Meet the TRACE Lab Team – The amazing people who make our lab great!
Mary-Claire Buell
Dr. Mary-Claire Buell is an Assistant Professor, cross-appointed with the School of Environment and Department of Forensic Science at Trent University. Dr. Buell’s research interests include investigating the source, fate, transport, and impacts of legacy and contemporary contaminants, examining the connections between contaminants and environmental justice; her research is transdisciplinary as it brings together environmental toxicology, chemistry, and community knowledges.
Emily M.
Emily is an Ecological Restoration graduate in her first year of a masters of science in the Environmental and life sciences program. She is studying mercury contamination in fish found in the Ililiwaskiy (Moose Cree) territory. She hopes to understand the risks of mercury in the Moose Cree territory and to develop risk mitigation strategies that avoid harm to the Moose Cree peoples relationship with fish.
Haley MacLeod
Dr. Haley MacLeod will soon be joining the lab as a post-doctoral fellow. Haley is working with WCS Canada and Moose Cree First Nation (MCFN) on the co-developed Learning from Lake Sturgeon (ki kiskinohamâkonânawan namewak) program (www.learningfromlakesturgeon.ca). Haley will work with MCFN to support the development of an Indigenous-led cumulative effects framework. Haley will support MCFN with her western science training using western science techniques such as assessing cumulative effects using a bioenergetics framework. More specifically, Haley will support the program by understanding the impacts of various industrial activities on Namew (Lake Sturgeon) movement, contaminant ecology, and ecosystem productivity in the Moose River Basin.
Ashley Wiley
Ashley if in her fifth year of the environmental science and studies program at Trent University. She is currently writing a thesis on community perceived risk of environmental contaminants in Peterborough with a focus on residential gardening habits. This research will be accompanied by a GIS of known environmental contaminants in Peterborough.
Nathalie Kuria
Nathalie Kuria is pursuing a Master’s in Environmental & Life Sciences at Trent University, following the completion of her Honours Bachelor of Science degree in biology and diploma in Ecosystem Management. With over a decade in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough, Nathalie has worked in diverse roles, from Terrestrial Monitoring Technician to Environmental Educator, following a passion for ecosystem assessment and community engagement. Her current research interests explore environmental toxicology and the intersection of diverse knowledge systems to develop sustainable ecological practices and promote environmental advocacy.
Jade Gorman
Jade is an Environmental and Resource Sciences student, currently in her last year of her undergrad for her BSc. Her current roles include helping undergraduate courses as a lab demonstrator and academic assistant. She is currently researching benthic macroinvertebrates.
Ruth Duncan
Ruth just completed her third year of the Indigenous Environmental Science Honours Bsc Program at Trent University. She has worked in TRACE Lab as a co-op student and lab assistant, and is now starting her Thesis project, with a scholarship for NSERC. Ruth will be working with contaminants in the environment. Ruth has experience working within Indigenous communities to community led research and fish assessment and is looking forward to this new project!
Shawna Corcoran
Shawna is a Demonstrator/Technician with the School of the Environment at Trent University. Shawna’s research interests include investigating environmental contaminants in water and wastewater, and also evaluating overall water quality. Shawna has experience not only operating, but developing new methods to extract and quantify a variety of environmental contaminants using a wide range of analytical instruments (e.g., LC-MS/MS, IC, ICP-OES, etc). She aspires to help students succeed academically and professionally in the laboratory and field by encouraging hands on learning experiences.
Emma Pirie
Emma Pirie is a graduate student and research assistant at Trent University. Ms. Pirie’s research interests are in the fields of environmental health and knowledge intersection. A particular focus of her work is on identifying and better understanding best practices that can be drawn upon to bring together multiple knowledge bases in an attempt to address local communities environmental health concerns, such as the effects of a rapidly changing environment on population health and distribution of aquatic species.
Ruby Wetzl
Ruby completed her BSc in the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems program at Trent and is a current MSc candidate in the ENLS program. She has a large interest in seed saving and genetic diversity and is currently studying the impact of agricultural management on the enrichment of trace metals and rare earth elements in soils.
TRACE Lab 