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 photoelectrocatalysis to degrade emerging contaminants in water. Just as she loved to do in her hometown in southern Brazil, she now spends her free time outdoors, hiking and exploring 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.
Researchers:
Molk Souli (she/her) Mitacs Globalink Research Intern | Chemical Engineering Student
Molk is a chemical engineering student passionate about sustainability, environmental protection, and the belief that science should solve real-world problems. Originally from Tunisia, she joined the Green Safe Water Lab at the UVic through the Mitacs Globalink program to investigate regenerable hydrogel sensors for arsenate detection in drinking water. Her research focuses on understanding the kinetics behind these sensors, which involves a combination of chemistry, problem-solving, and occasional negotiations with experimental data. She is fascinated by technologies that can translate fundamental science into practical solutions for environmental challenges. This internship represents Molk’s first experience abroad and her first opportunity to conduct research outside her home country. Moving across the world to join a Canadian research Lab has been both exciting and rewarding, allowing her to broaden her scientific perspective, adapt to a new culture, collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds, and contribute to projects that support safer and more sustainable water systems. It has also taught her that preparation is important both inside and outside the lab—especially when it comes to checking the weather forecast before leaving home. Outside the lab, Molk enjoys exploring new places, discovering opportunities that are slightly outside her comfort zone, and collecting scientific papers faster than she can read them. She hopes to pursue a career dedicated to developing sustainable technologies that make a positive impact on both people and the environment.
Fehmeeda Jahangir | Mitacs Globalink Research Intern | Chemical Engineering Student
Fehmeeda is a chemical engineering student driven by a commitment to sustainability and clean energy innovation, and a belief that rigorous science should translate into real-world solutions. Originally from Pakistan, she joined the Green Safe Water Lab at UVic through the MitacsGlobalink program, where her research focuses on improving ion-selective membranes through a greener approach to biofouling prevention. Her final year project centered on BZCY-based proton-conducting ceramic membranes for hydrogen production and separation, and she has carried that grounding in membrane science into her current work on sustainable, fouling-resistant membrane technologies. She is fascinated by research that bridges fundamental chemistry with practical, everyday environmental impact. This internship marks Fehmeeda’s first experience abroad and her first opportunity to conduct research outside her home country. Moving from Pakistan to join a Canadian research lab has been both challenging and rewarding, broadening her scientific perspective, pushing her to adapt to a new academic culture, and connecting her with researchers from diverse backgrounds working toward safer, more sustainable water systems. Outside the lab, Fehmeeda enjoys reading, cooking, walking, and exploring new places, ideas, and opportunities that push her slightly outside her comfort zone. She hopes to build a career developing sustainable technologies that make a lasting, positive impact on both people and the environment.
Alumni
Graduate Students + Post-doctoral researchers:
Dr. Luiz Henrique Correa Post-Doctoral Researcher (2026) Currently: Junior Water and Wastewater Engineer at McElhanney
Dr. Chris Tremblay PhD in Chemistry (2026) Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow at Simon Fraser University
Dr. Grace Tieman PhD in Chemistry (2025)
Mackenzie Cochran MSc Student in Chemistry (2025)
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 MASc in Civil Engineering (2024)
Researchers
Faiza Naderi (she/her) BSc Civil Engineering Student
Franklin Willian Meneses das Chagas (he/him) PhD Chemistry Candidate
Orielle Henriquez (she/her) BSc Biochemistry Student
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 Student
Nathan Leonard (he/hiM) BSc Chemistry Student
Ethan Chan Software Developer
Kalyanshi Ubnero Chemistry Graduate Student
Ruth Mambu BSc Chemistry Student
Nicole Gamm BSc Civil Engineering Student
Rafaela Godoy BSc Chemistry Student
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!