachelor Degree in Science majoring in Chemistry at the University of Calgary. During my undergraduate degree, I completed 3 different research projects, all of which had a focus in organic chemistry. I worked under Prof. Jeffrey Van Hubeck and Prof. Gregory Welch. These experiences sparked my interest and desire to attend grad school because I realized how much I enjoy chemistry; I was always excited to work in the lab even when the chemistry was not working as expected. Based on these research experiences and the knowledge I had gained during my undergraduate work, I decided to focus on Green Chemistry in my graduate studies. The current research project I am working on for my PhD project is synthesizing molecules that can be used as antimicrobials when activated by light. When light shines on them, they generate reactive forms of oxygen, including singlet oxygen, which is responsible for reacting with bacterial membranes, killing the cells. Outside of the chemistry lab, I love rock climbing, running, and reading.

Researchers:

Franklin Willian Meneses das Chagas (he/him) PhD Candidate

Franklin is a chemist from Brazil with a strong interest in developing practical and affordable electrochemical tools for environmental monitoring. He completed his B.Sc. in Chemistry at the Catholic University of Brasilia and the University of Porto (Portugal), followed by an M.Sc. in Pure and Applied Chemistry at the Federal University of Western Bahia. During his master’s studies, he focused on electrochemical sensors for hormone detection, which inspired his current PhD research at the University of Brasília. His doctoral work explores the development of laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes modified with metal nanoparticles for the electrochemical detection of vitamin D. At the University of Victoria, Franklin is an Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) PhD Fellow and an NSERC CREATE in Water and Sanitation for Low-resource Contexts trainee, working under the supervision of Dr. Heather Buckley at the Green Safe Water Lab. His current research focuses on applying modified LIG electrodes to detect and quantify emerging contaminants in different water systems. This work aims to advance cost-effective and reliable technologies for water quality monitoring and environmental protection. Outside the lab, Franklin enjoys solving puzzles, reading, playing sports, and traveling, always curious to explore new places, ideas, and cultures.

Faiza Nader (she/her) BSc Student

Faiza Naderi is a second year civil engineering student from Victoria. She is a dedicated
undergraduate currently gaining her first research experience with the Green Safe Water Lab. Her high school to university transition was not very smooth, and she found it challenging to adjust to the new educational system. She had to relearn how to study and
improve her time management skills. As she progressed through university, she became more comfortable in her student experience and is now more confident with her abilities. Faiza is involved with the UVic Seismic club as a Construction Lead, and is looking forward to her competing in July 2026. In her research, Faiza will be working with Maria on the Catalysts production aimed at degrading the “forever chemicals” (PFAS) in water.

Alumni

Graduate Students + Post-doctoral researchers:

Mackenzie Cochran (she/her) MSc Student

Andrew Freiburger MASc in Civil Engineering (2022) Currently: Assistant Computational Biologist, Argonne National Laboratory

Dr. Jolie Lam Post-Doctoral Researcher (2021) Currently: Chemist at Inkbox

Anna Curtin MASc in Civil Engineering (2020) Currently: Quality Assurance Technician at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals

Caitlin Vail MASc in Civil Engineering (2020) Currently: EIT at RJC Engineers

Dr. Fatima Shatila Postdoctoral Researcher (2023)

Negar Rahmati (she/her)MASc in Civil Engineering (2024)

Researchers

Orielle Henriquez (she/her) BSc Biochemistry

May Rodriguez (she/her) BSc Civil Engineering Student

Crystal Graham (she/her) BSc in Biology/Indigenous Studies

Maria Isadora (she/her) BSc student in Pharmaceutical Science

Zahra Boutouis (she/her) BSc Civil Engineering Student

Danyka Thorburn (she/her) BSc Civil Engineering Student

Spencer Thomas (he/him) BSc Chemistry

Nathan Leonard (he/his) BSc Chemistry Student

Ethan Chan Software Developer

Kalyanshi Ubnero Chemistry graduate student

Ruth Mambu BSc Chemistry

Nicole Gamm BSc Civil Engineering Student

Rafaela Godoy BSc Chemistry

Emma Coleman BSc Chemistry and Environmental Studies Student

Meghan Molnar BSc Chemistry and Ocean Science Student

Matthew Thibodeau BSc Biochemistry Student

Bethany Welsh BSc Civil Engineering Student

Andrea Green BS Chemical Engineering Student

Emmanuelle Caws Research Assistant UNAC Green Corps

Elliot Howell BSc Chemistry Honor’s student

Camila de Lima Ribeiro PhD Food Engineering

Sydney Hoffman BEng Civil Engineering Student

Shaheen Rabie BEng Software Engineering Student

Audrey Piper Arroliga BEng Civil Engineering Student

Dave Newcombe BSEng Student

Danika Schmidtke BSc Chemistry Student

Please look under Opportunities for details on how to join us!