Graham Gagnon, PhD, P.Eng., is the Acting Vice President of Research & Innovation at Dalhousie University. A distinguished environmental engineer and dedicated member of the Dalhousie community, Dr. Gagnon has been an active leader at the university for over 25 years, holding key roles including Dean of Architecture and Planning and Associate Vice-President Research. As Director of the Centre for Water Resources Studies, he leads groundbreaking research in water quality and treatment and supports industrial and community partnerships that have improved water security in Atlantic Canada and beyond. Among key successes has been his role supporting the formation of the Atlantic First Nations Water Authority, Canada’s first Indigenous-led water utility.

Dr. Gagnon has been both a Canada Research Chair and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Industrial Research Chair, underscoring his leadership in applied research. His significant contributions to engineering were recognized in 2024 with his induction as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. In 2024, he was also named a member of the Canadian Infrastructure Council, an 11-person team of experts tasked by the Government of Canada to support long-term core infrastructure planning and decision-making.

With a commitment to advancing equity in Dalhousie’s research and innovation ecosystem, Dr. Gagnon is focused on expanding research opportunities, strengthen community and industry partnerships, and ensuring that Dalhousie innovation delivers meaningful benefits to Nova Scotia, Canada and beyond.

John R. Sylliboy John R. is L’nu from the Millbrook Mi’kmaw Community in Nova Scotia. He is the Vice-Provost, Indigenous Relations at Dalhousie University. John’s role is to enhance Dalhousie’s Indigenous community partnerships, develop pathways into meaningful learning opportunities on campus, and expand on the work that Indigenous programming provides to benefit students, faculty, and staff for learning, teaching, and research.

John collaborates on various regional and national research at the IWK Health Centre with the Aboriginal Children’s Hurt and Healing Initiative. He is a co-recipient of a Focused Research Investment grant from Research Nova Scotia to explore Indigenous health and healing for L’nu children through Etuaptmumk / Two-Eyed Seeing.

John’s other interests include advocating to build support for Two-Spirit and Indigenous youth health and wellness, language preservation, cultural identity, and Mi’kmaw self-determination and governance.

Kimberly Doane is currently the Executive Director, Energy Resource Development with the Nova Scotia Department of Energy. She is responsible for providing strategic policy advice to the government regarding energy development, research, and the technical promotion of Nova Scotia’s potential to investors. Her responsibilities are focused on energy opportunities such as offshore and onshore oil & gas, offshore wind, geothermal, energy storage, tidal and emerging energy innovation.  

Kim holds a Master of Business Administration (Global Leadership), a Bachelor of Science Degree (Geology) and a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Geography). Kim has worked for the Provincial government for over 27 years in a range of responsibilities. Prior to starting with the province, she worked in Calgary in private industry in petroleum exploration and environmental reclamation. 

Kim also sits on a number of Board’s and is active on a variety of committees both locally and internationally. 

Kim and her husband reside in Halifax, and they have one daughter Alexandra, who is currently an articling student for Bennett Jones LLP in Vancouver.

Jennifer Matthews is the Manager, Regulatory Affairs for Atlantic Canada with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). Jennifer is currently involved in a number of offshore health, safety and environmental programs specific to Atlantic Canada’s offshore oil and gas industry. 

Prior to joining CAPP, Jennifer was the Director of Operations and Research for the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE) and the Research Manager for Nova Scotia’s offshore energy research associations (OEER and OETR), where she managed the $15 million Play Fairway Analysis of Nova Scotia’s offshore petroleum resources, which provided strong evidence of significant oil potential. Jennifer is a graduate of Dalhousie University and lives in Halifax with her husband Jeff and daughters Bailey and Brynn. 

Christopher Googoo is a proud member of We’koqma’q First Nation and lives in Millbrook First Nation on the unceded territory of Mi’kma’ki. His work is rooted in a strong commitment to community wellbeing, Indigenous self‑determination, and respectful stewardship of land for future generations.

For over 20 years, Chris has supported Indigenous‑led economic and community development across Atlantic Canada, focusing on strengthening local capacity, supporting entrepreneurs, and advancing initiatives aligned with Indigenous values and priorities. His experience includes working alongside Indigenous communities, philanthropic partners, and researchers to promote inclusive, community‑driven approaches to development and governance.

Chris is a strong advocate for youth and intergenerational learning. He helped establish the Ulnooweg Education Centre to support science‑based programming in forestry, agriculture, and environmental stewardship, and played a leadership role in protecting Asitu’lɨsk, a 200‑acre forest dedicated to cultural revitalization, language, healing, and reconnection to the land.

A graduate of St. Francis Xavier University, Chris brings a community‑centred, values‑based perspective to governance and oversight work.

Craig is a senior people leader and public policy professional with deep connections in Canada’s energy industry. For almost twelve years Craig served as Special Representative in the Alberta Department of Energy, ensuring Alberta’s broad energy ecosystem stayed connected to government officials in Edmonton. In addition to his time in government Craig has held senior roles around operations, communications and public engagement with Enserva, the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, and CAPP.

David Risk holds the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government Research Chair in Climate Science and Policy at St. Francis Xavier University, and the Director of the FluxLab, one of Canada’s leading centers for methane measurement science. Over the past two decades, his research has advanced the development and validation of methane detection and quantification technologies across the energy and waste sectors. A defining feature of his recent work is the use of large-scale controlled-release facilities to rigorously test ground-based, airborne, and satellite observing systems. His research directly informs regulatory frameworks, emissions inventories, and international methane mitigation efforts.

Michelle Martin, P. Geo, PMP, is an energy professional with more than 20 years of experience across offshore oil and gas, emissions-reduction innovation, and renewable energy development. She has held leadership roles with ABO Energy Canada, The Net Zero Project, and Suncor Energy, leading technical teams and advancing complex energy initiatives. A licensed Professional Geoscientist and Project Management Professional, she is known for her collaborative leadership style and ability to bring together industry, government, and community partners to support responsible energy development and innovation.  Michelle is a graduate of Memorial University of NL with a Masters of Science in Earth Sciences.  She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of NL and is a member of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Fund Advisory Board with the Government of NL.