Who We Are

Yanru Wang

Yanru is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She completed her M.Eng. (2020) in Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. She is interested in the fate and transformation of trace organic contaminants (i.e., biocides) in stormwater runoff and Best Management Practices (BMPs) for these contaminants. For her M.Eng. study, Yanru investigated the flood mitigation capacity of bioretention. Currently, her research focuses on developing new media in wetlands for stormwater management and treatment. She hopes to convert stormwater from a waste to a resource through rigorous natural treatment systems.

Cayla Anderson

Cayla Anderson is a MASc student in Civil Engineering at UBC.  She is originally from Los Angeles, CA and received her B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a minor in Sustainable Design from the University of California, Berkeley.  Cayla is primarily interested in constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment – specifically the fate and transport of emerging contaminants in these systems.  She is also interested in the promise of constructed wetlands as an alternative to traditional wastewater treatment technologies in communities that lack the resources for expensive, energy intensive systems.  In her spare time Cayla enjoys hiking, backpacking, yoga and thinking about her dog Skye.

Antonio Dias

Antonio is an Undergraduate Student from Toronto, Ontario, studying Honors Oceanography & Biology with a minor in Microbiology at UBC. He is particularly interested in methods of ocean/waterway conservation and sustainability, specifically in relation to the protection of endangered aquatic species from biochemical toxins, waste and runoff.

Jeff Wight

Jeff is a PhD student in civil engineering at UBC. He has received a B.S in chemistry and an M.S. in environmental engineering from Utah State University. Primarily interested in environmental chemistry and the fate and transport of organic contaminants, his current research involves investigating endocrine disrupting compounds that enter marine environments from wastewater treatment plant effluent. When not in the lab, you can probably find him hiking trails that are entirely too long.

Aishwarya Das

Aishwarya is a MASc student from Bhubaneswar, India in Civil Engineering at UBC. She has an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Odisha University of Technology and Research, Bhubaneswar. Being a passionate advocate for environmental issues, she has completed multiple research internships in environmental science. Aishwarya was also a Mitacs Intern at UBC in the summer of 2021, which focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the Fraser River Delta of BC. Her research interest lies in the area of water and wastewater, and she aims to promote sustainable practices in water systems for a better future. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, cooking, going out on walks and spending time with her family.

Ayesha Mushtaq

Ayesha is an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry at UBC, studying in the Chemical Biology combined major program. She is interested in the fields of analytical chemistry, marine ecology and molecular biology. She enjoys reading and baking.

Joy Ding

Joy is an undergraduate student in the combined UBC-BCIT Biochemistry and Forensic Science program. She hopes to narrow down her interests in the fields of environmental biotechnology, toxicology, and genetic engineering before graduation. In her spare time, she enjoys crocheting, hiking, and hunting for new restaurants around the city.

Sam Watanabe. Undergraduate researcher (2022)