PEOPLE

Dr. Christopher Wellen (PI)

Dr. Wellen is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Ryerson University. Chris is an environmental scientist whose work focuses on the intersection of hydrology and biogeochemistry in human dominated environments. His work has focused on agricultural, urban, and surface mined areas, but the essential questions are typically: How do natural processes and human modifications to a watershed interact to transport water and materials? What are the effects on instream and downstream ecosystems, and how are these effects likely to change in the future?

Dr. Wellen received a PhD from the University of Toronto in 2013 focusing on comparing the phosphorus export dynamics of urban and agricultural watersheds. His postdoctoral work at McMaster University focused on the role of surface mining in affecting selenium release from watersheds. His subsequent postdoctoral work at the University of Waterloo focused on improving the numerical analysis of watershed data from agricultural systems. Dr. Wellen received an MSc in GIScience from McGill University and a BSc in Water Environments and Ecosystems from McGill University’s School of the Environment.

Lab Alumni

Alexander Pardy
Masters of Spatial Analysis

Mallory Carpenter
Masters of Spatial Analysis
Currently GIS Specialist with Ducks Unlimited Canada

Jung Lee
Research Technician
Currently Supply Chain Analyst at OECM

Hannah Burdett
Masters of Spatial Analysis
Currently PhD Student at the University of Waterloo

Larissa Gospodyn
Masters of Environmental Applied Science and Managament
Currently Research Assistant at Ryerson University

Dr. Sohom Mandal
Postdoctoral Fellow
Currently Lead Data Scientist at Canadian National Rail

Dr. Clare Nelligan
Postdoctoral Fellow
Currently Biologist at Minnow Consulting

Cody Ross
Post-Doctoral Fellow, co-supervised with Claire Oswald

Cody joined the group in January 2021 following a PhD at the University of Manitoba. His work focuses on the development of surrogate models for predicting concentrations of critical water quality parameters. More broadly this work aims to leverage available sensor technologies to better understand high-frequency water quality dynamics and guide future monitoring programs. Fun fact: Cody enjoys cycling and completed a solo, unsupported Winnipeg – California round-trip in 2012.

Dr. Kelly Biagi
Post-Doctoral Fellow

Kelly is working to determine the landscape drivers behind nutrient loading dynamics in several headwater streams in Southern Ontario. Kelly joined the team in April 2021 after completing her PhD at McMaster University which focussed on constructed wetland hydrology and hydrochemistry in the Athabasca oil sands region. Kelly loves spending time outside, camping and hiking but also enjoys spending time at home playing board games and trying to improve her green thumb.

Bhaswati Mazumder
PhD Student

Bhaswati joined the team after completing MSA at Ryerson. Her research focuses on chloride pathways in watersheds due to road salt applications. Current research interests include legacy chloride due to long term road salting in urban and urbanizing catchments, chloride retention in soil, and water quality modelling.

Larissa Gospodyn
Research Assistant

Larissa joined the lab in May 2018 as a research assistant. She began her MASc degree in the following fall and completed it in August 2020. Larissa's research focuses on isotope hydrology in agricultural catchments and other research interests include water quality and catchment hydrology.

Baochen (Noah) Wang
MASc Student

Noah joined the lab in September, 2020. His work focuses on chloride retention in urban soils.

Shanice Rodrigues
MSA Student

Shanice joined the lab in September, 2020. Her work is focused on assessing the value of water stable isotope data in hydrological and water quality modelling.

Bryant Serre
Research Technician

Bryant is an undergraduate student within the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, receiving a specialization in Geospatial Analysis: accredited as a LEED GA, WELL AP, EPt, GISP and CIFD. He is a passionate environmentalist and geographer; his research crosses between hydrology, biology, sustainable development and computational landscape ecology. Bryant joined the lab as a research assistant in May 2019 and currently works within the AGRImodel farmer survey project, where he is capturing and framing the diversity of nutrient management and operational practices across Southern Ontario farmers. Outside of work, Bryant enjoys backcountry skiing as a "powder-junkie".